Atharva Veda 4.15.11: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 15, Mantra 11

Sukta 15

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

प्र॒जाप॑तिः सलि॒लादा स॑मुद्रादाप॑ ई॒रय॑न्नुद॒धिम॑र्दयाति । प्र प्या॑यतां॒ वृष्णो॒ अश्व॑स्य॒ रेतो॒ऽर्वाङे॒तेन॑ स्तनयि॒त्नुनेहि॑

IAST Transliteration

prajā́patiḥ salilā́dā samudrā́d ā́pa ī́rayan udadhím ardayāti | prá pyāyatāṃ vṛ́ṣṇo áśvasya réto ’rvā́ṅ eténa stanayitnúnehí ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Prajāpati, from flood and ocean, impelling the Waters, stirs the swelling sea. Let the seed of the virile stallion wax full; hither, with this thunder, come thou!

Translation

प्रजापति ने समुंदर से पानी निकाला। उसने बड़े समुंदर को हिला दिया। घोड़े की ताकत बढ़ जाए। बिजली की तरह आवाज़ हो। यह बारिश यहाँ आए।

The meaning

What it says

Prajāpati, stirring the primeval waters from flood and ocean, agitates the swelling sea; by thunder’s impulse the stallion’s seed is urged to increase and come “hither.” The cosmic water-cycle is homologized to animal fertility and agricultural increase.

The inner meaning

When the psyche is “dry” (blocked affect/creative force), one invokes the generative regulator (Prajāpati) to set inner waters moving again. Thunder is the catalytic shock that breaks inertia; retas is focused vitality/drive that must be made to “wax full” rather than dissipate.

The truth in it

Prosperity arises when the generative principle is aligned with the larger rhythms of nature: circulation (waters), stimulation (thunder), and containment/aim (retas) together produce growth.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (fertility/prosperity) with rain-magic

Its aim

To stimulate rainfall and, by homology, generative fertility (seed, livestock vigor, crop increase).

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Word by Word

Pada patha

प्रजापतिः । सलिलात् । समुद्रात् । आपः । ईरयन् । उदधिम् । अर्दयाति । प्र । प्यायताम् । वृष्णः । अश्वस्य । रेतः । अर्वाक् । एतेन । स्तनयित्नुना । इहि

प्रजापतिः

PrajāpatiPrajāpati; lord of generation, cosmic organizer of fertilityNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)

सलिलात्

from the waters, from the floodfrom the watery flood; primeval waters as source of rainNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)

आ

forth, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (गत्यर्थ/समन्तात्-आगमनार्थ)Root आ (उपसर्ग)

समुद्रात्

from the oceanfrom the ocean; the great reservoir feeding the rain-cycleNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

अपः

the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)

ईरयन्

setting in motion, impellingsetting in motion, impelling; activating the waters to rise/flowVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी-प्रयोगार्थःRole कर्तृ (प्रजापतिः-विशेषणरूपेण) / क्रियाविशेषणRoot ईरय् (धातु; प्रेरणे)

उदधिम्

the sea, the watery expansethe sea/abundance of water; the swelling massNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)

अर्दयाति

presses, churns, agitateshe stirs/presses/shakes; causes agitation (to generate rain-clouds)Verbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अर्द् (धातु; हिंसागत्योः/पीडने)

प्र

forth, forwardforth; intensifier of increaseIndeclinableउपसर्ग (प्रकर्ष/प्रवृत्त्यर्थ)Root प्र (उपसर्ग)

प्यायताम्

let it swell, let it become fulllet it swell, grow full; increase (of seed/fertility)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot प्या/प्याय् (धातु; वृद्धौ/पुष्टौ)

वृष्णः

of the bull (virile one)of the virile/bull-like one; potent, generativeNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)

अश्वस्य

of the horseof the stallion/horse; emblem of vigor and semenNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

रेतः

seed, semenseed, semen; generative fluid (also metaphor for rain)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (प्यायताम् इत्यस्य) / विषयRoot रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)

अर्वाक्

towards here, hitherhither, toward us; directional drawing-down of potencyIndeclinableदिक्शब्द-अव्यय (अधो/अधोमुख-आगमनार्थे)Root अर्वाक् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द)

एतेन

with thiswith this; with this very (thunder/rain agency)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

स्तनयित्नुना

with thunder, by the thunderbolt-like thunderwith thunder; the roaring instrument of rainNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot स्तनयित्नु (प्रातिपदिक)

एहि

come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot इ (धातु; गतौ)

Sandhi Notes

• सलिलादा → सलिलात् + आ
• समुद्रादापः → समुद्रात् + अपः (त् + अ → द)
• ईरयन्नुदधिम् → ईरयन् + उदधिम् (न् + उ → न्नु)
• रेतोऽर्वाक् → रेतः + अर्वाक् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ḥ + a → ’)
• स्तनयित्नुनेहि → स्तनयित्नुना + एहि (आ + ए → ए)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

AV 4.15 anukramaṇī attribution varies; commonly Atharvanic seer-line.

Devata

Prajāpati; also Parjanya/thunder implicitly.

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like.

Rasa

Adbhuta and Vira

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions