Rig Veda 10.161.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 161, Mantra 2

Sukta 10.161

Rishi: Healing/recall hymn context (RV 10.161); rishi attribution varies by Anukramaṇī

Devata: Implicitly the healing power; Nirṛti and Mṛtyu are named as opposing forces; operative divine help may be Indra-Agni by hymn continuity

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable; requires metrical verification)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

यदि क्षितायुर्यदि वा परेतो यदि मृत्योरन्तिकं नीत एव । तमा हरामि निॠतेरुपस्थादस्पार्षमेनं शतशारदाय ॥

Transliteration

yádi kṣitā́yur yádi vā páréto yádi mṛtyór ántikaṃ nī́ta evá | tám ā́ harāmi nírṛter upásthād áspārṣam enaṃ śatáśāradāya ||

Translation

If his appointed life is spent, or if he has gone beyond, or if he has been led close to Death—still I bring him back from the lap of Nirṛti. I restore him untouched, for a hundred autumns (a full span of life).

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Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (avyaya)

• क्षितायुः: one whose life is diminished/shortened
• क्षितायुः: Kartā (of implied ‘is/has become’ in the conditional clause)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: क्षितायु (प्रातिपदिक; क्षिति + आयुस्)

• यदि: if
• यदि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (avyaya)

• वा: or
• वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (avyaya)

• परेतः: gone forth; departed (as if dead)
• परेतः: Kartā (in the conditional clause)
• Type: Adjective/Participle used substantively
• Root: परेत (ppp of √इ with परा-; ‘gone away’)

• यदि: if
• यदि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (avyaya)

• मृत्योः: of death
• मृत्योः: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of death’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तिकम्: near; into proximity
• अन्तिकम्: Adhikaraṇa (goal/limit: ‘near’)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)

• नीतः: (has been) led
• नीतः: Kartā (patient-subject of passive: ‘has been led’)
• Type: Participle (passive past)
• Root: √नी (नी + त; ppp)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (avyaya)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• आ: back; towards
• आ: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: आ (upasarga/avyaya)

• हरामि: I bring/take (him) back
• हरामि: Kriyā (with speaker as Kartā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (हर्) with आ-

• निः: out of; away from
• निः: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: निः/निस् (upasarga/avyaya)

• ऋतेः: of Nirr̥ti (goddess of dissolution/misfortune)
• ऋतेः: Apādāna (source: ‘from Nirr̥ti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निऋति (प्रातिपदिक)

• उपस्थात्: from the lap/abode
• उपस्थात्: Apādāna (source: ‘from the lap/seat’)
• Type: Noun (ablative)
• Root: उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्पार्षम्: I did not let (it) touch; I warded off contact
• अस्पार्षम्: Kriyā (speaker as Kartā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (aorist) with अ- (neg.)

• एनम्: this one; him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (enad-pronoun)

• शतशारदाय: for a hundred autumns (i.e., years)
• शतशारदाय: Sampradāna (purpose/benefit: ‘for … years’)
• Type: Adjective (dative of purpose)
• Root: शत-शारद (compound; शत + शारद ‘autumnal year’)