Atharva Veda 4.10.1: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 10, Mantra 1

Sukta 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शङ्खमणिः। वाता॑ज्जा॒तो अ॒न्तरि॑क्षाद् वि॒द्युतो॒ ज्योति॑ष॒स्परि । स नो॑ हिरण्य॒जाः श॒ङ्खः कृश॑नः पा॒त्वंह॑सः

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.10.1

IAST Transliteration

śáṅkha-maṇíḥ | vātā́j jā́to antárikṣād vidyúto jyótiṣas pári | sá no hiraṇyajā́ḥ śáṅkhaḥ kṛ́śanaḥ pā́tv áṃhasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Conch-amulet—born of the Wind, from the mid-air, from Lightning, from the realm of Light—may that golden-born Conch, Kṛśana, protect us from distress and harm.

Translation

Der Muschel-Talisman — aus dem Wind geboren, aus dem Luftraum, aus dem Blitz, aus dem Bereich des Lichts: möge uns jene goldgeborene Muschel, Kṛśana, vor Bedrängnis und Schaden, vor Unheil (aṃhas), behüten.

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Word by Word

• वातात्: from the wind
• वातात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)

• जातः: born, produced
• जातः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective (past passive participle)
• Root: √जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)

• अन्तरिक्षात्: from the mid-air/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• विद्युतः: from lightning
• विद्युतः: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्योतिषः: of light, of radiance
• ज्योतिषः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• परि: around; from all sides; forth
• परि: उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb/adverb)
• Root: परि

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: कर्ता
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: of us; our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• हिरण्यजाः: gold-born; sprung from gold
• हिरण्यजाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्यजा (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्य + जा)

• शङ्खः: the conch (charm)
• शङ्खः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृश्नः: dark; black
• कृश्नः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• पातु: may (he/it) protect
• पातु: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु; पिबति/पाति ‘to protect’)

• अम्‍हसः: from distress/sin/evil
• अम्‍हसः: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (maṇi hymns; r̥ṣi per Anukramaṇī)

Devata: Śaṅkha-maṇi (amulet as devatā); luminous powers as its sources

Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh tendency (to be confirmed by Anukramaṇī for this hymn)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta