Rig Veda 3.55.17: Mandala 3, Sukta 55, Mantra 17

Sukta 3.55

Rishi: Viśvāmitra Gāthina (attributed for Maṇḍala 3); within 3.55 the hymn is commonly associated with Viśvāmitra’s family tradition

Devata: A synthetic sovereignty of the Ādityas/devas expressed as Bhaga/kingly Asura-might (ekaṃ mahad devānām asuratvam); the verse speaks in identifications rather than a single narrow deity

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (11-syllable pādas; refrain-like cadence with ‘mahad devānām asuratvam ekam’)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

यदन्यासु वृषभो रोरवीति सो अन्यस्मिन्यूथे नि दधाति रेतः । स हि क्षपावान्त्स भगः स राजा महद्देवानामसुरत्वमेकम् ॥

Sanskrit recitationRig Veda 3.55.17

Transliteration

yád anyā́su vṛṣabhó róravīti sá anyásmin yūthé ní dadhāti rétaḥ | sá hí kṣapā́vān sá bhágaḥ sá rājā mahád devā́nām asura-tvám ékam ||

Translation

వేరే వేరే యూథాలలో వృషభ-బలం గర్జించినప్పుడు, అది మరొక సమూహంలో తన రేతస్ (వీర్యం/శక్తి-బీజం)ను స్థాపిస్తుంది. అతడే క్షపావాన్—రాత్రుల అధిపతి; అతడే భగ—ఆనందదాత; అతడే రాజా. దేవుల యొక్క అదే ఒక మహత్ అసురత్వం—ఏకైక అసుర-శక్తి (సార్వభౌమాధిపత్యం) ఉంది.

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Word by Word

• यत्: when; that
• यत्: Adhikaraṇa (kāla/hetu-sambandha) / sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable (relative pronoun used as conjunction)
• Root: यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• अन्यासु: among/within other (fem.) [cows]
• अन्यासु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (prātipadika)

• वृषभः: the bull
• वृषभः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (prātipadika)

• रोरवीति: roars; bellows
• रोरवीति: Kriyā (of Kartā: वृषभः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रु (to roar/cry) with intensive/reduplicated stem रोरव-

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (resumptive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• अन्यस्मिन्: in another
• अन्यस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (prātipadika)

• यूथे: in the herd
• यूथे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथ (prātipadika)

• नि: down; into; firmly
• नि: —
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: नि (upasarga)

• दधाति: places; deposits
• दधाति: Kriyā (of Kartā: सः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (to put/place)

• रेतः: seed; semen
• रेतः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (prātipadika)

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (emphatic)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (particle)

• क्षपावान्: possessing nights; enduring through nights
• क्षपावान्: Viśeṣaṇa (of सः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षपा-वन् (prātipadika: 'having nights' / 'night-possessing')

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (resumptive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• भगः: Bhaga; the Dispenser (of fortune)
• भगः: Pradhāna-nāma / Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇya with सः
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (prātipadika)

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (resumptive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• राजा: king
• राजा: Pradhāna-nāma / Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇya with सः
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (prātipadika)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (of असुरत्वम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (prātipadika)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (prātipadika)

• असुरत्वम्: asura-hood; lordly power
• असुरत्वम्: Karma / predicate-noun (what is 'one')
• Type: Noun (abstract)
• Root: असुरत्व (prātipadika; abstract in -त्व)

• एकम्: one; unique
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of असुरत्वम्)
• Type: Adjective/Numeral
• Root: एक (prātipadika)