Shri Rudram 1.12

[Anand V. Hudli]

|| AUM namo bhagavate rudrAya ||

  The Rishi of this mantra is nArada, the devatA is shrI rudra (Shiva),
  and the meter anuShTubh.

  vijyaM dhanuH kapardino vishalyo bANavAn.h uta |
  aneshannasyeshhava Abhurasya nishhaN^gathiH   ||

                      (Shri Rudram: anuvAka 1; Rik 12)

  vijyaM - without the bow-string
  dhanuH - (His) bow
  kapardino - of the One with matted locks
  vishalyo - without arrows
  bANavAn.h - (His) quiver
  uta - also
  aneshan.h - incapable of piercing
  asya - His
  ishhavaH - arrows
  AbhuH - of diminished power
  asya - His
  nishhaN^gathiH - scabbard (sword-sheath)

  May the bow of Kapardin (Rudra who has matted locks) be without
  the bow-string. Also, may His quiver be without arrows. May His
  arrows be incapable of piercing (and killing) us. May His scabbard
  be of little use (in drawing His sword).


  sAyaNAchAryabhAShyam.h   (Commentary of sAyaNAchArya)

  kapardo jaTAjUTaH so .asyAstIti kapardI rudrastasya dhanurvijyaM
  vigatajyAkamastu | utApi cha bANA asmiMstishhThantIti bANavAnishhudhiH
  sa cha vishalyo .astu | ishhugatAnAM shalyAnAM tadudare gopitatvena
  bahirAvirbhUtashalyarahito .astu | asya rudrasyeshhavo bANA ishhudhau
  praxiptA aneshanveddhumasamarthA bhavantu | asya rudrasya nishhaNgathi-
  rbANAdhAra Abhurastu Ishhatprabhurastu | kuDyanikhAtashaN^kAvAsaJNjita-
  tvena bANAndhArayitumeva prabhavatu | na tu bANAkarshhaNayogya ityarthaH|
  athavA nishhaN^gathiH khaDgakoshaH so .api purvavatkvachidAropitatvena
  khaDgaM dhArayitumeva prabhavatu na tu khaDgAkarshhaNasamarthaH ||

  Rudra who has matted locks is Kapardin. May His bow be without its
  string. Also, may His quiver (bANavAn.h = bANA asmin.h tishhThanti iti)
  be without arrows having sharp tips. May His quiver not display the
  sharp tips of the arrows, having placed the arrows with tips being
  hidden inside (the quiver). May this Rudra's arrows that have been
  placed in the quiver thus become incapable of piercing (us). May the
  quiver of this Rudra (thus) have little power. Let (His quiver) be
  effective in only holding arrows, having been suspended on to a peg
  on the wall. This means: (may the quiver) not be effective in drawing
  out arrows. Or, may nishhaN^gathi, (meaning) the scabbard, be suspended
  in some place as (indicated) above, and become effective only for
  holding the sword, not for drawing the sword.

  Notes:

 1) The previous two Riks (1.10 and 1.11) address Rudra directly while
    the current Rik addresses Him indirectly, in third person. All three
    Riks pray Rudra to withdraw His weapons of destruction.

 2) BhaTTa BhAskara interprets "nishhaN^gathi" as scabbard only whereas
    sAyaNa interprets it to mean either the quiver or the scabbard.


     || AUM namo bhagavate rudrAya ||

  Anand