Atharva Veda 18.2.46: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 46

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

प्रा॒णो अ॑पा॒नो व्या॒न आयु॒श्चक्षु॑र्दृ॒शये॒ सूर्या॑य । अप॑रिपरेण प॒था य॒मरा॑ज्ञः पि॒तॄन् ग॑च्छ

IAST Transliteration

prāṇó apā́nó vyāná āyúś cákṣur dṛśáye sū́ryāya | ápari-pareṇa pathā́ yáma-rājñaḥ pitṝ́n gacha ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Breath, out-breath, pervading breath; life, and the eye—to seeing, to the Sun: by the farther path, the path of King Yama, go thou unto the Fathers.

Translation

Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna; la vida y el ojo — para ver, para el Sol. Por la senda más lejana, por el camino del rey Yama, ve tú hacia los Padres.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• प्राणः: the in-breath, vital breath
• प्राणः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्र + √अन् ‘श्वसिति’)

• अपानः: the out-breath
• अपानः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान (अप + √अन् ‘श्वसिति’)

• व्यानः: the pervading breath
• व्यानः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यान (वि + √अन् ‘श्वसिति’)

• आयुः: life, lifespan
• आयुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्

• चक्षुः: eye, sight
• चक्षुः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्

• दृशये: for seeing, for vision
• दृशये: सम्प्रदान
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृशि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिकम्) / √दृश् (सम्भाव्य व्युत्पत्तिः)

• सूर्याय: to/for the Sun
• सूर्याय: सम्प्रदान
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य

• अपरिपरेण: by a non-circuitous (direct)
• अपरिपरेण: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरिपर (प्रातिपदिकम्; ‘अ-’ + परि-पर)

• पथा: by the path
• पथा: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्

• यमराज्ञः: of King Yama
• यमराज्ञः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमराजन् (यम + राजन्)

• पितॄन्: the Fathers (ancestors)
• पितॄन्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funerary tradition (AV 18).

Devata: Yama (as path-lord), Pitṛs, Sūrya (recipient of sight), and the vital breaths as quasi-deities.

Chandas: Mixed/irregular (prose-like anuṣṭubh tendency; typical of directive funerary verses)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: karuna