Atharva Veda 15.18.4: Kanda 15, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 4

Sukta 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒हो॒रा॒त्रे नासि॑के॒ दिति॒श्चादि॑तिश्च शीर्षकपा॒ले सं॑वत्स॒रः शिरः॑

IAST Transliteration

ahorātré nā́sike dítíś cā́ditiś ca śīrṣakapālé saṃvatsaráḥ śíraḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Day-and-night are the nostrils; Diti and Aditi are (there); in the skull the Year is the head.

Translation

Día y noche son las fosas nasales; allí están Diti y Aditi; en la bóveda del cráneo, el Año es la cabeza.

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Word by Word

• अहोरात्रे: day-and-night (as a pair)
• अहोरात्रे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक; अहः + रात्रि) अथवा द्वन्द्व-समासः

• नासिके: the two nostrils
• नासिके: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा नासिक (वैकल्पिक-प्रातिपदिक)

• दितिः: Diti
• दितिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अदितिः: Aditi
• अदितिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शीर्षकपालॆ: in/at the two skull-caps (head-bowls)
• शीर्षकपालॆ: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षकपाल (प्रातिपदिक; शीर्षन् + कपाल, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• संवत्सरः: the year
• संवत्सरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)

• शिरः: (is) the head
• शिरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Anonymous Vratya tradition

Devata: Ahorātra (Day-Night); Diti; Aditi; Saṃvatsara (Year)

Chandas: Prose-like identificatory style

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta