Mantra 3

Sukta 70

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यथा प्रधिर्यथोपधिर्यथा नभ्यं प्रधावधि । यथा पुंसो वृषण्यत स्त्रियां निहन्यते मनः । एवा ते अघ्न्ये मनोऽधि वत्से नि हन्यताम्

IAST Transliteration

yáthā pradhír yáthopadhír yáthā nábhyaṃ pradhā́v ádhi | yáthā púṃso vṛṣaṇyát striyā́ṃ ní-hanyate mánaḥ | evā́ te aghnye máno ’dhí vatsé ní hanyatām ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

As rim and tire, as the nave is set fast upon the felly; as the mind of a man in heat is fastened upon a woman—so, O Aghnyā, let thy mind be fastened upon thy calf.

Translation

كما تُثبَّت الحافةُ والإطار، وكما يُثبَّتُ محورُ العجلة (نَبْهْيَا) على الطوق؛ وكما يلتصقُ عقلُ الرجلِ المشتعلِ شهوةً بالمرأة—كذلك، يا أَغْنْيَا (Aghnyā)، فَلْيُثَبَّتْ عقلُكِ على عِجْلِكِ.

Word by Word

यथाas, just as

प्रधिःthe felly/rim (of a wheel)

यथाas

उपधिःthe spoke/support (wheel-part)

यथाas

नाभ्यम्the nave/hub

प्रधौin/on the rim

अधिupon, on

यथाas

पुंसःof a man

वृषण्यतःof the virile (one)

स्त्रियाम्in a woman

निdown/into (prefix)

हन्यतेis driven/pressed (down)

मनःmind, intention

एवjust so, thus

तेyour

अघ्न्येO Aghnyā (cow; ‘not to be slain’)

मनःmind, will

अधिupon, on

वत्सेon the calf

निdown/into (prefix)

हन्यताम्let it be pressed/fastened down

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition

Devata: Aghnyā / binding-force (bandhana) applied to manas

Chandas: Atharvanic refrain-structure; Anuṣṭubh-like cadence

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"From crafted firmness to relational firmness; wonder at the transfer of artisan order into living order.","listener_experience":"A sense of being ‘made whole’ and set into stable function.","intensity":5}