Mantra 17

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शृङ्गाभ्यां रक्ष ऋषत्यवर्तिं हन्ति चक्षुषा । शृणोति भद्रं कर्णाभ्यां गवां यः पतिरघ्न्यः

IAST Transliteration

śṛ́ṅgābhyāṁ rákṣa ṛṣáty àvartiṁ hánti cákṣuṣā | śṛṇóti bhadráṁ kárṇābhyāṁ gávāṁ yáḥ pátir aghnyáḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

With his two horns he smites the fiend that would assail; with his eye he slays the repulse. With his two ears he hearkens after good—he who is lord of kine, the inviolable.

Word by Word

• शृङ्गाभ्याम्: with (two) horns
• शृङ्गाभ्याम्: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)

• रक्षः: the demon, evil spirit
• रक्षः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषति: rushes/attacks
• ऋषति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋष् (धातु)

• अवर्तिम्: the (harmful) turning/whirl; obstruction
• अवर्तिम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

• हन्ति: strikes, kills, destroys
• हन्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)

• चक्षुषा: with the eye/sight
• चक्षुषा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• शृणोति: he hears
• शृणोति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)

• भद्रम्: what is auspicious/good
• भद्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective (used substantively) / Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• कर्णाभ्याम्: with (two) ears
• कर्णाभ्याम्: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / अधिकरण-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्तृ (सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक) / कर्ता
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पतिः: lord, master
• पतिः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)

• अघ्न्यः: not to be slain; inviolable (esp. of the cow)
• अघ्न्यः: विशेषण (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasic attribution (per anukramaṇī for AV 9.4).

Devata: Ṛṣabha / Go-pati (bull/cattle-lord) as protective power; anti-Rakṣas function.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; confirm by metrical count).

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From threat (assail/repulse) → decisive warding → calm auspicious listening → settled inviolability.","listener_experience":"A sense of sturdy guardianship and confident alertness; fear transmuted into disciplined protection.","intensity":6}