Atharva Veda 2.2.5: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 5

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

याः क्ल॒न्दास्तमि॑षीचयो॒ऽक्षका॑मा मनो॒मुहः॑ । ताभ्यो॑ गन्ध॒र्वप॑त्नीभ्योऽप्स॒राभ्यो॑ऽकरं॒ नमः॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.2.5

IAST Transliteration

yā́ḥ klandā́s tamíṣīcayo ’kṣakā́mā manomúhaḥ | tā́bhyo gandharvápatnībhyo ’psarábhyo ’káraṃ námaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Those who are wailers, who fare in darkness, dice-desiring, mind-bewildering—unto them, unto the Gandharvas’ wives, unto the Apsarases, have I performed obeisance.

Translation

Die da klagen, die in der Finsternis umhergehen, nach Würfelspiel verlangen, den Geist verwirren – ihnen, den Frauen der Gandharvas, den Apsaras, habe ich Verehrung dargebracht.

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Word by Word

• याः: who (those women)
• याः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• क्लन्दाः: the ‘Klandā’ (a class of female beings)
• क्लन्दाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लन्द (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री-समूहवाचक)

• तमिषीचयः: the ‘Tamiṣīcā’ (darkness-dwelling ones)
• तमिषीचयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमिषीच (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/जातिवाचक)

• अक्षकामाः: desirous of dice/gambling
• अक्षकामाः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अक्षकाम (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुषः = अक्षेषु कामः/अक्षान् कामयन्ति)

• मनॊमुहः: mind-bewildering (deluders of the mind)
• मनॊमुहः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: मनॊमुह (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारयः = मनः मोहयन्ति)

• ताभ्यः: from/unto those
• ताभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• गन्धर्वपत्नीभ्यः: from/unto the wives of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वपत्नीभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्वपत्नी (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = गन्धर्वस्य पत्नी)

• अप्सराभ्यः: from/unto the Apsarases
• अप्सराभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अकरम्: I made / I performed
• अकरम्: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)

• नमः: obeisance, salutation
• नमः: Karma
• Type: Noun (indeclinable-like in use)
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (exact r̥ṣi attribution for this single mantra is not securely fixed without the Anukramaṇī; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type in rakṣoghna material).

Devata: Apsarases (as a collective), also framed as Gandharva-patnīs (wives/associates of Gandharvas).

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; Atharvanic anuṣṭubh with minor irregularities).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta