Mantra 11

Sukta 8

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

नयतामून् मृत्युदूता यमदूता अपोम्भत । परःसहस्रा हन्यन्तां तृणेढ्वेनान् मत्यं भवस्य

IAST Transliteration

náyata ’mū́n mṛtyudūtā́ yamádūtā́ apómbhata | paráḥ-sahasrā́ hanyantāṃ tṛṇéḍhve enā́n matyáṃ bhávasyā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Lead ye those yonder, O messengers of Death, messengers of Yama; sweep them away. Let them be smitten beyond a thousand; trample ye these to grass—into the mortal lot, by Bhava’s power.

Word by Word

• नयताम्: let (them) lead / carry away
• नयताम्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)

• ऊन: these (persons/ones)
• ऊन: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एनद्/एतद्-श्रुति

• मृत्युदूताः: messengers of Death
• मृत्युदूताः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु-दूत (समास-प्रातिपदिक)

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-दूत (समास-प्रातिपदिक)

• अपोम्भत: they drove away / removed
• अपोम्भत: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भम्/भम (धातु; ‘to go/drive/strike’—वेदिक प्रयोग)

• परःसहस्राः: (those) beyond a thousand / very many
• परःसहस्राः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: परः-सहस्र (समास-प्रातिपदिक)

• हन्यन्ताम्: let them be slain / be struck down
• हन्यन्ताम्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)

• तृणे: in/like grass
• तृणे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)

• इध्वे: kindle! / blaze!
• इध्वे: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इध् (धातु; ‘to kindle, blaze’)

• एनान्: these (ones)
• एनान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एनद्

• मत्यम्: a mortal / man
• मत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्य (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक ‘मर्त्य/मनुष्य’)

• भवस्य: of Bhava (a name of Rudra/Śiva)
• भवस्य: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition; specific r̥ṣi uncertain without anukramaṇī.

Devata: Mṛtyu, Yama, and Bhava (Rudra-aspect)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (approx.)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"raudra","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"Command → removal → hyperbolic striking → contemptuous trampling → consignment to mortal ruin.","listener_experience":"Relentless pressure; sense of being driven out and stamped down.","intensity":9}