Sukta 90
Rishi: Atharvanic/Aṅgiras-type attribution (book-level tradition; specific r̥ṣi uncertain without padānukramaṇī citation)
Devata: Bodily function/organ-state (implicit); operative power of mantra (vac) rather than a named deity
Chandas: Mixed/irregular (Atharvanic medical verses often deviate from strict RV meters)
Dieser kurze Dreimantra‑Hymnus ist ein kompaktes atharvanisches Zauberwort, das zwei miteinander verknüpfte Ziele verfolgt: erstens die Kraft und den Glanz eines Gegners zu brechen und dessen angesammelte Macht/sein Vermögen dem Ausführenden zuzuwenden; zweitens einen beunruhigenden Zustand der männlichen Genitalien zu normalisieren, indem „herabgelassen wird, was gespannt ist“, und „herabgesetzt wird, was erhoben ist“, also schmerzhafte Spannung oder Funktionsstörung zu korrigieren. Seine Wirksamkeit beruht vor allem auf der operativen Kraft des Mantras (vāc), mit zwingender, schneidender Bildsprache (Indra/Varuṇa‑artige Autorität) und direktem physiologischem Befehl.
Mantras
Mantra 1
शत्रुबलनाशनम्। अपि॑ वृश्च पुराण॒वद् व्र॒तते॑रिव गुष्पि॒तम्। ओजो॑ दा॒स्यस्य॑ दम्भय
Schneide ab, wie in den Tagen der Vorzeit, die knotige Schwellung gleichsam des Gelübde-Trägers; zerschmettere die Macht des Dāsa.
Mantra 2
व॒यं तद॑स्य॒ सम्भृ॑तं॒ वस्विन्द्रे॑ण॒ वि भ॑जामहै । म्ला॒पया॑मि भ्र॒जः शि॒भ्रं वरु॑णस्य व्र॒तेन॑ ते
Jenen von ihm zusammengetragenen Reichtum werden wir mit Indra verteilen. Ich lasse deinen blitzenden Glanz welken — durch Varuṇas Satzung, die auf dir liegt.
Mantra 3
यथा॒ शेपो॑ अ॒पाया॑तै स्त्री॒षु चास॒दना॑वयाः । अ॒व॒स्थस्य॑ क्न॒दीव॑तः शाङ्-कु॒रस्य॑ नितो॒दिनः॑ । यदात॑त॒मव॒ तत् त॑नु॒ यदुत्त॑तं॒ नि तत् त॑नु
Wie das männliche Glied von den Frauen weichen mag, mitsamt dem Hindernis des Nahens — beim Stehenden, Sickernden, sprossengleichen, durchbohrenden: Was ausgestreckt ist, das lass herab; was aufgerichtet ist, das drücke nieder.
Frequently Asked Questions
It combines both. Verses 7.90.1–2 work in an abhicāric/apotropaic mode (crushing an enemy’s ojas and withering their brilliance), while 7.90.3 is explicitly therapeutic in effect, commanding normalization of a genital/sexual bodily state.
No single deity is consistently addressed throughout. Indra is invoked as the power of victory and appropriation (7.90.2), Varuṇa as the binding force of ‘vrata’ that withers hostile splendor (7.90.2), and the final verse functions as direct mantra-command over the body rather than praise of a named god.
Not in the text as given—no herbs or amulets are specified. The hymn’s method is primarily verbal/performative (vāc), though some practitioners may add a symbolic ‘cutting’ gesture for 7.90.1 as an optional, interpretive aid.
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