Sukta 18
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often attributed broadly to Atharvan/Angiras circles for alakṣmī-expulsion hymns; specific r̥ṣi assignment depends on anukramaṇī).
Devata: Alakṣmī (as the expelled misfortune) and Bhadrā/Śrī (as the attracted auspicious fortune); also the abstract power of Arāti as obstruction.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; standard for many AV domestic/apotropaic verses—confirmable by full metrical count in critical edition).
AV 1.18 ist ein knappes atharvanisches Bannlied, das alakṣmī (Unheil/Armut), arāti (feindliche Hemmung und Nicht-Geben) und jedes „ghora“ innere Leiden, das am Körper haftet, vertreibt. Indem die Unreinheit „fortgeweht“ und rituell von Gliedern und Erscheinung der Person weg verlagert wird, zieht der Hymnus zugleich bhadrā/śrī an — glückverheißendes Gedeihen, das Hausstandserfolg und Nachkommenschaft trägt. Die wirksame Kraft ist vāc (Mantra-Rede), gestützt von Savitar und verbündeten Gottheiten, die das Böse forttreiben und das gute Geschick in Gang setzen.
Mantras
Mantra 1
अलक्ष्मीनाशनम्। निर्ल॒क्ष्म्यं ऽ लला॒म्यं॑१ निररा॑तिं सुवामसि । अथ॒ या भ॒द्रा तानि॑ नः प्र॒जाया॒ अरा॑तिं नयामसि
Vertreibung von Alakṣmī (Unheil). Unheil (nir‑lakṣmī), das unheilvolle Mal (lalāmya) und feindliches Nicht‑Geben — dies wehen wir fort. Dann führen wir herbei, was heilvoll ist, jene [guten Mächte] für uns — zur Nachkommenschaft — und führen die Feindseligkeit hinweg.
Mantra 2
निरर॑णिं सवि॒ता सा॑विषक् प॒दोर्निर्हस्त॑यो॒र्वरु॑णो मि॒त्रो अ॑र्य॒मा। निर॒स्मभ्य॒मनु॑मती॒ ररा॑णा॒ प्रेमां दे॒वा अ॑साविषुः॒ सौभ॑गाय
Savitar hat die Arani hinausgetrieben—hinaus von den Füßen; hinaus aus den Händen Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman. Hinaus von uns Anumati, frohlockend: die Götter haben dies vorwärts gesetzt—zu unserem Glück.
Mantra 3
यत् त॑ आ॒त्मनि॑ त॒न्वां ऽ घो॒रमस्ति॒ यद्वा॒ केशे॑षु प्रति॒चक्ष॑णे वा । सर्वं॒ तद्वा॒चाप॑ हन्मो व॒यं दे॒वस्त्वा॑ सवि॒ता सू॑दयतु
Was immer an dir, in deinem Selbst, in deinem Leib, furchtbar ist; oder was in den Haaren ist, oder im Blick und im Ansehen — all das schlagen wir mit dem Wort hinweg. Möge der Gott Savitar dich vorwärts treiben, zur Sicherheit.
Mantra 4
रिश्य॑पदीं॒ वृष॑दतीं गोषे॒धां वि॑ध॒मामु॒त। वि॒ली॒ढ्यं ऽ लला॒म्यं॑१ ता अ॒स्मन्ना॑शयामसि
Die Antilopenfüßige, die Stierbezahnte, die Kuh-Hindernde, die Umstürzende — ja auch die Leckende, die Gezeichnete: diese lassen wir von uns zugrunde gehen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alakṣmī is the inauspicious condition—poverty, bad luck, and the ominous ‘blemish’ that blocks prosperity. The hymn treats it as something that can be ritually dislodged and sent away.
These are body-loci where impurity or obstruction is imagined to cling: hands and feet for action and movement, hair and appearance for visible omen and social presence. The recitation targets all these points to remove the ‘ghora’ affliction completely.
Wash hands and feet, stand at the doorway, recite while wafting outward to send away alakṣmī/arāti, then gesture inward to welcome bhadrā/śrī. It is commonly done in the morning or before an important undertaking to establish saubhāgya.
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