Atharva Veda 6.29.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 29, Mantra 2

Sukta 29

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यौ ते॑ दू॒तौ नि॑रृत इ॒दमे॒तोऽप्र॑हितौ॒ प्रहि॑तौ वा गृ॒हं नः॑ । क॒पो॒तो॒लू॒काभ्या॒मप॑दं॒ तद॑स्तु

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 6.29.2

IAST Transliteration

yáu te dūtáu nírṛte idám etó ’práhitau práhitau vā gṛháṃ naḥ | kapótolūkā́bhyām ápadaṃ tád astu ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

What two messengers of thine, O Nirṛti, come hither—unsent or sent—unto our house: from pigeon and from owl let that be trackless, let it find no foothold.

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Word by Word

• यौ: which two (who)
• यौ: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → यौ

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → ते

• दूतौ: two messengers
• दूतौ: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)

• निरृतः: of Nirṛti (goddess of destruction/misfortune)
• निरृतः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)

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

• एतः: having come / come here
• एतः: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → इत/एत (गतौ)

• अप्रहितौ: not sent / unsent
• अप्रहितौ: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: प्र-हि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) ; उपसर्गः ‘अ-’ (निषेध) → अप्रहित

• प्रहितौ: sent / dispatched
• प्रहितौ: Kartā
• Type: Participle
• Root: प्र-हि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → प्रहित

• वा: or
• वा: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• गृहम्: house, home
• गृहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)

• नः: our
• नः: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → नः

• कपोत-उलूकाभ्याम्: by/with the pigeon and the owl
• कपोत-उलूकाभ्याम्: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: कपोत (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अपदम्: footless; without footing/track
• अपदम्: Kartā
• Type: Adjective/Noun
• Root: अ-पद (प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa (confirm via anukramaṇī).

Devata: Nirṛti (ruin) with omen-birds as her dūtas.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like tendency (but Atharvanic irregularities possible; confirm by count).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta