Atharva Veda 5.19.14: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 19, Mantra 14

Sukta 19

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

येन॑ मृ॒तं स्न॒पय॑न्ति॒ श्मश्रू॑णि॒ येनोन्दते॑ । तं वै ब्र॑ह्मज्य ते दे॒वा अ॒पां भा॒गम॑धारयन्

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 5.19.14

IAST Transliteration

yéna mṛtáṃ snapáyanti śmaśrū́ṇi yénóndate | táṃ vái brahmajyé te devā́ apā́ṃ bhā́gam adhārayann ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

That wherewith they wash the dead, wherewith they moisten the beard—him, verily, as Brahman-slayer, the Gods have held back from the Waters’ portion.

Translation

వారు మృతదేహాన్ని స్నానింపజేయడానికి ఉపయోగించేది, దాడిని తడిపేది—అతనిని దేవతలు నిశ్చయంగా ‘బ్రహ్మహంత’గా భావించి, జలాల భాగం నుండి నిలిపివేశారు.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• येन: by which; with which
• येन: Karaṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-

• मृतम्: the dead (body)
• मृतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ ‘to die’ से क्त) अथवा ‘मृत’ (शव)

• स्नपयन्ति: they wash/bathe
• स्नपयन्ति: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (स्नान/स्नपन) — causative (णिच्) → स्नपयति

• श्मश्रूणि: beards; facial hair
• श्मश्रूणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य-

• उन्दते: it becomes moist / is anointed / flows
• उन्दते: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √उन्द् (to wet, moisten; to anoint) अथवा √उन्द् (to swell/flow) — आत्मनेपदी प्रयोग

• तम्: that (one/thing)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वै: indeed
• वै: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• ब्रह्मज्यः: Brahma-jya (a named sacred implement/term); the ‘brahma-string/bowstring’ (ritual term)
• ब्रह्मज्यः: Kartā
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ब्रह्मन्’ + ‘ज्य’/‘ज्या’—धनुषि प्रत्यञ्चा/ज्या; अथवा ‘ब्रह्म’ + ‘ज्य’ = ब्रह्म-सम्बद्धः)

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपाम्: of the waters
• अपाम्: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)

• भागम्: a share; portion
• भागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)

• अधारयन्: they placed/assigned/held
• अधारयन्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (to hold, place) — causative/denominative? here simple aorist/imperf. stem ‘धारय-’

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (see Anukramaṇī for exact attribution).

Devata: Āpas; Devas as withholders; target = brahmajya.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: raudra