Mantra 31

Sukta 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

नाम नाम्ना जोहवीति पुरा सूर्यात् पुरोषसः । यदजः प्रथमं संबभूव स ह तत् स्वराज्यमियाय यस्मान्नान्यत् परमस्ति भूतम्

IAST Transliteration

nā́ma nā́mnā johavīti purā́ sū́ryā́t puróṣásaḥ | yád ajáḥ prathamáṁ sámbabhū́va sá há tát svarā́jyam iyāya yásmān nā́nyat paráṁ ásti bhūtám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Name by Name he calls unceasingly, in elder time, before the Sun, before the Dawn. When first the Unborn came to full becoming, then verily he won that self-sovereignty, than which no other being is higher.

Translation

Nom après nom, il invoque sans relâche, aux temps anciens, avant le Soleil, avant l’Aurore. Lorsque l’Inengendré vint d’abord à son plein accomplissement, alors, en vérité, il obtint cette souveraineté de soi (svarājya), au-delà de laquelle nul être n’est plus élevé.

Word by Word

नामname (as an object/thing invoked)

नाम्नाby/with (a) name

जोहवीतिinvokes/calls repeatedly

पुराformerly, before

सूर्यात्from the Sun

पुरःin front of, before

उषसःof Dawn (Uṣas)

यत्which/that (thing)

अजःthe Unborn (one)

प्रथमम्first, at first

सम्together, completely (prefix)

बभूवbecame, came into being

सःhe/that one

हindeed, surely

तत्that (state/thing)

स्वराज्यम्self-sovereignty, independent rule

इयायwent, attained

यस्मात्from whom/which

नnot

अन्यत्anything else, another (thing)

परम्higher, beyond

अस्तिis, exists

भूतम्(anything) that has become/existed; a being

Attribution

Rishi: Skambha-hymn tradition

Devata: Aja (the Unborn) / Skambha-Brahman; Nāman as operative principle

Chandas: Mixed/expanded Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (longer final pāda; Atharvanic style)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From mysterious primordial invocation to triumphant self-sovereignty and final supremacist closure.","listener_experience":"Awe at origin; then calm confidence in an unsurpassable ground.","intensity":6}