Mantra 4
Sukta 16
यदि नो गां हंसि यद्यश्वं यदि पूरुषम्। तं त्वा सीसेन विध्यामो यथा नोऽसो अवीरहा
yádi no gā́m haṁsi yády áśvaṁ yádi pū́ruṣam | táṁ tvā sī́sena vidhyāmo yáthā no ’so avī́rahā ||
If thou smite our cow, if our horse, if a man of ours,—thee will we pierce with lead, that thou, O thou, mayest be no slayer of our heroes.
Rishi: Atharvanic seer (traditional attribution varies by anukramaṇī for AV 1.16; consult the Śaunakīya anukramaṇī for exact r̥ṣi assignment).
Devata: Apotropaic address to a hostile being (rakṣas/śatru); functional ‘devatā’ is the counteracting force of the mantra with sīsa (lead) as instrument.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; typical Atharvanic protective meter)
{"primary_rasa":"raudra","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"From conditional warning to forceful deterrence, ending in protective non-killing outcome.","listener_experience":"Heightened assertiveness; readiness to defend dependents.","intensity":8}