Mantra 8
Sukta 3
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
अक्षुमोपशं विततं सहस्राक्षं विषूवति । अवनद्धमभिहितं ब्रह्मणा वि चृतामसि
IAST Transliteration
ákṣum upáśaṃ vítataṃ sahasrā́kṣaṃ viṣūváti | avánaddham abhíhitaṃ bráhmaṇā ví cṛtāmasi
English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)
The eye-beset covering, outspread, thousand-eyed, lying athwart—bound about and laid on—this, with sacred spell, we cut apart.
Word by Word
अक्षुम्axle/axis (as an object)
अक्षुम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootअक्षु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अक्षु’ = धुरा/अक्षः, ‘axle/axis’)
उपशम्appeasement, calming (charm/means)
उपशम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootउपश (प्रातिपदिक; ‘उपश’ = उपशमन/शमन, calming/appeasement)
विततम्stretched out, spread
विततम्:
कर्म
TypeAdjective (past passive participle)
Rootवि-तन् (धातु √तन् ‘to stretch’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘वितत’
सहस्राक्षम्thousand-eyed (having countless eyes)
सहस्राक्षम्:
कर्म
TypeAdjective (compound)
Rootसहस्र + अक्ष (तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-समास; प्रातिपदिक)
विषूवतिdivergent, spreading apart
विषूवति:
कर्म
TypeAdjective (with -वत्)
Rootविषूवत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विषूवत्’ = apart, in opposite directions, divergent)
अवनद्धम्bound, fastened
अवनद्धम्:
कर्म
TypeAdjective (past passive participle)
Rootअव-नह् (धातु √नह् ‘to bind’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘अवनद्ध’
अभिहितम्laid on, imposed, set upon
अभिहितम्:
कर्म
TypeAdjective (past passive participle)
Rootअभि-धा (धातु √धा/√धा ‘to place, set’; here ‘अभिहित’ = placed upon/assigned/laid on); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त
ब्रह्मणाby sacred power / by brahman (spell, prayer)
ब्रह्मणा:
करण
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
विapart, asunder, forth
वि:
—
TypeIndeclinable (preverb)
Rootवि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
चृतामसिwe move forth / we proceed (asunder)
चृतामसि:
कर्तृ
TypeVerb
Rootवि-चृ (धातु √चृ ‘to move, go, roam; to proceed’); लट्/वर्तमाने, परस्मैपद
Attribution
Rishi: Atharvanic domestic tradition (not specified here)
Devata: Brahman (spell-power) and the personified binding/covering (upaśa) as addressed object
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)
Mantra Rasa
{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From recognition of constriction to decisive release and calm.","listener_experience":"A sense of agency: the voice becomes a tool that undoes pressure.","intensity":6}