Atharva Veda 2.24.1: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 24, Mantra 1

Sukta 24

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शत्रुनाशनम्। शेर॑भक॒ शेर॑भ॒ पुन॑र्वो यन्तु या॒तवः॒ पुन॑र्हे॒तिः कि॑मीदिनः । यस्य॒ स्थ तम॑त्त॒ यो वः॒ प्राहै॒त् तम॑त्त॒ स्वा मां॒सान्य॑त्त

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.24.1

IAST Transliteration

śatrunāśanam | śérabhaka śérabha púnar vo yantu yātávaḥ púnar hetíḥ kímīdinaḥ | yásya sthá tám atta yó vaḥ práhait tám atta svā́ māṁsā́ny atta |

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Enemy-destruction. O Śerabhaka, O Śerabha! Back unto you let the sorcerers return; back the missile, (back) the Kīmīdin injurers. Whose ye are, him devour; who hath sent you forth, him devour; devour his own flesh.

Translation

إهلاكُ الأعداء. يا Śerabhaka، يا Śerabha! ليرجعْ إليكم السحرةُ؛ ولترجعِ القذيفةُ، (وليرجع) مؤذو Kīmīdin. مَن أنتم له فالتهموه؛ ومَن أطلقكم فالتهموه؛ التهموا لحمَه هو نفسه.

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Word by Word

• शत्रुनाशनम्: (this) enemy-destroying (charm/act)
• शत्रुनाशनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: शत्रु-नाशन

• शेरभक: O śerabhaka (name of a being/agent; obscure)
• शेरभक: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (vocative-like address)
• Root: शेरभक (प्रातिपदिक; अनिश्चित/लोकशब्द)

• शेरभ: O śerabha (name/epithet; obscure)
• शेरभ: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (vocative-like address)
• Root: शेरभ (प्रातिपदिक; अनिश्चित/लोकशब्द)

• पुनः: again, back
• पुनः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वः: of you / your
• वः: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्

• यन्तु: let (them) go/return
• यन्तु: Kartā (with following subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (याति)

• यातवः: the yātus (demons/evil beings)
• यातवः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘demon/witchcraft-being’)

• पुनः: again, back
• पुनः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• हेतिः: the missile/weapon (harmful impulse)
• हेतिः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेति

• किमीदिनः: the kīmīdins (noxious beings/biters; harmful agents)
• किमीदिनः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: किमीदिन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘kīmīdin’—harmful creature/agent)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्

• स्थ: you are
• स्थ: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (अस्ति)

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• अत्त: eat (you all)! / devour!
• अत्त: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद् (अत्ति)

• यः: who
• यः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्

• प्राहैट्: struck/abandoned (you) (reading uncertain)
• प्राहैट्: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हा (जहाति) / प्र-हन् (हन्ति) (पाठभेद-संभावना)

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्

• अत्त: eat/devour!
• अत्त: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद् (अत्ति)

• स्वा: own, your own
• स्वा: Karma (with ‘मांसानि’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• मांसानि: flesh (pieces of flesh)
• मांसानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस

• अत्त: eat/devour!
• अत्त: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अद् (अत्ति)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī; commonly treated as Atharvanic counter-sorcery material).

Devata: Apotropaic devouring power (personified as śerabha/śerabhaka) and the targeted hostile agencies (yātus, kīmīdins, heti).

Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (Atharvanic pragmatic verse; exact metrical scan uncertain due to textual irregularities and vocatives).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: raudra

Secondary: vira