Atharva Veda 18.2.51: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 51

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इ॒दमिद् वा उ॒ नाप॑रं ज॒रस्य॒न्यदि॒तोऽप॑रम्। जा॒या पति॑मिव॒ वास॑सा॒भ्येऽनं भूम ऊर्णुहि

IAST Transliteration

idám íd vā́ u ná̄paraṃ járasi anyád itó’param | jāyā́ pátim iva vāsásābhy-ènāṃ bhū́me ūrṇuhi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

This verily is it: in wasting age there is no other thing beyond this. As a wife her husband with a garment, so, O Earth, cover thou this man over.

Translation

ഇതുതന്നെ സത്യമാണ്: ക്ഷയിക്കുന്ന ജരയിൽ ഇതിന് അപ്പുറം മറ്റൊന്നുമില്ല. ഭാര്യ തന്റെ ഭർത്താവിനെ വസ്ത്രംകൊണ്ട് മൂടുന്നതുപോലെ, ഹേ ഭൂമീ, ഈ മനുഷ്യനെ മൂടുക.

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Word by Word

• इदम्: this (thing)
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इत्: indeed, just
• इत्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत् (निपात)

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• उ: and/also (emphatic particle)
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (निपात)

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

• अपरम्: other, different
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• जरस्य: of old age, of decay
• जरस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• इतः: from here, hence
• इतः: Apādāna
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय; इदम्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• अपरम्: other (one), different
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)

• जाया: wife
• जाया: Kartā (of implied comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाया (प्रातिपदिक)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (उपमा-अव्यय)

• वाससा: with garments, by (two) cloths
• वाससा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभि: towards, over
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• एनम्: this one, him/it
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एनद्-श्रुति)

• भूमे: O Earth
• भूमे: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊर्णुहि: cover!, wrap!
• ऊर्णुहि: Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वृञ्/वृणोति) — ‘to cover, wrap’

Attribution

Rishi: AV 18 funerary transmission (r̥ṣi per Anukramaṇī varies).

Devata: Pṛthivī (Earth)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: karuna