Rig Veda 2.26.1 — Mandala 2, Sukta 26, Mantra 1

Sukta 2.26

Rishi: Gṛtsamada (Āṅgirasa) (traditional ascription for Mandala 2 hymns)

Devata: Brahmaṇaspati (Br̥haspati) as the power of the formative Word and right-discriminating will (implicit across RV 2.26)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 2.26; verse-length and cadence align with triṣṭubh usage in this hymn)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

ऋजुरिच्छंसो वनवद्वनुष्यतो देवयन्निददेवयन्तमभ्यसत् । सुप्रावीरिद्वनवत्पृत्सु दुष्टरं यज्वेदयज्योर्वि भजाति भोजनम् ॥

Transliteration

ṛjúricchā́ṃso vanavad vanuṣyató deváyann íd adeva-yantám abhy àsat | suprāvī́r íd vanavat pṛtsú duṣṭáraṃ yajvā́ íd ayajyór ví bhajāti bhójanam ||

Translation

Straight and true is the utterance that seeks; it wins like a conqueror for the one who strives, and it assails the godless will by the very power of aspiration for the Divine. It wins a rich hero-force even in the hard battles; the sacrificer (the doer of the inner offering) divides and apportions the nourishment of being, separating it from what cannot and will not sacrifice.

Word by Word

• ऋजुः: straight, upright
• ऋजुः: Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘सीधा/ऋजु’

• इच्छंसः: desiring, seeking
• इच्छंसः: Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) → इच्छन् (वर्तमान कृदन्त) + -स (प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)

• वनवत्: like a forest; forest-like (abundantly)
• वनवत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + -वत् (मतुप्)

• वनुष्यतः: of the woodman/forest-dweller
• वनुष्यतः: Adhikaraṇa/सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: वनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वन-चर/वनवासी’ अर्थे)

• देवयन्: seeking the gods; pious
• देवयन्: Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवय् (धातु ‘देवान् इच्छति/देवपूजां करोति’) → शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• नित्: indeed, surely
• नित्: — (निपातः; बल/निश्चयार्थः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित् (निपात; वेदिक अव्यय)

• अदेवयन्तम्: one who is not god-seeking; impious
• अदेवयन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- + देवयन्त (देवय् धातोः शतृ/शानच्-आधारित प्रातिपदिक)

• अभि: towards, against
• अभि: — (उपसर्गः; अभिमुख्य/आक्रमणार्थः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• असत्: he attacked/went against; he was (in action)
• असत्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु) — लुङ्/इञ्ज्-आदेशयुक्तं वेदिक रूपम् (असत्) ‘आसीत्/अगच्छत्’

• सुप्रावीः: having good heroes; well-protecting
• सुप्रावीः: Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + प्रावी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘उत्तम-वीर/उत्तम-रक्षा’ भावे) अथवा प्राविन्/प्रावी (विशेषण)

• इत्: indeed, just
• इत्: — (निश्चय/एव-अर्थः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (निपात; वेदिक)

• वनवत्: abundantly; like a forest
• वनवत्: Adverbial
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्

• पृत्सु: in battles
• पृत्सु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृत्/पृतना (प्रातिपदिक ‘युद्ध/सेना’)

• दुष्टरम्: hard to overcome
• दुष्टरम्: Karma (विशेष्यस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्- + तर (तॄ/तॄ-भाव ‘तरति’ से; ‘दुस्तर’ प्रातिपदिक)

• यज्वा: the sacrificer
• यज्वा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु) → यज्वन् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)

• इद्: indeed
• इद्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इद् (निपात; वेदिक)

• अयज्योः: of the two unworthy of sacrifice
• अयज्योः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अ- + यज्य (यज् धातोः यत्-प्रत्यय ‘यज्य’ = ‘यज्ञार्ह’)

• वि: apart, asunder
• वि: — (विभाग/विशेषार्थः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• भजति: apportions, distributes
• भजति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)

• भोजनम्: share, portion; enjoyment/food
• भोजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज (प्रातिपदिक) < भुज्/भोज् ‘भोग/आहार’