Atharva Veda 5.20.3: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 3

Sukta 20

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वृषे॑व यू॒थे सह॑सा विदा॒नो ग॒व्यन्न॒भि रु॑व संधनाजित्। शु॒चा वि॑ध्य॒ हृद॑यं॒ परे॑षां हि॒त्वा ग्रामा॒न् प्रच्यु॑ता यन्तु॒ शत्र॑वः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.20.3

IAST Transliteration

vṛ́ṣevá yūthé sáhasā vidānáḥ gavyán abhí ruva saṃdhanājít | śucā́ vidhya hṛ́dayam párēṣāṃ hitvā́ grā́mān pracyútā yantu śátraváḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Like a bull amid the herd, finding by might, seeking the cattle-prize—roar thou against them, O winner by close-binding. With burning heat pierce the heart of the others: abandoning their villages, dislodged, let the foes depart.

Translation

Như bò đực giữa bầy, nhờ sức mạnh mà tìm thấy, tìm phần thưởng là đàn bò—hỡi kẻ thắng nhờ sự trói buộc chặt, hãy gầm lên chống lại chúng. Với sức nóng thiêu đốt, hãy đâm xuyên tim kẻ khác: để quân thù bỏ làng mạc, bị bật khỏi chỗ, mà rời đi.

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Word by Word

• वृषा: a bull (as leader)
• वृषा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृष (धातु: वृष् ‘वर्षणे/सेचने’ से व्युत्पत्ति)

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• यूथे: in the herd, in the troop
• यूथे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)

• सहसा: with force, by might
• सहसा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• विदानः: knowing, finding out
• विदानः: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (विद् ‘जानने’)

• गव्यान्: cattle(-men)/those belonging to cattle (cowherds)
• गव्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभि: towards, against
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि

• रुव: roar!, cry out!
• रुव: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रु (रु ‘शब्दे/रवणे’)

• संधनाजित्: the winner/conqueror of the ‘sanding/fastening’ (i.e., of close encounter/struggle)
• संधनाजित्: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: संधन- (प्रातिपदिक) + √जि (जि ‘जय’)

• शुचा: with burning heat/with a sharp (fiery) force
• शुचा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुच्/शुचि (प्रातिपदिक ‘शुच्’ = शोक/दाह; अथवा ‘शुचि’ = शुद्ध/दीप्त)

• विध्य: pierce!, strike through!
• विध्य: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्यध् (व्यध् ‘वेधने’)

• हृदयम्: the heart
• हृदयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)

• परेषाम्: of others, of the enemies
• परेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (हा ‘त्यागे’)

• ग्रामान्: villages, settlements
• ग्रामान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रच्युताः: driven away, dislodged
• प्रच्युताः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: प्र + √च्युत्/√च्यु (च्यु ‘चलने/पतने’)

• यन्तु: let them go
• यन्तु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (या ‘गत्यर्थे’)

• शत्रवः: enemies
• शत्रवः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angiras-type attribution (traditional for martial-apotropaic hymns; varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata: Dundubhi (personified war-drum) / battle-sound as efficacious agent

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as transmitted; metrical exactness depends on pada resolution)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: raudra