Rig Veda 4.2.16: Mandala 4, Sukta 2, Mantra 16

Sukta 4.2

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Tr̥ṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अधा यथा नः पितरः परासः प्रत्नासो अग्न ऋतमाशुषाणाः । शुचीदयन्दीधितिमुक्थशासः क्षामा भिन्दन्तो अरुणीरप व्रन् ॥

Transliteration

adhā́ yáthā naḥ pitáraḥ párāsaḥ pratnā́so agne ṛtám āśuṣāṇā́ḥ | śucī́d ayan dī́dhitim uktha-śā́saḥ kṣā́mā bhindánto aruṇī́r ápa vran ||

Translation

Then, as our fathers of old, the ancient ones, eager for the Truth, did—so also, O Agni: pure, proclaiming the word, they brought the shining flame; breaking open the earth, they uncovered the ruddy lights and cast them free.

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Word by Word

• अधा: then, thereafter
• अधा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अध

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• नः: of us, our
• नः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• पितरः: the fathers, forefathers
• पितरः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ

• परासः: former, earlier
• परासः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) / परा

• प्रत्नासः: ancient, of old
• प्रत्नासः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्न

• अग्ने: O Agni
• अग्ने: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि

• ऋतम्: the ṛta (truth/cosmic order)
• ऋतम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत

• आशुषाणाः: hastening, eager
• आशुषाणाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Participle
• Root: आ-शु (धातु: शु/श्वि ‘to hasten’)

• शुचीदयन्: they made (it) shine / they illumined
• शुचीदयन्: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुचि + दय (धातु: दय् ‘to shine/illumine’ in Vedic usage) अथवा ‘to make bright’

• दीधितिम्: brightness, flaming radiance
• दीधितिम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीधिति (from √धा/√धि with intens./noun ‘brightness, flame, thought’)

• उक्थशासः: reciters/chanters of hymns
• उक्थशासः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: उक्थ + शास (शास ‘praise/recitation’)

• क्षामाः: the earths/grounds (lands)
• क्षामाः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षामा

• भिन्दन्तः: splitting, cleaving
• भिन्दन्तः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Participle
• Root: भिद्

• अरुणीः: the ruddy (dawns/cows), the red ones
• अरुणीः: कर्म
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अरुणी

• अप: away, off
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb) / particle
• Root: अप

• व्रन्: they drove away / they turned aside
• व्रन्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु: वृ ‘to cover/ward off’ → ‘to drive/turn away’ in Vedic) अथवा √व्र (rare) ; here as finite verb