Atharva Veda 9.2.1: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 1

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कामः स॒प॒त्न॒हन॑मृष॒भं घृ॒तेन॒ कामं॑ शिक्षामि ह॒विषाज्ये॑न । नी॒चैः स॒पत्ना॒न् मम॑ पादय॒ त्वम॒भिष्टु॑तो मह॒ता वी॒र्येऽण

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 9.2.1

IAST Transliteration

kā́maḥ sapatnáhanam ṛṣabháṃ ghṛténa kā́maṃ śikṣāmi havíṣā́jyena | nīcáiḥ sapatnā́n máma pādaya tvám abhíṣṭuto mahatā́ vīryèṇa ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Kāma, the slayer of rivals, the Bull—him with ghee; Kāma I discipline and set to work with oblation, with butter. Press my rivals downward; make them fall beneath me, thou who art duly hymned, with mighty manly power.

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Word by Word

• कामः: Desire (as a deity/personified Kāma)
• कामः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)

• सपत्नहनम्: enemy-slaying; slayer of rivals
• सपत्नहनम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सपत्न-हन् (समास; हन् धातु) / सपत्नहन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऋषभम्: bull; the best/foremost one
• ऋषभम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)

• कामम्: Kāma; desire (as the object invoked)
• कामम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)

• शिक्षामि: I train/discipline; I set in order (here: I propitiate/prepare)
• शिक्षामि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शिक्ष् (शिक्षँ) धातु

• हविषा: with oblation
• हविषा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• आज्येन: with clarified butter (ghee)
• आज्येन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• नीचैः: downwards; low
• नीचैः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नीचैः (अव्यय)

• सपत्नान्: rivals; enemies
• सपत्नान्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपत्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• मम: of me; my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• पादय: cause to fall/submit; trample down
• पादय: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पद्/पद् (causative stem पादय-) धातु

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• अभिष्टुतः: praised; duly lauded
• अभिष्टुतः: कर्तृ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: अभि-√स्तु (स्तु धातु) → अभिष्टुत (कृदन्त)

• महता: with great
• महता: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• वीर्येण: with power; with heroic strength
• वीर्येण: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• अण: (unclear; likely a padapāṭha/recensional fragment)
• अण: —
• Type: Indeclinable/Particle (uncertain)
• Root: (पाठभेद/पदच्छेद-अनिश्चित)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras lineages for Kāma material)

Devata: Kāma (personified Desire/Compulsion) as rival-slayer

Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (Atharvanic mixed anuṣṭubh usage)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: vira