Atharva Veda 15.4.2: Kanda 15, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 2

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वा॒स॒न्तौ मासौ॑ गो॒प्तारा॒वकु॑र्वन् बृ॒हच्च॑ रथंत॒रं चा॑नुष्ठा॒तारौ॑

IAST Transliteration

vāsantaú māsáu goptā́rāv akurvan bṛhácc a rathantaraṃ́ cānuṣṭhātā́rau

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The two spring months they made his guardians; Bṛhat and Rathantara, too, as his two executors of the rite.

Translation

春の二つの月を、彼の守護者として定めた。またブリハト（Bṛhat）とラタンタラ（Rathantara）の二つを、彼の祭式の執行者として定めた。

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Word by Word

• वासन्तौ: the two vernal (months)
• वासन्तौ: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: वासन्त- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वसन्त’ ऋतु/सम्बन्धी)

• मासौ: two months
• मासौ: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास- (प्रातिपदिक)

• गोप्तारौ: two protectors/guardians
• गोप्तारौ: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: गोप्तृ- (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तृ-नाम, √गुप् ‘to protect’)

• अकुर्वन्: they made / they performed
• अकुर्वन्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)

• बृहत्: Bṛhat (a Sāman chant)
• बृहत्: कर्म
• Type: Noun (name of Sāman)
• Root: बृहत्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• रथन्तरम्: Rathantara (a Sāman chant)
• रथन्तरम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun (name of Sāman)
• Root: रथन्तर- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• अनुष्ठातारौ: two performers/executors
• अनुष्ठातारौ: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: अनुष्ठातृ- (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तृ-नाम, अनु-√स्था ‘to carry out, perform’)

Attribution

Rishi: Vrātya-cycle tradition

Devata: Personified months/season; Sāman powers (Bṛhat, Rathantara)

Chandas: Mixed; likely prose-like with embedded cadence

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: vira