Atharva Veda 4.39.8: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 8

Sukta 39

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दिशो॑ धे॒नव॒स्तासां॑ च॒न्द्रो व॒त्सः । ता मे॑ च॒न्द्रेण॑ व॒त्सेनेष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम् । आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.39.8

IAST Transliteration

díśo dhénavas tāsā́ṁ candró vatsáḥ | tā́ me candréṇa vatséneṣám ū́rjaṁ kā́maṁ duhām | ā́yuḥ prathamáṁ prajā́ṁ póṣaṁ rayíṁ svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Directions are milch-cows; of them the Moon is the calf. May they, for me, by the Moon as calf, milk forth refreshment, sap, and desire—life first, then offspring, thriving, and wealth: svāhā.

Translation

الجهاتُ أبقارٌ حلوب؛ وعِجلُها هو القمرُ (قَنْدرا). فلتَحْلِبْ لي، بالقمرِ عِجلًا، الإنعاشَ والعُصارةَ والقُوّةَ والرغبةَ—العُمرَ أولًا، ثم الذُّرّيةَ، والنماءَ، والثروةَ: سْفَاهَا (svāhā).

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Word by Word

• दिशः: the directions (quarters)
• दिशः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिशा)

• धेनवः: cows
• धेनवः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)

• तासाम्: of those (of them)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• चन्द्रः: the Moon
• चन्द्रः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• वत्सः: calf
• वत्सः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

• ताः: those (cows/directions)
• ताः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sampradāna (beneficiary/possessor) / Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• चन्द्रेण: with the Moon
• चन्द्रेण: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• वत्सेन: with the calf
• वत्सेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

• इषम्: refreshment, nourishment
• इषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्/इषा (प्रातिपदिक: इषा)

• ऊर्जम्: vital strength
• ऊर्जम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक: ऊर्जा)

• कामम्: desire, wish
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुहाम्: let them milk (yield)
• दुहाम्: (Verb) —
• Type: Verb
• Root: दुह् (धातु)

• आयुः: life, lifespan
• आयुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रथमम्: first, foremost
• प्रथमम्: Karma (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रजाम्: offspring, progeny
• प्रजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)

• पोषम्: prosperity, thriving
• पोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पोष (प्रातिपदिक)

• रयिम्: wealth
• रयिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रयि (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्वाहा: svāhā (oblation-call)
• स्वाहा: (Ritual exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (निपात/मन्त्र-शब्द)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (edition-dependent).

Devata: Dik-deities (quarters) with Candra (Moon) as operative extractor.

Chandas: Mixed; anuṣṭubh-like with Atharvanic flexibility.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta