Kanda 7Anuvaka 4Sukta 361 Mantras

Sukta 36

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (as per Anukramaṇī for 7.36)

Devata: Añjana (personified charm-substance); Manas (mind) as target

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)

Mantras

Mantra 1

अञ्जनम्। अक्ष्यौऽनौ मधुसंकाशे अनीकं नौ समञ्जनम्। अन्तः कृष्णुष्व मां हृदि मन इन्नौ सहासति

Collyrium: in our two eyes, honey-bright; our face—an anointing complete. Within, blacken me in thy heart: the mind indeed for us two shall be in concord.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is añjana in this hymn?

Añjana is collyrium (eye-ointment). Here it is personified as a charm-substance whose dark pigment and cosmetic radiance are used to attract and to bind the beloved’s attention and feeling.

Does the mantra aim at love or reconciliation?

Both. It is erotic/attractive in method (working through eyes and allure) and conciliatory in goal, because it explicitly seeks saṃmanasya—concord and shared intention of the two minds.

How is the rite performed in simple terms?

Recite the verse over the collyrium and apply it to both eyes with the intention of mutual harmony. The mantra’s core request is to be ‘within the heart’ of the other so that the two minds settle into concord.