Kanda 7Anuvaka 7Sukta 661 Mantras

Sukta 66

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous/collective in many AV apotropaic pieces)

Devata: Brahman (mantra-power) personified; secondarily Vāta/Antarikṣa as loci

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires padic verification across editions)

Mantras

Mantra 1

ब्रह्म। यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वात आस यदि वृक्षेषु यदि वोलपेषु । यदश्रवन् पशव उद्यमानं तद् ब्राह्मणं पुनरस्मानुपैतु

The holy spell—if it be in the mid-air, if it have lodged in the Wind, if among the trees, if in the thickets—what the cattle heard as it was rising forth, that Brahman-power, let it come back again unto us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Brahman” mean in this hymn?

Here “Brahman” means the effective power of sacred speech—the potency of mantra and rite—treated as something that can wander and be summoned back.

Why mention wind, mid-air, trees, and thickets?

They are named as likely ‘resting places’ for dispersed potency. By identifying the hiding places, the chant ritually compels the power to return to the performer.

When would someone use Atharvaveda 7.66?

When a recitation or rite feels ineffective—after interruption, mistake, fear, or a sense that protection has weakened—this verse is used to recall and reattach the departed mantra-power.