Mantra 54

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इषीकां जरतीमिष्ट्वा तिल्पिञ्जं दण्डनं नडम्। तमिन्द्र इध्मं कृत्वा यमस्याग्निं निरादधौ

IAST Transliteration

iṣī́kāṃ járatīm iṣṭvā́ tilpíñjaṃ dáṇḍanaṃ naḍám | tám índraḥ́ idhmáṃ kṛtvā́ yám asyāgníṃ nir-ā́dadhau

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

A withered reed he worshipped, and tilpiñja-grass, and reed-stalk as a staff: that Indra, making it kindling-fuel, set forth as Yama’s fire and duly laid it down.

Word by Word

इषीकाम्a reed/arrow-shaft (a slender stalk)

जरतीम्old, aged

इष्ट्वाhaving worshipped / having offered

तिल्पिञ्जम्a kind of grass/reed (tilpiñja)

दण्डनम्a staff/rod (stick)

नडम्reed, cane

तम्that (it/him)

इन्द्रःIndra

इध्मम्fuel, firewood

कृत्वाhaving made

यमस्यof Yama

अग्निम्fire (Agni)

निरादधौhe set down/placed (established)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/anonymous (not explicit in the provided excerpt)

Devata: Indra (agent exemplar) and Yama (jurisdictional locus of the fire)

Chandas: Likely Anuṣṭubh-like (two pādas shown; full metrical certainty requires full pada-count verification)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"karuna","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"From mortal poignancy (withered reed) to calm order (fire duly laid).","listener_experience":"Solemn steadiness; grief held within procedure.","intensity":6}