Rig Veda 4.13.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 13, Mantra 4

Sukta 4.13

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata: Sūrya (and/or Savitṛ as solar power); the verse centers on solar rays driving out darkness

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable, based on book 4 style and verse cadence)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

वहिष्ठेभिर्विहरन्यासि तन्तुमवव्ययन्नसितं देव वस्म । दविध्वतो रश्मयः सूर्यस्य चर्मेवावाधुस्तमो अप्स्वन्तः ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 4.13.4

Transliteration

vahiṣṭhébhir vi-háran yāsi tántum ava-vyáyan ásitaṃ deva vásma | davídhvato raśmáyaḥ sū́ryasya cármevāvā́dhus támo apsv àntaḥ ||

Translation

Tum taange dhakke maar ke aage badh rahe ho. Niche ki taraf dhaaga bunte ho. Chamakte shakti, tumne kala dhakkan utaar diya. Suraj ki kiranien maarti hain aur andhere ko paani mein dhakel deti hain. Jaise koi chamda utarta hai.

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Word by Word

• वहि॑ष्ठेभिः: with the most powerful/most bearing (means)
• वहि॑ष्ठेभिः: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वहिष्ठ (वह् ‘to carry’ + -इष्ठ superl.)

• वि॒हर॑न्: moving about / ranging
• वि॒हर॑न्: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √हृ (हर्) ‘to take/carry’ (vi- + √हृ) → विहरन्त्

• असि: thou art
• असि: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् ‘to be’

• तन्तुम्: the thread / filament
• तन्तुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु

• अव॒व्यय॑न्: weaving down / weaving
• अव॒व्यय॑न्: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √वी (वय्/वे) ‘to weave’ (ava- + √वी) → अवव्ययन्त्

• असि॑तम्: dark, black
• असि॑तम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित

• देव: O god
• देव: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: देव

• वस्म: a covering/veil
• वस्म: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्मन्/वस्म (Vedic) ‘covering/garment; ash/dust’ (context: covering)

• दवि॑ध्वतः: of (him/it) shaking/brandishing
• दवि॑ध्वतः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √धू (धुनोति) ‘to shake’ with vi- → विदिध्वत् (intensive/iterative) ‘shaking violently’

• र॒श्मयः: the rays
• र॒श्मयः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि

• सूर्यस्य॑: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य॑: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य

• चर्म: a hide, skin
• चर्म: उपमान/कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आवा॑धुः: they covered/warded off
• आवा॑धुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वध्/√वृध् (Vedic) ‘to cover/ward off; to smite’ with ā- → आवाधुः

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्

• अ॒प्सु: in the waters
• अ॒प्सु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (pl. ‘waters’)

• अन्तः: within, inside
• अन्तः: अधिकरण (भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable (adverb)
• Root: अन्तर्/अन्तः