Atharva Veda 2.16.1: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 1

Sukta 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सुरक्षा प्राणा॑पानौ मृ॒त्योर्मा॑ पातं॒ स्वाहा॑

IAST Transliteration

su-rakṣā prā́ṇāpānau mṛtyór mā pātáṃ svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Good warding! O Prāṇa and Apāna, from Death do ye protect me. Svāhā!

Translation

よき護りあれ。プラーナとアパーナ（Prāṇa・Apāna）よ、死より我を守れ。スヴァーハー（Svāhā）！

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Word by Word

• सुरक्षा: protection, safeguarding
• सुरक्षा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; सु-रक्ष् + अ) अथवा सुरक्षा (स्त्री.)

• प्राणापानौ: the in-breath and out-breath (vital airs)
• प्राणापानौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + अपान (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृत्योः: from death / of death
• मृत्योः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• पातम्: (you two) protect (me)
• पातम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) ‘to protect’

• स्वाहा: svāhā (ritual exclamation)
• स्वाहा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (निपात/अव्यय; यज्ञीय-उद्गार)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific ṛṣi not securely determinable from the single mantra alone in isolation).

Devata: Prāṇa and Apāna (vital breaths) as deified life-agents; apotropaic opposition to Mṛtyu.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (short protective formula; exact metrical classification is fluid for such svāhā-closures).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: shanta