Mantra 28
Sukta 5
३॥ विष्णोः क्रमोऽसि सपत्नहा दिक्संशितो मनस्तेजाः । दिशोऽनु वि क्रमेऽहं दिग्भ्यस्तं निर्भजामो यो३स्मान् द्वेष्टि यं वयं द्विष्मः । स मा जीवीत् तं प्राणो जहातु
víṣṇoḥ krámo ’si sapatná-hā dík-saṃśito mánaḥ-tejāḥ | díśo ’nu ví krame ’háṃ dígbhyas táṃ nírbhajāmo yó ’smā́n dvéṣṭi yáṃ vayáṃ dvíṣmaḥ | sá mā́ jī́vit táṃ prāṇó jahātu
Thou art Viṣṇu’s Stride, the slayer of rivals, whetted by the Quarters, possessed of the mind’s bright force. Along the Directions I stride forth; from the Directions we thrust him out—who hateth us, whom we do hate. Let him not live: let Life-breath abandon him.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (unspecified here)
Devata: Viṣṇu (Krama); directional powers (Diś) implicitly; Prāṇa as agent
Chandas: As above: Atharvanic mixed cadence; requires full hymn scan
{"primary_rasa":"raudra","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"Totalizing control of space → expulsion → lethal closure.","listener_experience":"A sealed, inescapable feeling—no direction left for the rival; intense coercive atmosphere.","intensity":9}