Atharva Veda 18.3.73: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 73

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ए॒तदा रो॑ह॒ वय॑ उन्मृजा॒नः स्वा इ॒ह बृ॒हदु॑ दीदयन्ते । अ॒भि प्रेहि॑ मध्य॒तो माप॑ हास्थाः पितॄ॒नां लो॒कं प्र॑थ॒मो यो अत्र॑

IAST Transliteration

etád ā́ roha váya unmr̥jānáḥ svā́ ihá br̥hád u dīdayante | abhí préhi madhyató mā́pa hāsthāḥ pitṝṇā́ṁ lókaṁ prathamó yó átra |

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Ascend thou this, cleansing away thy strength anew: thine own here shine forth in lofty splendour. Go on toward them through the midst; stand not aside: the world of the Fathers—he is foremost here who reaches it.

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Word by Word

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

• आ: towards; hither
• आ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• रोह: ascend; mount
• रोह: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुह् (धातु)

• वयः: vital strength; vigor (life-force)
• वयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• उन्मृजानः: cleansing; wiping off
• उन्मृजानः: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: उद्+मृज् (धातु) → उन्मृज्; वर्तमान कृदन्त

• स्वाः: one’s own; belonging to oneself
• स्वाः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)

• बृहत्: great; vast
• बृहत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• उ: indeed; also
• उ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (निपात)

• दीदयन्ते: they shine; they blaze
• दीदयन्ते: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: दीद्/दीदी (धातु; दीप्तौ) (intensive stem) → दीदय

• अभि: towards; unto
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• प्रेहि: go forth; proceed
• प्रेहि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+इ (धातु) → प्रेहि

• मध्यतः: from the middle
• मध्यतः: Apādāna
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)

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

• अप: away; off
• अप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• हास्थाः: do not leave/abandon; do not step away
• हास्थाः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु; त्यागे) + स्था (लोट्-रूप; परस्मैपद)

• पितॄणाम्: of the Fathers (ancestors)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• लोकम्: world; realm
• लोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रथमः: the first
• प्रथमः: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

• यः: who
• यः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)

Attribution

Rishi: Funerary corpus tradition (variable)

Devata: Pitaraḥ (destination), with the deceased as direct addressee

Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh tendency (funerary guidance verses often show metrical looseness)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira