Rig Veda 7.18.23: Mandala 7, Sukta 18, Mantra 23

Sukta 7.18

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha family book; traditional attribution for RV 7)

Devata: Indra (battle-aid and victorious force; Sudās/Paijavana context under Indra’s protection)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (11-syllable cadence typical of heroic/polemical hymns)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

चत्वारो मा पैजवनस्य दानाः स्मद्दिष्टयः कृशनिनो निरेके । ऋज्रासो मा पृथिविष्ठाः सुदासस्तोकं तोकाय श्रवसे वहन्ति ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 7.18.23

Transliteration

catvā́ro mā paijavánasya dā́nāḥ smáddiṣṭayaḥ kṛśaníno nireké | ṛjrā́so mā pṛthivíṣṭhāḥ sudā́sas tokáṃ tokā́ya śrávase vahanti ||

Translation

Four are the gifts of Paijavana that bear me forward—well-directed, keen-edged energies in the decisive separation. The straight-going, earth-founded powers of Sudās carry for me the ‘child’ of the soul, for the child’s growth and for the widening of luminous fame.

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Word by Word

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (numeral)
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)

• मा: me
• मा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पैजवनस्य: of Paijavana
• पैजवनस्य: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun (proper/tribal epithet)
• Root: पैजवन (प्रातिपदिक; जन/वंश-नाम)

• दानाः: gifts
• दानाः: Kartā (apposition to ‘चत्वारः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक; ‘gift, giving’)

• स्मत्: from me
• स्मत्: Apādāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• दिष्टयः: missiles/shafts
• दिष्टयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘direction/aim, ordinance; (here) missiles/shafts’)

• कृशनिनः: the gaunt ones (foes)
• कृशनिनः: Kartā (apposition/qualifier of ‘दिष्टयः’ or implied foes)
• Type: Adjective (substantivized)
• Root: कृशनिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘lean/gaunt’; also epithet of foes)

• निरेके: they left/abandoned
• निरेके: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + रिक् (धातु ‘to leave, empty, separate’; here as finite verb)

• ऋज्रासः: the Ṛjras (warriors/men called Ṛjra)
• ऋज्रासः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective (substantivized)
• Root: ऋज्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ruddy/bright’; as tribal/warrior epithet)

• मा: me
• मा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• पृथिविष्ठाः: earth-standing, firm on the ground
• पृथिविष्ठाः: Kartā (qualifier of ‘ऋज्रासः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथिवि-स्था (समास; ‘standing on the earth’)

• सुदासः: Sudās
• सुदासः: Kartā (of following verb)
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: सुदास (प्रातिपदिक; राजा/नृप-नाम)

• तोकम्: offspring, child
• तोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोक (प्रातिपदिक)

• तोकाय: for (his) offspring
• तोकाय: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोक (प्रातिपदिक)

• श्रवसे: for fame
• श्रवसे: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fame, glory’)

• वहन्ति: they carry/bring
• वहन्ति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)