Atharva Veda 3.18.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 4

Sukta 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उत्त॑रा॒हमु॑त्तर॒ उत्त॒रेदुत्त॑राभ्यः । अ॒धः स॒पत्नी॒ या ममाध॑रा॒ साध॑राभ्यः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.18.4

IAST Transliteration

uttárā́hám uttará uttáred úttarābhyaḥ | adháḥ sapatnī́ yā́ mamā́dharā́ sā́dharābhyaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Higher am I, higher; may I rise above the higher. Below be the rival-wife—she who is lower than I—below, among the lowly.

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าอยู่เบื้องบน ยิ่งกว่านั้นอยู่เบื้องบน ขอให้ข้าพเจ้าก้าวขึ้นเหนือผู้ที่สูงกว่าเถิด. ขอให้ภรรยาร่วมผู้เป็นศัตรู—นางผู้ต่ำกว่าข้าพเจ้า—อยู่เบื้องล่าง อยู่เบื้องล่าง อยู่ท่ามกลางผู้ต่ำต้อยเถิด.

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Word by Word

• उत्तरा: higher, superior (fem.)
• उत्तरा: Kartā (अहं इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तरः: higher, superior (masc.)
• उत्तरः: Kartā (अहम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तरेत्: may (I) surpass / may (I) rise above
• उत्तरेत्: (अहम्) Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-तॄ (धातु: तॄ/तॄत् ‘तरति/अतिक्रामति’; उपसर्ग: उद्)

• उत्तराभ्यः: from/than the higher ones (fem. pl.)
• उत्तराभ्यः: Apādāna (तुलनायाम्/विभागे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)

• अधः: below, down
• अधः: Adhikaraṇa (स्थानवाचक) / क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)

• सपत्नी: co-wife, rival woman
• सपत्नी: Kartā (या इत्यस्य विशेष्यः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)

• या: who (fem.)
• या: Kartā (सपत्नी इत्यस्य सम्बन्धिनी)
• Type: Pronoun (relative)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/स्वामित्व)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अधरा: lower, inferior (fem.)
• अधरा: Kartā (सपत्नी/या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर (प्रातिपदिक)

• सा: she
• सा: Kartā (अधरा इत्यस्य पुनर्निर्देशः)
• Type: Pronoun (demonstrative)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अधराभ्यः: from/than the lower ones (fem. pl.)
• अधराभ्यः: Apādāna (तुलनायाम्/विभागे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic seer (varies).

Devata: Mantra as operative force; social hierarchy as the field of action

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: raudra