Rig Veda 1.18.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 18, Mantra 9

Sukta 1.18

Rishi: Kāṇva

Devata: Narāśaṃsa (a ritual-divine power associated with Agni and the sacrificial praise)

Chandas: Gāyatrī

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

नराशंसं सुधृष्टममपश्यं सप्रथस्तमम् । दिवो न सद्ममखसम् ॥

Transliteration

narāśáṃsaṃ sudhṛ́ṣṭamam ápaśyaṃ sapráthastamam | divó ná sádma mákhasam ||

Translation

われはナーラーシャṃサ（Narāśaṃsa）を見た。最も堅く据えられ、最も広くひろがる者を——天の住まいのごとく、祭のために建つ。神聖なる住処、そこでは供物がわれらのうちに光の住まいとなる。

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Word by Word

• नरा॒शंसम्: Narāśaṃsa (a divine being/Agni as ‘praised by men’)
• नरा॒शंसम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun (proper/epithet)
• Root: नराशंस (प्रातिपदिक; नॄ + शंस)

• सु॒धृष्ट॑तमम्: the most bold/most mighty
• सु॒धृष्ट॑तमम्: कर्म (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-धृष्ट (धृष्ट ‘bold, strong’ < √धृष् ‘to dare, be bold’)

• अप॑श्यम्: I saw
• अप॑श्यम्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे) ‘to see’

• स॒प्रथ॑स्तमम्: the most wide-spreading / most expansive
• स॒प्रथ॑स्तमम्: कर्म (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-प्रथस् (प्रथस् ‘breadth, expanse; wide’ < √प्रथ् ‘to spread, expand’)

• दि॒वः: of heaven
• दि॒वः: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (द्यौस्/दिव् ‘heaven, sky’)

• न: like, as
• न: (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable (particle of comparison)
• Root: न

• सद्म: abode, dwelling
• सद्म: कर्म (उपमान-भागः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्मन्/सद्म (न.) ‘seat, abode, dwelling’

• अखसम्: unharmed, unbroken, intact
• अखसम्: कर्म (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘uninjured/undiminished; unharmed’—Vedic adjective)