Atharva Veda 9.9.16 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 9, Mantra 16

Sukta 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सा॒कं॒जानां॑ स॒प्तथ॑माहुरेक॒जं षडिद् य॒मा ऋष॑यो देव॒जा इति॑ । तेषा॑मि॒ष्टानि॒ विहि॑तानि धाम॒श स्था॒त्रे रे॑जन्ते॒ विकृ॑तानि रूप॒शः

IAST Transliteration

sākaṃjānā́ṃ saptátham āhur ekajáṃ ṣáḍ íd yamā́ ṛ́ṣayo devajā́ íti | téṣām iṣṭā́ni víhitāni dhā́maśaḥ sthātré rejante víkṛtāni rūpaśáḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Of those co-born they call one the seventh, single-born: six, forsooth, are twin-paired seers, god-begotten—so they say. Their wished-for portions, duly set in stations, within the fixed support shine forth, transformed in manifold of form.

Translation

Von den Mitgeborenen nennen sie einen den siebten, den Einzelngeborenen; sechs aber sind, fürwahr, paarweise ṛṣi, gottgeboren — so sagen sie. Ihre ersehnten Anteile, ordnungsgemäß in den Stätten eingesetzt, leuchten im festen Träger, verwandelt in mannigfaltiger Gestalt.

Word by Word

• साकम्: together, in company
• साकम्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साकम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) अव्यय

• जानाम्: of the people/tribes
• जानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक: जन) / √जन्

• सप्तथम्: the seventh
• सप्तथम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)

• आहुः: they have said/called
• आहुः: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह् (ब्रू-अर्थे) / √आह् (परस्मै)

• एकजम्: single-born / of one origin
• एकजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकज (प्रातिपदिक; एक + ज ‘जन्म/उत्पत्ति’)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Kartā (गणनाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्/षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• इत्: indeed, just
• इत्: (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (निपात)

• यमाः: the Yamas (a class of beings / restrainers)
• यमाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषयः: seers
• ऋषयः: Kartā (समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवजाः: god-born, of divine origin
• देवजाः: Kartā (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवज (प्रातिपदिक; देव + ज)

• इति: thus
• इति: (वाक्य-चिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इष्टानि: desired (things), cherished
• इष्टानि: Karma/Viśeṣya (contextual)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इष् ‘इच्छ’ → इष्ट ‘desired/pleasing’)

• विहितानि: ordained, arranged
• विहितानि: Karma/Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + √धा ‘स्थापन’ → विहित ‘appointed/ordained’)

• धामशः: by abodes, in (their) stations
• धामशः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + -शस् (अव्ययीभाव/विभक्त्यर्थ-प्रत्यय)

• स्थात्रे: in the fixed support/standing-place
• स्थात्रे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थात्र (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + तृन् ‘स्थाता/स्थापनकर्ता/आधार’)

• रेजन्ते: they tremble/shine
• रेजन्ते: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रेज् (कम्पने/दीप्तौ)

• विकृतानि: variously formed, modified
• विकृतानि: Kartā/Viśeṣaṇa (contextual)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + √कृ ‘करण’ → विकृत ‘altered/formed’)

• रूपशः: according to forms, in various shapes
• रूपशः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + -शस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)

Attribution

Rishi: As per AV 9.9 speculative hymn tradition.

Devata: Classificatory cosmic powers (ṛṣayaḥ/devajāḥ); implicitly Ṛta.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta