Atharva Veda 18.2.9 — Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 9

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यास्ते॑ शो॒चयो॒ रंह॑यो जातवेदो॒ याभि॑रापृ॒णासि॒ दिव॑म॒न्तरि॑क्षम्। अ॒जं यन्त॒मनु॒ ताः समृ॑ण्वता॒मथेत॑राभिः शि॒वत॑माभिः शृ॒तं कृ॑धि

IAST Transliteration

yā́ste śocáyo ráṃhayo jātavedo yā́bhir āpṛṇā́si dívaṃ antárikṣam | ajáṃ yántam ánu tā́ḥ samṛ́ṇvatām áthetarā́bhiḥ śivátamābhiḥ śrutáṃ kṛdhi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

What flames are thine, what swift impellings, O Jātavedas, wherewith thou fillest heaven and the mid-air—let these attend the Unborn as he goeth, and make his way well-ordered; then, with thy other powers, the most auspicious, make thou the boon well-won and duly heard.

Translation

ఓ జాతవేదస్! నీ జ్వాలలు, నీ వేగవంతమైన ప్రేరణలు—వాటితో నీవు ద్యౌలోకమును అంతరిక్షమును నింపుతావు—అవి అజుడు (అజన్మా) వెళ్లుచున్నప్పుడు అతనిని అనుసరించి, అతని మార్గాన్ని సువ్యవస్థితం చేయుగాక; తరువాత నీ ఇతర, అత్యంత శివ (మంగళకర) శక్తులతో కోరబడిన వరాన్ని సుసంపాదితముగా, విధివిధానంగా ‘శ్రుతం’ (వినబడినది/అంగీకృతమైనది)గా చేయుము.

Word by Word

• याः: which (fem. pl.)
• याः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: thy/your
• ते: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / तद् (सर्वनाम) — here: 2nd person enclitic

• शोचयः: flames, burnings
• शोचयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोचि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flame/brightness/heat’)

• रंहयः: swift (forces), speeds
• रंहयः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: रंह- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘speed, swiftness’)

• जातवेदः: O Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदः: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: जातवेदस्- (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of Agni)

• याभिः: with which (fem. pl.)
• याभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• आपृणासि: thou fillest, thou makest full
• आपृणासि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पॄ (पॄणाति/पृणाति) उपसर्ग: आ-

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ- (प्रातिपदिक ‘heaven’)

• अन्तरिक्षम्: midspace, atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष- (प्रातिपदिक)

• अजम्: the unborn (one)
• अजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अज- (प्रातिपदिक ‘unborn’; also ‘goat’—here ‘unborn’)

• यन्तम्: going, moving
• यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: √या (याति) — वर्तमान कृदन्त: शतृ (यत्/यन्त्) ‘going’

• अनु: after, along
• अनु: Upapada/Preverbial (directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)

• ताः: those (fem. pl.)
• ताः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• समृण्वताम्: let them accompany/press on together
• समृण्वताम्: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ऋ (ऋणोति/ऋण्वति ‘to go/attack/press on’; with सम्-)

• अथ: then, and
• अथ: Discourse connective
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)

• इतराभिः: with the other (ones)
• इतराभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective (instrumental plural)
• Root: इतर- (प्रातिपदिक) + तृतीया बहुवचन स्त्री

• शिवतमाभिः: with the most auspicious (ones)
• शिवतमाभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective (superlative)
• Root: शिव- (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (superlative) → शिवतम-

• शृतम्: the prepared/arranged (offering/portion)
• शृतम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (PPP)
• Root: √श्रि/√श्रु? — here best taken as √श्रि/√शृ (शृणाति/शृणोति ‘to prepare/arrange’; past passive participle) → शृत-

• कृधि: make, do
• कृधि: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करोति)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally associated with Atharvanic seers in the funeral book (AV 18); specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī tradition

Devata: Agni Jātavedas (psychopompic and purificatory fire)

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as common in AV 18 funeral material; metrical exactness may vary by pada division)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta