Mantra 15

Sukta 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इषुरिव दिग्धा नृपते पृदाकूरिव गोपते । सा ब्राह्मणस्येषुर्घोरा तया विध्यति पीयतः

IAST Transliteration

íṣur iva digdhā́ nṛpate pṛdākúr iva gopate | sā́ brāhmaṇásyeṣúḥ ghorā́ táyā vidhyati pīyátaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Like a poison-smeared arrow, O lord of men; like a spotted beast, O lord of kine—such is the Brahman’s dreadful arrow: therewith he pierceth him that swelleth in pride.

Word by Word

• इषुः: arrow
• इषुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

• दिग्धा: smeared, anointed
• दिग्धा: कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: √दिह् (लेपने) → दिग्ध (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)

• नृपते: O king/lord of men
• नृपते: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति- (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृदाकूः: a speckled serpent (pṛdāku)
• पृदाकूः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृदाकु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘चित्त्रवर्णः सर्पः/पृदाकु’)

• इव: like
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

• गोपते: O lord of cattle / herdsman
• गोपते: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपति- (प्रातिपदिक)

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण- (प्रातिपदिक)

• इषुः: arrow
• इषुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• घोरा: terrible, dreadful
• घोरा: कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर- (प्रातिपदिक)

• तया: with/by that (f.)
• तया: करण
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• विध्यति: pierces, strikes
• विध्यति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्यध् (विधने/वेधने ‘to pierce’)

• पीयतः: of the drinker; of one who is drinking
• पीयतः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / लक्ष्य-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective) / Noun-like
• Root: √पा (पाने) → पीयत् (कृदन्त; वर्तमान/भविष्यत्-भावे ‘drinking’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition

Devata: Brahman/Brāhmaṇa as personified curse-power (secondary: social addressees nṛpati, gopati)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires metrical verification)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"raudra","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From warning (comparison) to certainty (piercing) to humiliation of pride.","listener_experience":"A chill of accountability; sense that sacral law has teeth.","intensity":8}