Rig Veda 3.55.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 55, Mantra 1

Sukta 3.55

Rishi: Viśvāmitra Gāthina (traditional for Mandala 3; RV 3.55 commonly in his family-book domain)

Devata: Viśve Devāḥ / the One Asura-might behind the gods; Dawn as revelatory condition

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable; confirm)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

उषसः पूर्वा अध यद्व्यूषुर्महद्वि जज्ञे अक्षरं पदे गोः । व्रता देवानामुप नु प्रभूषन्महद्देवानामसुरत्वमेकम् ॥

Transliteration

uṣásaḥ pū́rvā ádha yád vy-ū́ṣur mahád ví jajñe ákṣaraṃ padé góḥ | vratā́ devā́nām úpa nú pra-bhū́ṣan mahád devā́nām asura-tvám ékam ||

Translation

When the former Dawns have opened out, then is born the great imperishable Word in the step of the Light. Adorning and manifesting the laws of the Gods, there stands revealed the one vast Asura-might of the divine Powers.

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Word by Word

• उषसः: of the dawns
• उषसः: सम्बन्ध (genitive) / अधिष्ठान-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस्-

• पूर्वाः: the former/earlier (ones)
• पूर्वाः: कर्तृ (with implied verb ‘are/appear’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-

• अध: then, now, moreover
• अध: सम्बन्ध/काल-सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अध

• यत्: when; that which
• यत्: कर्म/सम्बन्ध (relative marker)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्-

• व्यूषुः: they have shone forth; have dawned
• व्यूषुः: क्रिया (कर्तृ = उषसः/पूर्वाः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (उष्-भावे) / √उष् (प्रकाशे) → व्य्-उष्

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्-

• वि: forth, apart, distinctly
• वि: क्रियाविशेषण (prefix to √जन्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि

• जज्ञे: was born; came into being
• जज्ञे: क्रिया (कर्तृ = अक्षरम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (जने)

• अक्षरम्: the imperishable (syllable/word); the unchanging
• अक्षरम्: कर्तृ (of जज्ञे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर-

• पदे: in the place/footstep; in the station
• पदे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद-

• गोः: of the cow (also: of light/ray)
• गोः: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-

• व्रता: ordinances; sacred laws
• व्रता: कर्म/विषय (with √भूष्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत-

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-

• उप: towards, near
• उप: क्रियाविशेषण (prefix to √भूष्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप

• नु: now, indeed
• नु: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• प्रभूषन्: adorning; attending on; serving
• प्रभूषन्: कर्तृ (of implied action ‘adorning/serving’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भूष् (अलङ्कारे/सेवायाम्) with प्र-

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्-

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-

• असुरत्वम्: lordship; asura-power (sovereign might)
• असुरत्वम्: कर्तृ/विषय (as the ‘one’ being spoken of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुरत्व- (असुर- + त्व)

• एकम्: one; single
• एकम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-