Atharva Veda 18.2

yamāya somaḥ pavate yamāya kriyate haviḥ yamaṃ ha yajño gacchaty agnidūto araṃkṛtaḥ

⌊Funeral verses.⌋

For Yama the soma purifies itself; for Yama is made the oblation; to Yama goes the sacrifice, messengered by Agni, made satisfactory.

yamāya madhumattamaṃ juhotā pra ca tiṣṭhata idaṃ nama ṛṣibhyaḥ pūrvajebhyaḥ pūrvebhyaḥ pathikṛdbhyaḥ

Offer ye to Yama what is most honeyed, and stand forth; this homage to the former-born, the former, the path-making seers. yamā́ya ghṛtávad dhavír juhóta prá ca tiṣṭhata. yamā́ya mádhumattamaṁ rā́jñe havyáṁ juhotana. yamā́ya ghṛtávat páyo rā́jñe havír juhotana. yamā́ya mádhumattamaṁ juhótā prá ca tiṣṭhata.

yamāya ghṛtavat payo rājñe havir juhotana sa no jīveṣv ā yamed dīrgham āyuḥ pra jīvase

Unto Yama the king offer ye an oblation, milk rich in ghee; he furnishes (ā-yam) to us among the living a long life-time, for living on.

mainam agne vi daho mābhi śūśuco māsya tvacaṃ cikṣipo mā śarīram śṛtaṃ yadā karasi jātavedo 'themam enaṃ pra hiṇutāt pitṝṃr upa

Do not, O Agni, burn him up; do not be hot upon (abhi-çuc) him; do not warp (kṣip) his skin, nor his body; when thou shalt make him done, O Jātavedas, then send him forward unto the Fathers.

yadā śṛtaṃ kṛṇavo jātavedo 'themam enaṃ pari dattāt pitṛbhyaḥ yado gacchāty asunītim etām atha devānāṃ vaśanīr bhavāti

When thou shalt make him done, O Jātavedas, then commit him to the Fathers; when he shall go to that other life (ásunīti), then shall he become a controller (? vaçanī́) of the gods.

trikadrukebhiḥ pavate ṣaḍ urvīr ekam id bṛhat triṣṭub gāyatrī chandāṃsi sarvā tā yama ārpitā

With the trikadrukas it purifies itself; six wide ones, verily one great one; triṣṭúbh, gāyatrī́, the meters: all those [are] set in Yama.

sūryaṃ cakṣuṣā gaccha vātam ātmanā divaṃ ca gaccha pṛthivīṃ ca dharmabhiḥ apo vā gaccha yadi tatra te hitam oṣadhīṣu prati tiṣṭhā śarīraiḥ

Go thou to the sun with thine eye, to the wind with thy soul (ātmán); go both to heaven and to earth with [their] due shares (? dhárman); or go to the waters, if there it is acceptable (hitá) to thee; in the herbs stand firm with thy bodies.

ajo bhāgas tapasas taṃ tapasva taṃ te śocis tapatu taṃ te arciḥ yās te śivās tanvo jātavedas tābhir vahainaṃ sukṛtām u lokam

The goat is the share of the heat (tápas); heat thou that; that let thine ardor (çocís) heat, that thy flame (arcís); what propitious bodies (tanū́) are thine, O Jātavedas, with them carry him to the world of the well-doing.

yās te śocayo raṃhayo jātavedo yābhir āpṛṇāsi divam antarikṣam ajaṃ yantam anu tāḥ sam ṛṇvatām athetarābhiḥ śivatamābhiḥ śṛtaṃ kṛdhi

What ardors (çocí), swiftnesses (ráṅhi) are thine, O Jātavedas, with which thou fillest the sky, the atmosphere, let them collect (sam-ṛ) after the goat as he goes; then with other most propitious ones make him propitious.

ava sṛja punar agne pitṛbhyo yas ta āhutaś carati svadhāvān āyur vasāna upa yātu śeṣaḥ saṃ gacchatāṃ tanvā suvarcāḥ

Release again, O Agni, to the Fathers him who goes (car) offered to thee, with svadhā́; clothing himself in life (ā́yus), let him go unto [his] posterity (? çéṣas); let him be united with a body, very splendid.

ati drava śvānau sārameyau caturakṣau śabalau sādhunā pathā adhā pitṝnt suvidatrāṁ apīhi yamena ye sadhamādaṃ madanti

Run thou past the two four-eyed, brindled dogs of Saramā, by a happy (sādhú) road; then go unto the beneficent Fathers, who revel in common revelry with Yama.

yau te śvānau yama rakṣitārau caturakṣau pathiṣadī nṛcakṣasā tābhyāṃ rājan pari dhehy enaṃ svasty asmā anamīvaṃ ca dhehi

