Atharva Veda Sukta 13
Kanda 5Anuvaka 2Sukta 1311 Mantras

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)

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 5.13

Mantras

Mantra 1

सर्पविषनाशनम्। द॒दिर्हि मह्यं॒ वरु॑णो दि॒वः क॒विर्वचो॑भिरु॒ग्रैर्नि रि॑णामि ते वि॒षम्। खा॒तमखा॑तमु॒त स॒क्तम॑ग्रभ॒मिरे॑व॒ धन्व॒न् नि ज॑जास ते वि॒षम्

Destruction of serpent-venom. For Varuṇa, the heavenly Sage, is a giver unto me: with potent words I drive away thy poison. Poison dug in, poison not dug in, and poison that clingeth—this have I seized; like a rushing force, running, I have crushed away thy poison.

Mantra 2

यत् ते॒ अपो॑दकं वि॒षं तत् त॑ ए॒तास्व॑ग्रभम्। गृ॒ह्णामि॑ ते मध्य॒ममु॑त्त॒मं रस॑मु॒ताव॒मं भि॒यसा॑ नेश॒दादु॑ ते

What poison of thine is dry and waterless, that very bane I have laid hold of with these. I take for thee the middle and the highest sap, yea even the lowest; in fear let it not come nigh unto thee.

Mantra 3

वृषा॑ मे॒ रवो॒ नभ॑सा॒ न त॑न्य॒तुरु॒ग्रेण॑ ते॒ वच॑सा बाध॒ आदु॑ ते । अ॒हं तम॑स्य॒ नृभि॑रग्रभं॒ रसं॒ तम॑स इव॒ ज्योति॒रुदे॑तु॒ सूर्यः॑

Bull-strong is my roar, as thunder from the cloud: with fierce speech I drive it off from thee. I, with men, have seized the sap from darkness: as light from gloom let the Sun arise.

Mantra 4

चक्षु॑षा ते॒ चक्षु॑र्हन्मि वि॒षेण॑ हन्मि ते वि॒षम्। अहे॑ म्रि॒यस्व॒ मा जी॑वीः प्र॒त्यग॒भ्येऽतु त्वा वि॒षम्

With eye I smite thine eye; with poison I smite thy poison. O serpent, die—live not: backward, upon thee, let the venom go.

Mantra 5

कैरा॑त पृश्न॒ उप॑तृण्य॒ बभ्र॒ आ मे॑ शृणु॒तासि॑ता॒ अली॑काः । मा मे॒ सख्युः॑ स्ता॒मान॒मपि॑ ष्ठाताश्रा॒वय॑न्तो॒ नि वि॒षे र॑मध्वम्

O Kirāta, O Speckled, Upatṛṇya, O Brown—hear me, ye black, deceitful ones. Stand not, not even for a moment, in my friend’s domain: hissing and making yourselves heard, take your pleasure down in poison.

Mantra 6

अ॒सि॒तस्य॑ तैमा॒तस्य॑ ब॒भ्रोरपो॑दकस्य च । सा॒त्रा॒सा॒हस्या॒हं म॒न्योरव॒ ज्यामि॑व॒ धन्व॑नो॒ वि मु॑ञ्चामि॒ रथाँ॑ इव

From the Black, from Taimāta, from the Brown, and from the waterless; from Sātrāsāha’s fury—I release (thee) away, as a bowstring from the bow, as chariots are let go.

Mantra 7

आलि॑गी च॒ विलि॑गी च पि॒ता च॑ माता॒ च॑ । वि॒द्म वः॑ स॒र्वतो॒ ब॑न्ध्वर॑साः॒ किं क॑रिष्यथ

Āligī and Viligī, and father and mother—of you we know on every side: ye sapless kinsmen, what will ye do?

Mantra 8

उ॒रु॒गूला॑या दुहि॒ता जा॒ता दा॒स्यसि॑क्न्या । प्र॒तङ्कं॑ द॒द्रुषी॑णां॒ सर्वा॑सामर॒सं वि॒षम्

Born as the daughter of Urugūlā, of the dark slave-woman: Prataṅka—of the Dadr̥śīs, of them all—(be) poison made sapless.

Mantra 9

क॒र्णा श्वा॒वित् तद॑ब्रवीद् गि॒रेर॑वचरन्ति॒का। याः काश्चे॒माः ख॑नि॒त्रिमा॒स्तासा॑मर॒सत॑मं वि॒ष॑म्

Karnā, Śvāvit—thus spake she that cometh down from the mountain: whatever these be, earth-dug (burrow-born), of them (be) the poison most sapless.

Mantra 10

ता॒बुवं॒ न ता॒बुवं॒ न घेत् त्वम॑सि ता॒बुव॑म्। ता॒बुवे॑नार॒सं वि॒षम्

‘Tābuvam’—not ‘tābuvam’; let it not seize: thou art the Tābuvam. By the Tābuvam (make) the poison sapless.

Mantra 11

त॒स्तुवं॒ न त॒स्तुवं॒ न घेत् त्वम॑सि त॒स्तुव॑म्। त॒स्तुवे॑नार॒सं वि॒षम्

‘Tastuvam’—not ‘tastuvam’; let it not seize: thou art the Tastuvam. By the Tastuvam (make) the poison sapless.

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.

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