Mantra 11

Sukta 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ये कुकुन्धाः कुकूरभाः कृत्तीर्दूर्शानि बिभ्रति । क्लीबा इव प्रनृत्यन्तो वने ये कुर्वते घोषं तानितो नाशयामसि

IAST Transliteration

yé kukuṇdhā́ḥ kukū́rabhāḥ kṛ́ttīr dūrśā́ni bíbhrati | klībā́ iva prá-nṛtyanto vané yé kurváte ghóṣaṃ tā́ni itó nāśayāmasi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Those Kukuṇdhas, dog-shaped, who wear hides and rough tufts; who, like impotent wretches, dance forth in the forest and raise a clamour—those from hence we cause to perish, we drive away.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

कुकुन्धाः(certain) birds/creatures called kukundha

कुकूरभाः(certain) birds/creatures called kukūrabha

कृत्तीन्skins, hides

दूर्शानि(rough) garments/cloaks (lit. ‘dūrśa’-items)

बिभ्रतिthey bear, carry, wear

क्लीबाःimpotent/effeminate ones (as a simile-term)

इवlike, as

प्रनृत्यन्तःdancing about, capering

वनेin the forest

येwho (those who)

कुर्वतेthey make, they raise

घोषम्a noise, shout, din

तान्them

इतःfrom here, hence

नाशयामसिwe drive away, we destroy

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution uncertain at single-verse granularity)

Devata: Rakṣas (as adversary); the operative power is the mantra itself

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (with Atharvanic irregularities)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From eerie forest-noise to contempt and banishment.","listener_experience":"Fear is reduced by seeing the threat as ridiculous; confidence rises.","intensity":6}