Atharva Veda 13.1.12: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 1, Mantra 12

Sukta 1

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स॒हस्र॑शृङ्गो वृष॒भो जा॒तवे॑दा घृ॒ताहु॑तः॒ सोम॑पृष्ठः सु॒वीरः॑ । मा मा॑ हासीन्नाथि॒तो नेत् त्वा॒ जहा॑नि गोपो॒षं च॑ मे वीरपो॒षं च॑ धेहि

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 13.1.12

IAST Transliteration

sahásraśṛṅgo vṛṣabhó jātávedā ghṛtā́hutaḥ sómapṛṣṭhaḥ suvī́raḥ | mā́ mā hāsīn nāthitó nét tvā jahā́ni gopóṣaṃ ca me vīrapóṣaṃ ca dhéhi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thousand-horned Bull, Jātavedas, ghee-invoked, Soma-backed, rich in heroes—forsake me not, a suppliant; nor will I indeed forsake thee. Set thou in me both increase of cattle and increase of men.

Translation

ஆயிரம் கொம்புகளுடைய வृषபா, ஜாதவேதஸ், நெய்யால் ஆஹூதனே, சோம-ப்ருஷ்டன், சுவீரனே! வேண்டுபவனான என்னை விட்டுவிடாதே; நானும் உன்னை விட்டு விடமாட்டேன். என்னுள் கோ-போஷணமும் வீர-போஷணமும்—இரண்டும் வளரச் செய்.

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Word by Word

• सहस्रशृङ्गः: having a thousand horns
• सहस्रशृङ्गः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण वृषभस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि-समास)

• वृषभः: the bull (mighty one)
• वृषभः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)

• जातवेदाः: Jātavedas (Agni; knower of all that is born)
• जातवेदाः: Kartā (सम्बोधनार्थे देवताविशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: जात-वेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)

• घृताहुतः: offered with ghee / having ghee as oblation
• घृताहुतः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-आहुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-√हु ‘to offer’ + क्त)

• सोमपृष्ठः: having Soma as (his) back/support
• सोमपृष्ठः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)

• सुवीरः: rich in heroes / possessing good heroes
• सुवीरः: Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-वीर (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय-समास)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• हासीः: (may you) not abandon
• हासीः: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (जहाति) ‘to abandon’

• नाथितः: the one who has sought refuge (suppliant)
• नाथितः: Karma (हासीः इत्यस्य—‘me, the suppliant’)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: √नाथ्/नाथ (प्रातिपदिक ‘नाथित’ = ‘one who seeks protection’; कृदन्त: नाथित)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• इत्: indeed / just
• इत्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (अव्यय; बलार्थ/एव-अर्थे)

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma (जहानि इत्यस्य)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम)

• जहानि: may I abandon
• जहानि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (जहाति) ‘to abandon’

• गोपोषम्: nourishment/prosperity of cattle
• गोपोषम्: Karma (धेहि इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-पोष (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradāna (धेहि—‘to me’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• वीरपोषम्: nourishment/prosperity of heroes (sons, men)
• वीरपोषम्: Karma (धेहि इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर-पोष (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• धेहि: bestow / grant
• धेहि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा ‘to place, bestow’

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally connected with Atharvanic seers; in AV 13.1 the voice is often royal/ritual petitioner (exact r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī).

Devata: Agni (Jātavedas), with Soma as supporting ritual power

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (mixed; AV often shows metrical looseness in Saunaka)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: shanta