Rig Veda 3.31.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 31, Mantra 4

Sukta 3.31

Rishi: Viśvāmitra Gāthina (Kauśika) (traditional circle attribution)

Devata: Indra (with Uṣas as attending powers)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अभि जैत्रीरसचन्त स्पृधानं महि ज्योतिस्तमसो निरजानन् । तं जानतीः प्रत्युदायन्नुषासः पतिर्गवामभवदेक इन्द्रः ॥

Transliteration

abhí jaitrī́r asacanta spṛdhānáṃ máhi jyótiḥ támaso nír ajānan | táṃ jānatī́ḥ práty udā́yann uṣā́sāḥ pátir gávām abhavad éka índraḥ ||

Translation

The conquering powers pressed upon the challenger; they brought out the great Light from the darkness. Knowing him, the Dawns rose to meet him; Indra alone became the Lord of the rays.

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Word by Word

• अभि: towards, upon
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग)

• जैत्रीः: the victorious (fem.), the conquering ones
• जैत्रीः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (used substantively) / Noun
• Root: जैत्री- (प्रातिपदिक; √जि ‘to conquer’ से) अथवा जैत्र- ‘victorious’

• असचन्त: they joined/attached (themselves)
• असचन्त: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सच् (सचँ/सच्) ‘to accompany, join, attach’

• स्पृधानम्: the rival/contender (one)
• स्पृधानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective / Noun
• Root: स्पृधान- (प्रातिपदिक; √स्पृध् ‘to contend, rival’)

• महि: greatly, mightily
• महि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महि (अव्यय; महत्- से)

• ज्योतिः: light, radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• तमसः: from darkness
• तमसः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• निरजानन्: they brought forth/produced (out)
• निरजानन्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (जनँ) ‘to be born; to produce’ + नि: (उपसर्ग) → ‘to bring forth, generate out’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• जानतीः: knowing (fem. pl.), the knowing ones
• जानतीः: Kartā
• Type: Participle (adjectival) / Noun
• Root: √ज्ञा (ज्ञा) ‘to know’ → जानत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• प्रति: towards, in response
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• उदायन्: rising, coming forth
• उदायन्: —
• Type: Verb (participle) / Kṛdanta
• Root: √या (या) ‘to go’ + उद् (उपसर्ग) → उद्-आ-या ‘to go up/come forth’

• उषासः: the Dawns
• उषासः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• पतिः: lord, master
• पतिः: Kartā (of ‘अभवत्’) / विधेय
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति- (प्रातिपदिक)

• गवाम्: of the cows
• गवाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो- (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भू) ‘to be, become’

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य) / Kartā-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक- (प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (of ‘अभवत्’)
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)