Atharva Veda 18.2.41: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 41

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वी॒३मां मात्रां॑ मिमीमहे॒ यथाप॑रं॒ न मासा॑तै । श॒ते श॒रत्सु॒ नो पु॒रा

IAST Transliteration

vímā́ṃ mā́trāṃ mimīmahe yáthā́paraṃ ná mā́sātai | śaté śáratsu no purā́

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

In due division this measure we do mete, that it be not thereafter spent in months: a hundred autumns—so for us, as in the days of old.

Translation

われらは正しい配分により、この「量」（mātrā）を量り定める。のちに月々のうちに尽き果てぬように。古のごとく、われらに百の秋（百年）あれ。

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Word by Word

• वीमाम्: (this) measure/standard (as an object)
• वीमाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीमा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वीमा’ = माप/मात्रा-सम्बद्ध)

• मात्राम्: measure, unit
• मात्राम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)

• मिमीमहे: we measure
• मिमीमहे: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मा (माने/मिमीत् ‘to measure’)

• यथा: so that, as
• यथा: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)

• अपरम्: further/next; another
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• मासातै: may (it) not pass as a month / may it not become a month
• मासातै: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + √अत्/√इ (गत्यर्थ; ‘अतै’ इति वैदिक-रूप)

• शते: in a hundred
• शते: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)

• शरत्सु: in (many) autumns/years
• शरत्सु: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: for us / of us
• नः: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• पुरा: formerly, before
• पुरा: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (variable)

Devata: Āyus as distributable measure

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (refrain-form)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta