Mantra 18

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यो अस्या ऊधो न वेदाथो अस्या स्तनानुत। उभयेनैवास्मै दुहे दातुं चे दशकद् वशाम्

IAST Transliteration

yó asyā́ ū́dho ná vedā́tho asyā́ stanā́n utá | ubháyenaívāsmaí duhe dātúṃ ca dáśakad vaśā́m ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso knoweth not her udder, and likewise her teats—by both, in very deed, she is milked for him; and he must give a Vashā-cow tenfold.

Translation

Quiconque ne connaît pas son pis, ni pareillement ses tétines — par l’un et l’autre, en vérité, elle est traitée pour lui ; et il doit donner une vache Vashā au décuple.

Word by Word

यःwho (he who)

अस्याःof her

ऊधःudder

नnot

वेदknows

अथthen / and further

उindeed

अस्याःof her

स्तनान्teats / breasts

उतand / also

उभयेनwith both (in both ways)

एवindeed / just

अस्मैto him

दुहेshe is milked / yields milk

दातुम्to give

चand

दशकद्a group of ten (tenfold)

वशाम्a barren cow / a cow (vashā)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution for 12.4 generally to Atharvan/Angiras line; verse-level r̥ṣi not securely isolable here).

Devata: Vashā (the gift-cow) / Brahman (as sacral recipient) / normative ‘dharma’ of dāna

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in this narrative-legal sequence)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"raudra","emotional_arc":"Exposure of ignorance → forced extraction → restitution verdict","listener_experience":"A stern, public-feeling admonition; pressure to comply and restore balance.","intensity":6}