Mantra 3

Sukta 37

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

नदीं यन्त्वप्सरसोऽपां तारमवश्वसम्। गुल्गुलूः पीला नलद्यौ३क्षगन्धिः प्रमन्दनी। तत् परेताप्सरसः प्रतिबुद्धा अभूतन

IAST Transliteration

nadī́m yantv apsaráso ’pā́m tāráṃm avaśvásam | gulgulū́ḥ pī́lā naladyaukṣagandhíḥ pramandanī́ | tát paréta apsarásaḥ pratíbuddhā abhūtana

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

To the river let the Apsarases depart—those of the Waters—unto the ferryman, the ill-omened. Guggulu, Pīlā, the fragrance of Naladā and Dyaukṣa, the bewitching Gladdener: thither depart, O Apsarases; detected and brought to wakefulness, be ye (so) become.

Word by Word

• नदीम्: (the) river
• नदीम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)

• यन्तु: let (them) go/come
• यन्तु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)

• अप्सरसः: Apsarases (water-nymphs)
• अप्सरसः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपाम्: of the waters
• अपाम्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तारम्: the crosser; ferryman (one who carries across)
• तारम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक; √तॄ ‘to cross’ से)

• अवश्वसम्: breathing downward/with eased breath; relieving (of breath)
• अवश्वसम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-श्वस (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √श्वस् ‘to breathe’)

• गुल्गुलूः: guggulu (a resin/herb)
• गुल्गुलूः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्गुलू (प्रातिपदिक; औषधि-नाम)

• पीला: pīlā (a medicinal plant)
• पीला: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीला (प्रातिपदिक; औषधि-नाम)

• नलद्या: naladī/nalada (spikenard-like plant)
• नलद्या: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: नलदी/नलदा (प्रातिपदिक; औषधि-नाम)

• उक्षगन्धिः: having the scent of a bull (strong-smelling)
• उक्षगन्धिः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: उक्ष-गन्धि (समास-प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रमन्दनी: the gladdening/soothing one
• प्रमन्दनी: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: प्र-मन्दनी (प्रातिपदिक; √मन्द् ‘to be glad/soft’)

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• परेत: go forth/away
• परेत: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-इ (धातु; √इ ‘to go’)

• अप्सरसः: O Apsaras
• अप्सरसः: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रति: towards; in return
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)

• बुद्धा: awakened; made aware
• बुद्धा: कर्तृ
• Type: Participle
• Root: बुध् (धातु) → बुद्ध (कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/क्त)

• अभूतन: you (pl.) became; you were
• अभूतन: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often anonymous/collective for such kṣudra-karmāṇi hymns)

Devata: Apsarases (as targeted beings); implicitly Apas (Waters) as the receiving realm

Chandas: Mixed/irregular (Atharvanic triṣṭubh-jagatī tendencies; refrain-based)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"raudra","emotional_arc":"From urgent command to decisive expulsion and clarity (‘awake/detected’).","listener_experience":"Protective severity; relief through firm boundaries and sensory purification.","intensity":7}