Mantra 12
Sukta 19
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
यां मृतायानुबध्नन्ति कूद्यंऽ पदयोपनीम्। तद् वै ब्रह्मज्य ते देवा उपस्तरणमब्रुवन्
IAST Transliteration
yā́ṃ mṛtā́yā anubádhnanti kū́dyaṃ padáyópanīm | tád vái brahmajyé té devā́ upástaraṇam abruvan ||
English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)
That which they bind upon a dead woman—(as) a wall-covering, a foot-laid upper cloth—this verily the gods have ordained as bedding for the brahman-hurter.
Word by Word
याम्whom/which (fem.)
याम्:
कर्म
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → या-
मृतायाःof the dead (woman)
मृतायाः:
सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
TypeAdjective (participial)
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ ‘to die’)
अनुafter, along
अनु:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअनु
बध्नन्तिthey bind
बध्नन्ति:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Root√बन्ध् (बध्नाति) ‘to bind, fasten’
कूद्यंa wall/partition (kūḍya)
कूद्यं:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootकूद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
पदयाwith the foot
पदया:
करण
TypeNoun
Rootपदा (प्रातिपदिक) < पद ‘foot’
उपनीम्a covering/overlay
उपनीम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootउपनी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘that which is put/laid on, covering’)
तत्that
तत्:
कर्तृ (as subject of ‘is’)
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
वैindeed
वै:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
ब्रह्मज्य(is) brahma-slaying / a brahma-crime
ब्रह्मज्य:
समानााधिकरण (predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘brahma-slaying/ brahma-injury’, a grave sin) संभवतः ब्रह्मन् + √हन्/√ज्या-सम्बद्ध व्युत्पत्ति
तेto you
ते:
सम्प्रदान
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → तद्/त्वद्-रूप ‘ते’
देवाःthe gods
देवाः:
कर्तृ
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
उपस्तरणम्a bedding/underlay
उपस्तरणम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootउपस्तरण (प्रातिपदिक; ‘spreading under, bedding’; उप- + √स्तृ ‘to spread’)
अब्रुवन्they said
अब्रुवन्:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Root√ब्रू ‘to say’
Attribution
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (verify Anukramaṇī)
Devata: The gods as ordainers; brahman as violated principle; death-impurity as punitive force
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (to be confirmed)
Mantra Rasa
{"primary_rasa":"bibhatsa","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"Repulsion → dread → taboo reinforcement","listener_experience":"A visceral recoil that discourages sacrilege; sense of karmic inevitability.","intensity":9}