Rig Veda 10.87.10: Mandala 10, Sukta 87, Mantra 10

Sukta 10.87

Rishi: Kavya Uśanas (traditionally associated with RV 10.87; attribution varies by recension/Anukramaṇī)

Devata: Agni (as Rakṣohā—slayer of Rakṣasas; also inner fire of discernment)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable for this section of RV 10.87)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

नृचक्षा रक्षः परि पश्य विक्षु तस्य त्रीणि प्रति शृणीह्यग्रा । तस्याग्ने पृष्टीर्हरसा शृणीहि त्रेधा मूलं यातुधानस्य वृश्च ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 10.87.10

Transliteration

nṛcákṣā rakṣáḥ pári paśya víkṣu tásya trī́ṇi práti śṛṇīhy ágrā | tásyāgne pṛṣṭī́r hárasā śṛṇīhi trédhā mū́laṃ yātudhā́nasyá vṛśca ||

Translation

Wahai Agni, yang melihat dengan mata jiwa, pandanglah sekeliling di antara tempat kediaman akan daya Rakṣas itu. Hentamlah tiga barisan terdepannya; dengan kegagahanmu tebaslah penopang belakangnya, dan keratkanlah—tiga cara—akar terdalam yātudhāna itu.

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Word by Word

• नृचक्षा: O man-seeing / O who sees men
• नृचक्षा: सम्बोधन (addressed to Agni)
• Type: Adjective (vocative epithet)
• Root: नृ-चक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक; नृ ‘मनुष्य’ + चक्षस् ‘दृष्टि/नेत्र’)

• रक्षः: the demon, the Rakṣas
• रक्षः: कर्म (object of ‘पश्य’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• परि: around, all around
• परि: क्रियाविशेषण (modifies ‘पश्य’)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• पश्य: look!, behold!
• पश्य: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे) / √दृश् (पश्य-आदेश)

• विक्षु: among the clans/settlements
• विक्षु: अधिकरण (location: where to look)
• Type: Noun (locative plural)
• Root: वि + क्षु (क्षु = ‘क्षु/क्षु’ as loc.pl. of क्षु/क्षु́ ‘क्षु’ in Vedic; idiomatically ‘among the settlements/clans’)

• तस्य: of that (one)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of it/of him’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: कर्म (object of ‘शृणीहि’)
• Type: Numeral
• Root: त्रि (संख्यापद)

• प्रति: against, in return, facing
• प्रति: क्रियाविशेषण (direction/aim)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• शृणीहि: strike down!, crush!
• शृणीहि: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शृ (हिंसार्थे/छेदनार्थे; Vedic: ‘to strike, crush, hew’)

• अग्रा: at the front; foremost
• अग्रा: क्रियाविशेषण / कर्मविशेषण
• Type: Adverbial (accusative neuter plural used adverbially in Vedic) / or adjective agreeing with ‘त्रीणि’
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) / or adverbial accusative ‘in front/at the fore’

• तस्याः: of that (one)
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of it/of her’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्ने: O Agni
• अग्ने: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृष्टीः: the backs/flanks
• पृष्टीः: कर्म (object of ‘शृणीहि’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘back, ridge, flank’)

• हरसा: with (your) heat/flame
• हरसा: करण (means: with heat/flame)
• Type: Noun (instrumental)
• Root: हरस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘heat, flame, ardor’)

• शृणीहि: strike down!, crush!
• शृणीहि: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शृ (हिंसार्थे/छेदनार्थे)

• त्रेधा: in threefold manner; into three parts
• त्रेधा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रेधा (अव्यय; from ‘त्रि’)

• मूलम्: the root
• मूलम्: कर्म (object of ‘वृश्च’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)

• यातुधानस्य: of the Yātudhāna (sorcerer-demon)
• यातुधानस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the sorcerer/demon’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान (प्रातिपदिक)

• वृश्च: cut off!, hew down!
• वृश्च: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रश्च् (छेदनार्थे ‘to cut, hew’)