Atharva Veda 6.49.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 2

Sukta 49

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मे॒ष इ॑व॒ वै सं च॒ वि चो॒र्व॒ऽच्यसे॒ यदु॑त्तर॒द्रावुप॑रश्च॒ खाद॑तः । शी॒र्ष्णा शिरोऽप्स॒साप्सो॑ अ॒र्दय॑न्नं॒शून् ब॑भस्ति॒ हरि॑तेभिरा॒सभिः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.49.2

IAST Transliteration

meṣá iva váí sáṃ ca ví cór urá-cyase yád uttaradrā́v úparaś ca khā́dataḥ | śīrṣṇā́ śiró ’psasā́psó ardaýann aṃśū́n babhasti háritebhir āsábhiḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Like a ram, verily, thou art dashed together and driven apart, when, fleeing upward, thou gnawest from above. With the head he smites the head; with the waters—ye Waters—crushing (thee), he tramples thy filaments with tawny jaws.

Translation

汝はまことに牡羊のごとく、打ち合わせられ、また追い散らされる。上へ逃れて、上から噛み削るときに。頭で頭を打ち、また水によって——おお水たちよ——（汝を）砕き、黄褐の顎でその糸すじ（繊維）を踏みつける。

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Word by Word

• मे॒षः: a ram
• मे॒षः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मे॒ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• वै: indeed
• वै: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सम्: together; completely (prefix)
• सम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वि: apart; asunder (prefix)
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि

• चोर्वच्यसे: you speak/utter (in a mixed/alternating way)
• चोर्वच्यसे: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तरद्राव्: running upward/northward
• उत्तरद्राव्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: उत्तर-द्राव् (समास/प्रातिपदिक; द्राव् < √द्रु/द्राव् ‘to run’)

• उपरः: the upper (one/part)
• उपरः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• खादतः: of (one) eating; while eating
• खादतः: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: खाद् (धातु)

• शीर्ष्णा: with the head
• शीर्ष्णा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अप्ससाप्सः: waters and juices (fluids)
• अप्ससाप्सः: Kartā
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: अप्सस् + आप्सस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water/juices’)

• अर्दयन्: crushing, pressing
• अर्दयन्: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: अर्द् (धातु)

• अंशून्: stalks; rays/threads (here: stalk-like parts)
• अंशून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)

• बभस्ति: he chews/crushes
• बभस्ति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्/भस्त् (धातु; ‘to chew/crush’—वेदिक)

• हरितेभिः: with the green (ones/things)
• हरितेभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित (प्रातिपदिक)

• आसभिः: with (his) mouths/jaws
• आसभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘mouth’/‘jaws’ in Vedic usage)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (rṣi not specified in the provided excerpt)

Devata: Āpas (Waters) and the expulsion-force against the gnawing agent

Chandas: Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (requires full hymn metrical audit; verse appears longer than Anuṣṭubh)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: vira