Mantra 8

Sukta 69

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मा नो मर्ता अभि द्रुहन् तनूनामिन्द्र गिर्वणः । ईशानो यवया वधम्

IAST Transliteration

mā́ no mártā abhí druhán tanū́nām índra girvaṇaḥ | ī́śāno yavayā vadhám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let not mortal men assail our bodies with treachery, O Indra, Lord of Song. As sovereign, drive thou the deadly blow away.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध) / mā

• नः: of us / our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (possessive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• मर्ताः: mortals
• मर्ताः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त (प्रातिपदिक) < √मृ (to die)

• अभि: against, towards
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि

• द्रुहन्: may they not harm / let them not injure
• द्रुहन्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √द्रुह् (to harm, be hostile)

• तनूनाम्: of (our) bodies / persons
• तनूनाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive dependent on द्रुह्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनू (प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्र: O Indra
• इन्द्र: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• गिर्वणः: O praised-by-hymns (Indra)
• गिर्वणः: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun/Adjective (epithet)
• Root: गिर्वणस् (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of Indra)

• ईशानः: being lord / as master
• ईशानः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) < √ईश् (to rule, be master)

• यवय: ward off, drive away
• यवय: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यु / √यव (Vedic: to ward off, remove)

• वधम्: slaughter / deadly blow / killing
• वधम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally attributed to Ṛgvedic seers in the Indra cycle (AV 20 is largely RV-derived); specific r̥ṣi for this verse follows the RV Anukramaṇī for the source hymn.

Devata: Indra

Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī context in RV-derived material; this pāda-set is commonly treated within the RV meter of its source hymn.

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Acknowledges danger → invokes sovereign protector → forceful expulsion of harm.","listener_experience":"From anxious vigilance to steadier courage and felt protection.","intensity":7}