Atharva Veda 18.4.32 — Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 32

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

धा॒ना धे॒नुर॑भवद् व॒त्सो अ॑स्यास्ति॒लोऽभवत्। तां वै य॒मस्य॒ राज्ये॒ अक्षि॑ता॒मुप॑ जीवति

IAST Transliteration

dhānā́ dhenúr abhavad vatsó asyās tiló ’bhavat | tā́ṁ váí yámasya rā́jye ákṣitām úpa jīvati ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Parched grain became a Cow, and sesame of her became the Calf. By her, in Yama’s kingdom, verily he liveth on—on her that wasteth not.

Translation

เมล็ดธัญพืชคั่วกลายเป็นแม่โค และงาของนางกลายเป็นลูกโค ด้วยนางผู้ไม่ร่อยหรอ ในอาณาจักรของยมะ (Yama) เขาย่อมดำรงชีพอยู่โดยแท้

Word by Word

• धा॒ना: grain; corn (as subject)
• धा॒ना: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान (प्रातिपदिक) / धान्य-सम्बद्ध

• धे॒नुः: a cow
• धे॒नुः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)

• वत्सः: a calf
• वत्सः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: अस्याः)

• तिलः: sesame
• तिलः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)

• ताम्: her; that (one)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

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

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)

• राज्ये: in the realm/kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्षिताम्: imperishable; undecaying
• अक्षिताम्: Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-क्षि-त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √क्षि ‘क्षय’ + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)

• उप: near; up to (as preverb)
• उप: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• जीवति: lives; survives
• जीवति: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Pitṛmedha tradition (Atharvanic ancestral seers)

Devata: Pitṛs/Yama; the offering-substance personified as sustaining ‘cow’

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: karuna