Mantra 14
Sukta 19
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
येन मृतं स्नपयन्ति श्मश्रूणि येनोन्दते । तं वै ब्रह्मज्य ते देवा अपां भागमधारयन्
IAST Transliteration
yéna mṛtáṃ snapáyanti śmaśrū́ṇi yénóndate | táṃ vái brahmajyé te devā́ apā́ṃ bhā́gam adhārayann ||
English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)
That wherewith they wash the dead, wherewith they moisten the beard—him, verily, as Brahman-slayer, the Gods have held back from the Waters’ portion.
Word by Word
येनby which; with which
येन:
Karaṇa
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-
मृतम्the dead (body)
मृतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ ‘to die’ से क्त) अथवा ‘मृत’ (शव)
स्नपयन्तिthey wash/bathe
स्नपयन्ति:
(क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√स्ना (स्नान/स्नपन) — causative (णिच्) → स्नपयति
श्मश्रूणिbeards; facial hair
श्मश्रूणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootश्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
येनby which
येन:
Karaṇa
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-
उन्दतेit becomes moist / is anointed / flows
उन्दते:
(क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√उन्द् (to wet, moisten; to anoint) अथवा √उन्द् (to swell/flow) — आत्मनेपदी प्रयोग
तम्that (one/thing)
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
वैindeed
वै:
—
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (निपात)
ब्रह्मज्यःBrahma-jya (a named sacred implement/term); the ‘brahma-string/bowstring’ (ritual term)
ब्रह्मज्यः:
Kartā
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootब्रह्मज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ब्रह्मन्’ + ‘ज्य’/‘ज्या’—धनुषि प्रत्यञ्चा/ज्या; अथवा ‘ब्रह्म’ + ‘ज्य’ = ब्रह्म-सम्बद्धः)
तेthey
ते:
Kartā
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
देवाःthe gods
देवाः:
Kartā
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
अपाम्of the waters
अपाम्:
Sambandha (genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootअप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)
भागम्a share; portion
भागम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
अधारयन्they placed/assigned/held
अधारयन्:
(क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√धृ (to hold, place) — causative/denominative? here simple aorist/imperf. stem ‘धारय-’
Attribution
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (see Anukramaṇī for exact attribution).
Devata: Āpas; Devas as withholders; target = brahmajya.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh.
Mantra Rasa
{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"raudra","emotional_arc":"From stark mortuary realism to severe juridical exclusion.","listener_experience":"Sobering fear and taboo-awareness; heightened sense of boundaries.","intensity":8}