Atharva Veda 10.5.12: Kanda 10, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 5, Mantra 12

Sukta 5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

य॒मस्य॑ भा॒ग स्थ॑। अ॒पां शु॒क्रमा॑पो देवी॒र्वर्चो॑ अ॒स्मासु॑ धत्त । प्र॒जाप॑तेर्वो॒ धाम्ना॒स्मै लो॒काय॑ सादये

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 10.5.12

IAST Transliteration

yamá́sya bhāgá sthá | apā́ṃ śukrám ā́po devī́r várcó asmā́su dhatta | prajā́pater vo dhā́mnā́smái lokā́ya sādaye

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Ye are Yama’s portion. O Waters, bright of essence, goddesses, set splendour within us. By Prajāpati’s ordinance—by your established might—I seat him firmly in this world.

Translation

तुम यम के हिस्से में हो। पानी, तुम चमकदार हो, देवी हो। हमें अंदर तेज दो। प्रजापति के नियम से, तुम्हारी ताकत से, मैं उसे इस दुनिया में पक्का बिठा देता हूँ।

The meaning

What it says

The Waters are addressed as ‘Yama’s portion’ (yamasya bhāgaḥ stha). They are ‘bright of essence’ (apāṃ śukram). The divine Waters are asked to place splendour/vital lustre (varcas) in us. By Prajāpati’s ordinance/power (dhāmnā), the speaker ‘seats him’ (sādaye) firmly in this world—i.e., secures a stable station among the living after giving Yama his due.

The inner meaning

A negotiation with mortality: acknowledge death’s claim (Yama’s share) so that life-force (varcas) can remain undisturbed. Psychologically, it integrates awareness of death without panic, converting it into a boundary that protects vitality and social presence.

The truth in it

Life is strengthened not by denying death, but by ritually and ethically ‘paying what is due’ to the forces of limitation. Purification and rightful allocation restore vitality and stability.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity/Varcas) with eschatological/ancestral negotiation

Its aim

To secure varcas (lustre, vitality, prestige) through the Waters while ritually allocating Yama’s due, thereby stabilizing the client’s ‘station’ in the living world.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

य॒मस्य॑ । भा॒गः । स्थ॑ । अ॒पाम् । शु॒क्रम् । आ॒पः । दे॒वीः । वर्चः॑ । अ॒स्मासु॑ । ध॒त्त॒ । प्र॒जाप॑तेः । वः॒ । धाम्ना॑ । अ॒स्मै । लो॒काय॑ । सा॒द॒ये॒

यमस्य

of YamaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root यम (प्रातिपदिक)

भागः

share/portionportion, allotted share (ritual entitlement; due offering)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (nominal subject)Root भाग (प्रातिपदिक)

स्थ

be (you all)!be ye / stand as (become; take your station as)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)

अपाम्

of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)

शुक्रम्

bright, pure (splendour)bright essence, pure brilliance (also generative sap; luminous potency)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (object, with implied verb like ‘धत्त/दधात’)Root शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)

आपः

watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (addressed subject)Root अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)

देवीः

goddesses/divine (ones)goddesses (divine females; efficacious powers)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to आपः)Root देवी (प्रातिपदिक)

वर्चः

lustre, vitalitysplendour, sacred lustre (charisma/tejas conferring social and bodily vigor)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (object of धत्त)Root वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)

अस्मासु

in usPronoun(त्रिलिङ्ग); सप्तमी-बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (locus: ‘in us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

धत्त

place, bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)

प्रजापतेः

of PrajāpatiNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)

वः

of you (pl.)of you / your (addressed to the Waters)Pronoun(त्रिलिङ्ग); षष्ठी-बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

धाम्ना

by (your) abode/radianceby the ordinance/abode/power (dhāman: established might; authoritative station)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करण (instrument/means)Root धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)

अस्मै

for this (one), to himfor this (person/householder; the ritual client)Pronoun(त्रिलिङ्ग); चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

लोकाय

for the world/realmNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (purpose/goal)Root लोक (प्रातिपदिक)

सादये

I cause to settle/establishI cause to sit/settle (to establish; to seat firmly, ritually install)Verbलट्; उत्तम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot सादय् (धातु; causative of सद् ‘to sit/settle’)

Sandhi Notes

• यमस्य | भागः | स्थ || अपाम् | शुक्रम् | आपः | देवीः | वर्चः | अस्मासु | धत्त || प्रजापतेः | वः | धाम्ना | अस्मै | लोकाय | सादये ।
• 1) ‘भाग स्थ’ इति संहितायां ‘भागः स्थ’ (विसर्ग-लोप/विसर्ग-सन्धि) सम्भवः।
• 2) ‘शुक्रमापो’ = ‘शुक्रम् + आपः’ (म् + आ → म् आ; पदान्त-व्यञ्जनस्य परे स्वरः, संहितालेखने एकत्र)।
• 3) ‘देवीर्वर्चो’ = ‘देवीः + वर्चः’ (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः/रुत्व; ‘ः’ → ‘र्’ परे घोषवर्णे)।
• 4) ‘धाम्नास्मै’ = ‘धाम्ना + अस्मै’ (आ + अ → आ; संहितालेखने संयोगः)।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution varies for AV 10.5; commonly Atharvan/Angiras-type)

Devata

Āpas (Waters) with Prajāpati as authorizing power; Yama invoked as recipient of a ‘share’

Chandas

Mixed/prose-like triṣṭubh tendency in Saunaka transmission (not strictly regular); often treated as an Atharvanic pragmatic meter

Rasa

Shanta and Karuna

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions