Mantra 1

Sukta 20

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सुरक्षा। अप न्यधुः पौरुषेयं वधं यमिन्द्राग्नी धाता सविता बृहस्पतिः । सोमो राजा वरुणो अश्विना यमः पूषास्मान् परि पातु मृत्योः

IAST Transliteration

su-rakṣā́ | áp ní adhúḥ pauruṣéyaṃ vadháṃ yám índrāgnī́ dhā́tā savitā́ bṛ́haspátiḥ | sómo rā́jā váruṇo aśvínā yamáḥ pūṣā́smān pári pātu mṛtyóḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

A sure defence have they set up, thrusting away the man-wrought stroke of slaughter: Indra with Agni, Dhātṛ, Savitar, and Bṛhaspati; King Soma, Varuṇa, the Aśvins, Yama—let Pūṣan guard us round about from Death.

Translation

దృఢమైన రక్ష. మనుష్యకృతమైన వధఘాతాన్ని వారు దూరం తోసివేశారు—ఇంద్రుడు అగ్నితో, ధాతా, సవితా, బృహస్పతి; రాజా సోముడు, వరుణుడు, అశ్వినులు, యముడు—పూషన్ మమ్మల్ని మరణం నుండి చుట్టూరా కాపాడుగాక.

Word by Word

• सुरक्षा: protection, safeguard
• सुरक्षा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; सु-रक्षा)

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

• न्यधुः: they placed/put (down/away)
• न्यधुः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)

• पौरुषेयम्: human-made, of human origin
• पौरुषेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुषेय (प्रातिपदिक)

• वधम्: slaying, killing; deadly blow
• वधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)

• यम्: which/that (one)
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• अग्नी: Agni (with Indra: the pair Indra–Agni)
• अग्नी: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• धाता: Dhātṛ (the establisher/creator)
• धाता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √धा)

• सविता: Savitar
• सविता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• अश्विना: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• अश्विना: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• पूषा: Pūṣan
• पूषा: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• परि: around, all around
• परि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)

• मृत्योः: from death / of death
• मृत्योः: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (protective hymn; r̥ṣi attribution varies in ancillary lists)

Devata: Sarvadevatā with emphasis on Pūṣan as guardian against Mṛtyu

Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like cadence with extended pādas (late Atharvanic style)

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"Acknowledges danger (man-wrought slaughter) → mobilizes divine coalition → resolves into guarded calm against death.","listener_experience":"From alert fear to contained safety; sense of being surrounded by guardians.","intensity":6}