Atharva Veda 15.18.5: Kanda 15, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 5

Sukta 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अह्ना॑ प्र॒त्यङ् व्रात्यो॒ रात्र्या॒ प्राङ् नमो॒ व्रात्या॑य

IAST Transliteration

áhnā pratyáṅ vrātyó rā́tryā prā́ṅ námo vrā́tyāya

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

By day the Vrātya is turned backward; by night he is turned forward. Reverence be to the Vrātya.

Translation

పగలు వ్రాత్యుడు ప్రత్యఙ్ (వెనుకకు ముఖముగా) ఉంటాడు; రాత్రి ప్రాఙ్ (ముందుకు ముఖముగా) ఉంటాడు. వ్రాత్యునికి నమస్కారం.

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Word by Word

• अह्ना: by day / in the daytime
• अह्ना: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्- (प्रातिपदिक ‘दिन’)

• प्रत्यङ्: westward; turned back (towards the west)
• प्रत्यङ्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रयोग ‘प्रत्यञ्च्’)

• व्रात्यः: the Vrātya (ascetic/outsider figure)
• व्रात्यः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रात्य- (प्रातिपदिक)

• रात्र्या: by night / in the nighttime
• रात्र्या: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्राङ्: eastward; facing forward (towards the east)
• प्राङ्: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + अञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रयोग ‘प्राञ्च्’)

• नमः: obeisance; salutation
• नमः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• व्रात्याय: to/for the Vrātya
• व्रात्याय: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रात्य- (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally associated with Vrātya-speculation in AV 15 (exact r̥ṣi assignment varies by anukramaṇī tradition).

Devata: Vrātya (personified liminal sacral power).

Chandas: Mixed/irregular (AV 15 often exhibits non-RV metrical behavior; this line is formulaic rather than strictly metrical).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta