यजामहे

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hyáȷ́āmadʰay (1st person plural middle indicative of *Hyáȷ́- (to worship)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁yaǵ- (to worship). Cognate with Avestan 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬛𐬉 (yazamaidē, 1st person plural middle indicative of 𐬫𐬀𐬰- (yaz-)).

Pronunciation

Verb

यजामहे • (yájāmahe)

  1. first-person plural middle indicative of यज् (yaj, to worship); we worship, we revere
    • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.59.12:
      त्र्य॑म्बकं यजामहे सु॒गन्धिं॑ पुष्टि॒वर्ध॑नम्।
      उ॒र्वा॒रु॒कम् इ॑व॒ बन्ध॑नान् मृ॒त्योर् मु॑क्षीय॒ मामृता॑त्॥
      tryàmbakaṃ yajāmahe sugándhiṃ puṣṭivárdhanam.
      urvārukám iva bándhanān mṛtyór mukṣīya mā́mṛ́tāt.
      • 1896 translation by Ralph T. H. Griffith
        Tryambaka we worship, the sweet augmenter of prosperity.
        As from its stem the cucumber, so may I be released from death, not reft of immortality.