Mantra 1

Sukta 93

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स्वस्त्ययनम्। यमो मृत्युरघमारो निरृथो बभ्रुः शर्वोऽस्ता नीलशिखण्डः । देवजनाः सेनयोत्तस्थिवांसस्ते अस्माकं परि वृञ्जन्तु वीरान्

IAST Transliteration

svastyáyanam | yamó mṛtyúr agha-mā́ro nírṛtho babhrúḥ śárvo ’stā́ nī́la-śikhaṇḍaḥ | deva-janā́ḥ sénayo ’t-tasthivā́ṁsas té asmā́kaṁ pári vṛñjantu vīrā́n ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

For a safe-going: Yama, Death, the Evil-slayer, Nirṛti, Babhru, Śarva, Asta, the blue-crested—divine-born hosts, armies standing up in readiness—may they encompass round about our heroes.

Word by Word

• स्वस्ति: well-being; auspiciousness
• स्वस्ति: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) < सु- + अस्ति

• अयनम्: path; course; going
• अयनम्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक) < √इ (गत्यर्थ) + युच्/अन

• यमः: Yama (lord of the dead)
• यमः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृत्युः: Death
• मृत्युः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अघमारः: evil-destroyer / bringer of evil (name/epithet)
• अघमारः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघमार (प्रातिपदिक) < अघ + मार

• निरृतिः: Nirṛti (goddess of dissolution/misfortune)
• निरृतिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)

• बभ्रुः: Babhru (the brown one; name/epithet)
• बभ्रुः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक)

• शर्वः: Śarva (Rudra/Śiva)
• शर्वः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्ता: Asta (name/epithet; ‘the cast-down/setting one’)
• अस्ता: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक) / अस्त (अव्यय) < √अस् (क्षेपणे/नाशे) अथवा √अस् (अस्ति) से भिन्न

• नीलशिखण्डः: blue-crested (one); blue-tufted (epithet)
• नीलशिखण्डः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: नीलशिखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) < नील + शिखण्ड

• देवजनाः: the divine folk; godly beings
• देवजनाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवजन (प्रातिपदिक) < देव + जन

• सेनयः: armies; hosts
• सेनयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तस्थिवांसः: having risen; standing up
• उत्तस्थिवांसः: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: उत्-√स्था (धातु) ; कृदन्त: उत्तस्थिवस् (परिपूर्ण/भूत)

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)

• अस्माकम्: of us; our
• अस्माकम्: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• परि: around; on all sides
• परि: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• वृञ्जन्तु: may they ward off / encompass protectively
• वृञ्जन्तु: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृञ्ज् (वृञ्जति) / √वृज् (वर्जने/वरणे) — वैदिक रूप ‘वृञ्ज’

• वीरान्: heroes; men; warriors
• वीरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition

Devata: Composite: Yama/Mṛtyu/Nirṛti and Rudra-forms as controlled guardians; also Deva-senā (divine hosts)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (catalogue style; may be metrically irregular)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Awe/fear invoked by death-powers → fear transmuted into guarded courage.","listener_experience":"A chill of seriousness followed by reassurance: the very terrors are now standing watch.","intensity":8}