Rig Veda 10.17.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 17, Mantra 2

Sukta 10.17

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (traditional; verify)

Devata: Mythic complex: Saraṇyū, Vivasvat, Aśvins; theme of amṛta

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अपागूहन्नमृतां मर्त्येभ्यः कृत्वी सवर्णामददुर्विवस्वते । उताश्विनावभरद्यत्तदासीदजहादु द्वा मिथुना सरण्यूः ॥

Transliteration

apāgūhann amṛtāṃ martyebhyaḥ kṛtvī sa-varṇām adadur vivasvate | utāśvināv abharad yat tad āsīd ajahād u dvā mithunā saraṇyūḥ ||

Translation

They hid the immortal from mortals; making a look-alike, they gave her to Vivasvat. And the Aśvins brought back what truly was; Saraṇyū indeed left behind the two twins—marking the mystery of concealed immortality and recovered truth.

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Word by Word

• अप: away, off
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग) / अप (अव्यय)

• अगूहन्: they hid/concealed
• अगूहन्: Kriyā (verb); Kartā = implied ‘they’
• Type: Verb
• Root: गूह् (गुह्) ‘to hide, conceal’

• अमृताम्: the immortal one (woman)
• अमृताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) < a- + मृ (to die)

• मर्त्येभ्यः: from mortals
• मर्त्येभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वी: having made
• कृत्वी: — (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verbal indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वी (absolutive/gerund, Vedic)

• सवर्णाम्: of like form/appearance
• सवर्णाम्: Karma (as complement of ‘made’)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: सवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) = ‘of same appearance/colour’

• अददुः: they gave
• अददुः: Kriyā (verb); Kartā = implied ‘they’
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) ‘to give’

• विवस्वते: to Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वते: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्य/विवस्वान्)

• उत: and also / moreover
• उत: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)

• अश्विनौ: the two Aśvins
• अश्विनौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun (dual deity)
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभरत्: brought/bore
• अभरत्: Kriyā (verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु) ‘to bear, bring’

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (of ‘brought’) / correl. with तत्
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Kartā (of ‘was’) / predicate reference
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु) ‘to be’

• अजहात्: left/abandoned
• अजहात्: Kriyā (verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु) ‘to leave, abandon’ with preverb अ- (here as augment in aorist)

• उ: indeed / then
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)

• द्वा: two
• द्वा: — (quantifier)
• Type: Numeral
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• मिथुनौ: the pair/couple
• मिथुनौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)

• सरण्यूः: Saraṇyū
• सरण्यूः: Kartā (of ‘left’)
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: सरण्यू (प्रातिपदिक; proper name Saraṇyū)