
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Devata: Nakṣatra-rājan (Śakadhūma) with day/night and sun/moon as invoked supports
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; common in AV 6th kāṇḍa short charms)
Mantra 1
राजा श॒क॒धूमं॒ नक्ष॑त्राणि॒ यद् राजा॑न॒मकु॑र्वत । भ॒द्रा॒हम॑स्मै॒ प्राय॑च्छन्नि॒दं रा॒ष्ट्रमसा॒दिति॑
When the Nakṣatras made the king—(even) Śakadhūma—Bhadrāham bestowed on him this realm: ‘So may this kingdom be.’
Mantra 2
भ॒द्रा॒हं नो॑ म॒ध्यंदि॑ने भद्रा॒हं सा॒यम॑स्तु नः । भ॒द्रा॒हं नो॒ अह्नां॑ प्रा॒ता रात्री॑ भद्रा॒हम॑स्तु नः
Auspiciousness for us at mid-day; auspiciousness in the evening be ours. Auspiciousness for us through the days—at morning, at night—auspiciousness be for us.
Mantra 3
अ॒हो॒रा॒त्राभ्यां॒ नक्ष॑त्रेभ्यः सूर्याचन्द्र॒मसा॑भ्याम्। भ॒द्रा॒हम॒स्मभ्यं॑ राज॒न्छक॑धूम॒ त्वं कृ॑धि
By Day and Night, by the Nakṣatras, by Sun and Moon—make for us a lucky day, O King, O Śakadhūma.
Mantra 4
यो नो॑ भद्रा॒हमक॑रः सा॒यं नक्त॒मथो॒ दिवा॑ । तस्मै॑ ते नक्षत्रराज॒ शक॑धूम॒ सदा॒ नमः॑
Thou who hast made for us a lucky day, at eve, at night, and also by day—to thee, O King of the Nakṣatras, O Śakadhūma, be homage evermore.
It aims to secure “bhadrāham”—a lucky, auspicious day—by pacifying harmful time/astral influences and aligning the undertaking with day/night, sun/moon, and the nakṣatras.
Śakadhūma is addressed as a Nakṣatra-king (nakṣatra-rājan), a ruling astral power who can ‘make’ the day auspicious when invoked with the cosmic supports of time.
No special substances are required by the text. It can be used as a short recitation at the start of an important action, ideally with a clear intention for an obstacle-free, auspicious day.
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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