Rig Veda 4.13.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 13, Mantra 4

Sukta 4.13

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata: Sūrya (and/or Savitṛ as solar power); the verse centers on solar rays driving out darkness

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable, based on book 4 style and verse cadence)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

वहिष्ठेभिर्विहरन्यासि तन्तुमवव्ययन्नसितं देव वस्म । दविध्वतो रश्मयः सूर्यस्य चर्मेवावाधुस्तमो अप्स्वन्तः ॥

Transliteration

vahiṣṭhébhir vi-háran yāsi tántum ava-vyáyan ásitaṃ deva vásma | davídhvato raśmáyaḥ sū́ryasya cármevāvā́dhus támo apsv àntaḥ ||

Translation

Con los más poderosos portadores avanzas, tejiendo hacia abajo el hilo; oh Potencia luminosa, arrojas el negro velo. Los rayos del Sol, golpeando y hendiéndolo, han empujado la oscuridad hacia abajo — como se desuella una piel — a las honduras de las aguas interiores.

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Word by Word

• वहि॑ष्ठेभिः: with the most powerful/most bearing (means)
• वहि॑ष्ठेभिः: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वहिष्ठ (वह् ‘to carry’ + -इष्ठ superl.)

• वि॒हर॑न्: moving about / ranging
• वि॒हर॑न्: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √हृ (हर्) ‘to take/carry’ (vi- + √हृ) → विहरन्त्

• असि: thou art
• असि: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् ‘to be’

• तन्तुम्: the thread / filament
• तन्तुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु

• अव॒व्यय॑न्: weaving down / weaving
• अव॒व्यय॑न्: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √वी (वय्/वे) ‘to weave’ (ava- + √वी) → अवव्ययन्त्

• असि॑तम्: dark, black
• असि॑तम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित

• देव: O god
• देव: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: देव

• वस्म: a covering/veil
• वस्म: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्मन्/वस्म (Vedic) ‘covering/garment; ash/dust’ (context: covering)

• दवि॑ध्वतः: of (him/it) shaking/brandishing
• दवि॑ध्वतः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √धू (धुनोति) ‘to shake’ with vi- → विदिध्वत् (intensive/iterative) ‘shaking violently’

• र॒श्मयः: the rays
• र॒श्मयः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि

• सूर्यस्य॑: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य॑: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य

• चर्म: a hide, skin
• चर्म: उपमान/कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आवा॑धुः: they covered/warded off
• आवा॑धुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वध्/√वृध् (Vedic) ‘to cover/ward off; to smite’ with ā- → आवाधुः

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्

• अ॒प्सु: in the waters
• अ॒प्सु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (pl. ‘waters’)

• अन्तः: within, inside
• अन्तः: अधिकरण (भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable (adverb)
• Root: अन्तर्/अन्तः