Atharva Veda 4.19.3: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 19, Mantra 3

Sukta 19

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अग्र॑मे॒ष्योष॑धीनां॒ ज्योति॑षेवाभिदी॒पय॑न्। उ॒त त्रा॒तासि॒ पाक॒स्याथो॑ ह॒न्तासि॑ र॒क्षसः॑

IAST Transliteration

ágram eṣy óṣadhīnām jyótiṣeva abhidīpáyan | utá trātā́si pākásyā́tho hantā́si rákṣasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Foremost thou goest of herbs, as with a light thou shinest forth against (the foe). And thou art guardian of the household’s food; moreover thou art the slayer of the Rākṣasas.

Translation

Du schreitest den Kräutern voran; wie mit einem Licht leuchtest du dem (Feind) entgegen. Du bist der Hüter der Speise des Hauses; zudem bist du der Töter der Rākṣasas.

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Word by Word

• अग्रम्: foremost place; the front; pre-eminence
• अग्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• एषि: you go; you proceed
• एषि: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)

• ओषधीनाम्: of the herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्योतिषा: with light; by radiance
• ज्योतिषा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like; as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभि: towards; upon
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि

• दीपयन्: shining; causing to shine; illuminating
• दीपयन्: Kartā
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: दीप् (धातु) → दीपय (णिजन्त)

• उत: and also; moreover
• उत: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• त्राता: protector; saviour
• त्राता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √त्रा)

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

• पाकस्य: of the ripening/cooking; of the (domestic) cooking/food
• पाकस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अथो: and then; and also
• अथो: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथो (अथ + उ)

• हन्ता: slayer; destroyer
• हन्ता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हन्)

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

• रक्षसः: of the demon/evil spirit (rakṣas)
• रक्षसः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type seership for apāmārga hymns)

Devata: Apāmārga (personified oṣadhi) as the operative power; secondarily rakṣoghna light

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta