Mantra 5

Sukta 8

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अपपापं परिक्षवं पुण्यं भक्षीमहि क्षवम्। शिवा ते पाप नासिकां पुण्यगश्चाभि मेहताम्

IAST Transliteration

apapāpáṃ parikṣaváṃ púṇyaṃ bhakṣī́mahi kṣavám | śivā́ te pāpa nā́sikāṃ púṇyagaś cā́bhi me hatām

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Sinless be the recurrent sneeze; auspicious may we take the sneeze to us. Benign be thy nose: O Evil, let it smite thee down; and, auspicious-going, let it strike on my behalf.

Word by Word

• अपपापम्: sinless; free from evil
• अपपापम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-पाप (प्रातिपदिक) / पाप (प्रातिपदिक)

• परिक्षवम्: well-purified; thoroughly cleansed
• परिक्षवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-क्षव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘चारों ओर से शुद्ध/परिक्षालित’ अर्थे)

• पुण्यम्: auspicious; meritorious; holy
• पुण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• भक्षीमहि: may we eat/partake
• भक्षीमहि: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)

• क्षवम्: the ‘kṣava’ (a substance/plant/medicine)
• क्षवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षव (प्रातिपदिक; द्रव्य/औषधि-नाम रूपे)

• शिवा: kindly; auspicious
• शिवा: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: of you; your
• ते: —
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पाप: O evil/sin (addressed)
• पाप: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)

• नासिकाम्: nostril; nose
• नासिकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)

• पुण्यगः: bringing/going with auspiciousness
• पुण्यगः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य-ग (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पुण्यं गच्छति/वहति’)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)

• अभि: towards; upon
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• मे: to me; for me
• मे: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• हताम्: let it strike/kill (drive away)
• हताम्: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic śānti tradition (anukramaṇī attribution uncertain/variable)

Devata: Kṣavathu (sneeze) reconfigured as auspicious; and/or Pāpa personified as adversary

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (approx.)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From anxious omen to courageous reversal and calm protection.","listener_experience":"Empowerment—fear is flipped into agency; then relief.","intensity":6}