Atharva Veda 4.28.6: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 28, Mantra 6

Sukta 28

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यः कृ॑त्या॒कृन्मू॑ल॒कृद् या॑तु॒धानो॒ नि तस्मि॑न् धत्तं॒ वज्र॑मु॒ग्रौ। याव॒स्येशा॑थे द्वि॒पदो॒ यौ चतु॑ष्पद॒स्तौ नो॑ मुञ्चत॒मंह॑सः

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.28.6

IAST Transliteration

yáḥ kṛtyākṛ́n mūlakṛ́d yātudhā́no ní tásmin dhattaṁ vájram ugráu | yā́v asyéśāthe dvipádo yáu catúṣpadas táu no muñcatam áṁhasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso is a maker of kṛtyā, a worker at the root, a yātudhāna—upon him, O ye two fierce ones, do ye set the thunderbolt. Ye who have lordship over this man’s two-footed and four-footed, do ye release us from distress.

Translation

Wer kṛtyā wirkt, wer am Wurzelgrund arbeitet, wer ein yātudhāna ist—auf den legt, o ihr beiden Furchtbaren, den Vajra. Ihr, die ihr über die Zweifüßigen und Vierfüßigen dieses Menschen gebietet—löst uns von Bedrängnis (aṃhas).

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्याकृत्: maker of sorcery/witchcraft
• कृत्याकृत्: Kartā
• Type: Noun (agent) / Adjective
• Root: कृत्या (स्त्री) + कृ (धातु) → कृत्

• मूलकृत्: root-cutter; one who destroys at the root
• मूलकृत्: Kartā
• Type: Noun (agent) / Adjective
• Root: मूल (नपुं) + कृ (धातु) → कृत्

• यातुधानः: a yātudhāna (demon/evil spirit)
• यातुधानः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)

• नि: down; into; upon
• नि: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• तस्मिन्: in/into that (one)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• धत्तम्: place (you two)!
• धत्तम्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)

• वज्रम्: the thunderbolt; weapon
• वज्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• उग्रौ: you two fierce ones
• उग्रौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• यौ: who (you two)
• यौ: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्य: of this (man/person)
• अस्य: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ईशाथे: you two rule/control
• ईशाथे: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईश् (धातु)

• द्विपदः: two-footed beings (humans)
• द्विपदः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विपद (प्रातिपदिक)

• यौ: who (you two)
• यौ: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• चतुष्पदः: four-footed beings (cattle/animals)
• चतुष्पदः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्पद (प्रातिपदिक)

• तौ: you two
• तौ: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: of us / for us
• नः: Sampradāna (beneficiary) / Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मुञ्चतम्: release (you two)!
• मुञ्चतम्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)

• अंहसः: from distress/sin/evil
• अंहसः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (uncertain)

Devata: Protective dual divinity as vajra-wielding punishers (often later aligned with Aśvins or paired guardians; functionally ‘rakṣohā’)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (irregular)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: vira