Atharva Veda 10.2.8: Kanda 10, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 8
Sukta 2
म॒स्तिष्क॑मस्य यत॒मो ल॒लाटं॑ क॒काटि॑कां प्रथ॒मो यः क॒पाल॑म्। चि॒त्वा चित्यं॒ हन्वोः॒ पूरु॑षस्य॒ दिवं॑ रुरोह कत॒मः स दे॒वः
mastíṣkam asya yatamáḥ lalā́ṭaṃ kakā́ṭikāṃ prathamó yáḥ kapā́lam | citvā́ cityáṃ hánvor púruṣasya dívaṃ ruroha katamáḥ sá deváḥ
Which is his brain, which his forehead, which his nape—who was the first that fashioned the skull? Having built the builded frame of the man from the two jaws, to heaven he mounted: which god was he?
Was ist bei ihm das Gehirn, was die Stirn, was der Nacken; wer war der Erste, der den Schädel formte? Nachdem er das gefügte Gefüge des Menschen aus den beiden Kiefern erbaut hatte, stieg er zum Himmel empor: welcher Gott war er?
Rishi: Atharvanic speculative seer (hymn-level attribution varies)
Devata: Kaḥ / the divine constructor (Prajāpati/Skambha); implicit: Puruṣa as constructed microcosm
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (scansion-dependent)
Primary: adbhuta
Secondary: shanta
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