एको बहूनामसि मन्य ईडिता विशं विशं युद्धाय सं शिशाधि। अकृत्तरुक्त्वया युजा वयं द्युमन्तं घोषं विजयाय कृण्मसि॥
eko bahūnāmasi manya īḍitā viśaṃ viśaṃ yuddhāya saṃ śiśādhi । akṛttaruk tvayā yujā vayaṃ dyumantaṃ ghoṣaṃ vijayāya kṛṇmasi ॥
PM's MessageBeating Retreat ceremony will be held this evening. It marks the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations. It will showcase the power of India's rich military heritage. We are extremely proud of our armed forces dedicated to the defense of the country.
Meaning of Eko Bahūnāmasi Manya Īḍitā
O brave warrior! Your anger should be guided by wisdom. You are a hero among the thousands. Teach your people to govern and to fight with honour. We want to cheer alongside you as we march to victory!
Word by word
- एकःekaḥ
alone
एक
- बहूनाम्bahūnām
of many
बहु
- असिasi
you are
√अस्
- मन्यmanya
O Manyu, O Wrath
मन्यु
- ईडिताīḍitā
praised
√ईड्
- विशं विशम्viśaṁ viśam
clan after clan
विश्
- युद्धायyuddhāya
for battle
√युध्
- सं शिशाधिsaṁ śiśādhi
sharpen, urge on
सम् + √शा
- अकृत्तरुक्akṛttaruk
of unbroken lustre
अ + √कृत् + रुच्
- त्वया युजाtvayā yujā
with you as ally
√युज्
- वयम्vayam
we
अस्मद्
- द्युमन्तम् घोषम्dyumantaṁ ghoṣam
a brilliant shout
द्यु + घोष
- विजयायvijayāya
for victory
वि + √जि
- कृण्मसिkṛṇmasi
we make
√कृ
Commentary
This verse is from the Manyu Sukta of the Atharvaveda Shaunaka Samhita; the Rigveda preserves a parallel recension that personifies righteous indignation or 'Manyu'. It is a call to the warrior spirit within to rise with wisdom and courage. By addressing the leader as 'One among many', it highlights the responsibility of a hero to guide the people with honor. The prayer for a 'resounding shout of victory' reflects a collective resolve and the importance of unity in achieving national goals, mirroring the spirit of the Beating Retreat ceremony. The opening addresses Manyu, wrath personified: 'manya īḍitā', 'O praised Manyu', in the Atharvavedic wording; the Rigvedic parallel reads 'manyav īḍitaḥ'. The supplied meaning is therefore right to recognize anger as the subject, although its instruction to temper anger with discernment is an interpretive application rather than a literal clause of the verse. The hymn asks Manyu to rouse clan after clan for battle.
Original Post
More from Atharvaveda
View source pageसुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
सहृदयं सांमनस्यमविद्वेषं कृणोमि वः। अन्यो अन्यमभि हर्यत वत्सं जातमिवाघ्न्या॥
sahṛdayaṁ sāṃmanasyam avidveṣaṁ kṛṇomi vaḥ । anyo anyam abhi haryata vatsaṁ jātam ivāghnyā ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra calls people to shared feeling, concord and freedom from hatred, with a cow's tenderness for her newborn calf as its model.
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः। स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु॥
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ । svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatir dadhātu ॥
A Rigveda svasti mantra in which Indra, Pushan, Tarkshya and Brihaspati are each asked to bestow well-being upon us.
More subhashitams on Courage
View topic pageदेव्या यया ततमिदं जगदात्मशक्त्या निश्शेषदेवगणशक्तिसमूहमूर्त्या। तामम्बिकामखिलदेवमहर्षिपूज्यां भक्त्या नताः स्म विदधातु शुभानि सा नः॥
devyā yayā tatamidaṃ jagadātmaśaktyā niśśeṣadevagaṇaśaktisamūhamūrtyā । tāmambikāmakhiladevamaharṣipūjyāṃ bhaktyā natāḥ sma vidadhātu śubhāni sā naḥ ॥
A prayer from Devi Mahatmyam to Ambika, who pervades the world and embodies all divine powers, asking for blessings for everyone.
वत्सराजोऽपि तं प्राप्तं प्रदत्तोपायनं नृपम्। प्रीत्या सम्मानयामास शूरा हि प्रणतिप्रियाः॥
vatsarājo 'pi taṃ prāptaṃ pradattopāyanaṃ nṛpam । prītyā sammānayāmāsa śūrā hi praṇatipriyāḥ ॥
Vatsaraja honours a king who comes with gifts, illustrating the brave person's regard for respectful homage.
भस्मीकृतस्वार्थसौख्यपरिचर्चितविग्रहाः। स्वराज्ययोगनिर्मग्ना धन्यास्ते वीरयोगिनः॥
bhasmīkṛtasvārthasaukhyaparicarcitavigrahāḥ । svarājyayoganirmagnā dhanyās te vīrayoginaḥ ॥
The verse praises heroic practitioners who renounce personal comforts and devote themselves fully to self-rule.