Rig Veda 10.44.6: Mandala 10, Sukta 44, Mantra 6

Sukta 10.44

Devata: Indra hymn-context; verse shifts to exemplum of pioneers vs. unfit (didactic within the hymn)

Chandas: Trishtubh (probable; needs metrical confirmation)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

पृथक्प्रायन्प्रथमा देवहूतयोऽकृण्वत श्रवस्यानि दुष्टरा । न ये शेकुर्यज्ञियां नावमारुहमीर्मैव ते न्यविशन्त केपयः ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 10.44.6

Transliteration

pṛthák prā́yan prathamā́ devá-hūtayo 'kṛṇvata śravasyā́ni duṣṭárā | ná ye śékury yajñíyāṃ nā́vam ā́ruham ī́rmā́iva te ny àviśanta képayāḥ ||

Translation

Getrennt zogen sie aus — die Ersten, von den Göttern herbeigerufen — und vollbrachten Ruhmestaten, schwer zu übertreffen. Doch die, die das Opferboot nicht besteigen konnten, die schwach an Antrieb, sanken hinab und gingen in die Flut darunter ein.

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Word by Word

• पृथक्: separately, apart
• पृथक्: Adhikaraṇa (रीत्या/प्रकारेण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रायन्: they went forth
• प्रायन्: Kriyā (गमनक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (इ/या गतौ) + प्र-

• प्रथमा: first
• प्रथमा: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवहूतयः: the god-invocations / calls to the gods
• देवहूतयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-हूति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘देव’ + ‘हूति’ < √ह्वा/√हू ‘आह्वाने/हवने’)

• अकृण्वत: they made, they fashioned
• अकृण्वत: Kriyā (करणक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)

• श्रवस्यानि: glories, fame-winning deeds
• श्रवस्यानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवस्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्रवस्’ यशः/कीर्तिः + -य)

• दुष्टराः: hard to surpass / difficult to overcome
• दुष्टराः: Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्टर (प्रातिपदिक; दुर्- + √तॄ ‘तरति’ → ‘hard to cross/overcome’)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Kartā (शेकुः इत्यस्य)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• शेकुः: were able
• शेकुः: Kriyā (शक्तिक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (शक्तौ)

• यज्ञियम्: sacrificial, worthy of worship
• यज्ञियम्: Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fit for sacrifice/worship’)

• नावम्: boat, ship
• नावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ/नाव् (प्रातिपदिक)

• आरुहम्: to mount, to board
• आरुहम्: Prayojana (उद्देश्य/अर्थे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुह् (आरोहे) + आ-

• ईर्मैव: just the rush/impulse itself
• ईर्मैव: Kartā/Hetu (वाक्ये ‘just the onset/impulse’ इत्यर्थे)
• Type: Noun+Particle
• Root: ईर्म (प्रातिपदिक; ‘impulse/drive, onset’; RV-विशेष) + एव (अव्यय)

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

• नि: down, into
• नि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• अविशन्त: they entered, they sank into
• अविशन्त: Kriyā (प्रवेशक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विश् (प्रवेशने) + अव-

• केपयः: the Kepayas (trembling ones / hostile beings)
• केपयः: Kartā (अविशन्त इत्यस्य; अथवा ‘ते’ कर्ता, ‘केपयः’ अपपद/सम्बोधन-सम्बन्धः—पाठभेदानुसारम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केपय (प्रातिपदिक; RV-विशेष, ‘tremblers/agitators’, ‘monsters/demons’ इत्यर्थे व्याख्येयम्)