Atharva Veda 18.4.52 — Kanda 18, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 52

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

एदं ब॒र्हिर॑सदो॒ मेध्यो॑ऽभूः॒ प्रति॑ त्वा जानन्तु पि॒तरः॒ परे॑तम्। य॒था॒प॒रु त॒न्वं॑१ सं भ॑रस्व॒ गात्रा॑णि ते॒ ब्रह्म॑णा कल्पयामि

IAST Transliteration

etád barhír asádo medhyó ’bhūḥ práti tvā jānantu pitáraḥ parétam | yáthāparu tanvàṃ sáṃ bharasva gā́trāṇi te bráhmaṇā kalpayāmi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

On this Barhis thou hast sat; thou hast become meet for sacrifice: may the Fathers acknowledge thee, the Departed. As joint by joint, so do thou gather thy body together; thy limbs I duly fashion by the power of sacred speech.

Translation

บนบรรหิสนี้ท่านได้นั่งแล้ว; ท่านได้เป็นผู้เหมาะแก่ยัญ: ขอให้บรรพชนผู้ล่วงลับรับรู้และยอมรับท่าน. ดังข้อปล้องต่อข้อปล้อง ฉันใด ท่านจงรวบรวมกายของท่านให้พร้อมฉันนั้น; อวัยวะของท่าน ข้าพเจ้าจัดประกอบให้ถูกต้องด้วยพลังแห่งพรหมัน (ถ้อยคำศักดิ์สิทธิ์).

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (it)
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• बर्हिः: sacrificial grass, barhis
• बर्हिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• असदः: was / became (sat)
• असदः: —
• Type: Verb (finite form used as predicate) / Kṛdanta-like form
• Root: अस् (धातु) + दः (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय; ‘असद्’ = ‘आसीद्/असत्’ इत्यर्थे) / असद् (प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• मेध्यः: pure, fit for sacrifice
• मेध्यः: Kartā (विशेषणम्) / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभूः: you became
• अभूः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)

• प्रति: towards, in regard to
• प्रति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• जानन्तु: let (them) know/recognize
• जानन्तु: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)

• पितरः: the Fathers (ancestors)
• पितरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• परेतम्: departed, gone beyond (to the other world)
• परेतम्: Karma (त्वा-विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: पर-इ (धातु) → परेत (कृदन्त/भूतकृत्) / परेत (प्रातिपदिक)

• यथा: as, so that
• यथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)

• अपरु: again, anew / in due order (Vedic particle)
• अपरु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपरु (अव्यय/निपात; वैदिक-प्रयोगः)

• तन्वम्: body, person
• तन्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनू (प्रातिपदिक)

• सम्: together, completely
• सम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• भरस्व: bring together, compose/collect
• भरस्व: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)

• गात्राणि: limbs, body-parts
• गात्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• ते: of you, your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रह्मणा: by sacred formula/prayer (brahman)
• ब्रह्मणा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• कल्पयामि: I arrange/fit/restore
• कल्पयामि: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) / कल्पय (णिजन्त-प्रातिपदिक-आधारः)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic funerary seer-tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution variable).

Devata: Pitṛs; brahman as operative power; the deceased addressed.

Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like (with Atharvanic metrical flexibility).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: karuna

Secondary: adbhuta