Atharva Veda 13.2.11: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 11

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पू॒र्वा॒प॒रं च॑रतो मा॒ययै॒तौ शिशू॒ क्रीड॑न्तौ॒ परि॑ यातोऽर्ण॒वम्। विश्वा॒न्यो भुव॑ना वि॒चष्टे॑ हैर॒ण्यैर॒न्यं ह॒रितो॑ वहन्ति

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 13.2.11

IAST Transliteration

pūrvāparáṃ carato māyáyaitáu śíśū krī́ḍantau pári yāto ’rṇavám | víśvānyò bhúvanā vicáṣṭe hairaṇyáir anyáṃ haríto váhanti ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Eastward and westward move these twain by wondrous power, two children playing, who go about the ocean. The one surveys all worlds; the other the tawny mares bear with golden gear.

Translation

Hacia el oriente y hacia el occidente se mueven estos dos por el poder de Māyā: dos niños, jugando, recorren el océano. Uno contempla todos los mundos; al otro lo llevan yeguas leonadas con arreos de oro.

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Word by Word

• पूर्वापरम्: back and forth; before and after
• पूर्वापरम्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + अपर (प्रातिपदिक) → पूर्वापर (समास) अथवा द्वन्द्व-समाहार

• चरतः: (they) move/wander
• चरतः: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)

• मायया: by magic; by illusion/power
• मायया: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• शिशू: two children
• शिशू: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्रीडन्तौ: playing
• क्रीडन्तौ: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)

• परि: around
• परि: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• यातः: having gone; going
• यातः: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)

• अर्णवम्: the ocean; flood
• अर्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)

• विश्वान्यः: the one who is ‘other than all’; one of the two
• विश्वान्यः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) → विश्वान्य (समास/विशेषण)

• भुवनानि: worlds; beings/realms
• भुवनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)

• विचष्टे: sees; beholds distinctly
• विचष्टे: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग)

• हैरण्यैः: with golden (ones); by golden (vehicles/means)
• हैरण्यैः: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘golden’)

• अन्यम्: the other (one)
• अन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• हरितः: the bay steeds; the greenish horses
• हरितः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरित् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bay/greenish horses’)

• वहन्ति: carry; convey
• वहन्ति: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Sūrya-hymn tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata: Sūrya and/or paired cosmological powers (Day–Night) with Haritaḥ as subsidiary

Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (requires metrical verification)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta