Anuvaka 6
Suktas in Anuvaka 6
Sukta 51
AV 6.51 is a compact expiatory and purificatory hymn that neutralizes enas (ritual/moral pollution) by presenting purification as a reversible, unstoppable flow: Soma is strained and “turned back” beyond harm, the Waters wash away all taint, and Varuṇa is appeased for inadvertent transgression. Its power lies in combining three classic purifiers—wind/straining, lustral waters with ghee, and confession before Varuṇa—so that impurity is removed, not merely hidden, and punitive consequences are averted.
Sukta 52
This brief healing-protective hymn harnesses the rising Sun (Sūrya/Āditya) as a visible force that crushes rakṣas and dispels “the unseen” (adṛṣṭa)—occult harms, hidden disease, and malign influences. It then extends the same pacifying power to the household sphere (cattle, predators, river-turbulence) and culminates by introducing Kaṇva’s famed medicinal herb as a universal remedy to quiet unseen afflictions for the patient.
Sukta 53
AV 6.53 is a compact Atharvanic protection-and-restoration hymn that first establishes all-direction guardianship by Heaven and Earth and a circle of sustaining deities, then recalls the scattered life-powers (breath, self, sight, vitality) back into the afflicted person. It culminates in Tvaṣṭṛ’s reparative act: re-forming what is damaged, reuniting body and mind with radiance and nourishment, and sealing the space/person against inner and outer misfortune.
Sukta 54
AV 6.54 is a compact royal-state charm that welds prosperity (rayi, śrī) to coercive victory (amitra-dambhana) so the patron remains “upper” in every clash. It invokes the martial-sacrificial axis—Indra’s conquering force and the Agni–Soma pair’s kṣatra-support—to stabilize sovereignty, resources, and dominance under political pressure.
Sukta 55
AV 6.55 is a short śānti–paustika hymn that asks the whole divine order—paths of approach between Heaven and Earth, the Seasons, and the Year itself—to surround the speaker with saumanasya (goodwill, concord, kindly-mindedness). By harmonizing cosmic rhythms (ṛtu and saṃvatsara) it aims to pacify disturbances in time and environment, yielding safe dwelling, prosperity in cattle and progeny, and a stable atmosphere of peace.
Sukta 56
This brief rakṣā-hymn secures protection from serpents by combining propitiatory homage (namo) to serpent-kinds with a forceful “binding/closing” spell that disables the bite. It asks the gods to restrain the ahi so it cannot dart forth, and then ritually shuts the serpent’s fangs, jaws, tongue, and mouth—neutralizing venom and danger for the whole household.
Sukta 57
Atharvaveda 6.57 is a concise water-therapy healing charm that treats sharp, piercing afflictions as Rudra’s “arrows” and counters them with consecrated medicinal water (jālāṣa). By repeated sprinkling and a final universalizing benediction, the hymn expands the field of cure from a specific pain to an all-encompassing protection where Earth and Waters themselves become bheṣaja (remedy).
Sukta 58
This short paustika hymn is a charm for acquiring and stabilizing yáśas—public renown, prestige, and social recognition—especially in the ritual economy of patronage and dakṣiṇā. It draws fame down from the most authoritative cosmic and sacrificial sources (Indra, Dyāvāpṛthivī, Savitar; and by extension Agni and Soma), then universalizes it so the speaker becomes “most famed” among all beings.
Sukta 59
This short Atharvanic hymn invokes the healing herb-power Arundhatī (Oṣadhi) to protect and restore cattle-wealth—oxen, milch-cows, dry cows, calves, and the whole four-footed herd. It asks for a milk-rich, disease-free cowshed and extends the same protection to the human household, driving away Rudra’s feared ‘missile’ (sudden murrain/epidemic affliction). In Atharvavedic domestic style, the mantra itself functions as a protective charge placed upon the byre and herd through recitation and simple herb-rite.
Sukta 60
This brief pati-lābha hymn petitions Aryaman, guardian of socially sanctioned unions, to bring a suitable husband to a maiden and secure her transition into fruitful wifehood. It acknowledges the competitive arena of marriage selection (the “common meeting”) and seeks divine advantage over rivals. The closing verse grounds the request in Dhātṛ’s cosmic ordering power, implying that a well-matched marriage is part of ṛta (stable order) and leads to progeny and prosperity.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.