Atharva Veda 9.9.4: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 9, Mantra 4

Sukta 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

को द॑दर्श प्रथ॒मं जाय॑मानमस्थ॒न्वन्तं॒ यद॑न॒स्था बिभ॑र्ति । भूम्या॒ असु॒रसृ॑गा॒त्मा क्वऽस्वित् को वि॒द्वांस॒मुप॑ गा॒त् प्रष्टु॑मे॒तत्

IAST Transliteration

kó dadarśa prathamáṃ jā́yamānam asthánvantaṃ yád anasthā́ bíbhar­ti | bhū́myā ásurasṛ́g ātmā́ kvà svit kó vidvā́ṃsam úpa gā́t práṣṭum etát

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Who hath beheld the first-born as he is born—him that hath bones, when that which is boneless beareth him? The earth’s vital self, of asuric sap—where, pray, is it? To what wise man shall one go near to ask of this?

Translation

ผู้ใดได้เห็นผู้บังเกิดเป็นคนแรก ขณะกำเนิด—เมื่อสิ่งไร้กระดูกเป็นผู้รองรับสิ่งมีกระดูก? อาตมันแห่งชีวิตของแผ่นดิน ผู้มีน้ำเลี้ยงแบบอสูร (asuric sap) นั้นอยู่ ณ ที่ใดกันเล่า? เราควรเข้าไปหาใครผู้เป็นบัณฑิต เพื่อไต่ถามเรื่องนี้?

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Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्

• प्रथमम्: first; at first
• प्रथमम्: विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

• जायमानम्: being born
• जायमानम्: कर्म
• Type: Participle
• Root: जन् → जायमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• अस्थन्वन्तम्: having bones
• अस्थन्वन्तम्: कर्म-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थन् + वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Relative pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)

• अनस्था: boneless
• अनस्था: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्- + अस्था (प्रातिपदिक)

• बिभर्ति: bears; carries
• बिभर्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ

• भूम्याः: of the earth
• भूम्याः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)

• असुरसृक्: the asura-shedder / asura-destroyer (epithet)
• असुरसृक्: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: असुर + सृज्/सृक् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहिः/तत्पुरुषः-समासः)

• आत्मा: self; vital principle
• आत्मा: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: अधिकरण (स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)

• स्वित्: indeed?; I wonder
• स्वित्: निपात
• Type: Particle
• Root: स्वित् (अव्यय/निपात)

• कः: who?
• कः: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

• विद्वांसम्: the knowing one; the wise
• विद्वांसम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: विद्वस् (विद्-धातोः कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• उप: near; towards
• उप: क्रियाविशेषणम्
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• गात्: went; approached
• गात्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्

• प्रष्टुम्: to ask
• प्रष्टुम्: प्रयोजन (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Infinitive
• Root: प्रच्छ्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)

Attribution

Rishi: Brahmodya tradition (r̥ṣi attribution secondary/variable)

Devata: Brahman / Cosmic Support (earth-substrate as devatā by function)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (speculative hymn register)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta