Atharva Veda 2.11.4: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 11, Mantra 4

Sukta 11

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सू॒रिर॑सि वर्चो॒धा अ॑सि तनू॒पानोऽसि । आ॒प्नु॒हि श्रेयां॑स॒मति॑ स॒मं क्रा॑म

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.11.4

IAST Transliteration

sū́rir asi varcó-dhā́ asi tanū-pā́nó ’si | āpnuhí śréyāṁsam áti samáṁ krā́ma ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thou art a noble patron; thou art a bestower of splendour; thou art a guardian of the body. Win thou the better good: stride beyond the common level.

Translation

Du bist ein sūri, ein edler Gönner; du bist ein Spender von Glanz; du bist ein Hüter des Leibes. Erlange das bessere Gut; schreite über das gemeine Maß hinaus.

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Word by Word

• सू॒रिः: (you are) a patron/benefactor, noble giver
• सू॒रिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सू॒रि- (प्रातिपदिक)

• असि: you are
• असि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• वर्चः-धाः: bestower/supporter of radiance (splendour-giver)
• वर्चः-धाः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्चस्- (नपुं) + धा (धातु) → धा- (कृदन्त/बहुव्रीहि-समासप्रातिपदिक)

• असि: you are
• असि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• तनू-पानः: protector/guardian of the body
• तनू-पानः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनू- (स्त्री) + पान- (प्रातिपदिक; √पा ‘to protect/drink’ से ‘पान’), समासप्रातिपदिक

• असि: you are
• असि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• आ-प्नुहि: attain, reach
• आ-प्नुहि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् + √प्नु (धातु ‘to reach/attain’)

• श्रेयांसम्: the better (state), welfare
• श्रेयांसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: श्रेयस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘better, welfare’)

• अति: beyond, over
• अति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• समम्: evenly, levelly; in balance
• समम्: —
• Type: Adverb (from adjective)
• Root: सम- (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्राम: step, stride (forward)
• क्राम: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्रम् (धातु ‘to step, stride’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific ṛṣi attribution for AVŚ 2.11 varies by anukramaṇī; often treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type)

Devata: Varcas (Splendour) and Rakṣā/Tanūpāna (Body-Protection) as functional deities/powers; secondarily the empowered beneficiary/amulet

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (approx.; pāda-structure consistent with common AV anuṣṭubh usage)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira