Sukta 16
शत्रुबाधनम्। येऽमावास्यां३ रात्रिमुदस्थुर्व्राजमत्त्रिणः । अग्निस्तुरीयो यातुहा सो अस्मभ्यमधि ब्रवत्
śatrubā́dhanam | yé ’māvāsyā́m rā́trim úd asthúr vrā́jam attríṇaḥ | agníḥ turī́yo yātuhā́ só asmábhyam ádhi bravat |
Enemy-crushing. Whoso on the new-moon night have risen up—devourers—against the cattle-fold: Agni, the Fourth, the slayer of sorcery, he hath spoken his decree over us.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (seer not specified in the provided excerpt; commonly transmitted as Atharvan/Āṅgirasa in this protective genre)
Devata: Agni (as yātuhā, counter-sorcery fire)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires pada-count verification against the pada text in a critical edition)
{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From threat at dark limen to assertive protection by Agni’s decree.","listener_experience":"A watchful, guarded confidence; sense of being covered by a higher authority.","intensity":6}