Rig Veda 6.21.3: Mandala 6, Sukta 21, Mantra 3

Sukta 6.21

Rishi: Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya) (traditional)

Devata: Indra (with Sūrya as allied power)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

स इत्तमोऽवयुनं ततन्वत्सूर्येण वयुनवच्चकार । कदा ते मर्ता अमृतस्य धामेयक्षन्तो न मिनन्ति स्वधावः ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 6.21.3

Transliteration

sa it tamo 'vayunaṃ tatanvat sūryeṇa vayunavat cakāra | kadā te martā amṛtasya dhāma iyakṣanto na minanti svadhāvaḥ ||

Translation

He indeed stretched out the darkness that is without right discernment; with the Sun he made it full of luminous order. When shall your mortals, offering into the home of immortality, no longer diminish—O self-powered One?

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Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स

• इत्: indeed, just
• इत्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (निपात) अथवा इद् (निपात-रूप)

• तमः: best, most excellent
• तमः: कर्तृ-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तम (सर्वोत्तम/अतिशयार्थक-प्रातिपदिक; ‘तम’ = most)

• अवयुनम्: (his) wondrous/secret device, stratagem
• अवयुनम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवयुन (प्रातिपदिक; a- + वयुन ‘skill, device, plan’)

• ततन्वत्: spreading, extending
• ततन्वत्: कर्तृ (सः … ततन्वत् = ‘he, spreading…’)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √तन् (तनु॒) ‘to stretch, spread’

• सूर्येण: with/by the Sun
• सूर्येण: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• वयुनवत्: endowed with skill/wise device
• वयुनवत्: कर्म-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वयुनवत् (प्रातिपदिक; वयुन + वत् ‘possessing’)

• चकार: he has made, he fashioned
• चकार: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करोति) ‘to do, make’

• कदा: when?
• कदा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)

• ते: of you, your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्वद्

• मर्ताः: mortals
• मर्ताः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)

• अमृतस्य: of immortality, of the immortal (state)
• अमृतस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)

• धाम: abode, station
• धाम: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: धामन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘seat, abode, ordinance, splendor’)

• ईयक्षन्तः: worshipping, sacrificing
• ईयक्षन्तः: कर्तृ (मर्ताः … ईयक्षन्तः = ‘mortals worshipping…’)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √यज् (यजति) ‘to worship, sacrifice’ (वैदिक: desiderative/iterative nuance possible)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• मिनन्ति: they diminish/violate
• मिनन्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मि/√मिन् (मिनोति/मिनाति) ‘to diminish, injure, transgress’

• स्वधावः: possessing svadhā (own power/ritual potency)
• स्वधावः: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (मर्ताः) / कर्तृ (उपपद-भावे)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘own power/impulse; ritual Svadhā’) + वस्/वत् (possessive) → स्वधावन्