Rig Veda 7.103.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 103, Mantra 1

Sukta 7.103

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (traditional attribution for the Maṇḍūka-sūkta cluster in RV 7)

Devata: Parjanya (as awakener) with Maṇḍūkas as emblematic speakers

Chandas: Gāyatrī

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

संवत्सरं शशयाना ब्राह्मणा व्रतचारिणः । वाचं पर्जन्यजिन्वितां प्र मण्डूका अवादिषुः ॥

Transliteration

saṃvatsaráṃ śaśayānā́ brāhmaṇā́ vrata-cā́riṇaḥ | vā́caṃ parjányajinvitāṃ prá maṇḍūkā avādiṣuḥ ||

Translation

For a year they lay silent—brahmans, keepers of the vow; then, stirred by Parjanya, the frogs spoke forth the Word.

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Word by Word

• संवत्सरम्: (for) a year
• संवत्सरम्: अधिकारण (काल-अधिकारण; ‘for a year/throughout the year’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)

• शशयानाः: lying (asleep), having lain
• शशयानाः: कर्तृ (with ब्राह्मणाः; ‘lying/sleeping’)
• Type: Participle (Adjective) used substantively
• Root: √शी (शे/शयते) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + शानच्

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins; ritualists
• ब्राह्मणाः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)

• व्रतचारिणः: vow-observers; practising sacred observances
• व्रतचारिणः: कर्तृ (apposition to ब्राह्मणाः)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: व्रत-चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; व्रत + √चर ‘to move/practise’)

• वाचम्: speech; voice
• वाचम्: कर्म (of अवादिषुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)

• पर्जन्यजिन्विताम्: quickened/impelled by Parjanya (the Rain-god)
• पर्जन्यजिन्विताम्: कर्म (qualifier of वाचम्)
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: पर्जन्य-जिन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पर्जन्य + √जिव्/√जिव्-सम्बद्ध ‘to quicken/impel, make lively’ → जिन्वित ‘impelled/quickened’)

• प्र: forth; forward
• प्र: — (verb-modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• मण्डूकाः: frogs
• मण्डूकाः: कर्तृ (of अवादिषुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डूक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अवादिषुः: they spoke; they uttered
• अवादिषुः: क्रिया (with कर्तृ मण्डूकाः and कर्म वाचम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (to speak) + उपसर्ग आ-