Rig Veda 4.3.10 — Mandala 4, Sukta 3, Mantra 10

Sukta 4.3

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

ऋतेन हि ष्मा वृषभश्चिदक्तः पुमाँ अग्निः पयसा पृष्ठ्येन । अस्पन्दमानो अचरद्वयोधा वृषा शुक्रं दुदुहे पृश्निरूधः ॥

Transliteration

ṛténa hí ṣmā vṛṣabháś cid aktáḥ pumā́ṃ agníḥ páyasā pṛṣṭhyéna | áspandamāno acarad vayo-dhā́ vṛ́ṣā śukráṃ duduhé pṛ́śnir ū́dhaḥ ||

Translation

For by the Truth indeed even the Bull is anointed: Agni the male, with the milk upon his back. Unshaking he moves, the giver of plenitudes; the Bull has milked out the bright, and the dappled one her udder.

Word by Word

• ऋतेन: by/with ṛta (truth, cosmic order)
• ऋतेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) < √ऋ (गत्यर्थ) / ऋत- ‘cosmic order, truth’

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)

• ष्मा: surely, indeed (emphasis)
• ष्मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ष्मा (वैदिक निपात) स्म/ष्म (emphatic particle)

• वृषभः: the bull (strong one)
• वृषभः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)

• चित्: even
• चित्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (निपात)

• अक्तः: anointed, smeared
• अक्तः: Kartā (as predicate to subject) / Karma (underlying: ‘having been anointed’)
• Type: Participle/Adjective
• Root: √अञ्ज् (अक्त ‘smeared, anointed’)

• पुमान्: a man, male
• पुमान्: Kartā (apposition) / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्निः: Agni (fire)
• अग्निः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• पयसा: with milk, by milk
• पयसा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृष्ठ्येन: with the ‘back(-part)’, from the back (as means)
• पृष्ठ्येन: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ठ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘belonging to the back/ridge; from the back’) < पृष्ठ

• अस्पन्दमानः: not quivering, unmoving
• अस्पन्दमानः: Kartā (qualifier of subject) / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Participle/Adjective
• Root: √स्पन्द् (स्पन्दने) with privative अ-; present participle

• अचरत्: moved, went
• अचरत्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (गत्यर्थ)

• वयोधा: life-giving, strength-bestowing
• वयोधा: Kartā (appositional epithet) / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective/Noun (epithet)
• Root: वयोधा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘life-giver/strength-giver’, lit. ‘placing/holding vigor’)

• वृषा: the bull, the vigorous one
• वृषा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषन्/वृषा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bull, virile one’)

• शुक्रम्: bright (seed/milk), shining fluid
• शुक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुदुहे: milked out, drew forth
• दुदुहे: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दुह् (दोहने)

• पृश्निः: Pṛśni, the speckled cow
• पृश्निः: Kartā (subject of ‘दुदुहे’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृश्नि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘speckled cow’, also a mythic cow)

• ऊधः: udder
• ऊधः: Karma (source-object of milking) / Adhikaraṇa (in sense ‘from the udder’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊधस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘udder’)