Atharva Veda 9.4.5 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 5

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दे॒वानां॑ भा॒ग उ॑पना॒ह ए॒षो॒३पां रस॒ ओष॑धीनां घृ॒तस्य॑ । सोम॑स्य भ॒क्षम॑वृणीत श॒क्रो बृ॒हन्नद्रि॑रभव॒द् यच्छरी॑रम्

IAST Transliteration

devā́nāṃ bhāgá upanāhá eṣó ’pā́ṃ rása óṣadhīnāṃ ghṛtásya | sómasya bhakṣám avṛṇīta śakró bṛhánn ádrir abhavad yác charī́ram

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

This is the Gods’ appointed portion, this fastening-on: the sap of waters, of herbs, of ghee. Śakra chose for himself Soma’s edible share; great became the stone, when it was body.

Translation

ഇത് ദേവന്മാരുടെ നിശ്ചിത ഭാഗം—ഈ ഉപനാഹ (കെട്ടിവയ്ക്കൽ/ബന്ധനം): ജലങ്ങളുടെ രസം, ഔഷധികളുടെ രസം, ഘൃതത്തിന്റെ രസം. ശക്രൻ സോമത്തിന്റെ ഭക്ഷ്യഭാഗം തനിക്കായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തു; അത് ശരീരമായപ്പോൾ കല്ല് മഹത്തായി.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• भागः: share, portion
• भागः: कर्तृ/विधेय (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)

• उपनाहः: binding on, fastening; (here) a band/strap
• उपनाहः: कर्तृ/विधेय (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-नाह (प्रातिपदिक; ‘उपनाह’)

• एषः: this
• एषः: कर्तृ/विधेय (deictic subject)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अपाम्: of the waters
• अपाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)

• रसः: sap, essence
• रसः: कर्तृ/विधेय (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)

• ओषधीनाम्: of the herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• घृतस्य: of ghee/clarified butter
• घृतस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)

• सोमस्य: of Soma
• सोमस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)

• भक्षम्: food, edible portion
• भक्षम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• अवृणीत: chose
• अवृणीत: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वृणोति ‘to choose’)

• शक्रः: the mighty one (Indra)
• शक्रः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र-विशेषण)

• बृहन्: great
• बृहन्: कर्तृ/विधेय (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अद्रिः: stone; (also) mountain
• अद्रिः: कर्तृ/विधेय (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भवति ‘to be, become’)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (relative connector)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: कर्तृ/कर्म (in relative clause, as ‘that body’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī; requires manuscript anukramaṇī check for 9.4).

Devata: Indra (Śakra) with Soma/essence (rasa) as operative power

Chandas: Mixed/Triṣṭubh-like cadence (requires metrical verification against pada counts in Saunaka tradition).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta