Atharva Veda 4.20.1: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 1

Sukta 20

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पिशाचक्षयणम्। आ प॑श्यति॒ प्रति॑ पश्यति॒ परा॑ पश्यति॒ पश्य॑ति । दिव॑म॒न्तरि॑क्ष॒माद् भूमिं॒ सर्वं॒ तद् दे॑वि पश्यति

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.20.1

IAST Transliteration

piśācakṣáyaṇam | ā́ paśyati práti paśyati párā paśyati páśyati | dívaṃ antárikṣam ā́d bhū́miṃ sárvaṃ tád devi paśyati

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

A Piśāca-destroyer is she: she looketh hither, she looketh back in answer, she looketh forth afar—she looketh. From heaven, from mid-air, down unto earth, all that is, O Goddess, she beholdeth.

Translation

Ella es destructora de los Piśāca: mira hacia aquí, mira de vuelta en respuesta, mira lejos — mira. Desde el cielo, desde el espacio intermedio, hasta la tierra: todo eso, oh Diosa, ella lo contempla.

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Word by Word

• आ: towards; forth; (prefix)
• आ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) अथवा आ (अव्यय)

• पश्यति: he/she sees
• पश्यति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे)

• प्रति: towards; in return; back
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्

• परा: away; beyond; forth
• परा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परा (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्

• दिवम्: the heaven/sky
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: द्यौ/दिव्)

• अन्तरिक्षम्: the midspace/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• आत्: then; also (Vedic particle)
• आत्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आत् (अव्यय; छान्दस रूप, = अथ/अथात्/अथ वा ‘from’ अर्थे)

• भूमिम्: the earth
• भूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)

• सर्वम्: all; the whole
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: —
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)

• पश्यति: she sees
• पश्यति: Kartā (अन्तर्निहितः: सा/देवी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn to a deified oṣadhi)

Devata: Devī Oṣadhi (plant-goddess) as piśāca-destroyer

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (prose-like repetitions within metrical frame)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: vira