Mantra 3

Sukta 138

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

क्लीब क्लीबं त्वाकरं वध्रे वध्रिं त्वाकरमरसारसं त्वाकरम्। कुरीरमस्य शीर्षणि कुम्बं चाधिनिदध्मसि

IAST Transliteration

klī́ba klībáṃ tvā́karam vádhre vádhriṃ tvā́karam arásārasaṃ tvā́karam | kūrī́ram asya śīrṣáṇi kúmbaṃ cā́dhi nidadhmasi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Impotent art thou—impotent have I made thee; a gelding, a gelding have I made thee; sapless, void of vital essence have I made thee. Upon his head we set the kūrīra, and we set thereon a pot as well.

Word by Word

क्लीबimpotent one; eunuch-like

क्लीबम्impotent (as an object/acc.)

त्वाyou (acc.)

अकरम्I made

वध्रेin/with a castration-knife; in the cutting instrument

वध्रिम्(as) one to be cut/castrated; castrated one

त्वाyou (acc.)

अकरम्I made

अर॑सारसम्sapless; without vigor/essence

त्वाyou (acc.)

अकरम्I made

कुरीरम्a cap/helmet; head-covering

अस्यof him/of this one

शीर्षणिon the head

कुम्बम्a pot; jar

चand

अधिupon; over

निदध्मसिwe place; we set down

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition

Devata: The spell-force of impotence (klībatva) with Indra implicit from the surrounding verses

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"raudra","secondary_rasa":"bibhatsa","emotional_arc":"Naming and fixing impotence → intensifying deprivation (sapless) → ritual humiliation/sealing on the head.","listener_experience":"Austere, coercive, unsettling; sense of taboo power.","intensity":9}