Atharva Veda 3.13.3: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 3

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒प॒का॒मं स्यन्द॑माना॒ अवी॑वरत वो॒ हि क॑म्। इन्द्रो॑ वः॒ शक्ति॑भिर्देवी॒स्तस्मा॒द् वार्नाम॑ वो हि॒तम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.13.3

IAST Transliteration

apākā́maṁ syándamānā́ avī́varata vo hí kám | índro vo śáktibhir devī́s tásmād vā́rṇām vo hitám

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Streaming forth, ye opened a way from what is unwanted—ye brought, indeed, delight. Indra, O goddesses, with his powers made you so: therefore is your Varuṇic nature set for your beneficent use.

Translation

En vous écoulant, vous avez ouvert un passage loin de l’indésirable — oui, vous avez apporté la joie. Indra, ô déesses, par ses puissances vous a faites ainsi ; c’est pourquoi votre nature varuṇique est établie pour un usage bienfaisant.

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Word by Word

• अपकामम्: free from desire/ill-wish; undesired (as an adverbial qualifier)
• अपकामम्: Karma (लक्ष्य/विषयः; ‘अपकामम्’ = ‘कामरहितम्/अनिष्टकामनारहितम्’ इति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपकाम (प्रातिपदिक; अप- + काम)

• स्यन्दमानाः: flowing, streaming
• स्यन्दमानाः: Kartā (क्रियायाः कर्तारः)
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: स्यन्द् (धातु) → स्यन्दमान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)

• अवीवरत: they have covered/warded off; they have enclosed
• अवीवरत: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; ‘वृणोति/वृणुते’)

• वः: for you / your
• वः: Sampradāna (हितार्थे ‘for you’)/सम्बन्ध (your)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)

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

• कम्: whom/which (some one/thing)
• कम्: Karma (अवीवरत इत्यस्य कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (अग्राम्ये वाक्ये कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• वः: for you / your
• वः: Sampradāna/सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• शक्तिभिः: with powers, by means of powers
• शक्तिभिः: Karaṇa (करणम्—‘by/with powers’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवीः: the goddesses
• देवीः: Karma (इन्द्रः … देवीः [अवति/योजयति] इत्यर्थे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (तस्मात् = ‘from that/therefore’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• वार्णाम्: of the varṇas/colours (classes)
• वार्णाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the varṇas/colours/classes’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वर्ण’/‘वार्ण’—सम्बद्ध-रूपम्)

• वः: for you / your
• वः: Sampradāna/सम्बन्ध
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• हितम्: beneficial, wholesome
• हितम्: Karma/Predicative (वाक्ये ‘हितम्’ = ‘beneficial/wholesome’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा ‘to place’ → ‘हित’ = placed, beneficial)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (unspecified in many indices for single mantra)

Devata: Āpas (as Devīs), with Indra as empowering figure; Varuṇa as jurisdictional source

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta