Mantra 13

Sukta 96

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यस्ते हन्ति पतयन्तं निषत्स्नुं यः सरीसृपम्। जातं यस्ते जिघांसति तमितो नाशयामसि

IAST Transliteration

yás te hánti patáyantaṃ níḥsatsnuṃ yáḥ sarīsṛpám | jā́taṃ yás te jíghāṃsati tám itó nāśayāmasi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso would smite—be it the flier, the stealthy creeper, or the crawling thing—whoso would slay thy newborn child, him from hence we cause to perish.

Translation

ಯಾರು ನಿನಗೆ ಹಾನಿ ಮಾಡಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೋ— ಹಾರುವವನಾಗಲಿ, ಗುಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಸರಿಯುವವನಾಗಲಿ, ನೆಲದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾವುಹೋಗುವವನಾಗಲಿ; ಯಾರು ನಿನ್ನ ನವಜಾತ ಶಿಶುವನ್ನು ಕೊಲ್ಲಲು ಬಯಸುತ್ತಾನೋ— ಅವನನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದಲೇ ನಾವು ನಾಶಮಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ.

Word by Word

यःwho (he who)

तेto/for you; your

हन्तिstrikes/kills

पतयन्तम्the flying one

निषत्स्नुम्the one that settles down (lurking/settling creature)

यःwho

सरीसृपम्a creeping thing (reptile/serpent)

जातम्the born one; what has arisen

यःwho

तेto/for you; your

जिघांसतिwishes/intends to kill

तम्him

इतःfrom here

नाशयामसिwe cause to perish; we drive away/destroy

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition

Devata: General rakṣā-power (often under Agni’s broader protection in the hymn sequence)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"From vigilance against many dangers to courageous communal banishment.","listener_experience":"Protective alertness and relief; sense of a guarded nursery-space.","intensity":6}