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Rishi: Atharvanic (protective litany; traditional attribution varies)
Devata: Multiple: Indra, Pūṣan, Aditi, Maruts, Apām Napāt, Seven Rivers, Viṣṇu, Dyauḥ
Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like litany (prose-rubric + metrical cola)
AV 6.3 es una liturgia breve de «auto-guardia» (ātmagopanam) que levanta un escudo en todas las direcciones al convocar una coalición de protectores védicos—fuerzas cósmicas, atmosféricas, acuáticas y rituales. Su eficacia reside en la invocación acumulativa: a cada deidad/fuerza se le pide que «proteja» (pātu/pāntu), apilando capas de seguridad contra aṃhas (aflicción, pecado, infortunio) y contra daños visibles e invisibles.
Mantra 1
आत्मगोपनम्। पा॒तं न॑ इन्द्रापूष॒णादि॑तिः॒ पान्तु॑ म॒रुतः॑ । अपां॑ नपात् सिन्धवः स॒प्त पा॑तन॒ पातु॑ नो॒ विष्णु॑रु॒त द्यौः
Autoprotección. Que Indra y Pūṣan nos protejan; que Aditi proteja; que los Maruts protejan. Que Apām Napāt proteja; vosotros, los siete Ríos, ¡proteged! Que Viṣṇu nos proteja, y también el Cielo.
Mantra 2
पा॒तां नो॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॒भिष्ट॑ये॒ पातु॒ ग्रावा॒ पातु॒ सोमो॑ नो॒ अंह॑सः । पातु॑ नो दे॒वी सु॒भगा॒ सर॑स्वती॒ पात्व॒ग्निः शि॒वा ये अ॑स्य पा॒यवः॑
Que el Cielo y la Tierra nos protejan para el auxilio; que la piedra de prensar proteja; que Soma nos proteja de la aflicción. Que la Diosa, Sarasvatī la benévola, nos proteja; que Agni proteja — aquel cuyos guardianes son propicios.
It means “self-guarding.” The hymn is framed as a protective act where the reciter asks many cosmic and ritual powers to form a shield around them.
Because protection is sought from every realm—sky, earth, storms, waters, and the sacrificial fire. The ‘many protectors’ approach leaves no opening for harm or misfortune.
No. They can be symbolic: a clean stone can stand for grāvā, and a simple offering-intention (or milk/juice) can stand for Soma. The central practice is focused recitation with a protection intention.
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