Mantra 1

Sukta 23

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दुःस्वप्ननाशनम्। दौष्वप्न्यं दौर्जीवित्यं रक्षो अभ्वऽमराय्यः । दुर्णाम्नीः सर्वा दुर्वाचस्ता अस्मन्नाशयामसि

IAST Transliteration

dauṣvápnyaṃ daurjī́vityaṃ rákṣo abhváṃ amaráyyaḥ | durnā́mnīḥ sárvā durvā́cas-tā́ asmán nāśayāmasi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Ill-dreaming and ill-living, the demon, the dreadful thing, the deathward power; all ill-named ones, all that are of evil speech—from us we cause them to perish.

Word by Word

दौष्वप्न्यम्evil dream (bad dreaming)

दौर्जीवित्यम्ill life, wretched living

रक्षःdemon, harmful spirit

अभ्वम्monstrous, dreadful

अमराय्यःdeathless/immortal (ones); here: hostile beings called ‘amarāyyaḥ’

दुर्णाम्नीः(female) of evil name; ill-named (powers)

सर्वाःall

दुर्वाचःevil speech, curses

ताःthose (them)

अस्मत्from us / of us

नाशयामसिwe cause to perish, we destroy

Attribution

Rishi: Uncertain (requires anukramaṇī verification for AVŚ 7.23.1).

Devata: Rakṣoghna-brahman (the mantra’s own power); implicitly Indra/Agni as destroyers of rakṣas in Atharvanic idiom.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires scansion).

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"bhayankara","emotional_arc":"From naming fears to forceful banishment and regained courage.","listener_experience":"A sense of being guarded; fear becomes ‘outside’ and manageable.","intensity":7}