Atharva Veda 18.3.49: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 49

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उप॑ सर्प मा॒तरं॒ भूमि॑मे॒तामु॑रु॒व्यच॑सं पृथि॒वीं सु॒शेवा॑म्। ऊर्ण॑म्रदाः पृथि॒वी दक्षि॑णावत ए॒षा त्वा॑ पातु॒ प्रप॑थे पु॒रस्ता॑त्

IAST Transliteration

úpa sarpa mātáraṁ bhū́mim etā́m uruvyácasaṁ pṛthivī́ṁ suśévām | ū́rṇamradāḥ pṛthivī́ dakṣiṇā́vat eṣā́ tvā pātu prápathe purástāt ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Creep thou nigh unto this Mother Earth, the wide-expanding, the broad, the gracious. Soft as wool is Earth, rich in auspicious right-hand fortune: may she protect thee on thy forward way, in front.

Translation

Krieche heran zu dieser Mutter Erde, der weit sich ausdehnenden, der breiten, der gnädigen. Wollweich ist die Erde, reich an glückverheißendem rechten Heil: sie möge dich auf deinem Weg vorwärts schützen, vorn.

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Word by Word

• उप: near, towards (up to)
• उप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• सर्प: creep/approach!
• सर्प: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप्

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ

• भूमिम्: earth, ground
• भूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of भूमिम्)
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एतद्

• उरुव्यचसम्: wide-spreading, far-extended
• उरुव्यचसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of भूमिम्/पृथिवीम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उरुव्यचस् (उरु + व्यचस्)

• पृथिवीम्: the Earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (apposition to भूमिम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी

• सुशेवाम्: very gracious/kind, beneficent
• सुशेवाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (of पृथिवीम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुशेवा (सु + शेवा)

• ऊर्णम्रदाः: soft as wool (wool-soft)
• ऊर्णम्रदाः: Kartā (understood: ‘you (pl.) are…’ / vocative-like address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्णम्रद (ऊर्ण + मृद)

• पृथिवी: Earth
• पृथिवी: Kartā (of पातु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी

• दक्षिणावतः: right-hand/auspicious-bearing; having the दक्षिणा
• दक्षिणावतः: Viśeṣaṇa (agreeing with ऊर्णम्रदाः; addressed attendants/regions)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणावत्

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Kartā (of पातु)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्

• पातु: may (she) protect
• पातु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पालने)

• प्रपथे: on the path, at the roadway
• प्रपथे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपथ

• पुरस्तात्: in front, from the east/fore
• पुरस्तात्: Adhikaraṇa (directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्तात्

Attribution

Rishi: Bhūmi-sūkta tradition (often attributed in ancillary tradition to Atharvanic seers; exact r̥ṣi assignment varies by anukramaṇī for this late book).

Devata: Pṛthivī (Earth) as Mother and Protectress

Chandas: Predominantly Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-like cadence in this section (late Atharvanic style; verify by pada count in critical edition).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: bhayankara