Atharva Veda 3.9.2: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 9, Mantra 2

Sukta 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒श्रे॒ष्माणो॑ अधारय॒न् तथा॒ तन्मनु॑ना कृ॒तम्। कृणोमि॒ वध्रि॒ विष्क॑न्धं मुष्काब॒र्हो गवा॑मिव

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.9.2

IAST Transliteration

aśleṣmā́ṇo adhārayán tathā́ tán manúnā kṛtám | kṛṇómi vádhri víṣkandhaṃ muṣkābarhó gávām iva

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

They, being free from phlegm, held it in check—so was that wrought by Manu. I now effect (the like), O Vadhri: (I smite) Viṣkandha, as one (drives off) the muṣkābarha of cattle.

Translation

കഫരഹിതരായ അവർ അതിനെ തടഞ്ഞുനിർത്തി—അത് മനു ചെയ്ത കൃത്യമായിരുന്നു. ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാനും അതുപോലെ ചെയ്യുന്നു, ഹേ വധ്രി: പശുക്കളുടെ മുഷ്കാബർഹ (ഉപദ്രവം) ഓടിച്ചുകളയുന്നതുപോലെ, വിഷ്കന്ധനെ പ്രഹരിച്ച് അകറ്റുന്നു.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• अश्लेष्माणः: (they) free from phlegm / non-phlegmatic (ones)
• अश्लेष्माणः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: अ-श्लेष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्लेष्मन्’ = कफ/श्लेष्मा; उपसर्ग ‘अ-’ = अभाव/निषेध) अथवा ‘अश्लेष्म’ (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)

• अधारयन्: they held/maintained/sustained
• अधारयन्: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धारणे) + उपसर्ग ‘अधि-’

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मनुना: by Manu (as an authority/agent-instrument)
• मनुना: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृतम्: done, made, performed
• कृतम्: Karma (तत्-सम्बद्धम्)
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective)
• Root: √कृ (करणे) → कृत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)

• कृणोमि: I make/do
• कृणोमि: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)

• वध्रि: a binding/strap; a band (for fastening)
• वध्रि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वध्रि’ = बन्ध/पट्ट/बन्धन-रज्जु/पट्टिका इत्यर्थे वैदिकप्रयोगः)

• विष्कन्धम्: the Viṣkandha (disease/demon of obstruction)
• विष्कन्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; रोग/अवरोध/ग्रह-स्वरूपः—विशेषतः ‘विष्कन्ध’ नाम व्याधिः/ग्रहः)

• मुष्काबर्हः: the ‘mūṣkābarha’ (a creature/being with tufted hair; used as a simile-agent)
• मुष्काबर्हः: Kartā (उपमान-कर्तृ/उपमेय-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: मुष्काबर्ह (प्रातिपदिक; समासः: मुष्क- + बर्ह ‘पुच्छ/रोम/केश-गुच्छ’ → ‘मुष्काबर्ह’)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: Upamā-marker (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (exact r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī for AV 3.9)

Devata: Manu (as archetypal authority) and the anti-disease force directed against Viṣkandha

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: raudra