Atharva Veda 18.4.41: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 41

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

समि॑न्धते॒ अम॑र्त्यं हव्य॒वाहं॑ घृत॒प्रिय॑म्। स वे॑द॒ निहि॑तान्नि॒धीन् पि॒तॄ॒न् प॑रा॒वतो॑ ग॒तान्

IAST Transliteration

samíndhate amártyaṃ havyavā́haṃ ghṛtapríyam | sá veda níhitān nidhī́n pitṝ́n parāváto gatā́n ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

They kindle the Immortal, the Oblation-bearer, the lover of clarified butter. He knoweth the treasures laid away—the Fathers who have gone to the far-off realm.

Translation

അവർ അമർത്ത്യനെ ജ്വലിപ്പിക്കുന്നു—ഹവ്യവാഹനെ, ഘൃതപ്രിയനെ. അവൻ നിഹിതമായ നിധികളെ അറിയുന്നു: പരാവത് (ദൂരലോകം) പ്രാപിച്ച പിതൃകളെ.

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Word by Word

• समिन्धते: they kindle (for themselves)
• समिन्धते: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इन्ध् (इन्ध्)

• अमर्त्यम्: the immortal (one)
• अमर्त्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• हव्यवाहम्: the oblation-carrier (Agni)
• हव्यवाहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: हव्य-वाह (प्रातिपदिक)

• घृतप्रियम्: ghee-loving
• घृतप्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्

• निहितान्: placed/laid down, deposited
• निहितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: नि-धा (धातु) → निहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• निधीन्: treasures, deposits
• निधीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• पितॄन्: the Fathers/ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• परावतः: from afar, from the distant region
• परावतः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun/Adverbial (ablatival)
• Root: परावत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दूर-देश/दूरता’)

• गतान्: gone, departed
• गतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: गम् → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally connected with Atharvanic Pitṛ-hymn seers (Aṅgiras/Atharvan lineages in AV 18); specific r̥ṣi assignment depends on anukramaṇī tradition

Devata: Agni (as havyavāhana) and Pitṛs (as recipients implied)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in AV 18 funerary verses)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: karuna

Secondary: shanta