Atharva Veda 9.10.16 — Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 10, Mantra 16

Sukta 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अपा॒ङ् प्राङे॑ति स्व॒धया॑ गृभी॒तोऽम॑र्त्यो॒ मर्त्ये॑ना॒ सयो॑निः । ता शश्व॑न्ता विषू॒चीना॑ वि॒यन्ता॒ न्य॑१न्यं चि॒क्युर्न नि चि॑क्युर॒न्यम्

IAST Transliteration

apā́ṅ prā́ṅ eti svadháyā gṛbhītó ’mártyo mártyenā́ sayóniḥ | tā́ śáśvantā viṣūcī́nā viyántā ní ’nyáṃ cikyúr ná ní cikyur anyám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Backward and forward he moveth, seized by Svadhā: the Immortal, by the mortal, of one common womb. Those twain, enduring ever, diverging and parting, have known the one the other; yet the other they have not known.

Translation

เขาเคลื่อนไปทั้งถอยหลังและไปข้างหน้า ถูกสวธา (Svadhā) ยึดไว้: อมตะถูกยึดโดยผู้มรรตัย ทั้งสองมีครรภ์เดียวกัน มีแหล่งกำเนิดร่วมกัน. คู่ทั้งสองนั้นดำรงอยู่เนิ่นนาน แต่แยกทางและจากกันไป ต่างรู้จักกันและกัน ทว่าอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งกลับไม่รู้จักอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง.

Word by Word

• अपाङ्: turned away/backward
• अपाङ्: विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपाञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) < अप (उपसर्ग) + अञ्च्

• प्राङ्: turned forward
• प्राङ्: विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) < प्र (उपसर्ग) + अञ्च्

• एति: goes, moves
• एति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)

• स्वधया: by (its) own power / by svadhā
• स्वधया: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक)

• गृभीतः: seized, grasped
• गृभीतः: विशेषण (कर्तृपदस्य)
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत (कृदन्त)

• अमर्त्यः: the immortal (one)
• अमर्त्यः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अमर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• मर्त्येन: by a mortal
• मर्त्येन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• सयोनिः: of the same womb/origin; sharing the same source
• सयोनिः: विशेषण (अमर्त्यस्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-योनि (प्रातिपदिक) < सह + योनि

• ताः: those (f.)
• ताः: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• शश्वन्ता: everlasting, continual
• शश्वन्ता: विशेषण (ताः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शश्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)

• विषूचीना: going apart; diverging in different directions
• विषूचीना: विशेषण (ताः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषूचीन (प्रातिपदिक)

• वियन्ता: moving forth/apart; going
• वियन्ता: विशेषण (ताः)
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: या (धातु) → यन्तृ/यन्त (कृदन्त) with वि-

• नि: down, into; (prefix)
• नि: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• अन्यम्: another (one)
• अन्यम्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• चिक्युः: they perceived/recognized
• चिक्युः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: चि (धातु) (Vedic: ‘to notice, perceive’) → परिपूर्ण (perf.)

• न: not
• न: क्रियानिषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• नि: down/into; (prefix)
• नि: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• चिक्युः: they perceived
• चिक्युः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: चि (धातु) → लिट्

• अन्यम्: another (one)
• अन्यम्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally associated with Atharvanic seers; in this speculative section often treated as Brahman/ṛṣi of brahmavidyā (edition-dependent).

Devata: Brahman / Vāc (implicit), or the cosmic principle expressed as the dyad.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as transmitted; metrical classification varies in AV scholia for this hymn).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta