Atharva Veda 15.2.21: Kanda 15, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 21

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अह॑श्च॒ रात्री॑ च परिष्क॒न्दौ मनो॑ विप॒थम्

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 15.2.21

IAST Transliteration

áhaś ca rā́trī ca pariṣkandáu máno vipátham

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Day and Night are the two encircling assailants; the mind (is prone to) the wrong path.

Translation

Tag und Nacht sind die zwei umkreisenden Angreifer; der Geist (neigt sich) auf den Irrweg.

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Word by Word

• अहः: day
• अहः: Kartā (समुच्चितः) / वा कर्म (सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• रात्री: night
• रात्री: Kartā (समुच्चितः) / वा कर्म (सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि-/रात्री- (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• परिष्कन्दौ: the two roaming/leaping ones (i.e., Day and Night)
• परिष्कन्दौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun (agentive) / Adjective
• Root: परि-√स्कन्द् (धातु) → परिष्कन्द- (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ‘one who leaps/roams around’)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (यस्य गमनं/प्रवृत्तिः) / वा Kartā (सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• विपथम्: wrong path, bypath
• विपथम्: Karma (गन्तव्यः/प्राप्यः पथः) / Adhikaraṇa (मार्ग-रूपेण, सन्दर्भानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-पथ- (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: As in AV 15.2 catalogue tradition (variable).

Devata: Ahaḥ and Rātrī (Day and Night) as paired powers; secondary focus on Manas (mind).

Chandas: Truncated/elliptical; catalogue-style.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta