Atharva Veda 4.16.5: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 5

Sukta 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सर्वं॒ तद् राजा॒ वरु॑णो॒ वि च॑ष्टे॒ यद॑न्त॒रा रोद॑सी॒ यत् प॒रस्ता॑त्। संख्या॑ता अस्य नि॒मिषो॒ जना॑नाम॒क्षानि॑व श्व॒घ्नी नि मि॑नोति॒ तानि॑

IAST Transliteration

sárvaṃ tád rā́jā váruṇo ví caṣṭe yád ántarā ródasī yát párastāt | saṃkhyātā́ asya nimíṣo jánānām ákṣāṇīva śvaghnī́ ní minoti tā́ni ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

All that doth King Varuṇa behold, in clear discernment—what is between the Two Worlds, and what is beyond. Counted are the winkings of men unto him: as dice, the sure arranger setteth them in order.

Translation

Tout cela, le roi Varuṇa le voit avec claire discernement: ce qui est entre les Deux Mondes et ce qui est au-delà. Pour lui sont comptés les clignements des hommes; tels des dés, l’ordonnateur sûr les dispose en ordre.

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Word by Word

• सर्वम्: all, the whole
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective (pronominal)
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Kartā (apposition to राजा)
• Type: Noun (proper/deity)
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• वि: apart, distinctly, thoroughly
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग)

• चष्टे: sees, observes
• चष्टे: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु; चक्षँ/चक्ष् = to see, observe)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (of चष्टे)
• Type: Relative pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तरा: between
• अन्तरा: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable (adverb/preposition)
• Root: अन्तरा (अव्यय/उपपद)

• रोदसी: the two worlds (heaven and earth)
• रोदसी: Adhikaraṇa (with अन्तरा)
• Type: Noun (dual pair)
• Root: रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; dyāvā-pṛthivī)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (of चष्टे)
• Type: Relative pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• परस्तात्: beyond, on the farther side
• परस्तात्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्तात् (अव्यय)

• संख्याताः: counted, numbered
• संख्याताः: — (predicate adjective)
• Type: Participle/Adjective
• Root: सम्-ख्या (धातु; ख्या = to count/know) → संख्यात (कृदन्त)

• अस्य: of him (of this one, i.e., Varuṇa)
• अस्य: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• निमिषः: the wink/blink (moment)
• निमिषः: Kartā (of implied ‘is counted’ / with संख्याताः as predication) / or subject of statement
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-मीष्/मीष् (धातु; ‘to wink/blink’) → निमिष (प्रातिपदिक)

• जनानाम्: of people, of men
• जनानाम्: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्षाणि: dice; (also) eyes (here: dice)
• अक्षाणि: Karma (of नि मिनोति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

• श्वघ्नी: the ‘dog-slayer’ (name/epithet of a gaming-stick/implement; here: the thrower/arranger)
• श्वघ्नी: Kartā (of नि मिनोति)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (epithet)
• Root: श्वघ्नी (प्रातिपदिक; epithet)

• नि: down, into place
• नि: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग)

• मिनोति: sets, places, arranges
• मिनोति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: मि (धातु; मि = to set, fix, place; also ‘to measure’ in some contexts)

• तानि: those (things), them
• तानि: Karma (of मिनोति)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Varuṇa hymn)

Devata: Varuṇa

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (to be verified)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta