Atharva Veda 9.4.16: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 16

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ते कुष्ठि॑काः स॒रमा॑यै कू॒र्मेभ्यो॑ अदधुः श॒फान्। ऊब॑ध्यमस्य की॒टेभ्यः॑ श्वव॒र्तेभ्यो॑ अधारयन्

IAST Transliteration

té kuṣṭhikā́ḥ sarámāyai kūrmébhyo adadhuḥ śaphā́n | ū́badhyamásya kīṭébhyaḥ śvavartébhyo adhārayann ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

These Kuṣṭha-men bestowed the hoofs upon Saramā, taken from the tortoises; and from the insects, from the dog-haunting creatures, they held back the ūbadhya’s bane.

Translation

Diese Kuṣṭha-Männer verliehen Saramā die Hufe, den Schildkröten entnommen; und von den Insekten, von den hundeumgehenden Wesen hielten sie das Verderben des ūbadhya zurück.

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Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• कुष्ठिकाः: (the) leprosy-affected / those connected with kuṣṭha (disease/plant)
• कुष्ठिकाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठिक (प्रातिपदिक; कुष्ठ + -इक)

• सरमायै: to Saramā
• सरमायै: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: सरमा (प्रातिपदिक)

• कूर्मेभ्यः: from the tortoises
• कूर्मेभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• अदधुः: they placed / they put
• अदधुः: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (डुधाञ्) धातु

• शफान्: hoofs
• शफान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शफ (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊबध्यमस्य: of this ūbadhya (name/being/affliction)
• ऊबध्यमस्य: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun + Pronoun (genitive) (compound-like usage)
• Root: ऊबध्य (प्रातिपदिक; अव्युत्पन्न/दुर्लभ-शब्दः) + अस्य (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)

• कीटेभ्यः: from the insects/worms
• कीटेभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्ववर्तेभ्यः: from the dog-turners / dog-like creatures (lit. ‘dog-circling’)
• श्ववर्तेभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्ववर्त (प्रातिपदिक; श्वन्/श्व + वर्त)

• अधारयन्: they held / they bore / they supported
• अधारयन्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धारणे) धातु

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasic attribution (per anukramaṇī tradition for AV 9.4).

Devata: Kuṣṭha (as healing power) and apotropaic restraint; also Saramā as mythic mediator.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (to be confirmed in critical metrical analysis).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta