Sukta 16
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Devata: Remedy/Herb as potent agent (implicit); alternatively the addressed power behind the medicine
Chandas: Not fully determinable from the truncated opening; Atharvanic mixed style
Mantras
Mantra 1
वृषरोगशमनम्। यद्ये॑कवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
A charm for the calming of vṛṣa-disease: If thou art the sole Bull, if thou art of flowing sap—
Mantra 2
यदि॑ द्विवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be of twofold bull-strength, if thou be of streaming sap—(so be it).
Mantra 3
यदि॑ त्रिवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be of threefold bull-strength, if thou be of streaming sap—(so be it).
Mantra 4
यदि॑ चतुर्वृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be of fourfold bull-strength, if thou be of streaming sap—(so be it).
Mantra 5
यदि॑ पञ्चवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be of fivefold bull-strength, if thou be of streaming sap—(so be it).
Mantra 6
यदि॑ षड्-वृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be of sixfold bull-strength, if thou be of streaming sap—(so be it).
Mantra 7
यदि॑ सप्तवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be seven-bull’d, if thou be of sṛjā-sap,
Mantra 8
यद्य॑ष्टवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be eight-bull’d, if thou be of sṛjā-sap,
Mantra 9
यदि॑ नववृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be nine-bull’d, if thou be of sṛjā-sap,
Mantra 10
यदि॑ दशवृ॒षोऽसि॑ सृ॒जार॒सोऽसि
If thou be ten-bull’d, if thou be of sṛjā-sap,
Mantra 11
यद्ये॑काद॒शोऽसि॒ सोऽपो॑दको ऽसि
If thou be eleven, thou art the giver of waters.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to calm and cure an illness named vṛṣa-roga by empowering a medicinal sap/juice (rasa) through mantra-recitation and then applying or administering it.
That formula is a consecration technique: the remedy is identified with increasing measures of strength (“bull-power”), so the medicine is ritually intensified and made protective as well as curative.
It signals the final healing mode: the empowered agent is aligned with the purifying Waters—bringing cooling, cleansing, and restorative hydration, especially suitable for heat, irritation, or impurity-linked illness.
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