Mantra 18

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शैशिरावेनं मासावूर्ध्वाया दिशो गोपायतो द्यौश्चादित्यश्चानु तिष्ठतो य एवं वेद

IAST Transliteration

śaiśirā́ enam māsā́ ūrdhvā́yā diśó gopāyato dyáuś cā́dityáś cā́nu tiṣṭhato yá eváṃ véda

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The wintry Months guard him from the upper quarter; Heaven and the Āditya also stand attendant—whoso thus hath knowledge.

Translation

ശൈശിര (ശീതകാല) മാസങ്ങൾ അവനെ മേലുദിക്കിൽ നിന്നു കാക്കുന്നു; ദ്യൗ (ആകാശം)യും ആദിത്യനും അവന്റെ സമീപത്ത് അനുചരന്മാരായി നില്ക്കുന്നു—ഇങ്ങനെ അറിയുന്നവൻ.

Word by Word

• शैशिरावेनम्: him/it as ‘the wintry (one)’
• शैशिरावेनम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective + Pronoun
• Root: शैशिराव (प्रातिपदिक; शिशिर-सम्बन्धी/शैशिर) + एन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एनम्

• मासाः: the months
• मासाः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊर्ध्वायाः: of the upper
• ऊर्ध्वायाः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• दिशः: direction (quarter)
• दिशः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिशा)

• गोपायते: protects/guards
• गोपायते: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुप्/गोपाय (धातु; ‘to protect’)

• द्यौः: Heaven
• द्यौः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आदित्यः: Āditya (the Sun)
• आदित्यः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अनु: along, after
• अनु: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु

• तिष्ठतः: the two stand/abide
• तिष्ठतः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्तृ (उपवाक्ये)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वेद: knows
• वेद: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; ‘to know’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/anonymous (book 15 cosmological-protective strata; r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī tradition)

Devata: Māsāḥ (Months), Diśaḥ (Quarters), Dyauḥ, Āditya

Chandas: Mixed/prose-like Atharvanic cadence (not securely metrical in this line as transmitted)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From vulnerability to wonder-filled assurance under cosmic guardianship.","listener_experience":"A spacious feeling—time and sky standing behind you.","intensity":4}