Atharva Veda 9.7.17 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 7, Mantra 17

Sukta 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

रक्षां॑सि॒ लोहि॑तमितरज॒ना ऊब॑ध्यम्

IAST Transliteration

rákṣāṃsi lóhitam itarajanā́ ū́badhyam

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Rākṣasas are the red; the alien folk are for binding fast.

Translation

രക്ഷാംസികൾ ലോഹിതം (ചുവപ്പ്) ആകുന്നു; പരജന—അപരിചിത ജനങ്ങൾ—ബന്ധിപ്പിച്ച് കെട്ടിവയ്ക്കുന്നതിനായി ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• रक्षांसि: demons, harmful spirits
• रक्षांसि: Kartā (वाक्ये कर्तृपदत्वेन) / Karma (यदि क्रियापदं गम्यते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √रक्ष् (पालने/रक्षणे)

• लोहितम्: red; the red (thing/colour)
• लोहितम्: Karma (गम्यकर्मपद—‘लोहितं (रूपं/वर्णं)’)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively/qualifying)
• Root: लोहित (प्रातिपदिक)

• इतरजनाः: other people; outsiders
• इतरजनाः: Kartā (कर्तृपदम्)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: इतर-जन (समास: कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः) प्रातिपदिक

• ऊबध्यम्: (a Vedic term; likely a specific object/condition in the charm—exact sense uncertain without wider pada/context)
• ऊबध्यम्: Karma (गम्यकर्मपद—‘ऊबध्यम्’ इति लक्ष्यवस्तु)
• Type: Adjective/Noun (Vedic lexical item)
• Root: ऊबध्य (प्रातिपदिक; अव्युत्पन्न/निगूढ-वैदिक-शब्दः; पाठभेदेषु व्याख्येयः)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous/collective)

Devata: Rakṣas (as adversary) / binding power of mantra

Chandas: Irregular formulaic prose-verse

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: bhayankara