Atharva Veda 7.48.1: Kanda 7, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 48, Mantra 1

Sukta 48

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

राका। रा॒काम॒हं सु॒हवा॑ सुष्टु॒ती हु॑वे शृ॒णोतु॑ नः सु॒भगा॑ बोध॑तु॒ त्मना॑ । सीव्य॒त्वपः॑ सू॒च्याच्छिद्यमानया॒ ददा॑तु वी॒रं श॒तदा॑यमु॒क्थ्यऽम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 7.48.1

IAST Transliteration

rākā́m aháṃ suháva suṣṭutī́ huv e śṛṇótu naḥ subhágā bódhatu tmánā | sī́vyatv ápaḥ sū́cyā́c chidyamānayā́ dádātu vīráṃ śatádāyam ukthyàm ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Rākā I call—most easy to invoke, most worthy of fair praise: let the fortunate Goddess hear us; let her, of her own might, take heed. Let her stitch the skin with the needle that pierceth; and let her bestow a hero-son, a hundred-giving boon, meet to be hymned.

Translation

Rākā. Rākā rufe ich an—leicht anzurufen, würdig des schönen Lobes: die glückverheißende Göttin höre uns; aus eigener Macht werde sie aufmerksam. Sie nähe die Haut mit der stechenden Nadel; und sie schenke einen heldenhaften Sohn, eine hundertfach gebende Gabe, hymnwürdig.

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Word by Word

• राकाम्: Rākā (the goddess), (as) the one invoked
• राकाम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: राका (प्रातिपदिक) देवी-नाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सुहवाः: (being) one who invokes well / with good invocation
• सुहवाः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-हव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-invoked/easy to invoke’)

• सुष्टुती: with good praise
• सुष्टुती: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good praise’)

• हुवे: I invoke
• हुवे: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हू (ह्वे) ‘to call, invoke’

• शृणोतु: let (her) hear
• शृणोतु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु ‘to hear’

• नः: us / for us
• नः: सम्प्रदान
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सुभगा: fortunate, gracious
• सुभगा: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-भग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fortunate, gracious’)

• बोधतु: let (her) take notice / awaken
• बोधतु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बुध् ‘to notice, awaken, be aware’

• त्मना: by herself / of her own accord
• त्मना: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘self, own person’)

• सीव्यतु: let (her) sew/stitch
• सीव्यतु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिव्/√स्यिव् ‘to sew, stitch, join’

• अपः: the waters
• अपः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water(s)’)

• सूच्या: with a needle
• सूच्या: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूची (प्रातिपदिक; ‘needle’)

• अच्छिद्यमानया: with (a needle) not being cut/broken (unbreakable)
• अच्छिद्यमानया: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-छिद्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; pres. pass. part. of √छिद् ‘to cut’ with privative अ-)

• ददातु: let (her) give
• ददातु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा ‘to give’

• वीरम्: a hero / male child
• वीरम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)

• शतदायम्: bestowing a hundred (benefits), hundredfold-giving
• शतदायम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-दाय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hundred-giving/bringing hundredfold gifts’)

• उक्थ्यम्: praiseworthy, fit for hymn
• उक्थ्यम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘worthy of praise/recitation’, from उक्थ)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn addressed to Rākā; specific ṛṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī lists)

Devata: Rākā (full-moon goddess; fertility and restoration)

Chandas: Mixed; predominantly Triṣṭubh-like cadence in Atharvanic adaptation (exact metrical scan depends on pada resolution).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: shringara