Sukta 23
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted without a single named ṛṣi for minor healing charms; assigned in some indices to Atharvan/Angiras lineages).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Rājanī/Night (personified night-power).
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of 8 syllables; typical of Atharvanic healing charms).
AVŚ 1.23 es un breve ensalmo curativo atharvánico que «vuelve a oscurecer» lo que se ha tornado de un blanco ominoso—en especial kílāsa (manchas blancas en la piel) y palitá (canicie prematura). Invoca una hierba nacida de la noche, de tono negro, junto con Rājanī (la Noche) para revertir la decoloración, expulsar una desgracia de tipo Nirṛti y hacer desaparecer la marca blanca mediante la fuerza del mantra (brahman).
Mantras
Mantra 1
शत्रुनिवारणम्। न॒क्तं॒जा॒तास्यो॑षधे॒ रामे॒ कृष्णे॒ असि॑क्नि च । इ॒दं र॑जनि रजय कि॒लासं॑ पलि॒तं च॒ यत्
Nacida de la noche eres tú, oh Hierba—Oṣadhi—, la oscura, la negra, sí, la de tono negro. Esto, oh Noche, vuélvelo a oscurecer: el kilāsa y la canicie—sea lo que sea.
Mantra 2
कि॒लासं॑ च पलि॒तं च॒ निरि॒तो ना॑शया॒ पृष॑त्। आ त्वा॒ स्वो वि॑शतां॒ वर्णः॒ परा॑ शु॒क्लानि॑ पातय
Tanto el kilāsa como la canicie—procedentes de Nirṛti—destrúyelos, oh Moteado. Que entre en ti tu propio color, el que te es debido; arroja lejos las blancuras.
Mantra 3
असि॑तं ते प्र॒लय॑नमा॒स्थान॒मसि॑तं॒ तव॑ । असि॑क्न्यस्योषधे॒ निरि॒तो ना॑शया॒ पृष॑त्
Negro es tu asiento, tu lugar para deshacer; negro, de nuevo, es el tuyo. Oh hierba de la Negra, destruye a Nirṛti; hiere al Moteado (azote).
Mantra 4
अ॒स्थि॒जस्य॑ कि॒लास॑स्य तनू॒जस्य॑ च॒ यत् त्व॒चि। दूष्या॑ कृ॒तस्य॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ लक्ष्म॑ श्वे॒तम॑नीनशम्
Cuanto haya sobre la piel—mal nacido del hueso, kilāsa y mal nacido del cuerpo—oh mancha: por el poder del brahman, como cosa hecha (e impuesta), he hecho desvanecerse esa marca blanca.
Frequently Asked Questions
It targets whitening conditions—especially kílāsa (white skin patches) and palitá (premature grayness)—and treats them as both a medical and inauspicious ‘mark’ to be reversed.
Night symbolizes the power of darkening and restoration; the herb is imagined as carrying that same blackening potency, so together they ‘turn back’ the whitened sign and drive away its harmful agency.
Both. Along with healing, it expels Nirṛti (calamity/misfortune) and cancels an affliction described as ‘wrought’ or imposed, giving the charm an apotropaic, protective edge.
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