Rig Veda 3.8.4 — Mandala 3, Sukta 8, Mantra 4

Sukta 3.8

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (traditional attribution for RV 3.8 in the Vasiṣṭha family book)

Devata: Vanaspati / sacrificial post and the deities supporting the yajña (contextual); inner sense: the divine formative power that establishes the rite and uplifts consciousness

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable for this section; requires full hymn metrical verification)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

युवा सुवासाः परिवीत आगात्स उ श्रेयान्भवति जायमानः । तं धीरासः कवय उन्नयन्ति स्वाध्यो मनसा देवयन्तः ॥

Transliteration

yuvā́ su-vāsā́ḥ párivīta ā́gāt sá u śréyān bhavati jā́yamānaḥ | táṃ dhīrā́saḥ kaváya ún nayanti svādhyò manasā devayántaḥ ||

Translation

Youthful, well-clad, fully encompassed (by his own radiance), he comes; and even as he is being born he becomes the more excellent. Him the steadfast seers, the poets, uplift—self-mastered—by a mind that seeks the Divine.

Word by Word

• युवा: young (one)
• युवा: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युवन्- (प्रातिपदिक) / यु (यौते इति धातु-सम्बन्धः)

• सुवासाः: well-clad, wearing good garments
• सुवासाः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + वासस्- (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा सु- + वस् (धातु) → वासस्-

• परिवीतः: wrapped around, encompassed, clothed
• परिवीतः: Kartā
• Type: Participle (past passive) used adjectivally
• Root: परि- + √वी (वी- वेष्टने/आवरणे) → वीत (क्त)

• आगात्: came, arrived
• आगात्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ- + √गम् (गच्छति)

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• उ: indeed, surely
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (निपात)

• श्रेयान्: better, more excellent
• श्रेयान्: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (comparative)
• Root: श्रेयस्- (श्रेष्ठ-तुल्य/उत्तम-भाव) < श्रि/श्री-सम्बन्धः

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भवति)

• जायमानः: being born, as he is born
• जायमानः: Kartā
• Type: Participle (present middle)
• Root: √जन् (जायते) → जायमान (शानच्, वर्तमानकाले मध्यम/आत्मने)

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

• धीरासः: the steadfast/wise ones
• धीरासः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective (substantive)
• Root: धीरा- (प्रातिपदिक)

• कवयः: poets, seers
• कवयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवि- (प्रातिपदिक)

• उन्नयन्ति: lead up, raise, bring forth
• उन्नयन्ति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्- + √नी (नयति)

• स्वाध्यः: self-impelled, of his own power/impulse
• स्वाध्यः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + आध्य/आध्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्वाध्य’ = स्वाधीन/स्वाध्याय-सम्बद्ध ‘self-impelled/own-impulse’)

• मनसा: with (their) mind, by thought
• मनसा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवयन्तः: seeking the gods, god-ward, worshipping
• देवयन्तः: Kartā
• Type: Participle (present active)
• Root: देव- + √यम्/√यत् (इच्छायाम्/प्रवृत्तौ) → देवयन्त् (शतृ, वर्तमानकाले)