Mantra 3

Sukta 103

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अच्छा हि त्वा सहसः सूनो अङ्गिरः स्रुचश्चरन्त्यध्वरे। ऊर्जो नपातं घृतकेशमीमहेऽग्निं यज्ञेषु पूर्व्यम्

IAST Transliteration

ácchā hí tvā sahásaḥ sū́no aṅgiraḥ srúcaś cáranty adhvaré | ū́rjo nápātaṃ ghṛtákeśam īmahe’gníṃ yajñéṣu pū́rvyam ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

For unto thee, O Angiras, son of might, the ladles move within the sacrifice. We seek Agni, the offspring of nourishment, ghee-haired, the ancient one among sacrifices.

Translation

Car vers toi, ô Aṅgiras, fils de la puissance, vont et viennent les louches (sruc) dans le sacrifice. Nous recherchons Agni, le rejeton de la vigueur nourricière, aux «cheveux de ghee», l’Ancien parmi les sacrifices.

Word by Word

• अच्छ: towards, to
• अच्छ: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अच्छ (avyaya-prātipadika)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (nipāta)

• त्वा: you (as object)
• त्वा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सहसः: of might/power
• सहसः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सूनो: O son
• सूनो: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अङ्गिरः: O Aṅgiras (Agni)
• अङ्गिरः: Sambodhana
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्रुचः: ladles (offering-spoons)
• स्रुचः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुच् (प्रातिपदिक)

• चरन्ति: move, go about
• चरन्ति: Kriyā (with Kartā = स्रुचः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)

• अध्वरे: in the rite/sacrifice
• अध्वरे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊर्जः: of nourishment/strength
• ऊर्जः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज् (प्रातिपदिक)

• नपातम्: offspring/descendant (son)
• नपातम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नपात् (प्रातिपदिक)

• घृतकेशम्: having ghee as hair; ghee-maned
• घृतकेशम्: Karma (qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-केश (कर्मधारय-समास; प्रातिपदिक)

• ईमहे: we seek/implore
• ईमहे: Kriyā (with Kartā = implied ‘वयम्’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) / √यम् ‘to go/strive’ with desiderative/precative nuance in Vedic; here as ātmanepada hymn-verb

• अग्निम्: Agni (fire-god)
• अग्निम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• यज्ञेषु: in sacrifices
• यज्ञेषु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)

• पूर्व्यम्: ancient, primeval
• पूर्व्यम्: Karma (qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Ṛgvedic provenance (Agni praise; incorporated in AV 20)

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (typical of such RV-style verses; exact scansion depends on RV locus)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Wonder at the ancient power becoming present through precise action; confidence follows.","listener_experience":"A sense of participating in something timeless; energized reverence.","intensity":6}