Atharva Veda 3.25.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 4

Sukta 25

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शु॒चा वि॒द्धा व्योऽषया॒ शुष्का॑स्या॒भि स॑र्प मा । मृ॒दुर्निम॑न्युः॒ केव॑ली प्रियवा॒दिन्यनु॑व्रता

IAST Transliteration

śúcā viddhā́ vyòṣayā śúṣkāsyā́bhí sarpa mā́ | mṛdúr nímanyuḥ kévalī priyavā́diny ànuvratā́ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Pierced with burning pain by pungent vyoṣā, dry-mouthed—creep thou unto me: gentle, thy wrath laid down, mine wholly, sweet-speaking, obedient to my will.

Translation

शुचा व्योऽषया विद्धा शुष्कास्या ममाभि सर्प। मृदुः, निमन्युः, केवली, प्रियवादिनी, अनुव्रता भव।

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Word by Word

• शुचा: with purity / with a (purifying) flame / with grief (as instrument)
• शुचा: करण
• Type: Noun (instrumental) / Adjectival noun
• Root: शुच् (प्रातिपदिक: शुच्/शुचि- ‘शुद्ध/तेजस्वी/शोकयुक्त’)

• विद्धा: pierced, struck
• विद्धा: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb-derived adjective (past passive participle)
• Root: व्यध् (विध्) ‘to pierce, strike’ (PPP: विद्ध)

• व्योऽषया: with pungent herb/condiment (vyōṣā)
• व्योऽषया: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + ओषधि/ओष (प्रातिपदिक: व्योष- ‘pungent mixture; pungent herb/condiment’)

• शुष्कास्या: O dry-mouthed one
• शुष्कास्या: सम्बोधन-विशेषण (addressed entity)
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: शुष्क + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक: शुष्क- ‘dry’ + आस्य- ‘mouth/face’)

• अभि: towards, against
• अभि: उपसर्ग/दिशा-निर्देश
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb/preposition)
• Root: अभि

• सर्प: creep/move (away/along)!
• सर्प: क्रिया (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् ‘to creep, crawl’

• मा: do not
• मा: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable (prohibitive particle)
• Root: मा

• मृदुः: gentle, mild
• मृदुः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (of the following noun) / predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘soft, gentle’

• निमन्युः: one whose anger is subdued / angerless
• निमन्युः: कर्तृ (or कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective/Noun (compound)
• Root: नि + मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक: मन्यु- ‘wrath, anger’; compound: निमन्यु- ‘with anger laid down/checked’)

• केवली: alone/sole; wholly (devoted)
• केवली: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: केवलिन् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘alone, exclusive, solitary; wholly devoted’

• प्रियवादिनी: sweet-speaking
• प्रियवादिनी: कर्तृ-विशेषण / सम्बोधन-विशेषण (contextually)
• Type: Adjective (feminine)
• Root: प्रिय + वादिन् (स्त्री: वादिनी) ‘speaking pleasantly’

• अनुव्रता: obedient; faithful to observance
• अनुव्रता: कर्तृ-विशेषण / सम्बोधन-विशेषण (contextually)
• Type: Adjective (feminine)
• Root: अनु + व्रत (स्त्री: व्रता) ‘following the vow/observance; obedient, faithful’

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous/collective)

Devata: Kāma / the compelled person as addressed subject

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shringara

Secondary: raudra