Atharva Veda 12.2.9 — Kanda 12, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 9

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

क्र॒व्याद॑म॒ग्निमि॑षि॒तो ह॑रामि॒ जना॑न् दृं॒हन्तं॒ वज्रे॑ण मृ॒त्युम्। नि तं शा॑स्मि॒ गार्ह॑पत्येन वि॒द्वान् पि॑तृ॒णां लो॒केऽपि॑ भा॒गो अ॑स्तु

IAST Transliteration

kravyā́dam agním iṣitó harāmi janā́n dṛṃhántaṃ vájreṇa mṛtyúm | ní táṃ śāsmi gā́rhapatyena vidvā́n pitṝṇā́ṃ lóke ’py bhāgó astu ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The flesh-devouring Agni, when impelled, I take away; and Death who maketh men firm-fast I smite with thunderbolt. Him I restrain, with the Gārhapatya, knowing well: in the world of the Fathers let there be his portion also.

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าพรากอัคนีผู้กินเนื้อ (Kravyād) ออกไปเมื่อถูกเร้า; และข้าพเจ้าฟาดมฤตยู—ความตายผู้ทำให้มนุษย์ติดตรึงแน่น—ด้วยวัชระ. ข้าพเจ้ากักเขาไว้ด้วยไฟคฤหปัตยะ (Gārhapatya) ด้วยความรู้ชัด; ในโลกของบรรพชน (Pitṛ) ขอให้เขามีส่วนของเขาด้วย.

Word by Word

• क्रव्यादम्: the flesh-eater (corpse-devourer)
• क्रव्यादम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: क्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक; क्रव्य ‘कच्चा मांस’ + आद ‘भक्षक’)

• अग्निम्: Agni (fire)
• अग्निम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

• इषितः: impelled, urged on
• इषितः: —
• Type: Adjective (Participle)
• Root: √इष् (प्रेरणे) / इषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• हरामि: I take away / remove
• हरामि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (हरणे)

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)

• दृंहन्तम्: strengthening, making firm
• दृंहन्तम्: —
• Type: Adjective (Participle)
• Root: √दृंह् (दृढीकरणे) / दृंहन्त् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)

• वज्रेण: with the thunderbolt (weapon)
• वज्रेण: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• मृत्युम्: Death
• मृत्युम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)

• नि: down, back; completely
• नि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)

• तम्: him/that (Death)
• तम्: कर्म
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• शास्मि: I command / restrain
• शास्मि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शास् (शासने)

• गार्हपत्येन: with the Gārhapatya (domestic) fire
• गार्हपत्येन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हपत्य (प्रातिपदिक; गृहपति-सम्बन्धी)

• विद्वान्: knowing, wise
• विद्वान्: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (Participle)
• Root: √विद् (ज्ञाने) / विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

• पितॄणाम्: of the Fathers/ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• लोके: in the world/realm
• लोके: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)

• भागः: a share, portion
• भागः: कर्तृ (अस्तु इत्यस्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (भुवि)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funerary tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī).

Devata: Agni; Mṛtyu (Death) as adversarial personification; pitṛs as destination-context.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (classification varies by recension/metrical analysis).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: shanta