Rig Veda 1.23.9: Mandala 1, Sukta 23, Mantra 9

Sukta 1.23

Rishi: Medhātithi Kāṇva

Devata: Indra (and/or Indra-associated power addressed as sudānava; context suggests Indra’s victorious force invoked)

Chandas: Gāyatrī

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

हत वृत्रं सुदानव इन्द्रेण सहसा युजा । मा नो दुःशंस ईशत ॥

Transliteration

hata vṛtraṃ sudānava indreṇa sahasā yujā | mā no duḥśaṃsa īśata ||

Translation

Slay Vṛtra, O bounteous one, yoked with Indra’s force; let not the ill-speaking power rule over us—let falsehood and hostile suggestion be broken.

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Word by Word

• हत: smite / having smitten
• हत: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb (finite; injunctive/aorist form used as imperative-like)
• Root: √हन् (हन्ति)

• वृत्रम्: Vṛtra (the obstructing demon)
• वृत्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक; from √वृ ‘to cover/obstruct’)

• सुदानवः: O good-giver
• सुदानवः: सम्बोधन (addressed to Indra)
• Type: Noun (epithet, vocative)
• Root: सु-दानव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-giver’)

• इन्द्रेण: with/through Indra
• इन्द्रेण: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• सहसा: with might, by force
• सहसा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• युजा: as a yoked ally / in yoke
• युजा: करण (सहकारि-भावः)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (instrumental; ‘as yoked (ally)’)
• Root: युज् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार; ‘yoke, yoked companion’)

• मा: do not
• मा: निषेध (क्रियाविशेषण-भावः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध)

• नः: of us / over us
• नः: सम्बन्ध/अधिकार (over whom)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुःशंसः: the evil-tongued (slanderer)
• दुःशंसः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: दुः-शंस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ill-speaking, slanderer’)

• ईशत: may (he) rule / have power
• ईशत: क्रिया (निषेध्य-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb (finite)
• Root: √ईश् (ईष्टे/ईशते ‘to rule, have power’)