Atharva Veda 4.11.2: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 11, Mantra 2

Sukta 11

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒न॒ड्वानिन्द्रः॒ स प॒शुभ्यो॒ वि च॑ष्टे त्र॒यां छ॒क्रो वि मि॑मीते॒ अध्व॑नः । भू॒तं भ॑वि॒ष्यद् भुव॑ना॒ दुहा॑नः॒ सर्वा॑ दे॒वानां॑ चरति व्र॒तानि॑

IAST Transliteration

anaḍvā́n índraḥ sá paśúbhyo ví caṣṭe trayā́ṃ cakró ví mimīte ádhvanaḥ | bhūtáṃ bhaviṣyád bhúvanā duhā́naḥ sárvā devā́nāṃ carati vratā́ni

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Indra is the Draught-ox: for cattle he maketh order manifest; the Wheel measureth out the threefold, and meteth the paths. Milking forth the worlds—what hath been and what shall be—he observeth all the ordinances of the Gods.

Translation

Indra ist der Zugochse: für das Vieh macht er die Ordnung sichtbar; das Rad misst das Dreifache aus und bemisst die Wege. Die Welten melkend – das Gewesene und das Künftige –, wahrt er alle Satzungen der Götter.

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Word by Word

• अनड्वान्: the bull (draught-ox)
• अनड्वान्: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनडुह् (प्रातिपदिक) / अनड्वत्-

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पशुभ्यः: to/for the cattle (beasts)
• पशुभ्यः: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)

• वि: apart, distinctly
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग)

• चष्टे: sees, beholds, observes
• चष्टे: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)

• त्रयाम्: the threefold (triad)
• त्रयाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective (numeral)
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) / त्रय (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-रूप)

• चक्रः: the wheel (discus); the cyclic one
• चक्रः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• वि: apart, in detail
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग)

• मिमीते: measures out, apportions
• मिमीते: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: मा (मि) ‘मापन’ (धातु)

• अध्वनः: of the path/way (journey)
• अध्वनः: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• भूतम्: the past (what has been)
• भूतम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (as noun/adj)
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• भविष्यत्: the future (what will be)
• भविष्यत्: Karma
• Type: Participle (as noun/adj)
• Root: भू (धातु) → भविष्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• भुवना: the worlds, beings/abodes
• भुवना: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुहानः: milking, drawing forth
• दुहानः: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: दुह् (धातु) → दुहान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)

• सर्वा: all
• सर्वा: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• चरति: moves about, follows, practices
• चरति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)

• व्रतानि: vows, ordinances, sacred observances
• व्रतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (as per Atharvanic indices)

Devata: Indra as Anaḍvān (Indra-bull; cosmic regulator)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (Atharvanic)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta