Mantra 49
Sukta 3
उप सर्प मातरं भूमिमेतामुरुव्यचसं पृथिवीं सुशेवाम्। ऊर्णम्रदाः पृथिवी दक्षिणावत एषा त्वा पातु प्रपथे पुरस्तात्
úpa sarpa mātáraṁ bhū́mim etā́m uruvyácasaṁ pṛthivī́ṁ suśévām | ū́rṇamradāḥ pṛthivī́ dakṣiṇā́vat eṣā́ tvā pātu prápathe purástāt ||
Creep thou nigh unto this Mother Earth, the wide-expanding, the broad, the gracious. Soft as wool is Earth, rich in auspicious right-hand fortune: may she protect thee on thy forward way, in front.
Rishi: Bhūmi-sūkta tradition (often attributed in ancillary tradition to Atharvanic seers; exact r̥ṣi assignment varies by anukramaṇī for this late book).
Devata: Pṛthivī (Earth) as Mother and Protectress
Chandas: Predominantly Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-like cadence in this section (late Atharvanic style; verify by pada count in critical edition).
{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From cautious approach to calm confidence under protection.","listener_experience":"Felt safety in the body; steadier steps and reduced apprehension.","intensity":5}