Atharva Veda 18.2.11: Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 11

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अति॑ द्रव॒ श्वानौ॑ सारमे॒यौ च॑तुर॒क्षौ श॒बलौ॑ सा॒धुना॑ प॒था। अधा॑ पि॒तॄन्त्सु॑वि॒दत्रां॒ अपी॑हि य॒मेन॒ ये स॑ध॒मादं॒ मद॑न्ति

IAST Transliteration

áti drava śvā́nau sārameyáu caturákṣau śabálau sādhúnā pathā́ | ádha pitṝ́nt suvidátrān ápīhi yaména yé sadhámādaṃ mádanti

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Haste past the two Dogs, Saramā’s brood, the four-eyed, the brindled, by the goodly path. Then go thou forth unto the Fathers, easy to be found, with Yama—unto them who in the common feast rejoice.

Translation

హే (ప్రాణ), సరమా సంతానమైన ఆ రెండు కుక్కలను—నాలుగు కళ్లవారు, చిత్తరంగు—శుభమైన మార్గంలో వేగంగా దాటి పో. ఆపై యమునితో కలిసి, సులభంగా లభ్యమయ్యే పితృల వద్దకు వెళ్లు—సామూహిక విందులో ఆనందించువారి వద్దకు.

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Word by Word

• अति: beyond; over; away
• अति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• द्रव: run!; hasten!
• द्रव: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु)

• श्वानौ: the two dogs
• श्वानौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सारमेयौ: the two offspring of Saramā (Saramā’s dogs)
• सारमेयौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारमेय (प्रातिपदिक; सरमा-अपत्य)

• चतुरक्षौ: four-eyed
• चतुरक्षौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

• शबलौ: spotted; variegated
• शबलौ: Kartā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शबल (प्रातिपदिक)

• साधुना: by the good/right
• साधुना: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)

• पथा: by the path; along the way
• पथा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पथ (प्रातिपदिक)

• अधा: then; thereafter
• अधा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधा (अव्यय)

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

• सुविदत्रान्: well-found/clearly found; readily discoverable
• सुविदत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविदत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपि: also; moreover
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• इहि: go!; come!
• इहि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)

• यमेन: with Yama
• यमेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• सधमादम्: the common feast; shared revel
• सधमादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सधमाद (प्रातिपदिक)

• मदन्ति: they rejoice; are exhilarated
• मदन्ति: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: मद् (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funeral tradition (AV 18)

Devata: Yama (and his two dogs as subsidiary agents); Pitṛs as destination

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: bhayankara