Sukta 182
Sukta 10.182
Narāśaṃsa
এই সংক্ষিপ্ত সূক্তে নারাশংসকে আহ্বান করা হয়েছে যেন তিনি যজমানকে রক্ষা করেন—বিশেষত প্রয়াজ (পূর্ব-আহুতি) ও অনুয়াজ (পরবর্তী-আহুতি) কালে—এবং যজ্ঞক্রিয়ায় শান্তি ও মঙ্গল নিশ্চিত করেন। এতে প্রার্থনা করা হয় যে ক্ষতিকর বাক্য (অশস্তি) ও কুদৃষ্টি/দুর্মতি দূরে নিক্ষিপ্ত হোক, এবং শত্রু শক্তি—বিশেষ করে ব্রহ্মণ (পবিত্র মন্ত্র-রচনা) বিরোধী রাক্ষসরা—অগ্নিময় রক্ষাশক্তির দ্বারা দগ্ধ ও বিনষ্ট হোক।
Mantras
Mantra 2
नराशंसो नोऽवतु प्रयाजे शं नो अस्त्वनुयाजो हवेषु । क्षिपदशस्तिमप दुर्मतिं हन्नथा करद्यजमानाय शं योः ॥
প্রযাজে (পূর্ব-আহুতিতে) নরাশংস আমাদের রক্ষা করুন; হব্য-আহ্বানে অনুয়াজ (উত্তর-আহুতি) আমাদের জন্য শান্তির কারণ হোক। কুৎসিত-স্তবকে দূরে নিক্ষেপ করে, দুর্মতি (অশুভ ভাবনা) বিনাশ করে, তখন তিনি যজমানের জন্য কল্যাণ ও সুস্থতা (শং, যোঃ) বিধান করুন।
Mantra 3
तपुर्मूर्धा तपतु रक्षसो ये ब्रह्मद्विषः शरवे हन्तवा उ । क्षिपदशस्तिमप दुर्मतिं हन्नथा करद्यजमानाय शं योः ॥
তপুর্মূর্ধা সেই রাক্ষসদের দগ্ধ করুন যারা ব্রহ্ম-দ্বেষী, যাতে তারা সংকল্পের তীরে (শরবে) বধযোগ্য হয়। কুৎসিত-স্তবকে দূরে নিক্ষেপ করে, দুর্মতি (অশুভ ভাবনা) বিনাশ করে, তখন তিনি যজমানের জন্য শান্তি ও কল্যাণ (শং, যোঃ) বিধান করুন।
Inside Sukta 182
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct plea for Narāśaṃsa’s guardianship in the fore-offerings and for peace in the after-offerings.
- Development
The hymn shifts from ritual protection to moral-psychic purification: remove ill-utterance and slay evil intention that can sabotage the rite.
- Climax
The exorcistic surge: Tapur-mūrdhā is asked to burn Rakṣasas—especially brahman-haters—so they are fit to be struck down.
- Where it settles
The prayer seals the rite’s intended fruit: śam and yoḥ (peace and well-being) for the yajamāna.
The deity: Narāśaṃsa
- In the VedaNarāśaṃsa is praised as a protective, auspicious power connected with correct invocation and the successful conduct of sacrifice, guarding the rite at crucial junctures. In the second verse, Tapur-mūrdhā (“fiery-headed”) is invoked to burn Rakṣasas, especially those who hate brahman (brahmadviṣaḥ).
- Cosmic functionTo safeguard the sacrificial order (ṛta as expressed through yajña), repel obstructive beings and influences, and convert the rite into tangible śam (peace) and yoḥ (welfare) for the yajamāna.
- Inner significanceNarāśaṃsa represents the inner force of laudation and right articulation—purifying speech and intention—while Tapur-mūrdhā symbolizes the concentrated heat of discernment that burns intrusive, hostile thoughts and disruptions to sacred focus.
Famous verses
kṣipad aśastim apa durmatiṃ hann athā karad yajamānāya śaṃ yoḥ
tapurmūrdhā tapatu rakṣaso ye brahmadviṣaḥ
Attributes of the deity
- Protector of the sacrifice at transitions (prayāja/anuyāja)
- Auspicious bestower of śam and yoḥ (peace and well-being)
- Remover of aśasti (ill-praise, harmful formulation)
- Destroyer of durmati (perverse/evil intention)
- Exorcistic, Rakṣasa-burning power (Tapur-mūrdhā)
- Aligned with brahman (sacred word/formulation) against brahmadviṣ (its haters)
The rite, step by step
- Establish the fire and ritual attention; begin the prayāja (fore-offerings).
- Recite the Narāśaṃsa protection formula asking guarding presence in the prayāja.
- Proceed with the main rite’s invocations (haveṣu), maintaining correct speech and intention.
- Perform the anuyāja (after-offerings) with a prayer for śam (peace) to settle the rite.
- Invoke the fiery protective force (Tapur-mūrdhā) to burn Rakṣasas/brahmadviṣaḥ and remove aśasti and durmati.
- Conclude by directing the resulting śam and yoḥ to the yajamāna (sacrificer).
Offerings
- Ghee/clarified butter into the fire (typical for prayāja/anuyāja)
- Oblations accompanying the invocations (havis, as appropriate to the rite)
Frequently Asked Questions
Narāśaṃsa is invoked as an auspicious protective power who guards the sacrifice and helps the worshipper gain peace and well-being through correct invocation.
They are the “fore-offerings” and “after-offerings” in a Vedic fire ritual—sets of oblations performed before and after the main offering to frame and secure the rite.
In Vedic ritual language, Rakṣasas symbolize forces that obstruct worship. “Haters of brahman” are those opposed to sacred speech and right formulation, so the hymn asks for them to be burned away and removed from the rite.
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