Atharva Veda 5.17.6: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 17, Mantra 6

Sukta 17

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दे॒वा वा ए॒तस्या॑मवदन्त॒ पूर्वे॑ सप्तऋ॒षय॒स्तप॑सा॒ ये नि॑षे॒दुः । भी॒मा जा॒या ब्रा॑ह्म॒णस्याप॑नीता दु॒र्धां द॑धाति पर॒मेव्योऽमन्

IAST Transliteration

devā́ vā́ etasyā́m avadanta pū́rve saptaŕ̥ṣayas tápasā yé níṣeduḥ | bhīmā́ jāyā́ brāhmaṇasyā́panītā durdhā́m dadhāti paramébhyo ’man

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Gods, in this matter, gave utterance; the ancient Seven Seers, who by austerity sat in solemn session. Fearful is the Brahman’s wife when she is borne away: she fasteneth an evil lot even upon the highest—so have they held.

Translation

देवा वा एतस्यामवदन् पूर्वे; सप्तऋषयस्तपसा ये निषेदुः। भीमा जाया ब्राह्मणस्यापनीता; दुर्धां दधाति परमेव्योऽमन्।

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Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• वै: indeed
• वै: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• एतस्याम्: in this (woman/one)
• एतस्याम्: अधिकरण
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अवदन्त: spoke
• अवदन्त: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्

• पूर्वे: former, earlier
• पूर्वे: कर्तृ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: —
• Type: Numeral
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)

• ऋषयः: seers
• ऋषयः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)

• तपसा: by austerity, with ascetic power
• तपसा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ये: who
• ये: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• निषेदुः: sat down, took their seat
• निषेदुः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-षद्

• भीमा: terrible, formidable
• भीमा: कर्तृ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)

• जाया: wife
• जाया: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाया (प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपनीता: carried off, abducted
• अपनीता: कर्तृ (विशेषण)
• Type: Participle/Adjective
• Root: अप-नी (नी) → अपनीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• दुर्धाम्: ill-fate/evil condition (misfortune)
• दुर्धाम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्धा/दुर्धामन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुर्’+‘धामन्’)

• दधाति: places, puts
• दधाति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा

• परमेभ्यः: from the highest (ones/places)
• परमेभ्यः: अपादान
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)

• अमन: did not think/approve (was not minded)
• अमन: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्/मन्यते) with privative अ- (निपात)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angirasa milieu (hymn framed as divine–ṛṣi precedent).

Devata: Brahmajāyā (the Brahmin’s wife) as a potent personified agency; also Devas/Seven Ṛṣis as guarantors of the norm.

Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (edition-dependent scansion).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: raudra