Sukta 2
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī lists for this cluster).
Devata: Agni (Jātavedas) as apotropaic envoy and retaliatory burner of curses.
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (Atharvanic mixed meters occur; this verse is commonly treated as a longer, non-Anuṣṭubh form).
AVŚ 3.2 est un contre-charme atharvanique visant à renvoyer la sorcellerie hostile, les malédictions et l’intention ennemie, de sorte que les desseins de l’adversaire s’effondrent de l’intérieur. Agni Jātavedas y est présenté comme l’émissaire intelligent qui « brûle en retour » l’imprécation ; la force de l’hymne culmine en une confusion de type champ de bataille : l’armée opposée est frappée de ténèbres et de non-reconnaissance mutuelle. La puissance de la sūkta est principalement apotropaïque et retaliatoire — elle neutralise le mal par renversement, égarement/ensorcellement (mohana) et désarmement.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
शत्रुसेनासंमोहनम्। अ॒ग्निर्नो॑ दू॒तः प्र॒त्येतु॑ वि॒द्वान् प्र॑ति॒दह॑न्न॒भिश॑स्ति॒मरा॑तिम्। स चि॒त्तानि॑ मोहयतु॒ परे॑षां॒ निर्ह॑स्तांश्च कृणवज्जा॒तवे॑दाः
(Charme) pour l’ensorcellement de l’armée ennemie. Qu’Agni, notre messager, le Sage, revienne vers nous, brûlant en retour l’imprécation et l’hostilité. Que Jātavedas égare les desseins des autres et les rende sans mains — désarmés.
Mantra 2
अ॒यम॒ग्निर॑मूमुह॒द् यानि॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ वो हृ॒दि। वि वो॑ धम॒त्वोक॑सः॒ प्र वो॑ धमतु स॒र्वतः॑
Cet Agni a troublé ces pensées, quelles qu’elles soient, qui sont dans votre cœur. De votre demeure qu’il les souffle au loin, les balayant net ; qu’il les chasse hors de vous de tous côtés.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ मो॒हय॑न्न॒र्वाङाकू॑त्या चर । अ॒ग्नेर्वात॑स्य॒ ध्राज्या॒ तान् विषू॑चो॒ वि ना॑शय
Ô Indra, troublant leurs pensées, avance, l’intention tournée vers ici ; par l’ardente splendeur d’Agni et du Vent, disperse ces ennemis qui agissent de travers, anéantis-les entièrement.
Mantra 4
व्याऽकूतय एषामि॒ताथो॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ मुह्यत । अथो॒ यद॒द्यैषां॑ हृदि तदे॑षां॒ परि॒ निर्ज॑हि
Leurs desseins — ainsi ! — et de plus leurs pensées, qu’ils soient confondus ; et encore : tout ce qui aujourd’hui est dans leur cœur, chasse-le d’eux et expulse-le au loin.
Mantra 5
अ॒मीषां॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ प्रतिमो॒हय॑न्ती गृहा॒णाङ्गा॑न्यप्वे॒ परे॑हि । अ॒भि प्रेहि॒ निर्द॑ह हृ॒त्सु शोकै॒र्ग्राह्या॒मित्रां॒स्तम॑सा विध्य॒ शत्रू॑न्
Troublant les esprits de ces hommes-là, ô Apvā, va-t’en au loin ; (attaque) les membres des gens de la maison. Marche contre eux ; brûle-les jusqu’au bout : par des chagrins dans leurs cœurs saisis les malveillants ; de ténèbres perce les ennemis.
Mantra 6
अ॒सौ या सेना॑ मरुतः॒ परे॑षाम॒स्मा॑नैत्य॒भ्योज॑सा॒ स्पर्ध॑माना । तां वि॑ध्यत॒ तम॒साप॑व्रतेन॒ यथै॑षाम॒न्यो अ॒न्यं न जा॒नात्
Cette troupe des autres, ô Maruts, qui s’avance contre nous, rivalisant contre nous avec force — frappez-la de ténèbres, par une ordonnance renversée, afin que parmi eux l’un ne reconnaisse pas l’autre.
Inside Sukta 2
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Agni is summoned as the wise messenger who returns toward ‘us’ and immediately performs reversal—burning back curse and enmity.
- What it asks
Confound the enemy’s thoughts and purposes, expel present malice from their hearts, and render them incapable of action (handless/disarmed).
- Where its power lies
The hymn speaks in performative imperatives: the curse is not merely blocked but ‘burned back’; enemy counsel is made to err; the host is struck so that one does not recognize another.
- How it closes
The sukta culminates in a battlefield dispersal: the approaching host is ‘smitten with darkness’ and forced into mutual non-recognition, sealing protection through enemy self-disruption.
Famous verses
pratidahann abhishastim amārātim / nirhastānś ca kṛṇavat
cittāni muhyata / hṛdi… pari nirjahi
yathaiṣām anyo anyaṃ na jānāt
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika (Apotropaic/Hostile-countermagic; enemy-host bewilderment)
What it is for
Hostile speech, curses, and enemy strategy are turned back and neutralized; the opponent becomes confused, internally divided, and unable to strike effectively.
Who it is for
Householders and ritual specialists (Atharvanic practitioners) seeking protection from rival aggression, slander/curse, or an approaching hostile group; also applicable in a martial or dispute setting.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna/Apotropaic protection
- Saṃgrāmika (martial protection)
- Mohana (bewilderment charm)
The deity
Agni as Jātavedas is the all-knowing fire who conveys offerings and words, but here functions as an apotropaic envoy who returns to the sacrificer carrying back (and burning) hostile speech and sorcery. The Maruts appear as storm-war companions who can strike an approaching host with panic-like obscuration.
Powers of the deity
- Pratidāha: burning back imprecation and enmity
- Mohana: bewildering enemy counsel and thought
- Nirhasta-karaṇa: rendering opponents ‘handless’ (disarmed/ineffective)
- Apākaraṇa: expelling hostile intent lodged in the heart
- Tamas-pradāna: smiting an enemy host with darkness/obscuration leading to misrecognition and rout
Why the deity is called
To reverse and incinerate hostile spells and malice, to scramble the adversary’s planning capacity, and to protect the reciter’s side by disarming and dispersing the opposing force.
The seer
- Atharvan/Āṅgirasa (anukramaṇī attribution varies for AVŚ 3.2 cluster)Atharvanic–Angirasa. Abhicarika counter-charms: reversal of curses (pratidāha), delusion of enemy counsel (mohana), and protective-martial dispersal rites against hostile bands.
Other hymns of this seer
- AVŚ 3.1
- AVŚ 3.3
- AVŚ 6.13 (general Atharvanic counter-charm cluster; attribution varies by tradition)
Preparing for the rite
- Kindle or face a prepared fire (Agni) as the operative medium; establish a protected boundary (simple directional orientation and mental resolve).
- Collect standard oblation materials (ghee, kindling); optionally prepare a small offering portion dedicated to Agni as ‘dūta’ (envoy).
- State the sankalpa: ‘return and burn the abhishasti and amārāti; confound the enemy’s counsel.’
The rite
- Recite with emphasis on reversal verbs (pratyetu, pratidahan) while offering ghee/kindling into the fire at key imperatives.
- At verses of ‘mohana’ and ‘nirhasta’, gesture outward (as if pushing away) to signify expulsion of hostile intent.
- In the concluding martial verse, recite facing the perceived direction of threat, envisioning ‘tamas’ as obscuring the hostile host so they fail to coordinate.
What it needs
- Ritual fire (Agni)
- Ghee (ājya)
- Kindling/fuel (samidh)
When
Performed when hostile intent is suspected (after receiving threats/omens of enmity) or prior to confrontation; traditionally effective at dusk/nightfall for the ‘tamas’ motif, though not restricted.
The main substance
Agni (ritual fire) with ghee oblations
How it is prepared
Prepare a steady fire; offer small ghee portions at key imperatives (especially ‘pratidahan’ and ‘mohayatu’). If no full rite is possible, recite facing a lamp/fire as the minimal Agni-support.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to counter hostile speech, curses, and aggressive intent—turning the harm back, confusing the adversary’s plans, and making them unable to act effectively.
Agni is treated as a knowing envoy who carries the ritual word and also ‘returns’ with power to burn back the enemy’s imprecation, reversing the direction of harm.
No specific herbs or amulets are stated for this sukta; the primary operative support is fire (Agni) with simple oblations like ghee and kindling, plus focused recitation.
Ask anything about Sukta 2 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
