Atharva Veda 9.5.7: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 5, Mantra 7

Sukta 5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒जो अ॒ग्निर॒जमु॒ ज्योति॑राहुर॒जं जीव॑ता ब्र॒ह्मणे॒ देय॑माहुः । अ॒जस्तमां॒स्यप॑ हन्ति दू॒रम॒स्मिंल्लो॒के श्र॒द्दधा॑नेन द॒त्तः

IAST Transliteration

ajó agnír ajám u jyótiḥ ā́hur ajáṃ jī́vatā brā́hmaṇe déyam ā́huḥ | ajás tamā́ṃsy ápa hanti dūráṃ asmíṃl lóke śraddádhānena dattáḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Unborn is Agni—Unborn, forsooth, they call the Light; Unborn, life-bestowing, they declare a gift to be bestowed upon the Brāhmaṇa. The Unborn drives darkness far away, when here in this world it is given by one of faithful mind.

Translation

アジャー（Ajā）は不生のもの、アグニ（Agni）もまた不生のもの――まことに人々は不生のものを「光」と呼ぶ。不生にして生命を授けるものは、ブラーフマナ（Brāhmaṇa）に施すべき供施であると説かれる。不生のものは闇をはるかに払いのける――この世において、信心ある者によってそれが施されるとき。

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Word by Word

• अजः: the unborn one / the goat (epithet)
• अजः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √अज् (गतौ/क्षेपे) से निष्पन्न नाम

• अग्निः: Agni, fire
• अग्निः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• अजम्: the unborn one / the goat (as object)
• अजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)

• उ: indeed / also (emphatic particle)
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (निपात)

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• आहुः: they have said / they call
• आहुः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह् (ब्रूवणे) / √आह् (उक्तौ) — परस्मैपद

• अजम्: the unborn one / the goat (as object)
• अजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)

• जीवता: with the living (one); by/with life
• जीवता: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जीव्)

• ब्रह्मणे: to/for Brahman; to the sacred power/priesthood
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• देयम्: to be given; a gift (that should be given)
• देयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृत्य-प्रातिपदिक; √दा ‘देने’)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह्/√आह्

• अजः: the unborn one / the goat
• अजः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)

• तमांसि: darknesses
• तमांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अप: away, off
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• हन्ति: strikes, removes, destroys
• हन्ति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (हिंसागत्योः) परस्मैपद

• दूरम्: far away
• दूरम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्रद्दधानेन: by/with one who has faith; by the faithful
• श्रद्दधानेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्दधान (वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा with श्रद्धा-)

• दत्तः: given; bestowed
• दत्तः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (भूतकृदन्त; √दा ‘देने’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (per Anukramaṇī assignment for AVŚ 9.5).

Devata: Agni as Ajá (Unborn), Jyotis (Light).

Chandas: Triṣṭubh/irregular triṣṭubh (AV mixed metrical practice).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira