Atharva Veda 4.40.3: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 40, Mantra 3

Sukta 40

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ये प॒श्चाज्जुह्व॑ति जातवेदः प्र॒तीच्या॑ दि॒शोऽभि॒दास॑न्त्य॒स्मान्। वरु॑णमृ॒त्वा ते परा॑ञ्चो व्यथन्तां प्र॒त्यगे॑नान् प्रतिस॒रेण॑ हन्मि

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.40.3

IAST Transliteration

yé paścā́j juhváti jātavēdaḥ pratī́cyā diśó ’bhidā́santy asmā́n | váruṇam ṛtvā́ té parā́ñco vyathantāṁ pratyagéna pratisarḗṇa hanmi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso from behind offer, O Jātavedas—who from the western quarter assail us: taking Varuṇa in due order, let them be turned away and tremble; with the counter-turning, with the counter-charm, I smite them down.

Translation

ഹേ ജാതവേദസ്! പിന്നിൽ നിന്നു ഹോമം അർപ്പിക്കുന്നവരും, പടിഞ്ഞാറുദിക്കിൽ നിന്നു ഞങ്ങളെ ആക്രമിക്കുന്നവരും—ഋതക്രമത്തിൽ വരുണനെ സാക്ഷിയാക്കി, അവർ പിൻവാങ്ങി വിറയ്ക്കട്ടെ. പ്രതിതിരിവുകൊണ്ടും പ്രതിസര (പ്രതിമന്ത്ര/പ്രതിചാര)കൊണ്ടും ഞാൻ അവരെ അടിച്ചു വീഴ്ത്തുന്നു.

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Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• पश्चात्: from behind; afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (avyaya)

• जुह्वति: they offer (pour as oblation)
• जुह्वति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (जुहोति)

• जातवेदः: O Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदः: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस् (prātipadika; epithet of Agni)

• प्रतीच्याः: of the western (direction)
• प्रतीच्याः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतीची (prātipadika)

• दिशः: direction(s)
• दिशः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (prātipadika)

• अभिदासन्ति: they assail; they harm
• अभिदासन्ति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-दस् (दसति/दासति ‘to harm, attack’)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• वरुणम्: Varuṇa
• वरुणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (prātipadika)

• ऋत्वा: having gone; having reached (having moved)
• ऋत्वा: Kriyā (पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verbal indeclinable (gerund)
• Root: ऋ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः)

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• पराञ्चः: turned away; facing away
• पराञ्चः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराञ्च् (prātipadika)

• व्यथन्ताम्: let them be pained; let them be distressed
• व्यथन्ताम्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यथ् (to tremble, be distressed)

• प्रत्यगेनान्: those turned back (towards me); the counter-facing ones
• प्रत्यगेनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यग् (prātipadika) + एन (तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्ययः; ‘facing back/against’)

• प्रतिसरेण: with a counter-charm/amulet
• प्रतिसरेण: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिसर (prātipadika; ‘counter-charm, amulet, protective band’)

• हन्मि: I strike; I slay
• हन्मि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (to strike, slay)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (not specified in excerpt)

Devata: Varuṇa (as quarter-power) with Jātavedas addressed

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical confirmation)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: raudra