Atharva Veda 18.2.38: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 38

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इ॒मां मात्रां॑ मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै । श॒ते श॒रत्सु॒ नो पु॒रा

IAST Transliteration

imā́ṁ mā́trāṁ mimīmahe yáthāparaṁ ná māsā́tai | śaté śarátsu no púrá ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

This measure we do mete out, that it be not thereafter diminished: for us—unto a hundred autumns—aforetime in full.

Translation

Dieses Maß messen wir aus, damit es hernach nicht gemindert werde: für uns—bis zu hundert Herbsten—von alters her, in Fülle.

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Word by Word

• इमाम्: this (f.)
• इमाम्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मात्राम्: measure; fixed portion
• मात्राम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) < √मा (माने/मितौ) भावे-क्त्रिन्/त्रा-प्रत्यय

• मिमीमहे: we measure; we apportion
• मिमीमहे: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मा (माने/मितौ) — reduplicated present stem मिमी-

• यथा: so that; as
• यथा: (सम्बन्ध/उपमान-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) < यद्-प्रातिपदिक

• अपरम्: the later/next (one); the remainder
• अपरम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• न: not
• न: (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय-निषेध)

• मासातै: from a month
• मासातै: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)

• शते: in (a) hundred
• शते: अधिकारण
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)

• शरत्सु: in autumns/years
• शरत्सु: अधिकारण
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: of us; our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पुरा: formerly; before
• पुरा: (काल-अधिकारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn-level attribution varies)

Devata: Abstract Āyus (life) / the rite’s measuring power; no single personal deity foregrounded

Chandas: Gāyatrī-like trimeter feel, but transmitted in AV as a short blessing-verse (metrical classification varies by tradition)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta