Sukta 13
Rishi: Atharvanic seer-tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras rubric for poison-charms; specific r̥ṣi attribution depends on anukramaṇī tradition)
Devata: Viṣa (Poison) and its personified agents (Āligī, Viligī)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in AV healing charms; this verse is anuṣṭubh-like in cadence)
AV 5.13 ist ein bhaiṣajya‑Gegenmittel‑Zauber, der dem Gift (viṣa) als einer intelligenten, durch Verwandtschaft gebundenen feindlichen Macht entgegentritt und es zwingt, nachzulassen und zu weichen. Indem der Hymnus die Gestalten und personifizierten Agenten des Giftes benennt (z. B. Āligī, Viligī; „schwarz“, „braun“, „wasserlos“ usw.), wird Wissen zu Herrschaft und das Opfer wird „entbunden“, wie man die Bogensehne vom Bogen löst. Varuṇas souveräne, entknotende Autorität verbürgt die Austreibung des Giftes, ob es eingedrungen ist, nicht eingedrungen ist oder anhaftet.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
सर्पविषनाशनम्। द॒दिर्हि मह्यं॒ वरु॑णो दि॒वः क॒विर्वचो॑भिरु॒ग्रैर्नि रि॑णामि ते वि॒षम्। खा॒तमखा॑तमु॒त स॒क्तम॑ग्रभ॒मिरे॑व॒ धन्व॒न् नि ज॑जास ते वि॒षम्
Vernichtung des Schlangengiftes. Denn Varuṇa, der himmlische Kavi, ist mir ein Geber: mit machtvollen Worten treibe ich dein Gift hinweg. Gift, eingegrabenes Gift, nicht eingegrabenes Gift, und Gift, das anhaftet — dieses habe ich ergriffen; wie ein stürmischer Anprall, im Lauf, habe ich dein Gift zermalmt.
Mantra 2
यत् ते॒ अपो॑दकं वि॒षं तत् त॑ ए॒तास्व॑ग्रभम्। गृ॒ह्णामि॑ ते मध्य॒ममु॑त्त॒मं रस॑मु॒ताव॒मं भि॒यसा॑ नेश॒दादु॑ ते
Welches Gift von dir trocken und wasserlos ist — eben dieses Verderben habe ich mit diesen (Mitteln) ergriffen. Ich nehme für dich den mittleren und den höchsten Saft, ja auch den niedrigsten; aus Furcht soll es dir nicht nahekommen.
Mantra 3
वृषा॑ मे॒ रवो॒ नभ॑सा॒ न त॑न्य॒तुरु॒ग्रेण॑ ते॒ वच॑सा बाध॒ आदु॑ ते । अ॒हं तम॑स्य॒ नृभि॑रग्रभं॒ रसं॒ तम॑स इव॒ ज्योति॒रुदे॑तु॒ सूर्यः॑
Stierkräftig ist mein Brüllen, wie Donner aus der Wolke: mit grimmiger Rede treibe ich es von dir fort. Ich habe, mit Männern, den Saft aus der Finsternis ergriffen; wie Licht aus dem Dunkel soll die Sonne aufgehen.
Mantra 4
चक्षु॑षा ते॒ चक्षु॑र्हन्मि वि॒षेण॑ हन्मि ते वि॒षम्। अहे॑ म्रि॒यस्व॒ मा जी॑वीः प्र॒त्यग॒भ्येऽतु त्वा वि॒षम्
Mit dem Auge schlage ich dein Auge; mit Gift schlage ich dein Gift. O Schlange, stirb — lebe nicht: rückwärts, auf dich, soll das Gift zurückgehen.
Mantra 5
कैरा॑त पृश्न॒ उप॑तृण्य॒ बभ्र॒ आ मे॑ शृणु॒तासि॑ता॒ अली॑काः । मा मे॒ सख्युः॑ स्ता॒मान॒मपि॑ ष्ठाताश्रा॒वय॑न्तो॒ नि वि॒षे र॑मध्वम्
O Kirāta, o Gesprenkelter, Upatṛṇya, o Brauner — hört mich, ihr schwarzen, trügerischen. Steht nicht, auch nicht einen Augenblick, im Bereich meines Freundes: zischend und euch hörbar machend, findet euer Gefallen dort unten, im Gift.
Mantra 6
अ॒सि॒तस्य॑ तैमा॒तस्य॑ ब॒भ्रोरपो॑दकस्य च । सा॒त्रा॒सा॒हस्या॒हं म॒न्योरव॒ ज्यामि॑व॒ धन्व॑नो॒ वि मु॑ञ्चामि॒ रथाँ॑ इव
Vom Schwarzen, vom Taimāta, vom Braunen und vom Wasserlosen; vom Zorn des Sātrāsāha — löse ich (dich) weg, wie die Sehne vom Bogen, wie man die Wagen loslässt.
Mantra 7
आलि॑गी च॒ विलि॑गी च पि॒ता च॑ माता॒ च॑ । वि॒द्म वः॑ स॒र्वतो॒ ब॑न्ध्वर॑साः॒ किं क॑रिष्यथ
Āligī und Viligī, und Vater und Mutter—wir kennen euch von allen Seiten: ihr saftlosen Verwandten, was wollt ihr ausrichten?
Mantra 8
उ॒रु॒गूला॑या दुहि॒ता जा॒ता दा॒स्यसि॑क्न्या । प्र॒तङ्कं॑ द॒द्रुषी॑णां॒ सर्वा॑सामर॒सं वि॒षम्
Geboren als Tochter der Urugūlā, von der dunklen Sklavin: Prataṅka—unter den Dadr̥śīs, unter ihnen allen—sei ein saftloses Gift.
Mantra 9
क॒र्णा श्वा॒वित् तद॑ब्रवीद् गि॒रेर॑वचरन्ति॒का। याः काश्चे॒माः ख॑नि॒त्रिमा॒स्तासा॑मर॒सत॑मं वि॒ष॑म्
Karnā, Śvāvit—so sprach sie, die vom Berge herabkommt: welche immer diese seien, erdgegraben (höhlengeboren), von ihnen sei das Gift am saftlosesten.
Mantra 10
ता॒बुवं॒ न ता॒बुवं॒ न घेत् त्वम॑सि ता॒बुव॑म्। ता॒बुवे॑नार॒सं वि॒षम्
„Tābuvam“—nicht „tābuvam“; es soll nicht ergreifen: du bist das Tābuvam. Durch das Tābuvam (mache) das Gift saftlos.
Mantra 11
त॒स्तुवं॒ न त॒स्तुवं॒ न घेत् त्वम॑सि त॒स्तुव॑म्। त॒स्तुवे॑नार॒सं वि॒षम्
„Tastuvam“—nicht „tastuvam“; es soll nicht packen: du bist das Tastuvam. Durch das Tastuvam mache das Gift saftlos, ohne Kraft.
Inside Sukta 13
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by announcing the destruction/removal of serpent-venom and grounding efficacy in authoritative divine support (Varuṇa as heavenly kavi and giver).
- What it asks
That poison—whether embedded, unembedded, or clinging—be seized, crushed, and driven away; that the victim be released from named venom-classes and their violent force.
- Where its power lies
The speaker claims mastery through potent speech (ugra-vāc) and through knowing poison’s names/kinship, rendering the agents ‘sapless’ and powerless.
- How it closes
Concludes with a firm expulsion/unbinding gesture in words—poison is made to depart and the patient is left ‘loosened’ and unharmed (mocana as final seal).
Famous verses
khātam akhātam uta saktam ("dug in, not dug in, and clinging")
jyām iva dhanvano vi muñcāmi ("I release as a bowstring from the bow")
vidma vaḥ sarvato bandhvarasāḥ ("we know you on every side, O sapless kinsmen")
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic anti-venom charm
What it is for
Neutralize and expel venom from a bitten/poisoned person by identifying poison-agents, breaking their ‘hold,’ and restoring the victim’s mobility and well-being.
Who it is for
Atharvanic healer/practitioner (bhaiṣajika), household ritualist, or village specialist treating snakebite/poisoning and providing protective recitations.
Also used as
- Shantika (pacificatory removal of affliction)
- Apotropaic (rakṣā/deflection against bites and toxins)
The deity
Viṣa is treated as a sentient, intrusive pathogen with a ‘family’ and recognizable species-forms; Āligī and Viligī function as named poison-agents/demons. Varuṇa appears as the sovereign healer who loosens bonds, removes guilt-like constriction, and restores order in the body.
Powers of the deity
- To enter, cling, and spread through the victim (as ‘dug in,’ ‘not dug in,’ and ‘clinging’ poison)
- To be constrained through naming, identification, and intimidation (nāma-jñāna; bandhu-knowledge)
- To be crushed/expelled by mantra-force (vāc) and by Varuṇa’s unbinding authority
- To be ‘released’ from the patient through mocana imagery (bowstring/chariot unyoking)
Why the deity is called
To confront poison directly, expose its identities and supports, and compel its withdrawal; and to enlist Varuṇa’s binding/unbinding sovereignty to drive out venom and restore bodily freedom.
The seer
- Atharvan/Āṅgirasa healer-seer (anukramaṇī varies)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya and apotropaic charms: anti-snake/anti-venom rites, unbinding (mocana) formulas, and name-and-lineage (nāma/bandhu) identification to neutralize hostile agencies.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 5.13 (anti-venom cycle context)
- AV 4.6 (poison/venom-related charm traditions, broadly Atharvanic)
- AV 6.56 (healing/expulsion patterns in Atharvanic bhaiṣajya corpus)
Preparing for the rite
- Seat the patient facing east; calm breathing and keep the bitten area still.
- Prepare clean water for sipping/sprinkling; if available, ready a simple protective binding (thread/grass) for the limb.
- Establish verbal intention: expulsion of viṣa and ‘release’ (mocana) of the patient.
The rite
- Recite the hymn over the patient and especially over the affected limb, emphasizing verses that ‘drive away’ and ‘crush’ poison (e.g., 5.13.1) and ‘release’ it (e.g., 5.13.6).
- Name the poison-forms and agents aloud to ‘corner’ them (e.g., Āligī, Viligī; classified venoms), then command their impotence.
- Sprinkle or offer sips of consecrated water during/after recitation; optionally bind and then loosen a cord to enact ‘unbinding’ in ritual gesture.
What it needs
- Clean water (for sipping/sprinkling)
- Binding cord/thread or kuśa/grass (symbolic unbinding)
- Optional: simple amulet-string for protection
When
As soon as possible after bite/exposure; may be repeated at intervals until symptoms subside.
The main substance
Consecrated water (mantra-charged) as carrier for expulsion and cooling
Amulets
- Protective thread/cord (rakṣā-sūtra)
- Kuśa-grass tie (symbolic binding/unbinding)
How it is prepared
Recite selected verses into water (ācamana/sprinkling), then administer small sips and sprinkle the affected area; tie a cord briefly and loosen it while reciting the ‘release’ lines to enact mocana.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is recited as a healing and protective charm to neutralize and expel poison—especially snake venom—by confronting it, naming its forms, and commanding it to release the victim.
Naming personified poison-agents is a ritual strategy: once identified, they are treated as exposed and controllable, so the mantra can intimidate and render them ineffective.
Its primary tool is mantra (potent speech) often paired with simple ritual supports like water-sprinkling and symbolic unbinding (loosening a cord). In practice it can accompany medical care rather than replace it.
Ask anything about Sukta 13 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
