Atharva Veda 1.16.4: Kanda 1, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 4
Sukta 16
यदि॑ नो॒ गां हंसि॒ यद्यश्वं॒ यदि॒ पूरु॑षम्। तं त्वा॒ सीसे॑न विध्यामो॒ यथा॒ नोऽसो॒ अवी॑रहा
yádi no gā́m haṁsi yády áśvaṁ yádi pū́ruṣam | táṁ tvā sī́sena vidhyāmo yáthā no ’so avī́rahā ||
If thou smite our cow, if our horse, if a man of ours,—thee will we pierce with lead, that thou, O thou, mayest be no slayer of our heroes.
నీవు మా ఆవును కొడితే, మా గుర్రాన్ని కొడితే, మా మనిషిని కొడితే—మేము నిన్ను సీసంతో ఛేదిస్తాము; నీవు, ఓ నీవు, మా వీరులను హతమార్చేవాడిగా ఉండకూడదు.
Rishi: Atharvanic seer (traditional attribution varies by anukramaṇī for AV 1.16; consult the Śaunakīya anukramaṇī for exact r̥ṣi assignment).
Devata: Apotropaic address to a hostile being (rakṣas/śatru); functional ‘devatā’ is the counteracting force of the mantra with sīsa (lead) as instrument.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; typical Atharvanic protective meter)
Primary: raudra
Secondary: vira
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