Rig Veda 4.4.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 4, Mantra 3

Sukta 4.4

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama (attributed for RV 4.4)

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

प्रति स्पशो वि सृज तूर्णितमो भवा पायुर्विशो अस्या अदब्धः । यो नो दूरे अघशंसो यो अन्त्यग्ने माकिष्टे व्यथिरा दधर्षीत् ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 4.4.3

Transliteration

práti spáśo ví sṛja tūrṇí-tamo bhávā pāyúr viśó asyā́ ádabdhaḥ | yó no dūrḗ aghá-śaṃso yó ánti agne mā́kiṣ te vyathír ā́ dadharṣīt ||

Translation

Entsende die Späher gegen (den Feind); werde der Schnellste, der untrügliche Schützer dieses Volkes. Ob der übelgesinnte Verleumder fern ist oder nah, o Agni: Keine Bedrängnis, die von dir ausgeht, soll uns treffen.

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Word by Word

• प्रति: towards, against
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (upasarga/avyaya)

• स्पशः: spies, watchers
• स्पशः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पश् (प्रातिपदिक spáś- ‘spy, watcher’)

• वि: apart, forth
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (upasarga/avyaya)

• सृज: release, send forth
• सृज: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्

• तूर्णितमः: most swift
• तूर्णितमः: Kartā (with भवा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तूर्णि (प्रातिपदिक) → तूर्णितम (superlative)

• भवा: become, be
• भवा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू

• पायुः: protector, guardian
• पायुः: Kartā (apposition to ‘you/Agni’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पा (√पा ‘protect’) / प्रातिपदिक pāyú- ‘protector, guard’

• विशः: of the people/clan
• विशः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with पायुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश् (प्रातिपदिक víś- ‘clan, settlement, people’)

• अस्याः: of this (woman/this one)
• अस्याः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अदब्धः: unharmed, unbeguiled, unassailable
• अदब्धः: Kartā (apposition to Agni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दभ् (√दभ् ‘deceive, harm’) + a- (neg.) → अदब्ध

• यः: who
• यः: Kartā (of implied verb ‘is/acts’ in relative clause)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (relative pronoun)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (enclitic pronoun)

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adverb (frozen case-form)
• Root: दूर (prātipadika)

• अघशंसः: evil-speaking one, slanderer
• अघशंसः: Kartā (of implied hostile agent) / or apposition to ‘who’
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अघ (evil) + शंस (praise/report) → अघशंस (prātipadika)

• यः: who
• यः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (relative pronoun)

• अन्ति: near
• अन्ति: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्ति (indeclinable)

• अग्ने: O Agni
• अग्ने: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: अग्नि (prātipadika)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (prohibitive particle)

• किष्टे: anyone at all
• किष्टे: —
• Type: Indeclinable (pronominal particle)
• Root: किम् (interrog./indef.) + चित् → किश्चित्; Vedic contraction: किष्टे

• व्यथिराः: trembling ones, assailants (lit. ‘shaking’)
• व्यथिराः: Kartā (of दधर्षीत्)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively) / participial adjective
• Root: व्यथ् (√व्यथ् ‘waver, be disturbed’) → व्यथिर (adj.)

• दधर्षीत्: has dared/assailed, attacked
• दधर्षीत्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृष् (√धृष् ‘dare, assail, overpower’)