Atharva Veda 4.21.6: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 6

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यू॒यं गा॑वो मेदयथ कृ॒शं चि॑दश्री॒रं चि॑त् कृणुथा सु॒प्रती॑कम्। भ॒द्रं गृ॒हं कृ॑णुथ भद्रवाचो बृ॒हद् वो॒ वय॑ उच्यते स॒भासु॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.21.6

IAST Transliteration

yūyáṃ gā́vo medayatha kr̥śáṃ cíd aśrīráṃ cít kr̥ṇutha suprátīkam | bhadráṃ gr̥háṃ kr̥ṇutha bhadravā́co br̥hád vo váya ucyate sabhā́su ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Ye Cows, make ye the lean one fat; yea, even the luckless make ye of fair aspect. Make ye the house auspicious, of auspicious speech: great is your life-giving power, so is it proclaimed in the assemblies.

Translation

Ihr Kühe, ihr macht selbst den Mageren fett; ja, selbst den Glücklosen macht ihr von schönem Antlitz. Macht das Haus heilvoll, mit heilvoller Rede; groß ist eure lebensspendende Kraft – so wird von euch in den Versammlungen gesprochen.

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Word by Word

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्

• गावः: cows
• गावः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो

• मे: for me / to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• मेदयथ: you make fat / you nourish
• मेदयथ: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: मेदय्

• कृशम्: lean (one)
• कृशम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश

• चित्: even
• चित्: —
• Type: Indeclinable (particle)
• Root: चित्

• अश्रीरम्: even the ill-favoured / lacking beauty
• अश्रीरम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-श्रीर (श्रीर) / अ-श्री

• चित्: even
• चित्: —
• Type: Indeclinable (particle)
• Root: चित्

• कृणुथ: you make
• कृणुथ: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ

• सुप्रतीकम्: handsome / of good appearance
• सुप्रतीकम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-प्रतीक

• भद्रम्: auspicious
• भद्रम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भद्र

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह

• कृणुथ: you make
• कृणुथ: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ

• भद्रवाचः: (you) of auspicious speech
• भद्रवाचः: कर्तृ (सम्बोधनार्थे/विशेषणरूपेण) तथा ‘यूयम्/गावः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective (bahuvrīhi) / Noun-like adjective
• Root: भद्र-वाच्

• बृहत्: great
• बृहत्: कर्तृ (उच्यते इत्यस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहन्त्

• वः: your
• वः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्

• वयः: vigour / vitality (lit. life-force)
• वयः: कर्तृ (उच्यते इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस्

• उच्यते: is called / is spoken of
• उच्यते: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्

• सभासु: in assemblies
• सभासु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (attributed within AV ancillary tradition; hymn-level attribution varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata: Gāvaḥ (Cows) as prosperity-bearing powers

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (AV mixed meters; requires pada-count verification by recension tables)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: shringara