Mantra 1

Sukta 93

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स्वस्त्ययनम्। यमो मृत्युरघमारो निरृथो बभ्रुः शर्वोऽस्ता नीलशिखण्डः । देवजनाः सेनयोत्तस्थिवांसस्ते अस्माकं परि वृञ्जन्तु वीरान्

IAST Transliteration

svastyáyanam | yamó mṛtyúr agha-mā́ro nírṛtho babhrúḥ śárvo ’stā́ nī́la-śikhaṇḍaḥ | deva-janā́ḥ sénayo ’t-tasthivā́ṁsas té asmā́kaṁ pári vṛñjantu vīrā́n ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

For a safe-going: Yama, Death, the Evil-slayer, Nirṛti, Babhru, Śarva, Asta, the blue-crested—divine-born hosts, armies standing up in readiness—may they encompass round about our heroes.

Translation

Para un camino seguro. Yama, la Muerte, el Matador del mal, Nirṛti, Babhru, Śarva, Asta, el de cresta azul — huestes nacidas de los dioses, ejércitos puestos en pie y listos — que rodeen por todas partes a nuestros héroes.

Word by Word

• स्वस्ति: well-being; auspiciousness
• स्वस्ति: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) < सु- + अस्ति

• अयनम्: path; course; going
• अयनम्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक) < √इ (गत्यर्थ) + युच्/अन

• यमः: Yama (lord of the dead)
• यमः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृत्युः: Death
• मृत्युः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अघमारः: evil-destroyer / bringer of evil (name/epithet)
• अघमारः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघमार (प्रातिपदिक) < अघ + मार

• निरृतिः: Nirṛti (goddess of dissolution/misfortune)
• निरृतिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)

• बभ्रुः: Babhru (the brown one; name/epithet)
• बभ्रुः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक)

• शर्वः: Śarva (Rudra/Śiva)
• शर्वः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्ता: Asta (name/epithet; ‘the cast-down/setting one’)
• अस्ता: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक) / अस्त (अव्यय) < √अस् (क्षेपणे/नाशे) अथवा √अस् (अस्ति) से भिन्न

• नीलशिखण्डः: blue-crested (one); blue-tufted (epithet)
• नीलशिखण्डः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: नीलशिखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) < नील + शिखण्ड

• देवजनाः: the divine folk; godly beings
• देवजनाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवजन (प्रातिपदिक) < देव + जन

• सेनयः: armies; hosts
• सेनयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तस्थिवांसः: having risen; standing up
• उत्तस्थिवांसः: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: उत्-√स्था (धातु) ; कृदन्त: उत्तस्थिवस् (परिपूर्ण/भूत)

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• अस्माकम्: of us; our
• अस्माकम्: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• परि: around; on all sides
• परि: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• वृञ्जन्तु: may they ward off / encompass protectively
• वृञ्जन्तु: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृञ्ज् (वृञ्जति) / √वृज् (वर्जने/वरणे) — वैदिक रूप ‘वृञ्ज’

• वीरान्: heroes; men; warriors
• वीरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition

Devata: Composite: Yama/Mṛtyu/Nirṛti and Rudra-forms as controlled guardians; also Deva-senā (divine hosts)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (catalogue style; may be metrically irregular)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Awe/fear invoked by death-powers → fear transmuted into guarded courage.","listener_experience":"A chill of seriousness followed by reassurance: the very terrors are now standing watch.","intensity":8}