Atharva Veda 18.2.58: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 58

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒ग्नेर्वर्म॒ परि॒ गोभि॑र्व्ययस्व॒ सं प्रोर्णु॑ष्व॒ मेद॑सा॒ पीव॑सा च । नेत् त्वा॑ धृ॒ष्णुर्हर॑सा॒ जर्हृ॑षाणो द॒धृग् वि॑ध॒क्षन् प॑री॒ङ्खया॑तै

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 18.2.58

IAST Transliteration

agné r vármá pári góbhir ví ayasva sáṃ pró̄rṇuṣva médasā pī́vasā ca | néttvā dhṛṣṇúr hárasā járhṛṣāṇo dadhṛ́g vidhákṣan parīṅkhayā́tai

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

With Agni’s armour gird thee round with kine; spread it abroad; wholly envelop thee with fat and with rich unction. So shall not the bold assailant, raging with heat, the injurer, consuming, compass thee about to smite.

Translation

Gürte dich mit Agnis Panzer, umgib dich mit Kühen; breite ihn aus, umhülle dich ganz mit Fett und reicher Salbung. So wird dich der kühne Angreifer, der in Hitze tobt, der Schädiger, der verzehrt, nicht umringen, um dich zu schlagen.

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Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of Agni
• अग्नेः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• वर्म: armor, protective covering
• वर्म: कर्म (object, with implied ‘put on/assume’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मन्/वर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• परि: around
• परि: उपपद-सम्बन्ध (circumferential/around)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि

• गोभिः: with cows; with bovine (protective) powers
• गोभिः: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)

• व्ययस्व: spread out / arrange (thyself)
• व्ययस्व: क्रिया (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यु (युज्/यु) / (वेदिक) ‘व्यय’ = ‘विस्तार/विन्यास’ (धातु-प्रयोगः)

• सम्: fully, together
• सम्: उपसर्ग (completive/together)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• प्रोर्णुष्व: cover (thyself) completely
• प्रोर्णुष्व: क्रिया (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते) with प्र- (वेदिक रूप: प्रोर्णु)

• मे: for me; my
• मे: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (for me / of me)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मेदसा: with fat; with unctuousness
• मेदसा: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• पीवसा: with richness, with abundance
• पीवसा: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीवस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इत्: indeed; just
• इत्: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (वेदिक निपात)

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: कर्म (object)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धृष्णुः: the bold one; the daring (foe)
• धृष्णुः: कर्तृ (agent)
• Type: Adjective (substantive)
• Root: धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)

• हरसा: with heat/fiery force
• हरसा: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• जर्हृषाणः: exulting, wildly rejoicing
• जर्हृषाणः: कर्तृ (agent, describing the foe)
• Type: Participle
• Root: √हृष् (हृष्यति) with intensive/reduplicated form ‘जर्हृष’ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• दधृक्: injuring/tearing; assailant
• दधृक्: कर्तृ (agent)
• Type: Adjective (substantive)
• Root: √धृ (धरति) → ‘दधृक्’ (वेदिक कृदन्त/विशेषण)

• विधक्षन्: burning up, scorching
• विधक्षन्: कर्तृ (agent)
• Type: Participle
• Root: √दह्/√धक्ष् (वेदिक ‘धक्ष्’ = ‘दह्’ burn) with वि- (कृदन्त)

• परीङ्खयातै: may (he) not cause (you) to reel/overthrow
• परीङ्खयातै: क्रिया (निषेध-प्रार्थना)
• Type: Verb (finite, Vedic injunctive/optative-like) / archaic form
• Root: √ख्य/√ख्यै? (वेदिक ‘ईङ्ख्/इङ्ख्’ = ‘डोलायते/चलति’ sway, stagger) with परि-; ‘परीङ्खयातै’ = तस्मै/तुभ्यम्-प्रयोगः (दातिव)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funerary tradition (AV 18)

Devata: Agni (as armour); protective bovine power; adversary as hostile force

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (two long pādas; AV 18.2 expansive style)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: shanta