Atharva Veda 18.4.44: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 44

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इ॒दं पूर्व॒मप॑रं नि॒यानं॒ येना॑ ते॒ पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरः॒ परे॑ताः । पु॒रो॒ग॒वा ये अ॑भि॒शाचो॑ अस्य॒ ते त्वा॑ वहन्ति सु॒कृता॑मु लो॒कम्

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 18.4.44

IAST Transliteration

idáṃ pū́rvam áparaṃ niyā́naṃ yéna te pū́rve pitáraḥ parétāḥ | purógavā yé abhíśāco asyá te tvā vahanti sukṛ́tām u lokám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

This is the former and the later leading—by which thy earlier Fathers have departed. The forerunners, going before with cattle, who repel the hostile spell, they bear thee onward, verily, to the world of the well-deserving.

Translation

Dies ist die frühere und die spätere Führung, auf der deine früheren Väter hingegangen sind. Die Vorangehenden, die mit dem Vieh vorausziehen, die den feindlichen Zauber abwehren — sie tragen dich wahrlich in die Welt der Wohlverdienenden.

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Word by Word

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

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपरम्: the later/other (state)
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• नियानम्: guidance; leading; the (appointed) course
• नियानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियान (प्रातिपदिक; ‘नेतृ/मार्ग/नयन’ अर्थे)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: of you; your
• ते: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पूर्वे: the former (ones)
• पूर्वे: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (substantivized)
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• पितरः: fathers; ancestors
• पितरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• परेताः: departed; gone to the beyond
• परेताः: Kartā
• Type: Participle (past passive/गतार्थ)
• Root: परि-इ (धातु) → परेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘gone forth’)

• पुरोगवाः: going in front; leaders (as guides)
• पुरोगवाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पुरो-गव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘going in front’)

• ये: who
• ये: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अभिशाचः: sorcerers; bewitchers
• अभिशाचः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-शाच (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्य: of him/this (person)
• अस्य: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वहन्ति: they carry/lead
• वहन्ति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)

• सुकृताम्: to the realm of merit; of good deeds
• सुकृताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (abstract/collective)
• Root: सु-कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘well-done/merit’)

• उ: indeed; and
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (निपात)

• लोकम्: world; realm
• लोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Anukramaṇī-dependent; within AV 18 funerary corpus

Devata: Pitṛs (guides); implicit path/niyāna; apotropaic force against abhiśāca

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence is possible here; metrical classification varies by recension/analysis (often treated within AV 18 as mixed meters)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta