Rig Veda 2.8.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 8, Mantra 2

Sukta 2.8

Rishi: Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava) (traditional attribution for RV 2.8)

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Gāyatrī (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

यः सुनीथो ददाशुषेऽजुर्यो जरयन्नरिम् । चारुप्रतीक आहुतः ॥

Transliteration

yáḥ sunīthó dadāśúṣe ’júryo járayann arím | cā́ru-pratīka ā́hutaḥ ||

Translation

He who is of good leading for the giver, unfailing, wearing down the enemy within; of beautiful visage, he is kindled by the offering.

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Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-निर्देशक (यः = ‘who/which’, relative subject)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सुनीथः: of good guidance; good leader
• सुनीथः: कर्तृ (यः सुनीथः = ‘who is of good guidance’)
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: सु-नीथ (प्रातिपदिक; सु + नीथ ‘leading, guidance’)

• ददाशुषे: to the giver; to the generous one
• ददाशुषे: सम्प्रदान (to/for the giver)
• Type: Participle (verbal adjective) used substantively
• Root: √दा (दाने) → ददाशु (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट-आधारित कृदन्त ‘giver’)

• अजुर्यः: unaging; undecaying
• अजुर्यः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of the subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-जुर्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + जुर्य ‘decaying/aging’, from √जॄ/√जुर् ‘to wear/age’)

• जरयन्: wearing down; making (someone) old/weak
• जरयन्: कर्तृ (describing the subject’s action: ‘wearing down…’)
• Type: Verb (present participle active)
• Root: √जॄ/√जर् (जरायाम्/क्षये ‘to make old, wear down’)

• अरिम्: the enemy
• अरिम्: कर्म (object of ‘jarayan’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘enemy/hostile man’, RV usage)

• चारुप्रतीकः: having a lovely appearance
• चारुप्रतीकः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (epithet of the subject)
• Type: Adjective (compound)
• Root: चारु-प्रतीक (समास; चारु ‘beautiful’ + प्रतीक ‘appearance, form, face’)

• आहुतः: invoked; called; offered
• आहुतः: कर्म/भाव (predicate: ‘having been invoked/offered’)
• Type: Participle (PPP) used predicatively
• Root: आ-√हु (हवने ‘to offer, invoke’) → आहुत (क्त, past passive participle)