Rig Veda 4.13.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 13, Mantra 5

Sukta 4.13

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata: Skambha / Ṛta-supporting cosmic principle (implicit); also linked to Sūrya’s order

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अनायतो अनिबद्धः कथायं न्यङ्ङुत्तानोऽव पद्यते न । कया याति स्वधया को ददर्श दिवः स्कम्भः समृतः पाति नाकम् ॥

Transliteration

anā́yato áni-baddhaḥ kathā́yáṃ nyàṅ-uttānó ’va padyate ná | kayā́ yāti svadháyā káḥ dadarśa diváḥ skambháḥ sám-ṛtaḥ pā́ti nā́kam ||

Translation

Unled, unbound—how does this one not fall downward though turned headlong? By what self-law does it move, who has perceived it: the Pillar of heaven, compacted in the Truth, that upholds the luminous vault?

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Word by Word

• अना॑यतः: not going/striving; not directed
• अना॑यतः: विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-आयत (√यत् ‘to strive/extend’ with neg. a-) / prātipadika ‘अनायत’

• अनिबद्धः: unbound; not fastened
• अनिबद्धः: विशेषण (कर्तृ/विषय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-बद्ध (√बन्ध् ‘to bind’ with neg. a-) / prātipadika ‘अनिबद्ध’

• कथा: story; account; ‘how?’ (as a questioning notion)
• कथा: कर्तृ (of implied ‘is/exists’) / विषय
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा / prātipadika

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्तृ/विषय (deictic: ‘this’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (sarvanāman stem)

• नि: down; into
• नि: (verb-modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (upasarga)

• अङ्: indeed/then (particle)
• अङ्: (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अङ् (Vedic particle; often intensifying/connecting)

• उत्तानः: stretched out; lying extended
• उत्तानः: विशेषण (of implied subject) / अवस्था
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तान / prātipadika (ud-√तन् ‘to stretch out’)

• अव: down; away
• अव: (verb-modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव (upasarga)

• पद्यते: steps/goes; falls (into)
• पद्यते: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पद् ‘to go/step; to fall into’

• न: not
• न: (sentence negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (particle)

• कया॑: by what?; by which (means)
• कया॑: करण (instrument/means) अथवा हेतु
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (interrogative pronoun stem)

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या ‘to go’

• स्वधया॒: by its own power; by inherent ordinance (svadhā)
• स्वधया॒: करण (means/power) / हेतु
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा / prātipadika

• कः: who?
• कः: कर्तृ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (interrogative pronoun)

• ददर्श: has seen; saw
• ददर्श: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् ‘to see’

• दिवः: of heaven; of the sky
• दिवः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् / द्यौ (prātipadika)

• स्कम्भः: support; prop; pillar
• स्कम्भः: कर्तृ/विषय
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कम्भ / prātipadika (from √स्कभ् ‘to prop/support’)

• समृतः: well-compacted; firmly joined
• समृतः: विशेषण (of स्कम्भः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समृत / prātipadika (saṃ-√ऋ ‘to fit/join/arrange’; ‘well-joined/compacted’)

• पाति: protects
• पाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा ‘to protect’

• नाकम्: heaven; celestial realm
• नाकम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक / prātipadika