Atharva Veda 9.7.3 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 7, Mantra 3

Sukta 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वि॒द्युज्जि॒ह्वा म॒रुतो॒ दन्ता॑ रे॒वति॑र्ग्री॒वाः कृत्ति॑का स्क॒न्धा घ॒र्मो वहः॑

IAST Transliteration

vidyúj jihvā́ marúto dántā revátīr grīvā́ḥ kṛ́ttikā skandhā́ gharmó váhaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Lightning is the tongue; the Maruts are the teeth; the Revatis are the necks; the Kṛttikās the shoulders; heat is the back that bears.

Translation

稲妻はその舌、マルトたち（Maruts）はその歯、レーヴァティーたち（Revati）はその首、クリッティカーたち（Kṛttikā）はその肩、熱（gharma）は担う背である。

Word by Word

• विद्युत्-जिह्वाः: having lightning as their tongues
• विद्युत्-जिह्वाः: Kartā (विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः; ‘मरुतः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun (बहुव्रीहि-समास/विशेषण-प्रयोग)
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)

• मरुतः: the Maruts (storm-gods)
• मरुतः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• दन्ताः: (their) teeth
• दन्ताः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः; पूर्वपदानां विशेषण/उपाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)

• रेवतीः: the Revatīs (lunar mansion/asterism)
• रेवतीः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun (नक्षत्रनाम)
• Root: रेवती (प्रातिपदिक)

• ग्रीवाः: necks
• ग्रीवाः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्तिकाः: the Kṛttikās (Pleiades; lunar mansion)
• कृत्तिकाः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun (नक्षत्रनाम)
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्कन्धाः: shoulders
• स्कन्धाः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)

• घर्मः: heat; the hot (soma-)offering
• घर्मः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घर्म (प्रातिपदिक)

• वहः: carrying; bearer/vehicle (that which carries)
• वहः: Kartā (समनाधिकरण-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह (धातु; वहति ‘to carry’) → वहस्/वहः (प्रातिपदिक, नपुंसक/पुं. प्रयोगः)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition

Devata: Meteorological and astral powers as limb-guardians (Vidyut, Maruts, Revati, Kṛttikā, Gharma)

Chandas: Catalogic/ritual style (meter secondary to enumeration)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta