Mantra 3
Sukta 14
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
निर्बलासेतः प्र पताशुङ्गः शिशुको यथा । अथो इट इव हायनोप द्राह्यवीरहा
IAST Transliteration
nír-balā́sa-itáḥ prá pata aśuṅgáḥ śiśukó yáthā | átho íṭ iva hāyanópa drā́hy avī́rahā
English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)
Freed from Balāsa, fly forth—blunted, like a little child. And like a dart-shot, like the year that passes, creep down and away, thou that slayest no heroes.
Word by Word
निर्बलासेतेःof the weak/diseased embankment/barrier (i.e., of the feeble one’s ‘dam’/support)
निर्बलासेतेः:
सम्बन्ध (genitival relation) / अधिकरण-सम्बन्ध (contextual)
TypeNoun
Rootनिर्बलासेतु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘निर्बल’ + ‘सेतु’)
प्रforth, forward
प्र:
क्रियाविशेषण (direction/intensity)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
पतfly/fall (forth)!
पत:
क्रिया (imperative)
TypeVerb
Rootपत् (धातु)
आशुशुङ्गःthe swift-horned / swift-tipped one
आशुशुङ्गः:
कर्तृ (of ‘पत’)
TypeNoun/Adjective (compound)
Rootआशु- (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्ग/शुङ्ग- (प्रातिपदिक)
शिशुकोa child
शिशुको:
कर्तृ/उपमान (with यथा)
TypeNoun
Rootशिशु- (प्रातिपदिक)
यथाas, like
यथा:
उपमान-सम्बन्ध (comparative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (निपात)
अथोand also; moreover
अथो:
समुच्चय/अनन्तर्य (also/and then)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथो (अथ + उ; निपात)
इट्a goer/runner; (lit.) ‘the moving one’
इट्:
कर्तृ/उपमान (with इव)
TypeNoun
Rootइट् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘इट्’ as a nominal form)
इवlike
इव:
उपमान-सम्बन्ध
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (निपात)
हायनःa yearling; one-year-old (animal)
हायनः:
कर्तृ (of implied motion/approach)
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootहायन- (प्रातिपदिक)
उपnear, towards
उप:
क्रियाविशेषण (towards/near)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
द्राहिrun/drive (towards)!
द्राहि:
क्रिया (imperative)
TypeVerb
Rootद्रा/द्रै (धातु ‘to run/drive’; Vedic imperative form)
अवीरहाnot slaying heroes; not man-destroying
अवीरहा:
कर्तृ-विशेषण
TypeAdjective (compound epithet)
Rootअ- (नञ्) + वीर- (प्रातिपदिक) + हा (√हन्/√हा ‘to strike/destroy’; kṛdanta element)
Attribution
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (as per anukramaṇī variants)
Devata: Balāsa (as adversary) / apotropaic speech-act
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh
Mantra Rasa
{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From assertive command to calm reassurance of safety and continuity.","listener_experience":"Courage and relief—‘this will pass; it cannot kill my strength’.","intensity":6}