Mantra 17

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

को अस्मिन् रेतो न्यऽदधात् तन्तुरा तायतामिति । मेधां को अस्मिन्नध्यौहत् को बाणं को नृतो दधौ

IAST Transliteration

kó asmín réto ny-àdadhāt tánturā́ tāyatām íti | medhā́ṃ kó asmínn ádhy-àuhat kó bā́ṇaṃ kó nṛtó dadhau ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Who in this set down the seed—‘Let the thread, the giver, be stretched forth’? Who in this over-wove intelligence? who set the arrow? who established the human (office/act)?

Translation

इस (सृष्टि/ताने-बाने) में रेतस् (बीज) किसने स्थापित किया—‘तन्तु (सूत्र), दाता, फैलाया जाए’—ऐसा किसने कहा? इस में मेधा (बुद्धि/प्रज्ञा) किसने बुन दी, किसने (उसमें) अधिरोपित की? किसने बाण रखा? किसने मनुष्यत्व का कर्म/पद स्थापित किया?

Word by Word

कःwho?

अस्मिन्in this (one/thing)

रेतःseed, semen

निdown, into; (prefix)

अदधात्placed, put

तन्तुःthread, filament

आtowards; (prefix)

तातायिताम्let it be stretched/extended

इतिthus

मेधाम्wisdom, intelligence

कःwho?

अस्मिन्in this

अध्यौहत्bore/placed upon, brought in (laid on)

कःwho?

बाणम्arrow

कःwho?

नृतःthe dancer; the one who dances

दधौhas placed, set

Attribution

Rishi: Skambha/Brahman inquiry tradition (AV 10.2)

Devata: Prajāpati/Brahman (as arranger of faculties)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Wonder at the hidden weaver → empowerment through directed force and vocation.","listener_experience":"A sense of being ‘made for’ something—energy gathers and aims.","intensity":6}