Atharva Veda 5.19.3: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 19, Mantra 3

Sukta 19

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ये ब्रा॑ह्म॒णं प्र॒त्यष्ठी॑व॒न् ये वा॑स्मिञ्छु॒ल्कमी॑षि॒रे। अ॒स्नस्ते मध्ये॑ कु॒ल्यायाः॒ केशा॒न् खाद॑न्त आसते

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 5.19.3

IAST Transliteration

yé brā́hmaṇaṁ práty-aṣṭhīvan yé vā́smíñ chulkám īṣiré | asnáste mádhye kulyā́yāḥ kéśān khā́danta āsate ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

They who have spat in scorn against a Brahman, or who within this realm have sought to exact a fee—unbathed, in the midst of a ditch, they sit abiding, gnawing at their own hair.

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Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (prātipadika)

• प्रति: against, towards
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• अष्ठीवन्: they spat
• अष्ठीवन्: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: ष्ठीव् (धातु; ‘to spit’)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• वा: or
• वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अयम्/इदम् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• शुल्कम्: fee, price, toll
• शुल्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क (prātipadika)

• ईषिरे: they sought/desired
• ईषिरे: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईष् (धातु; ‘to seek/desire/strive for’)

• अस्नाः: stones
• अस्नाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्न (prātipadika; ‘stone’)

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (prātipadika)

• कुल्यायाः: of the channel/ditch
• कुल्यायाः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल्या (prātipadika)

• केशान्: hair (locks)
• केशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (prātipadika)

• खादन्तः: eating, chewing
• खादन्तः: Kartā
• Type: Verb (participle)
• Root: खाद् (धातु; ‘to eat/chew’)

• आसते: they sit/lie
• आसते: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु; ‘to sit’)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (hymn against brahma-droha; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī traditions)

Devata: Brahman (sacral power), and the punitive force of brahma-tejas (impersonal)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in this section)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: bibhatsa