Rig Veda 8.7.15: Mandala 8, Sukta 7, Mantra 15

Sukta 8.7

Rishi: Kāṇva (Kaṇva lineage; hymn voice consistent with Kāṇva tradition)

Devata: Indra (or Indra with associated Maruts/Soma powers; 'adābhya' commonly epithet of Indra/Truth-power)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable; not fully verifiable from excerpt alone)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

एतावतश्चिदेषां सुम्नं भिक्षेत मर्त्यः । अदाभ्यस्य मन्मभिः ॥

Transliteration

etā́vataś cid eṣā́ṃ sumnáṃ bhíkṣeta mártyaḥ | adā́bhyasya mánmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Bis zu diesem Maße mag ein Sterblicher um ihre Gnade bitten — durch die inspirierten Gedankenbildungen des Unüberwindlichen (Adābhya); denn die wahre Gabe ist Schutz und Erhebung, die nicht bezwungen werden kann.

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Word by Word

• एतावतः: of so much; of this extent
• एतावतः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) — ‘of this much/so much’
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun (quantitative)
• Root: एतावत् (प्रातिपदिक) < एतद् + वत्

• चित्: even; indeed
• चित्: — (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (निपात/अव्यय)

• एषाम्: of these/of them
• एषाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of them’
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एषाम्

• सुम्नम्: favor; grace; benevolence
• सुम्नम्: कर्म (object) of भिक्षेत
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• भिक्षेत: should beg/seek
• भिक्षेत: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भिक्ष् (भिक्षँ) ‘to beg, request’

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: कर्ता (subject) of भिक्षेत
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) < √मृ ‘to die’

• अदाभ्यस्य: of the unassailable one
• अदाभ्यस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of the unassailable (one)’
• Type: Adjective (used substantively/genitively)
• Root: अदाभ्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘unassailable, not to be deceived/overcome’ (a common epithet, esp. of Indra/Agni etc.)

• मन्मभिः: with thoughts/hymns (devotions)
• मन्मभिः: करण (instrument/means) — means of seeking
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘thought, devotion, hymn/mental act’