Atharva Veda 18.4.36: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 36

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स॒हस्र॑धारं श॒तधा॑र॒मुत्स॒मक्षि॑तं व्य॒च्यमा॑नं सलि॒लस्य॑ पृ॒ष्ठे। ऊर्जं॒ दुहा॑नमनप॒स्फुर॑न्त॒मुपा॑सते पि॒तरः॑ स्व॒धाभिः॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 18.4.36

IAST Transliteration

sahásra-dhāraṁ śatá-dhāram útsam ákṣitaṁ vyacyámānaṁ salilásya pṛṣṭhé | ū́rjaṁ dúhānam anapásphurantám úpāsate pitáraḥ svadhā́bhiḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The spring with thousand currents, with hundred currents, unwasting, spreading abroad upon the surface of the waters—milking forth nourishment, never failing—this do the Fathers attend with their svadhā-offerings.

Translation

ആയിരം ധാരകളും നൂറ് ധാരകളും ഉള്ള, ക്ഷയിക്കാത്ത ഉത്സ (ഉറവ), ജലത്തിന്റെ പൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ വ്യാപിച്ചു പരക്കുന്ന—ഊർജം (പോഷണം) പാൽപോലെ ദോഹിച്ച് നൽകുന്ന, ഒരിക്കലും മങ്ങാത്ത—അതിനെ പിതാക്കൾ സ്വധാ-അർപ്പണങ്ങളാൽ ഉപാസിക്കുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• सहस्रधारम्: having a thousand streams (as an outflow)
• सहस्रधारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-धार (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)

• शतधारम्: having a hundred streams
• शतधारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-धार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)

• उत्सम्: spring; fountain; well-source
• उत्सम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्षितम्: unperishing; undecaying
• अक्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √क्षि (क्षय) + अ (निषेध) → अक्षित (कृदन्त/विशेषण)

• व्यच्यमानम्: being spread out; expanding
• व्यच्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (Adjectival)
• Root: वि + √अच् (अच्/अञ्च् ‘to move, to spread’) → व्यच्यमान (वर्तमान-कालिक कर्मणि कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्-समकक्षः)

• सलिलस्य: of the water; of the flood
• सलिलस्य: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृष्ठे: on the back/surface
• पृष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊर्जम्: nourishment; strength
• ऊर्जम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुहानम्: milking; yielding (nourishment)
• दुहानम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (Adjectival)
• Root: √दुह् (to milk) → दुहान (वर्तमान-कालिक परस्मैपदी कृदन्त; शतृ)

• अनपस्फुरन्तम्: not shrinking back; not recoiling
• अनपस्फुरन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: अन् (निषेध) + अप + √स्फुर् (to quiver, to recoil) → अनपस्फुरन्त (वर्तमान-कालिक कृदन्त; शतृ)

• उपासते: they worship; they attend upon
• उपासते: (क्रिया) —
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √आस् (to sit near, to worship) → उपासते

• पितरः: the Fathers (ancestral spirits)
• पितरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्वधाभिः: with svadhā-offerings; with ancestral oblations
• स्वधाभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Ancestral seers (Pitṛ-sūkta complex; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī traditions for AV 18).

Devata: Pitaraḥ (Fathers), with Āpas as the effective medium.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (AV 18 often preserves mixed/expanded meters; this verse is not strict anuṣṭubh).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta