Rig Veda 7.104.22: Mandala 7, Sukta 104, Mantra 22

Sukta 7.104

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi) — traditional ascription for RV 7.104

Devata: Indra (with anti-rakṣas/yātudhāna focus)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 7.104; this verse exhibits typical triṣṭubh cadence)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

उलूकयातुं शुशुलूकयातुं जहि श्वयातुमुत कोकयातुम् । सुपर्णयातुमुत गृध्रयातुं दृषदेव प्र मृण रक्ष इन्द्र ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 7.104.22

Transliteration

ulū́ka-yātúṃ śuśulū́ka-yātúṃ jahí śvá-yātum utá kóka-yātum | supárṇa-yātum utá gṛ́dhra-yātum dṛṣád-eva prá mṛṇa rákṣa índra ||

Translation

O Indra, firm as a stone in the being, crush forward the hostile powers of obscurity—those that move in the owl-nature and the lesser-owl nature, those that come as the dog-impulse, as the koka-call, as the winged and as the vulture-form. Break them utterly in our path.

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Word by Word

• उलूकयातुम्: the owl-demon (owl-shaped sorcerer)
• उलूकयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक- (प्रातिपदिक) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक) / यातु (यातु- ‘demon, sorcerer’)

• शुशुलूकयातुम्: the ‘shushulūka’ (owlet-)demon
• शुशुलूकयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुशुलूक- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘little owl/owlet’ as demon-epithet) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• जहि: slay!
• जहि: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)

• श्वयातुम्: the dog-demon
• श्वयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्व- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘dog’ as demon-epithet) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत: and / also
• उत: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (निपात)

• कोकयातुम्: the koká-demon
• कोकयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोक- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘cuckoo/crying bird’ as demon-epithet) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुपर्णयातुम्: the bird(-formed) demon
• सुपर्णयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्ण- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fair-winged/bird’) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत: and also
• उत: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (निपात)

• गृध्रयातुम्: the vulture-demon
• गृध्रयातुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘vulture’) + यातु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• दृषदेव: like a stone (i.e., crushingly/stone-like)
• दृषदेव: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable (simile) / frozen compound
• Root: दृषद्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stone’) + इव (अव्यय)

• प्र: forth, forward; intensifier
• प्र: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• मृण: crush/destroy!
• मृण: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृण्/मृड् (धातु; ‘to crush, destroy’—Vedic)

• रक्षः: the demon/evil spirit (rakṣas)
• रक्षः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्र: O Indra
• इन्द्र: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)