Rig Veda 10.121.9: Mandala 10, Sukta 121, Mantra 9

Sukta 10.121

Rishi: Hiraṇyagarbha / Prajāpati (hymn traditionally ascribed within RV 10.121)

Devata: Ka (the ‘Who?’)—the unnamed supreme Creator, later identified with Prajāpati/Hiraṇyagarbha

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (11-syllable pādas typical of RV 10.121)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

मा नो हिंसीज्जनिता यः पृथिव्या यो वा दिवं सत्यधर्मा जजान । यश्चापश्चन्द्रा बृहतीर्जजान कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥

Transliteration

mā nó hiṃsīj janitā́ yaḥ pṛthivyā́ yó vā diváṃ satyádharmā jajā́na | yaś cā́paś candrā́ bṛhatī́r jajā́na kásmai devā́ya havíṣā vidhema ||

Translation

May He not harm us—He, the Father who brought forth the Earth, and who, established in the law of Truth, engendered the Heaven; who also brought forth the Waters—luminous and vast. To which God shall we offer the oblation?

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Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध) / mā́

• नः: us
• नः: कर्म (object of ‘harm’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• हिंसीत्: may (he) not harm
• हिंसीत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (hiṃs) / हिंसति

• जनिता: the begetter, creator
• जनिता: कर्ता (of ‘harm’ understood) / apposition to ‘यः’
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनि (jan) → जनितृ (agent noun) / prātipadika: जनिता

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (relative clause subject)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (relative pronoun)

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth
• पृथिव्याः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with ‘जनिता’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्

• वा: or
• वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: कर्म (object of ‘begot/created’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् / द्यौः (prātipadika: दिव्/द्यौ) → दिवम्

• सत्यधर्मा: of true law/true ordinance
• सत्यधर्मा: विशेषण (of the creator ‘यः/जनिता’)
• Type: Adjective (compound epithet)
• Root: सत्य + धर्मन् (compound) → सत्यधर्मन्

• जजान: begot, brought forth
• जजान: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (jan) → reduplicated perfect

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपः: the waters
• अपः: कर्म (object of ‘jajāna’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (waters)

• चन्द्राः: bright, shining
• चन्द्राः: विशेषण (of ‘अपः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (adj. ‘bright, shining’) → चन्द्रा (f. pl. agreeing with आपः)

• बृहतीः: vast
• बृहतीः: विशेषण (of ‘अपः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहती (adj. ‘great, vast’)

• जजान: begot, created
• जजान: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (jan)

• कस्मै: to which (one)?
• कस्मै: सम्प्रदान (recipient)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (interrogative pronoun)

• देवाय: to the god
• देवाय: सम्प्रदान (dative; in apposition to ‘कस्मै’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव

• हविषा: with oblation
• हविषा: करण (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्

• विधेम: may we offer / may we worship
• विधेम: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (dhā) with vi- → विधा (vidhā) ‘to apportion/offer, worship’