Mantra 10
Sukta 2
यत् ते नियानं रजसं मृत्यो अनवधर्ष्यऽम्। पथ इमं तस्माद् रक्षन्तो ब्रह्मास्मै वर्म कृण्मसि
yát te niyā́naṃ rájasaḥ mṛ́tyo anavadhaṛ́ṣyam | pátha imáṃ tasmā́d rákṣantaḥ bráhmāsmái várma kṛṇmasi ||
That leading-down of thine, O Death, from out the region—irresistible— from that path, guarding this man, we make for him Prayer as armor.
Rishi: Atharvanic (per Anukramaṇī).
Devata: Brahman (mantra-power) as protective armor; addressed to Mṛtyu as adversarial power.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (likely; confirm in edition).
{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"Acknowledgment of a formidable threat followed by confident protective construction.","listener_experience":"A ‘shielded’ feeling; confidence that the downward pull can be blocked for now.","intensity":6}