Sukta 21
यथा॑ श्ये॒नात् प॑त॒त्रिणः॑ संवि॒जन्ते॒ अह॑र्दिवि सिं॒हस्य॑ स्त॒नथो॒र्यथा॑ । ए॒वा त्वं दु॑न्दुभे॒ऽमित्रा॑न॒भि क्र॑न्द॒ प्र त्रा॑स॒याथो॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ मोहय
yáthā śyēnā́t patatríṇaḥ saṃvijánte áhardivi siṃhásya stanáthor yáthā | evā́ tvaṃ dundubhe ’mítrān abhí kranda prá trāsayā́tho cittā́ni mohaya
As, at the hawk, the winged creatures quiver together, day and night; as at the lion’s thunder-roar: even so, O Drum, cry against the foes; drive them forth in terror, and bewilder their minds.
यथा श्येनात् पतत्रिणः संविजन्ते अहर्दिवि, यथा सिंहस्य स्तनथोः—एव त्वं दुन्दुभेऽमित्रानभि क्रन्द; प्र त्रासय, चित्तानि च मोहय।
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn to the dundubhi; seer attribution varies by anukramaṇī lists)
Devata: Dundubhi (personified war-drum) as the operative power; implicitly Indraic battle-force
Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence with Atharvanic flexibility (mixed/irregular pāda lengths occur in this hymn)
Primary: vira
Secondary: raudra
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