Mantra 18

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ग्राहिं पाप्मानमति तां अयाम तमो व्यऽस्य प्र वदासि वल्गु। वानस्पत्य उद्यतो मा जिहिंसीर्मा तण्डुलं वि शरीर्देवयन्तम्

IAST Transliteration

grāhíṃ pāpmā́nam áti tā́m ayāma támo ví ’sya prá vadāsi valgú | vānaspatyá údyato mā́ jihīṃsīr mā́ taṇḍuláṃ ví śarīr devayántam ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The grasping Evil—beyond it have we driven that away; the darkness thou scatterest, and utterest forth what is fair. O Forest-born, uplifted, harm thou not; shatter not the rice-grain, nor the god-seeking worshipper.

Word by Word

• ग्राहिम्: the ‘seizer’ (disease-demon), the grasping affliction
• ग्राहिम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राहि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘seizer, grasping demon/affliction’)

• पाप्मानम्: evil/illness (the disease)
• पाप्मानम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप्मन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘evil, sin, disease’)

• अति: over, beyond, across
• अति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अयाम: I drove/led (it) away
• अयाम: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + उपसर्ग आ-

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• वि: apart, asunder
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• अस्य: cast off / throw away
• अस्य: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु) + उपसर्ग वि-

• प्र: forth, forward
• प्र: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• वदासि: you speak/utter
• वदासि: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)

• वल्गु: a pleasant/auspicious (word/utterance)
• वल्गु: कर्म
• Type: Adjective (used substantively/qualifying speech)
• Root: वल्गु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘pleasant, fair, auspicious’)

• वानस्पत्यः: the वनस्पति-born one (wooden/plant implement; plant-power)
• वानस्पत्यः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानस्पत्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘of the forest/wood; tree-born’; here: wooden implement/plant-power)

• उद्यतः: raised, lifted up
• उद्यतः: कर्तृ
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: उद्-यत (कृदन्त; √यत् ‘to strive/raise’ with उद्)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• जिहिंसीः: harm (you) / injure
• जिहिंसीः: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (धातु) (desiderative/intensive-like stem hiṃs-; Vedic injunctive/imperative usage)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• तण्डुलम्: the rice grain
• तण्डुलम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुल- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘rice grain’)

• वि: apart, asunder
• वि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• शरीः: tear apart / shatter
• शरीः: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: शॄ (धातु; ‘to break, crush, shatter’)

• देवयन्तम्: the god-seeking/worshipping (person)
• देवयन्तम्: कर्म
• Type: Participle (Adjective used substantively)
• Root: देवयत् (कृदन्त; desiderative/denominative from देव ‘god’ meaning ‘seeking/worshipping the gods’)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally associated with Atharvanic seers (Angiras/Atharvan complex) for AV 12.3; verse-level attribution not fixed in all traditions

Devata: Vānaspatya (vegetal/wooden implement personified) and the apotropaic power of Brahman (mantra)

Chandas: Jagatī-like cadence (mixed/irregular in AV prose-verse style)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From fear of seizure/darkness to calm restraint and protection.","listener_experience":"Relief and steadiness; heightened attentiveness to safe handling.","intensity":6}