Atharva Veda 2.34.5: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 34, Mantra 5

Sukta 34

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

प्र॒जा॒नन्तः॒ प्रति॑ गृह्णन्तु॒ पूर्वे॑ प्रा॒णमङ्गे॑भ्यः॒ पर्या॒चर॑न्तम्। दिवं॑ गच्छ॒ प्रति॑ तिष्ठा॒ शरी॑रैः स्व॒र्गं या॑हि प॒थिभि॑र्देव॒यानैः॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.34.5

IAST Transliteration

prajānántaḥ práti gṛhṇantu pū́rve prāṇám aṅgébhyaḥ paryā́carantam | diváṃ gaccha práti tiṣṭha śárīraiḥ svargáṃ yāhi pathíbhir devayā́naiḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let the Foregone, who know thee, receive thee to meet thee—thy Breath that roams about, departing from the members. Go thou to heaven; take thy station over against (them) with bodies: to Svarga go, by paths, by the god-leading ways.

Translation

汝を知る先に逝きし者たちが、汝を迎え受けよ――諸肢より離れ、めぐり歩く息（prāṇa）を。汝は天に往け。諸身をもって彼らに相対して立て。神の導く道（devayāna）の路により、天界（svarga）へ行け。

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Word by Word

• प्रजानन्तः: knowing, understanding (they who know)
• प्रजानन्तः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: प्र-√ज्ञा (धातु) → प्रजानत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)

• प्रति: towards, in response
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• गृह्णन्तु: let them seize/receive
• गृह्णन्तु: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (गृह्णाति)

• पूर्वे: the former ones, the ancients
• पूर्वे: Kartā (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण of implied ‘they’)
• Type: Adjective (substantive)
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्राणम्: the life-breath
• प्राणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)

• अङ्गेभ्यः: from the limbs
• अङ्गेभ्यः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)

• परि: around, all about
• परि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• आचरन्तम्: moving about, circulating
• आचरन्तम्: Karma (विशेषण of ‘प्राणम्’)
• Type: Participle
• Root: आ-√चर् (चरति) → आचरन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)

• दिवम्: to heaven, the sky
• दिवम्: Karma (गत्यर्थक क्रिया का लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गच्छति)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)

• तिष्ठ: stand, abide
• तिष्ठ: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (तिष्ठति)

• शरीरैः: with (your) bodies / by means of bodies
• शरीरैः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven, the heavenly world
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (गत्यर्थक क्रिया का लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)

• याहि: go
• याहि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (याति)

• पथिभिः: by paths
• पथिभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथि/पथ (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवयानैः: by the god-leading (divine) [paths]
• देवयानैः: Karaṇa (विशेषण of ‘पथिभिः’)
• Type: Adjective (instrumental qualifier)
• Root: देवयान (प्रातिपदिक; देव + यान)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras lineages; specific r̥ṣi attribution for 2.34 varies by anukramaṇī tradition).

Devata: Pitṛs (the Fathers) and the departing Prāṇa as the addressed/managed power.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; with Atharvanic metrical flexibility).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: karuna

Secondary: shanta