Mantra 15
Sukta 2
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
मातरिश्वा च पवमानश्च विपथवाहौ वातः सारथी रेष्मा प्रतोदः
IAST Transliteration
mātariśvā́ ca pavámānaś ca vipathavā́hau vā́taḥ sā́rathī reṣmā́ pratodáḥ
English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)
Mātariśvan and Pavamāna—those two that bear one through pathless ways—Wind is the charioteer; the reins and the goad are his.
Word by Word
मातरिश्वाMātariśvan (a divine being, often identified with wind/fire-messenger)
मातरिश्वा:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun (proper name/deity)
Rootमातरिश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
चand
च:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (निपात)
पवमानःPavamāna (‘the purifying one’, epithet/name—often of Soma or the purifying wind)
पवमानः:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootपवमान (प्रातिपदिक; √पू/√पु ‘to purify, to blow’ से निष्पन्न विशेषण/नाम)
चand
च:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (निपात)
विपथवाहौthe two who carry/lead along (or away from) the wrong path; ‘mispath-bearers’ (dual epithet)
विपथवाहौ:
कर्तृ
TypeAdjective (dual epithet)
Rootविपथ-वाह (प्रातिपदिक; वि-पथ ‘wrong path’ + वाह ‘carrying/leading’)
वातःWind
वातः:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun
Rootवात (प्रातिपदिक)
सारथीcharioteer
सारथी:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun
Rootसारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
रेष्माrein, bridle
रेष्मा:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun
Rootरेष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
प्रतोदःgoad, whip (driver’s prod)
प्रतोदः:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतोद (प्रातिपदिक; प्र-√तुद् ‘to prod’ से)
Attribution
Rishi: Atharvanic/anonymous (within the Vrātya-kāṇḍa complex)
Devata: Mātariśvan; Pavamāna; Vāta (as functional deities of conveyance and propulsion)
Chandas: Mixed/prose-leaning Atharvanic style (not a strict RV metrical pāda sequence)
Mantra Rasa
{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"From uncertainty (‘pathless’) → empowered propulsion → confident control.","listener_experience":"A surge of readiness and guided courage.","intensity":7}