Atharva Veda 20.21.10: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 10

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त्वमा॑विथ सु॒श्रव॑सं॒ तवो॒तिभि॒स्तव॒ त्राम॑भिरिन्द्र॒ तूर्व॑याणम्। त्वम॑स्मै॒ कुत्स॑मतिथि॒ग्वमा॒युं म॒हे राज्ञे॒ यूने॑ अरन्धनायः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 20.21.10

IAST Transliteration

tvám ā́vitha suśrávasaṃ távōtíbhiḥ táva trā́mabhir indra tū́rvayāṇam | tvám asmaí kútsam atithigvám ā́yuṃ mahé rā́jñe yū́ne arandhanāyaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thou helpedst Suśravas with thine aids, with thy protections, O Indra, and Tūrvayāṇa. Thou, for him, didst bring Kutsa, Atithigva, and Āyu into subjection—unto the great king, the youthful one, to make all yield.

Translation

Tu amparaste Suśravas com teus auxílios, com tuas proteções, ó Indra, e (amparaste) Tūrvayāṇa. Por ele, submeteste Kutsa, Atithigva e Āyu—ao grande rei, ao jovem—para que tudo cedesse.

The meaning

What it says

Indra aided Suśravas and Tūrvayāṇa with his helps and protections; for him he brought Kutsa, Atithigva, and Āyu into subjection for the great youthful king, to make all yield.

The inner meaning

Protection (trāma) is not only defense but alliance-making: inner sovereignty recruits strong faculties and subdues competing impulses. The ‘great youthful king’ is the emergent self/leader whose vitality becomes effective when supported by protective structures.

The truth in it

Strength succeeds through support systems: protection, allies, and the capacity to integrate or subordinate rival forces into one purpose.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Rājanya/Indra-stuti (Protection; subjugation)

Its aim

To obtain Indra’s protective ‘ūti’ and the subjugation of opponents; to attract powerful allies to the patron.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

त्वम् । आ॒विथ॑ । सु॒श्रव॑सम् । तव । ऊ॒तिभिः॑ । तव । त्राम॑भिः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । तूर्व॑याणम् । त्वम् । अ॒स्मै॒ । कुत्स॑म् । अ॒ति॒थि॒ग्वम् । आ॒युम् । म॒हे । राज्ञे॑ । यूने॑ । अ॒र॒न्ध॒ना॒यः

त्वम्

thouPronounपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्

आविथ

thou hast protected/aideddidst help, didst succour (perfect/aoristic sense)Verbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot अव् (अव रक्षणे) + आ-

सुश्रवसम्

the well-famedSuśravas (the famed patron/ally)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक: श्रवस् ‘fame’ with उपसर्ग सु-)

तव

of thee/thythyPronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद्

ऊतिभिः

with (thy) helps/aidswith aids, succours; protective powersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)

तव

of thee/thythyPronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद्

त्रामभिः

with (thy) protectionswith protections/shelters; saving actsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot त्राम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘protection, saving help’)

इन्द्र

O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

तूर्वयाणम्

Tūrvayāṇa (a person/hero)Tūrvayāṇa (proper name), the one to be protected/advancedNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (apposition to सुश्रवसम्)Root तूर्वयाण (प्रातिपदिक; नाम/विशेषण)

त्वम्

thouPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्

अस्मै

to himfor himPronounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्यय; अस्मद्-सम्बद्ध दैक्तिक) / ‘अयम्’ series

कुत्सम्

KutsaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अरन्धनायः)Root कुत्स (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)

अतिथिग्वम्

AtithigvaNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अरन्धनायः)Root अतिथिग्व (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)

आयुम्

ĀyuNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अरन्धनायः)Root आयु (प्रातिपदिक)

महे

to the greatAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक) / महे (दत्तिव्)

राज्ञे

to the kingkingNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (in apposition with महे)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

यूने

to the young (one)young (king), in his primeAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (further apposition)Root युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)

अरन्धनायः

thou didst subject/bring under (his power)didst subject/bring under; didst make obedient (enemies/obstacles)Verbलुङ् (aorist); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot रन्ध् (रन्ध हिंसायाम्/वशेकरणे) + अ- (augment) ; here: aorist form

Sandhi Notes

• (1) त्वमा॑विथ → त्वम् + आविथ (m before vowel becomes anusvāra/assimilation in saṃhitā)
• (2) सु॒श्रव॑सं॒ तवो॒तिभि॒स् → सुश्रवसम् + तव + ऊतिभिः (tavo- is tavas + initial vowel of ऊतिभिः; visarga/sibilant adjustments in saṃhitā)
• (3) तव॒ त्राम॑भिरिन्द्र → तव + त्रामभिः + इन्द्र (final -ḥ/-s before vowel coalesces; here written as -भिरिन्द्र)
• simple juxtaposition (vocative + accusative)
• (5) त्वम॑स्मै → त्वम् + अस्मै
• (6) कुत्स॑मतिथि॒ग्वमा॒युं → कुत्सम् + अतिथिग्वम् + आयुम् (m + vowel sandhi across word-boundary in saṃhitā)
• (7) म॒हे राज्ञे॒ यूने॑: dative apposition chain

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Ṛgvedic provenance.

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (requires scansion).

Rasa

Vira and Shanta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions