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

Sanskrit recitationAtharva 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