Atharva Veda 4.28.3: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 28, Mantra 3

Sukta 28

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स॒ह॒स्रा॒क्षौ वृ॑त्र॒हना॑ हुवे॒हं दू॒रेग॑व्यूती स्तु॒वन्ने॑म्यु॒ग्रौ। याव॒स्येशा॑थे द्वि॒पदो॒ यौ चतु॑ष्पद॒स्तौ नो॑ मुञ्चत॒मंह॑सः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.28.3

IAST Transliteration

sahasrākṣáu vṛtrahánā huvéháṁ dūregavyūtī stuván némy ugráu | yā́v asyéśāthe dvipádo yáu catúṣpadas táu no muñcatam áṁhasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The thousand-eyed, the Vṛtra-slayers—those two fierce ones—do I invoke with praise, far-ranging in their succour, an encircling rim (of guard): ye who have lordship over this man’s two-footed and four-footed, do ye release us from distress.

Translation

ذَوَا الألفِ عينٍ، قاتلا ڤِرترا (Vṛtra)—هذانِ الشديدان—أدعوهما بالتسبيح والثناء، بعونٍ يمتدّ بعيدًا، كإطارٍ حارسٍ مُحيط. يا من لكما السيادة على ذوي القدمين وذوي الأربع لهذا الرجل، أطلِقانا من الضيق والكرب (aṃhas).

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Word by Word

• सहस्राक्षौ: (you) thousand-eyed (two)
• सहस्राक्षौ: Kartā (with हुवे)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: सहस्र-अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) / सहस्र + अक्षि

• वृत्रहना: Vṛtra-slayers (two)
• वृत्रहना: Kartā (with हुवे)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: वृत्र-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृत्रं हन्ति’)

• हुवे: I invoke / call upon
• हुवे: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हू (ह्वे) ‘आह्वाने’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Kartā (of हुवे)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• दूरेगव्यूती: (you) of far-ranging courses (two)
• दूरेगव्यूती: Kartā (apposition to the invoked pair)
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: दूर-गव्यूति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘far-ranging course/track’)

• स्तुवन्: praising
• स्तुवन्: Kartā (of implied action ‘praising’ by अहम्)
• Type: Verbal adjective (present participle)
• Root: स्तु ‘स्तुतौ’

• एमि: I go / I approach
• एमि: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ ‘गत्यर्थे’

• उग्रौ: the fierce ones (two)
• उग्रौ: Kartā (apposition to the invoked pair)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• यौ: who (two)
• यौ: Kartā (of ईशाथे)
• Type: Relative pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ईशाथे: you two rule / have power over
• ईशाथे: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईश् ‘ऐश्वर्ये’

• द्विपदः: two-footed beings
• द्विपदः: Karma (of ईशाथे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-पद (प्रातिपदिक)

• यौ: and who (two)
• यौ: Kartā (of implied ‘rule’ with ellipsis of ईशाथे)
• Type: Relative pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• चतुष्पदः: four-footed beings
• चतुष्पदः: Karma (of implied ईशाथे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-पद (प्रातिपदिक)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Kartā (of मुञ्चतम्)
• Type: Demonstrative pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of us’ = for us)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मुञ्चतम्: release (you two)!
• मुञ्चतम्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् ‘मोचने’

• अंहसः: from distress / sin / trouble
• अंहसः: Apādāna (source: ‘from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (uncertain individual attribution)

Devata: Protective dual divinity (often assimilated to Aśvins/paired guardians in Atharvanic ritual)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (Atharvanic irregular)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: raudra