Mantra 2

Sukta 35

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

येनातरन् भूतकृतोऽति मृत्युं यमन्वविदन् तपसा श्रमेण । यं पपाच ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्म पूर्वं तेनौदनेनाति तराणि मृत्युम्

IAST Transliteration

yénātaran bhūtá-kṛto ’tí mṛtyúṃ yám anvàvidan tápasā śrámēṇa | yáṃ papā́ca bráhmaṇe bráhma pū́rvaṃ ténaudanénāti tarāṇi mṛtyúm

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Wherewith the makers of beings crossed beyond Death—what they, by heat and strenuous effort, thereafter found; what Brahman, in the beginning, cooked for brahman-power—with that same odana may I pass beyond Death.

Word by Word

येनby which (means)

अतरन्they crossed

भूतकृतःthe creators of beings / those who made creatures

अतिbeyond, over

मृत्युम्death

यम्whom

अनुafter, along

अविन्दन्they found, they obtained

तपसाby austerity, by heat/penance

श्रमॆणby toil, by effort

यम्which/whom

पपाचhe cooked

ब्रह्मणेfor Brahman / for the sacred power (brahman)

ब्रह्मBrahman; sacred power

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

तेनwith that

ओदनेनwith the cooked rice/porridge (odana)

अतिbeyond

तराणिmay I cross / let me cross

मृत्युम्death

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata: Odana as means; Brahman-power; Death as adversary

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (refrain structure; edition-dependent)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"From awe at primordial achievement → confident appropriation → calm resolve against death.","listener_experience":"A steadying sense that one holds an ancient, proven remedy; fear of death is met with ritually grounded confidence.","intensity":6}