Mantra 4

Sukta 17

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इन्द्रः सीतां नि गृह्णातु तां पूषाभि रक्षतु । सा नः पयस्वती दुहामुत्तरामुत्तरां समाम्

IAST Transliteration

índraḥ sītā́m ní gṛhṇātu tā́m pūṣā́bhí rakṣatu | sā́ naḥ páyasvatī duhā́m úttarām-uttarā́m sámām ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let Indra take firm hold of the Furrow; let Pūṣan guard her round about. May she, rich in milk-like sap, milk forth for us, year after year, an ever ampler yield.

Word by Word

इन्द्रःIndra

सीताम्the furrow; Sītā (goddess of the ploughed furrow)

निdown, in; (as preverb)

गृह्णातुlet (him) seize/hold

ताम्her

पूषाPūṣan

अभिtowards, over; (as preverb)

रक्षतुlet (him) protect

साshe

नःfor us / to us

पयस्वतीrich in milk/juice

दुहाम्let (her) milk/yield

उत्तराम्higher, further; ever more

उत्तराम्higher, further; again ‘ever more’

समाम्year (seasonal cycle)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angirasa attribution for kṛṣi-sūktas (furrow hymns); specific r̥ṣi varies by anukramaṇī tradition.

Devata: Sītā (Furrow), with Indra and Pūṣan as empowering/protective deities

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in AV domestic/prosperity charms)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"Protection invoked → fertility awakened → confident expectation of compounding harvest.","listener_experience":"Grounded hope; sense of being held and guarded while working the land.","intensity":4}