What two defending dogs thou hast, O Yama, four-eyed, sitting by the road, men-watching, with them, O king, do thou surround him; assign to him well-being and freedom from disease.

urūṇasāv asutṛpāv udumbalau yamasya dūtau carato janāṁ anu tāv asmabhyaṃ dṛśaye sūryāya punar dātām asum adyeha bhadram

Broad-nosed, feeding on lives (? asutṛ́p), copper-colored, Yama's two messengers go about after men (jána); let them give us back here today excellent life (ásu), to see the sun.

soma ekebhyaḥ pavate ghṛtam eka upāsate yebhyo madhu pradhāvati tāṃś cid evāpi gacchatāt

Soma purifies itself for some; some wait upon (upa-ās) ghee; for whom honey runs forward (?), unto them do thou go.

ye cit pūrva ṛtasātā ṛtajātā ṛtāvṛdhaḥ ṛṣīn tapasvato yama tapojāṁ api gacchatāt

They who of old were won by right, born of right, increasers of right—to the seers rich in fervor (tápas-), born of fervor, O Yama, do thou go.

tapasā ye anādhṛṣyās tapasā ye svar yayuḥ tapo ye cakrire mahas tāṃś cid evāpi gacchatāt

They who by fervor are unassailable, who by fervor have gone to heaven (svàr), who made fervor their greatness, unto them do thou go.

ye yudhyante pradhaneṣu śūrāso ye svar tanūtyajaḥ ye vā sahasradakṣiṇās tāṃścid evāpi gacchatāt

They who fight in the contests (pradhána), who are self-sacrificing (tanūtyáj) heroes, or who give thousand-fold sacrificial gifts, unto them do thou go.

sahasraṇīthāḥ kavayo ye gopāyanti sūryam ṛṣīn tapasvato yama tapojāṁ api gacchatāt

Poets (kaví) of a thousand lays (-nīthá), who guard the sun—to the seers rich in fervor, born of fervor, O Yama, do thou go.

syonāsmai bhava pṛthivy anṛkṣarā niveśanī yacchāsmai śarma saprathāḥ

Be pleasant to him, O earth, a thornless resting-place; furnish him broad refuge.

asaṃbādhe pṛthivyā urau loke ni dhīyasva svadhā yāś cakṛṣe jīvan tās te santu madhuścutaḥ

In the unoppressive wide space (loká) of earth be thou deposited; what svadhā́s thou didst make when living, be they dripping with honey for thee.

This verse is not included in this edition.

I call thy mind hither with mind; come unto these houses, enjoying [them]; unite thyself with the Fathers, with Yama; let pleasant, helpful (? çagmá) winds blow thee unto [them].

This verse is not included in this edition.

Let the water-carrying, water-floating Maruts carry thee up, making [thee] cool by the goat, let them sprinkle [thee] with rain, splash!

ud ahvam āyur āyuṣe kratve dakṣāya jīvase svān gacchatu te mano adhā pitṝṃr upa drava

I have called up life-time unto life-time, unto ability (krátu), unto dexterity, unto life; let thy mind go to its own ⌊pl.⌋; then run unto the Fathers.

mā te mano māsor māṅgānāṃ mā rasasya te mā te hāsta tanvaḥ kiṃcaneha

Let nothing whatever of thy mind, nor of thy life (ásu), nor of thy members, nor of thy sap, nor of thy body, be left here.

mā tvā vṛkṣaḥ saṃ bādhiṣṭa mā devī pṛthivī mahī lokaṃ pitṛṣu vittvaidhasva yamarājasu

Let not the tree oppress thee, nor the great divine earth; having found a place (loká) among the Fathers, thrive (edh) thou among those whose king is Yama.

yat te aṅgam atihitaṃ parācair apānaḥ prāṇo ya u vā te paretaḥ tat te saṃgatya pitaraḥ sanīḍā ghāsād ghāsaṃ punar ā veśayantu

What limb of thine is put over at a distance, and what expiration [or] breath has gone forth upon the wind (?), let the associated (sánīḍa) Fathers, assembling, make that enter thee again, bit (ghāsá) from bit.

apemaṃ jīvā arudhan gṛhebhyas taṃ nir vahata pari grāmād itaḥ mṛtyur yamasyāsīd dūtaḥ pracetā asūn pitṛbhyo gamayāṃcakāra

The living have excluded this man from their houses; carry ye him out, forth from this village; death was the kindly messenger of Yama; he made his life-breaths (ásu) go to the Fathers.

ye dasyavaḥ pitṛṣu praviṣṭā jñātimukhā ahutādaś caranti parāpuro nipuro ye bharanty agniṣ ṭān asmāt pra dhamāti yajñāt

What barbarians (dásyu), having entered among the Fathers, having faces of acquaintances, go about, eating what is not sacrificed, who bear parāpúr [and] nipúr—Agni shall blast (dham) them forth from this sacrifice.

saṃ viśantv iha pitaraḥ svā naḥ syonaṃ kṛṇvantaḥ pratiranta āyuḥ tebhyaḥ śakema haviṣā nakṣamāṇā jyog jīvantaḥ śaradaḥ purūcīḥ

Let there enter together (sam-viç) here our own Fathers, doing what is pleasant, lengthening [our] life-time; may we be able to reach them with oblation, living long for numerous autumns.

yāṃ te dhenuṃ nipṛṇāmi yam u kṣīraudanam tenā janasyāso bhartā yo 'trāsad ajīvanaḥ

What milch-cow I set down (ni-pṛ) for thee, and what rice-dish for thee in milk (kṣīrá)—with that mayest thou be the supporter of the person (jána) who is there (átra) without a living.

aśvāvatīṃ pra tara yā suśevarkṣākaṃ vā prataraṃ navīyaḥ yas tvā jaghāna vadhyaḥ so astu mā so anyad vidata bhāgadheyam

Pass forward [over a stream] rich in horses, which is very propitious, or, further on, an ṛkṣā́ka, more new; he who slew thee, be he one to be killed; let him not find any other portion.

yamaḥ paro 'varo vivasvān tataḥ paraṃ nāti paśyāmi kiṃcana yame adhvaro adhi me niviṣṭo bhuvo vivasvān anvātatāna

Yama beyond, below Vivasvant—beyond that do I see nothing whatever; into Yama has entered my sacrifice; Vivasvant stretched after the worlds (bhū́).

apāgūhann amṛtāṃ martyebhyaḥ kṛtvā savarṇām adadhur vivasvate utāśvināv abharad yat tad āsīd ajahād u dvā mithunā saraṇyūḥ

They hid away the immortal one (f.) from mortals; having made one of like color, they gave her to Vivasvant; what that was carried also the two Açvins; and Saraṇyū deserted two twins.

ye nikhātā ye paroptā ye dagdhā ye coddhitāḥ sarvāṃs tān agna ā vaha pitṝn haviṣe attave

They that are buried, and they that are scattered (vap) away, they that are burned and they that are set up (úddhita)—all those Fathers, O Agni, bring thou to eat the oblation.

ye agnidagdhā ye anagnidagdhā madhye divaḥ svadhayā mādayante tvaṃ tān vettha yadi te jātavedaḥ svadhayā yajñaṃ svadhitiṃ juṣantām

They who, burned with fire, [and] who, not burned with fire, revel on svadhā́ in the midst of heaven—them thou knowest, if thine, O Jātavedas; let them enjoy with svadhā́ the sacrifice, the svádhiti.

śaṃ tapa māti tapo agne mā tanvaṃ tapaḥ vaneṣu śuṣmo astu te pṛthivyām astu yaddharaḥ

Burn (tap) thou propitiously (çám); do not burn overmuch; O Agni, do not burn the body; be thy vehemence (çúṣma) in the woods; on the earth be what is thy violence (háras).

dadāmy asmā avasānam etad ya eṣa āgan mama ced abhūd iha yamaś cikitvān praty etad āha mamaiṣa rāya upa tiṣṭhatām iha

I give this release to him who hath thus come and hath become mine here—thus replies the knowing Yama—let this one approach (upa-sthā) my wealth here.

imāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure, so that one may not measure further; in a hundred autumns, not before.

premāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure forth, so that etc. etc.

apemāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure off, so that etc. etc.

vīmāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure apart, so that etc. etc.

nir imāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure out, so that etc. etc.

ud imāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure up, so that etc. etc.

sam imāṃ mātrāṃ mimīmahe yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

This measure do we measure together, so that etc. etc.

amāsi mātrāṃ svar agām āyuṣmān bhūyāsam yathāparaṃ na māsātai śate śaratsu no purā

I have measured the measure, I have gone to heaven (svàr); may I be long-lived; so that etc. etc.

prāṇo apāno vyāna āyuś cakṣur dṛśaye sūryāya aparipareṇa pathā yamarājñaḥ pitṝn gaccha

Breath, expiration, through-breathing (vyāná), life-time, an eye to see the sun: by a road not beset with enemies (-pára) go thou to the Fathers whose king is Yama.

ye agravaḥ śaśamānāḥ pareyur hitvā dveṣāṃsy anapatyavantaḥ te dyām udityāvidanta lokaṃ nākasya pṛṣṭhe adhi dīdhyānāḥ

