Rig Veda 4.2.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 2, Mantra 1

Sukta 4.2

Rishi: Vāmadeva Gautama (traditional attribution for RV 4.2)

Devata: Agni

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 4.2; this verse conforms to Triṣṭubh cadence)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

यो मर्त्येष्वमृत ऋतावा देवो देवेष्वरतिर्निधायि । होता यजिष्ठो मह्ना शुचध्यै हव्यैरग्निर्मनुष ईरयध्यै ॥

Transliteration

yó martyeṣv amṛ́ta ṛtā́vā devó devéṣv aratír nidhā́yi | hotā́ yájiṣṭho mahnā́ śucádhyai havyáir agnír mánuṣa īrayádhyai ||

Translation

彼在凡人之中而不死：持守ṛta（真理—宇宙秩序）之神；在诸神之中被安置为奋发之推动者。阿耆尼为吠陀祭官（Hotar），最善于奉献：以其伟力点燃光明之觉知；以供献之祭品，激励人向上而行。

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Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-निर्देशक (यः = ‘who’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मर्त्येषु: among mortals
• मर्त्येषु: अधिकरण (among/in mortals)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य-

• अमृतः: immortal
• अमृतः: कर्तृ (apposition to देवः)
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अमृत-

• ऋतावा: possessing ṛta / true to cosmic order
• ऋतावा: कर्तृ (apposition to देवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतावन्- (ऋत + वन्)

• देवः: the god (Agni)
• देवः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: अधिकरण (among the gods)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-

• अरतिः: unfailing one / not negligent
• अरतिः: कर्तृ/विशेषणभाव (as ‘one who is not slack’, i.e., unremitting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरति-

• निधायि: was set/placed
• निधायि: क्रिया (predicate of the relative clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु: धा ‘to place’)

• होता: Hotṛ-priest / invoker
• होता: कर्तृ (apposition to अग्निः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ-

• यजिष्ठः: most worshipful / best sacrificer
• यजिष्ठः: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यजिष्ठ- (superlative from यज्/यज्य ‘to worship/sacrifice’)

• मह्ना: by greatness / by might
• मह्ना: करण (by/with greatness)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघन्/महन्- (instr. ‘by greatness, might’)

• शुचध्यै: to shine / to be pure (as purpose)
• शुचध्यै: प्रयोजन (in order to shine/be pure/bright)
• Type: Verbal noun / Infinitive-like form
• Root: शुचधि- (Vedic adj. ‘bright-minded/pure-minded’; here as infinitival purpose-form)

• हव्यैः: with oblations
• हव्यैः: करण (with oblations)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य-

• अग्निः: Agni
• अग्निः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-

• मनुषे: for man / for mankind
• मनुषे: सम्प्रदान (for the man / for mankind)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य-/मनु- (human; ‘for man’)

• ईरयध्यै: to rouse/impel (as purpose)
• ईरयध्यै: प्रयोजन (in order to rouse/impel)
• Type: Verb (infinitive/purpose)
• Root: ईरय् (causative of √ईर/√इर ‘to set in motion, rouse’)