Atharva Veda 2.23.1: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 23, Mantra 1
Sukta 23
शत्रुनाशनम्। आपो॒ यद् व॒स्तप॒स्तेन॒ तं प्रति॑ तपत॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
ā́po yád vaḥ tápaḥ téna táṃ práti tapata yó ’smā́n dvéṣṭi yáṃ vayáṃ dvíṣmaḥ
O Waters, what burning ardour is yours—with that do ye scorch him back, even him who hateth us, whom we ourselves do hate.
يا أيتها المياه (Āpaḥ)، أيُّ لهيبِ التَّقشُّف (tapas) الذي لكِ—فبهِ أحرِقوا عليهِ وردُّوا الأذى إليه، ذلك الذي يَبغضُنا، والذي نُبغِضُه نحنُ أيضًا.
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (enemy-destroying water-spells; specific r̥ṣi attribution depends on the Anukramaṇī for AVŚ 2.23).
Devata: Āpaḥ (Waters), as punitive-purificatory deities wielding tapas.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (to be confirmed against pada-count in the edition used).
Primary: vira
Secondary: raudra
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