Atharva Veda 1.17.4: Kanda 1, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 17, Mantra 4

Sukta 17

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

परि॑ वः॒ सिक॑तावती ध॒नूर्बृ॑ह॒त्यऽक्रमीत्।तिष्ठ॑ते॒लय॑ता॒ सु क॑म्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 1.17.4

IAST Transliteration

pári vaḥ sikatā́vatī dhanū́r bṛhaty àkramīt | tíṣṭhate ’láyatā sú kám

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Round about you hath Sand-bearing (Power) advanced—the lofty Bow hath stepped forth; it standeth fast: dissolve not; (bring) fair welfare.

Translation

మీ చుట్టూ సికతావతీ (ఇసుకను ధరించిన శక్తి) ముందుకు సాగింది; మహత్తరమైన ధనుస్సు ముందుకు వచ్చింది. అది దృఢంగా నిలిచింది—విడిపోకండి; శుభ క్షేమం (సు-కమ్) కలుగుగాక.

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Word by Word

• परि: around, all about
• परि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• वः: for you (pl.) / of you
• वः: Sampradāna (प्रायः ‘for you’) / सम्बन्ध (gen.)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्

• सिकतावती: sandy; having sand
• सिकतावती: Kartā (विशेषण-रूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिकता-वती (प्रातिपदिक)

• धनुः: the bow
• धनुः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• बृहती: great, lofty
• बृहती: Kartā (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्रमीत्: stepped forth; advanced
• अक्रमीत्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम्

• तिष्ठते: stands; remains
• तिष्ठते: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था

• लयता: in a resting-place/at dissolution (reading uncertain)
• लयता: Adhikaraṇa (यदि स्थानवाचकः)
• Type: Indeclinable (uncertain) / Noun (loc.)
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थे) अथवा √लि/√ली (धात्वर्थ-सम्बन्धः)

• सु: well, good
• सु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• कम्: something/what; (here) a good thing
• कम्: Karma (यदि ‘सु कम्’ = ‘something good’ लक्ष्य)
• Type: Pronoun/Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / कं (नपुंसक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific ṛṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī; commonly Atharvan/Angiras-type for protective hymns).

Devata: Protective power personified as Sikātāvatī and the Bow (Dhanuḥ), with Bṛhatī as magnified might.

Chandas: Likely Anuṣṭubh/related short meter; ‘bṛhatī’ here is primarily adjectival/personified (meter-identification requires padic count confirmation from a critical text).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira