Mantra 3

Sukta 133

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मृत्योरहं ब्रह्मचारी यदस्मि निर्याचन् भूतात् पुरुषं यमाय । तमहं ब्रह्मणा तपसा श्रमेणानयैनं मेखलया सिनामि

IAST Transliteration

mṛtyór aháṃ brahmacārī́ yád ásmi niryā́can bhūtā́t púruṣaṃ yamā́ya | tám aháṃ bráhmaṇā tápasā śrámeṇā́nayainaṃ mékhalayā sināmi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

From Death I—being a Brahmacārin—go forth, as one that is departing; from the being that would lead the man to Yama. Him I, with brahman, with tapas, with toil, lead back; this one I bind fast with the girdle.

Translation

ਮੌਤ ਤੋਂ ਮੈਂ—ਬ੍ਰਹਮਚਾਰੀ ਹੋ ਕੇ—ਬਾਹਰ ਨਿਕਲਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਰਵਾਨਾ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੋਵਾਂ; ਉਸ ਭੂਤ-ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਤੋਂ ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਯਮ ਕੋਲ ਲੈ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਮੈਂ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ (ਮੰਤ੍ਰ-ਬਲ) ਨਾਲ, ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਨਾਲ, ਮਿਹਨਤ ਨਾਲ ਵਾਪਸ ਲਿਆਉਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ; ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਮੈਂ ਮੇਖਲਾ (ਕਮਰਬੰਦ) ਨਾਲ ਪੱਕਾ ਬੰਨ੍ਹਦਾ ਹਾਂ।

Word by Word

मृत्योःof death

अहम्I

ब्रह्मचारीa brahmacārin (religious student/ascetic)

यत्that/which

अस्मिam

निर्याचन्going out/issuing forth

भूतात्from the being/creature (from what has become)

पुरुषम्the man/person

यमायto Yama

तम्him/that (person)

अहम्I

ब्रह्मणाwith sacred power/holy formula (brahman)

तपसाwith austerity/heat (tapas)

श्रमेनwith effort/toil

अनयैwith this (means/agency)

एनम्him

मेखलयाwith a girdle/belt

सिनामिI bind/fasten

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata: Brahmacārin-power; Death (Mṛtyu) and Yama as adversarial poles; Mekhalā as instrument

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like expansion (exact metrical scan uncertain)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"karuna","emotional_arc":"Confrontation with death → compassionate retrieval → resolute sealing.","listener_experience":"Hope under pressure; sense of being pulled back from the edge and safely held.","intensity":8}