Atharva Veda 18.2.27 — Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 27

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अपे॒मं जी॒वा अ॑रुधन् गृ॒हेभ्य॒स्तं निर्व॑हत॒ परि॒ ग्रामा॑दि॒तः । मृ॒त्युर्य॒मस्या॑सीद् दू॒तः प्रचे॑ता॒ असू॑न् पि॒तृभ्यो॑ गम॒यां च॑कार

IAST Transliteration

ápémám jīvā́ arudhan gr̥hébhyás táṃ nírvahata pári grāmā́d itáḥ | mr̥tyúr yámasyā́sīd dūtáḥ prácetā ásūn pitṛ́bhyo gamayā́ṃ cakāra

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Forth from the houses the living held this man apart; him they bear forth hence, beyond the village. Death was Yama’s messenger, the wise; he wrought the leading of the vital breaths unto the Fathers.

Translation

Aus den Häusern sonderten die Lebenden diesen Mann aus; ihn tragen sie von hier hinaus, jenseits des Dorfes. Der Tod war Yamas Bote, der Weise; er bewirkte das Geleit der Lebenshauche zu den Vätern.

Word by Word

• अप: away, off
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग) / अव्यय

• इमम्: this (one)
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• जीवाः: the living (people)
• जीवाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)

• अरुधन्: they blocked/held back
• अरुधन्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुध् (रुधिर्/रुणद्धि) धातु

• गृहेभ्यः: from the houses
• गृहेभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• निर्वहत: carry out!
• निर्वहत: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (वहति) धातु + निस् (उपसर्ग)

• परि: around
• परि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• ग्रामात्: from the village
• ग्रामात्: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)

• इतः: from here
• इतः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)

• मृत्युः: Death
• मृत्युः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (अस्ति) धातु

• दूतः: a messenger
• दूतः: Kartā (समास/वाक्ये विधेय-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रचेताः: the discerning/foreknowing one
• प्रचेताः: Kartā (विशेषण/उपपद)
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: प्र-चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• असून्: breaths, lives
• असून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: असु (प्रातिपदिक)

• पितृभ्यः: to the Fathers (ancestors)
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• गमयाम्: they caused (them) to go/led (them)
• गमयाम्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गच्छति) धातु; णिच् (causative) → गमयति

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

• चकार: he did/made
• चकार: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करोति) धातु

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funerary tradition (AV 18)

Devata: Yama; Mṛtyu as Yama’s dūta; Pitṛs as destination

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: bhayankara