Atharva Veda 18.4.8 — Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 8

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अङ्गि॑रसा॒मय॑नं॒ पूर्वो॑ अ॒ग्निरा॑दि॒त्याना॒मय॑नं॒ गार्ह॑पत्यो॒ दक्षि॑णाना॒मय॑नं दक्षिणा॒ग्निः । म॒हि॒मान॑म॒ग्नेर्विहि॑तस्य॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ सम॑ङ्गः॒ सर्व॒ उप॑ याहि श॒ग्मः

IAST Transliteration

aṅgírasām áyanaṃ pū́rvo agnír ādityā́nām áyanaṃ gārhapatyó dakṣiṇā́nām áyanaṃ dakṣiṇāgníḥ | mahimā́nam agnér víhitasya bráhmaṇā sám-aṅgaḥ sárva úpa yāhi śagmáḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The eastern Agni is the pathway of the Aṅgirases; the Gārhapatya is the pathway of the Ādityas; the Dakṣiṇāgni is the pathway of the southern powers. Come hither, O helpful one—complete in every member—by the brahman, to the majesty of Agni duly established.

Translation

L’Agni de l’Est est la voie des Aṅgirases; le Gārhapatya est la voie des Ādityas; le Dakṣiṇāgni est la voie des puissances du Sud. Viens ici, ô secourable, accompli en chacun de tes membres : par le brahman, vers la majesté d’Agni dûment établi.

Word by Word

• अङ्गिरसाम्: of the Aṅgirases
• अङ्गिरसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अयनम्: the course/way; the ‘ayana’
• अयनम्: कर्तृ/विशेष्य (predicative nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक; √इ ‘गमन’ से)

• पूर्वः: eastern; former
• पूर्वः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्निः: Agni; the fire
• अग्निः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• आदित्यानाम्: of the Ādityas
• आदित्यानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• अयनम्: the course/way
• अयनम्: कर्तृ/विशेष्य (predicative nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक; √इ)

• गार्हपत्यः: the Gārhapatya (household fire)
• गार्हपत्यः: कर्ता (as name of the household fire)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: गार्हपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• दक्षिणानाम्: of the dakṣiṇās (priestly gifts/fees)
• दक्षिणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)

• अयनम्: the course/way
• अयनम्: कर्तृ/विशेष्य (predicative nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक; √इ)

• दक्षिणा: southern; dakṣiṇā
• दक्षिणा: विशेषण/सम्बन्ध (as first member of compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्निः: the Dakṣiṇāgni (southern fire)
• अग्निः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• महिमानम्: greatness; majesty
• महिमानम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्नेः: of Agni
• अग्नेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• विहितस्य: of the one established/ordained
• विहितस्य: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त, PPP)

• ब्रह्मणा: by sacred utterance; by brahman (prayer)
• ब्रह्मणा: करण (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• समङ्गः: well-formed; complete in limbs
• समङ्गः: विशेषण (of the addressed one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-limbed/complete’)

• सर्वः: all; wholly
• सर्वः: विशेषण (of implied ‘त्वम्’/Agni)
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• उप: near; towards
• उप: क्रियाविशेषण (directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• याहि: come; go (hither)
• याहि: क्रिया (imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु ‘गमन’)

• शग्मः: strong; helpful; auspicious
• शग्मः: विशेषण (of the addressed one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शग्म (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa milieu (the verse explicitly foregrounds Aṅgirases).

Devata: Agni (in his installed forms: Gārhapatya, Dakṣiṇāgni, and the eastern Agni).

Chandas: Mixed; likely triṣṭubh-like; requires metrical verification.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta