Atharva Veda 2.14.1: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 14, Mantra 1

Sukta 14

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वस्युनाशनम्। निः॒सालां धृ॒ष्णुं धि॒षण॑मेकवा॒द्यां जि॑घ॒त्स्वऽम्। सर्वा॒श्चण्ड॑स्य न॒प्त्योऽ ना॒शया॑मः स॒दान्वाः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.14.1

IAST Transliteration

vasyunāśánam | níḥsālā́m dhṛṣṇúṃ dhiṣáṇam ekavādyā́ṃ jíghatsvám | sárvāś caṇḍásya naptýo náśayāmaḥ sadā́nvāḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

A destroyer of the Vasyu: forth from the hall we drive the bold impelling power, the single-sounding (charm), the devouring Hunger. All the offspring of Caṇḍa—his ever-attendant brood—these do we cause to perish.

Translation

Ein Vernichter des Vasyu: aus der Halle treiben wir hinaus die kühne, antreibende Macht, den einsklingenden (Zauber), den verzehrenden Hunger. Die ganze Nachkommenschaft des Caṇḍa—seine stets begleitende Brut—lassen wir zugrunde gehen.

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Word by Word

• वस्यु-नाशनम्: (the charm/act) that destroys the robber/enemy
• वस्यु-नाशनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (कृदन्त, √नश्/नाश् ‘नाशे’)

• निः-सालाम्: (her) out of the house; house-less / driven from the dwelling
• निः-सालाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + सालाम् (साला ‘शाला/आवास’)

• धृष्णुम्: bold, impetuous (one)
• धृष्णुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)

• धिषणम्: impulse/instigation; (also) intelligence
• धिषणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिषण (प्रातिपदिक)

• एक-वाद्याम्: with a single instrument/sound; single-toned
• एक-वाद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या) + वाद्या (वाद्य ‘वाद्य-वादन/वाद्ययन्त्र’)

• जिघत्स्वम्: hungry; desiring to eat
• जिघत्स्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिघत्सु (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative-adjectival formation from √घस् ‘भक्षणे’)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्व ‘समस्त’)

• चण्डस्य: of the fierce one
• चण्डस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)

• नप्त्यः: granddaughters / descendants
• नप्त्यः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: नप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

• नाशयामः: we destroy / we cause to perish
• नाशयामः: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश्/नाश् (नाशे)

• सदान्वाः: ever-attendant; constantly following (ones)
• सदान्वाः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदान्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सदा-अन्व’ = ever-following/constant)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic seer-tradition (Atharvan/Āṅgirasa attribution typical for apotropaic hymns; exact r̥ṣi ascription depends on Anukramaṇī data for AVŚ 2.14).

Devata: Mantra-power directed against Vasyu/Caṇḍa; personified ‘Hunger’ (Jighatsā) as destructive agent; broadly rakṣas-/enemy-expelling force.

Chandas: Likely Anuṣṭubh or mixed (to be confirmed against pada-count in the edition used for accent and metrical scansion).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: vira