Atharva Veda 9.9.8 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 9, Mantra 8

Sukta 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मा॒ता पि॒तर॑मृ॒त आ ब॑भाज धी॒त्यग्रे॒ मन॑सा॒ सं हि ज॒ग्मे। सा बी॑भ॒त्सुर्गर्भ॑रसा॒ निवि॑द्धा॒ नम॑स्वन्त॒ इदु॑पवा॒कमी॑युः

IAST Transliteration

mātā́ pitáraṁ ṛté ā́ babhāja dhīty ágre mánasā sáṁ hí jagmé | sā́ bī́bhatsur gárbharasā́ nivíddhā námasvanta íd upavākám īyúḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Mother, in accordance with Order, assigned the Father; with inspired thought, in the beginning, with mind she verily came into full conjunction. She, the dread one, rich in the embryo’s sap, firmly implanted—unto the act of invocation the reverent indeed drew near.

Translation

ഋതം (ക്രമം/സത്യം) അനുസരിച്ച് മാതാവ് പിതാവിനെ വിഭജിച്ചു നല്കി; ആദിയിൽ പ്രചോദിതമായ ധീതിയോടെ, മനസ്സോടെ അവൾ സത്യമായും പൂർണ്ണ സംയോഗത്തിലേക്ക് എത്തി. ഗർഭരസസമ്പന്നയായ ആ ഭയങ്കരി, ദൃഢമായി സ്ഥാപിതയായവൾ—അവളുടെ ഉപവാകം (ആഹ്വാന-കർമ്മം) ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി നമസ്കരിക്കുന്ന ഭക്തർ സത്യമായും സമീപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• माता: mother
• माता: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ

• पितरम्: father (as object)
• पितरम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ

• ऋतम्: cosmic order / truth
• ऋतम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत

• आ: towards; unto (prefix with verb)
• आ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ

• बभाज: apportioned / assigned / shared
• बभाज: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भज्

• धीति: by thought; by insight
• धीति: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीति (from √धी) / धी

• अग्रे: in front; at first; beforehand
• अग्रे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun (used adverbially)
• Root: अग्र

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्

• सम्: together; completely (prefix)
• सम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• जग्मे: went; came together; reached
• जग्मे: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्

• सा: she
• सा: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• बीभत्सुः: the dreadful/repulsive one
• बीभत्सुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बीभत्सु

• गर्भरसा: having embryo-essence; sap of the womb
• गर्भरसा: कर्तृ/विशेषणभाव
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: गर्भ-रस

• निविद्धा: pierced; transfixed; struck
• निविद्धा: विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Participle
• Root: नि + √व्यध् (विध्/व्यध्) → निविद्ध

• नमस्वन्तः: having reverence; worshipful
• नमस्वन्तः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (possessive)
• Root: नमस् + वन्त्

• इत्: just; indeed
• इत्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्

• उपवाकम्: invocation; address; call
• उपवाकम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवाक

• ईयुः: they went; they came
• ईयुः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (cosmological hymn; r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata: Garbha / Prajāpati-like generative power; Mother–Father as cosmic dyad under ṛta

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (mixed/irregular in AV transmission)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta