Rig Veda 7.71.1: Mandala 7, Sukta 71, Mantra 1

Sukta 7.71

Rishi: Vasiṣṭha (traditional for Maṇḍala 7)

Devata: Aśvinau (with dawn/night transition imagery in the verse)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अप स्वसुरुषसो नग्जिहीते रिणक्ति कृष्णीररुषाय पन्थाम् । अश्वामघा गोमघा वां हुवेम दिवा नक्तं शरुमस्मद्युयोतम् ॥

Transliteration

ápa svásur uṣáso nák jihīte riṇákti kṛ́ṣṇīr aruṣā́ya pánthām | áśvām aghā gómaghā vāṃ huvema dívā náktaṃ śárum asmád yuyotam ||

Translation

Night withdraws from her sister Dawn and yields the dark ways to the ruddy path of light. O Aśvins, givers of the horse-force and the cow-light, we call you by day and by night: drive away from us the dart of harm.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• अप: away, forth
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• स्वसुः: the sister
• स्वसुः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वसु (प्रातिपदिक)

• उषसः: of Uṣas (Dawn)
• उषसः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• नग्जिहीते: lies down/settles (naked/bare)
• नग्जिहीते: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिता/ही (√धा/√हि ‘to put, place’ > ‘to lie/settle’), with नङ्/नक्- (Vedic intensifier/particle in compound)

• रिणक्ति: releases, lets go
• रिणक्ति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रिच्/√रिणक् (Vedic: ‘to leave, let go, set free’)

• कृष्णीः: the black (ones), dark (nights)
• कृष्णीः: Karma
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

• अरुषाय: for the ruddy (light), for the red one
• अरुषाय: Sampradāna
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

• पन्थाम्: path, way
• पन्थाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पन्था (प्रातिपदिक)

• अश्वामघा: O you two rich in horses
• अश्वामघा: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Adjective (epithet)
• Root: अश्व + मघ (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)

• गोमघा: O you two rich in cows
• गोमघा: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Adjective (epithet)
• Root: गो + मघ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)

• वाम्: you two (of you / you two)
• वाम्: Karma (object of invocation) / Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• हुवेम: we would invoke/call
• हुवेम: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हू (आह्वाने)

• दिवा: by day, in the daytime
• दिवा: Adhikaraṇa (time)
• Type: Indeclinable (adverbial instrumental)
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

• नक्तम्: by night
• नक्तम्: Adhikaraṇa (time)
• Type: Indeclinable (adverb)
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)

• शरुम्: harm, injury
• शरुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्मत्: from us
• अस्मत्: Apādāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• युयोतम्: drive away, remove (you two)
• युयोतम्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यु (वियोजने/अपसारणे)