Atharva Veda 5.12.7: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 12, Mantra 7

Sukta 12

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दैव्या॒ होता॑रा प्रथ॒मा सुवाचा॒ मिमा॑ना य॒ज्ञं मनु॑षो॒ यज॑ध्यै । प्र॒चो॒दय॑न्ता वि॒दथे॑षु का॒रू प्रा॒चीनं॒ ज्योतिः॑ प्र॒दिशा॑ दि॒शन्ता॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.12.7

IAST Transliteration

daivyā́ hótārā prathamā́ suvā́cā mímānā yajñáṃ mánuṣo yájadhyai | pracodáyantā vidátheṣu kārú prācī́naṃ jyótiḥ pradíśā diśántā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The two divine Hotars, foremost, fair-speaking, measuring out the sacrifice for Manu’s worship—impelling the poet in the assemblies, and pointing out eastward light in the fore-direction.

Translation

Dwaj boscy Hotarowie, najprzedniejsi, o pięknej mowie, odmierzający ofiarę dla kultu Manu, pobudzający poetę w zgromadzeniach i wskazujący wschodnie światło w kierunku przednim.

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Word by Word

• दैव्यौ: the two divine
• दैव्यौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धिन्)

• होतारौ: two Hotṛ-priests / invokers
• होतारौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हु ‘यज्/आहुति-प्रदान’)

• प्रथमौ: the first (foremost)
• प्रथमौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुवाचौ: well-speaking / eloquent
• सुवाचौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-वाच (प्रातिपदिक; सु + वाच ‘speech’)

• मिमानौ: measuring out / arranging
• मिमानौ: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √मा (माने/मापन) — ‘मिमान’ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)

• यज्ञम्: the sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)

• मनुषः: of Manu / of the man (human)
• मनुषः: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• यजध्यै: to sacrifice / in order to worship
• यजध्यै: Prayojana
• Type: Verb (infinitive)
• Root: √यज् (देवपूजा/याग)

• प्रचोदयन्तौ: urging on / impelling
• प्रचोदयन्तौ: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: प्र-√चुद् (प्रेरणे)

• विदथेषु: in the assemblies / ritual sessions
• विदथेषु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)

• कारू: the singer/poet (seer)
• कारू: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्राचीनम्: eastern / former
• प्राचीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राचीन (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रदिशा: by/with (a) direction; toward the quarter
• प्रदिशा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदिश् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘direction/quarter’)

• दिशन्तौ: pointing out / indicating
• दिशन्तौ: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: √दिश् (निर्देशे/प्रदाने)

Attribution

Rishi: RV-liturgical tradition reused in AV.

Devata: Divine Hotṛ-pair (ritual officiant powers), with ‘light/east’ as functional focus.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta