Rig Veda 4.46.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 46, Mantra 1

Sukta 4.46

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama (traditional attribution for Maṇḍala 4)

Devata: Vāyu

Chandas: Gāyatrī (8+8+8; typical for short Soma-invitations; verify in critical edition)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अग्रं पिबा मधूनां सुतं वायो दिविष्टिषु । त्वं हि पूर्वपा असि ॥

Transliteration

ágram pibā mádhūnām sutáṃ vāyo divíṣṭiṣu | tváṃ hí pūrva-pā́ ási ||

Translation

Bois d’abord des douceurs, ô Vāyu, ce Soma pressé lors des séances lumineuses ; car tu es vraiment celui qui boit avant les autres — le premier buveur.

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Word by Word

• अग्रं: the first (portion), the foremost
• अग्रं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₂eǵ-ro- ‘fore, front’

• पिब: drink!
• पिब: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) ‘पाने’

• मधूनाम्: of the sweet drinks / of the honeys (i.e., soma-juices)
• मधूनाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation to ‘अग्रं’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sweet drink, honey, soma’

• सुतम्: pressed (soma)
• सुतम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (Adjectival) / Noun-use
• Root: सु (धातु) ‘सवने/प्रसवे’ → सुत (कृदन्त, क्त) ‘pressed’

• वायो: O Vāyu
• वायो: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (Vocative)
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Wind-god Vāyu’

• दिविष्टिषु: in the divine services/rites (at the heavenly gatherings)
• दिविष्टिषु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिविष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘heavenly rite/feast; divine service’ (Vedic)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

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

• पूर्वपाः: the first-drinker (he who drinks first)
• पूर्वपाः: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (predicate adjective of ‘त्वम्’)
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: पूर्व (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + पा (धातु) → पूर्वपा (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास) ‘one who drinks first’

• असि: you are
• असि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु) ‘भुवि’