Atharva Veda 12.2.30: Kanda 12, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 30

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मृ॒त्योः प॒दं यो॒पय॑न्त॒ एत॒ द्राघी॑य॒ आयुः॑ प्रत॒रं दधा॑नाः । आसी॑ना मृ॒त्युं नु॑दता स॒धस्थेऽथ॑ जी॒वासो॑ वि॒दथ॒मा व॑देम

IAST Transliteration

mṛtyóḥ padáṁ yópayanta etá drā́ghīya ā́yuḥ pratáraṁ dádhānāḥ | āsīnā́ mṛtyúṁ nudata sadhásthe ’thá jīvā́so vidátham ā́ vadem

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Hiding away this footprint of Death, establishing a life more long and further on—sitting in the common seat, thrust ye Death away; then may we, the living, speak forth in the assembly.

Translation

Dieses Fußzeichen des Todes verbergend, ein längeres, weiter reichendes Leben begründend — sitzt auf dem gemeinsamen Sitz und stoßt den Tod hinweg; dann mögen wir, die Lebenden, im Opfer- und Volksversammlung (vidatha) das Wort erheben.

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Word by Word

• मृत्योः: of death
• मृत्योः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• पदम्: footprint/step; place
• पदम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद- (प्रातिपदिक)

• योपयन्ते: they conceal/keep away
• योपयन्ते: कर्तृ (they as agents)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युप्/योप् (धातु; ‘to conceal, keep away’)

• एते: these (people)
• एते: कर्तृ (subject)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• द्राघीयः: longer
• द्राघीयः: कर्म (with आयुः as object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्राघीयस्- (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक; from द्राघस् ‘length’)

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: कर्म (object; what is ‘placed/secured’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्/आयुः (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रतरम्: further/greater; more onward
• प्रतरम्: कर्म (qualifier of आयुः)
• Type: Adjective/Adverbial adjective
• Root: प्रतर- (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक; from प्र ‘forward’)

• दधानाः: placing/establishing
• दधानाः: कर्तृ (agent-participle referring to एते)
• Type: Verb (participial)
• Root: धा (धातु) → दधत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त) रूप

• आसीनाः: sitting (seated)
• आसीनाः: कर्तृ (state of the agents)
• Type: Verb (participial)
• Root: आस् (धातु) → आसीन (भूतकृदन्त) रूप

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु- (प्रातिपदिक)

• नु: now/indeed
• नु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (निपात)

• नुदत: push away! drive off!
• नुदत: कर्तृ (you all as agents)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नुद् (धातु; ‘to push away’)

• सधस्थे: in the common seat/assembly
• सधस्थे: अधिकरण (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सधस्थ- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘common seat/assembly-place’)

• अथ: then/and then
• अथ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (निपात)

• जीवासः: the living (ones)
• जीवासः: कर्तृ (subject)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (substantivized)
• Root: जीव- (प्रातिपदिक)

• विदथम्: the assembly/ritual gathering
• विदथम्: कर्म (object; ‘the assembly’ as goal of speech/participation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदथ- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘assembly, ritual gathering’)

• आ: towards, unto
• आ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• वदेम: may we speak / let us speak
• वदेम: कर्तृ (we as agents)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु; ‘to speak’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (collective voice)

Devata: Mṛtyu (adversary); Āyus (life) as sought potency

Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: shanta