They that departed unmarried [but] assiduous, abandoning hatreds, having no progeny—they, going up to heaven (div), have found a place (loká), ⌊they,⌋ shining (? dī́dhyāna) upon the back of the firmament.

udanvatī dyaur avamā pīlumatīti madhyamā tṛtīyā ha pradyaur iti yasyāṃ pitara āsate

Watery is the lowest heaven (dív), full of stars (? pīlu-) is called the midmost; the third is called the fore-heaven (pradív), in which the Fathers sit.

ye naḥ pituḥ pitaro ye pitāmahā ya āviviśur urv antarikṣam ya ākṣiyanti pṛthivīm uta dyāṃ tebhyaḥ pitṛbhyo namasā vidhema

They that are our father's fathers, that are [his] grandfathers, that entered the wide atmosphere, they that dwell upon earth and heaven (dív)—to those Fathers would we pay worship with homage.

idam id vā u nāparaṃ divi paśyasi sūryam mātā putraṃ yathā sicābhy enaṃ bhūma ūrṇuhi

This time, verily, not further (áparam), seest thou the sun in the heaven (dív); as a mother her son with her hem (síc), do thou cover him, O earth.

idam id vā u nāparaṃ jarasy anyad ito 'param jāyā patim iva vāsasābhy enaṃ bhūma ūrṇuhi

This time, verily; not further; in old age another further than this; as a wife her husband with her garment, do thou cover him, O earth (bhū́mi).

abhi tvorṇomi pṛthivyā mātur vastreṇa bhadrayā jīveṣu bhadraṃ tan mayi svadhā pitṛṣu sā tvayi

I cover thee excellently with the garment of mother earth; what is excellent among the living, that with me; svadhā́ among the Fathers, that with thee.

agnīṣomā pathikṛtā syonaṃ devebhyo ratnaṃ dadhathur vi lokam upa preṣyantaṃ pūṣaṇaṃ yo vahāty añjoyānaiḥ pathibhis tatra gacchatam

O Agni-and-Soma, makers of roads, ye have distributed (vi-dhā) to the gods a pleasant treasure [and] world; send ye unto [us] Pūshan, who shall carry by goat-traveled roads him that goes thither.

pūṣā tvetaś cyāvayatu pra vidvān anaṣṭapaśur bhuvanasya gopāḥ sa tvaitebhyaḥ pari dadat pitṛbhyo 'gnir devebhyaḥ suvidatriyebhyaḥ

Let Pūshan, knowing, urge thee forth from here—he, the shepherd of creation (bhúvana) who loses no cattle; may he commit thee to those Fathers, [and] Agni to the beneficent gods.

āyur viśvāyuḥ pari pātu tvā pūṣā tvā pātu prapathe purastāt yatrāsate sukṛto yatra ta īyus tatra tvā devaḥ savitā dadhātu

May life-time, having all life-time, protect thee about; let Pūshan protect thee in front on the forward road; where sit the well-doers, whither they have gone, there let god Savitar set thee.

imau yunajmi te vahnī asunītāya voḍhave tābhyāṃ yamasya sādanaṃ samitīś cāva gacchatāt

I yoke for thee these two conveyers ⌊váhni⌋, to convey (vah) thee to the other life; with them to Yama's seat and to the assemblies go thou down (áva).

etat tvā vāsaḥ prathamaṃ nv āgann apaitad ūha yad ihābibhaḥ purā iṣṭāpūrtam anusaṃkrāma vidvān yatra te dattaṃ bahudhā vibandhuṣu

This garment hath now come first to thee; remove (apa-ūh) that one which thou didst wear here before; knowing, do thou follow along with what is offered and bestowed, where it is given thee variously among them of various connection (? víbandhu).

agner varma pari gobhir vyayasva saṃ prorṇuṣva medasā pīvasā ca net tvā dhṛṣṇur harasā jarhṛṣāṇo dadhṛg vidhakṣan parīṅkhayātai

Wrap about thee of kine a protection from the fire; cover thyself up with grease and fatness, lest the bold one, exulting with violence (háras), shake thee strongly (dadṛ́ḥ) about, intending to consume thee.

daṇḍaṃ hastād ādadāno gatāsoḥ saha śrotreṇa varcasā balena atraiva tvam iha vayaṃ suvīrā viśvā mṛdho abhimātīr jayema

Taking the staff from the hand of the deceased man (gatā́su), together with hearing, splendor, strength—thou just there, here may we, rich in heroes, conquer all scorners [and] evil plotters.

This verse is not included in this edition.

Taking the bow from the hand of the dead man, together with authority (kṣatrá), splendor, strength—take thou hold upon much prosperous good; come thou hitherward unto the world of the living.