Atharva Veda 4.36.3: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 36, Mantra 3

Sukta 36

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

य आ॑ग॒रे मृ॒गय॑न्ते प्रतिक्रो॒शेऽमावा॒स्ये। क्र॒व्यादो॑ अ॒न्यान् दिप्स॑तः॒ सर्वां॒स्तान्त्सह॑सा सहे

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.36.3

IAST Transliteration

yá ā́gare mṛgáyante pratikróśe ’māvā́syè | kravyā́do anyā́n dípsataḥ sárvāṁs tā́nt sáhasā sahé ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso at the homestead prowl a-hunting, at the alarm-cry, on the New-moon night—those flesh-devourers that, craving other men for prey, I, by sheer force, overpower them all.

Translation

Wer am Gehöft umherstreift wie auf der Jagd, beim Alarmruf, in der Nacht der Amāvāsyā (Neumond) — jene Fleischfresser (kravyāda), die nach anderen Menschen als Beute gieren: sie alle bezwinge ich mit der Gewalt meiner Kraft.

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Word by Word

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

• आगरे: in the house/home
• आगरे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगर (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृगयन्ते: they hunt/seek
• मृगयन्ते: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृगय् (धातु; मृगयते = hunt/seek)

• प्रतिक्रोशे: at/within a call’s distance (nearby)
• प्रतिक्रोशे: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिक्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)

• अमावास्ये: on the new-moon night
• अमावास्ये: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)

• क्रव्यादः: flesh-eaters (ghouls/demons)
• क्रव्यादः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• दिप्सतः: desiring to harm/deceive
• दिप्सतः: कर्तृ (क्रव्यादः-सम्बद्धम्)
• Type: Verb (participial)
• Root: दभ्/दिप्स् (इच्छार्थक-धातु; desiderative sense ‘to wish to harm/deceive’)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• तान्: them
• तान्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• सहसा: with force, violently
• सहसा: करण
• Type: Noun (instrumental adverbial)
• Root: सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सहे: I overpower / I subdue
• सहे: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु; ‘to overpower/endure’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (rakṣoghna seer; specific r̥ṣi not stated in the provided excerpt)

Devata: Rakṣas/Piśāca/Kravyād (as adversaries); the effective agent is the mantra’s ‘sahas’ (coercive power)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; common for AV apotropaic verses)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: bhayankara