Atharva Veda Sukta 37
Kanda 4Anuvaka 4Sukta 3712 Mantras

Sukta 37

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic seers; the verse itself cites Atharvans, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya as precedent authorities

Devata: Oṣadhi (the Herb) as personified healer; secondarily anti-rākṣasa power

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)

AV 4.37 est un hymne de bhaiṣajya qui investit une plante médicinale, conçue comme un guérisseur vivant et personnifié, du pouvoir de détruire les kṛmi (vers/parasites) et les agents de maladie de type rākṣasa. Son efficacité est fondée sur un précédent ancestral — les Atharvans et des ṛṣi renommés (Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya) — puis le texte s’intensifie en une parole rakṣoghna vigoureuse qui expulse les influences des Gandharva et des Apsaras, surtout celles liées à la possession érotique et au trouble du foyer.

Kind of charm

Bhaishajya (healing)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.37

Mantras

Mantra 1

कृमिनाशनम्। त्वया॒ पूर्व॒मथ॑र्वाणो ज॒घ्नू रक्षां॑स्योषधे । त्वया॑ जघान क॒श्यप॒स्त्वया॒ कण्वो॑ अ॒गस्त्यः॑

Tu es destructeur des vers. Par toi jadis les Atharvans frappèrent les Rākṣasas, ô Plante; par toi Kaśyapa frappa, par toi Kaṇva, Agastya.

Mantra 2

त्वया॑ व॒यम॑प्स॒रसो॑ गन्ध॒र्वांस्चा॑तयामहे । अज॑शृ॒ङ्ग्यज॒ रक्षः॒ सर्वा॑न् ग॒न्धेन॑ नाशय

Par toi nous chassons les Apsaras et les Gandharvas. Ô Ajāśṛṅgī, ô la Cornue-de-chèvre, détruis tous les Rākṣasas par ton parfum.

Mantra 3

न॒दीं य॑न्त्वप्स॒रसो॒ऽपां ता॒रम॑वश्व॒सम्। गु॒ल्गु॒लूः पीला॑ नल॒द्यौ॒३क्षग॑न्धिः प्रमन्द॒नी। तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन

Vers la rivière, que s’en aillent les Apsaras — celles des Eaux — vers le passeur, le funeste. Guggulu, Pīlā, le parfum de Naladā et de Dyaukṣa, l’Enchanteresse qui réjouit : là-bas partez, ô Apsaras ; démasquées et ramenées à l’éveil, ainsi devenez.

Mantra 4

यत्रा॑श्व॒त्था न्य॒ग्रोधा॑ महावृ॒क्षाः शि॑ख॒ण्डिनः॑ । तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन

Là où se tiennent l’Aśvattha et le Nyagrodha, grands arbres aux cimes en crête — là, retirez-vous, ô Apsaras ; décelées et ramenées à l’éveil, ainsi soyez devenues.

Mantra 5

यत्र॑ वः प्रे॒ङ्खा हरि॑ता॒ अर्जु॑ना उ॒त यत्रा॑घा॒ताः क॑र्क॒र्यः सं॒वद॑न्ति । तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन

Là où sont vos balançoires vertes parmi les arbres Arjuna, et là où les Karkarī frappées résonnent d’un son accordé — là, retirez-vous, ô Apsaras ; décelées et ramenées à l’éveil, ainsi soyez devenues.

Mantra 6

एयम॑ग॒न्नोष॑धीनां वी॒रुधां॑ वी॒र्याऽवती । अ॒ज॒शृ॒ङ्ग्यऽराट॒की ती॑क्ष्णशृ॒ङ्गी व्यृऽषतु

Voici qu’est venue la Puissante parmi les herbes et les plantes, douée de vigueur : Ajaśṛṅgī, Arāṭakī, la Cornue-aux-pointes — qu’elle chasse (le mal) dehors et au loin.

Mantra 7

आ॒नृत्य॑तः शिख॒ण्डिनो॑ गन्ध॒र्वस्या॑प्सराप॒तेः । भि॒नद्मि॑ मु॒ष्कावपि॑ यामि॒ शेपः॑

Tandis que dansent les êtres à la huppe — le Gandharva, seigneur des Apsaras — je lui fends les testicules ; oui, j’attaque son membre viril.

Mantra 8

भी॒मा इन्द्र॑स्य हे॒तयः॑ श॒तमृ॒ष्टीर॑य॒स्मयीः॑ । ताभि॑र्हविर॒दान् ग॑न्ध॒र्वान॑वका॒दान् व्यृऽषतु

Terribles sont les traits d’Indra, de fer, aux cent tranchants. Par eux qu’on mette en pièces les Gandharva, mangeurs de l’oblation, mangeurs d’Avakāda.

Mantra 9

भी॒मा इन्द्र॑स्य हे॒तयः॑ श॒तमृ॒ष्टीर्हि॑र॒ण्ययीः॑ । ताभि॑र्हविर॒दान् ग॑न्ध॒र्वान॑वका॒दान् व्युऽषतु

Terribles sont les traits d’Indra, d’or, aux cent tranchants. Par eux qu’on brûle et chasse les Gandharva, mangeurs de l’oblation, mangeurs d’Avakāda.

Mantra 10

अ॒व॒का॒दान॑भिशो॒चान॒प्सु ज्यो॑तय माम॒कान्। पि॒शा॒चान्त्सर्वा॑नोषधे॒ प्र मृ॑णीहि॒ सह॑स्व च

Les êtres d’Avakāda, qui là, dans les eaux, brûlent—mets-les en pleine lumière, ceux qui sont à moi. Tous les Piśāca, ô Plante médicinale, broie-les et chasse-les au dehors; toi aussi, triomphe, l’emporte.

Mantra 11

स्वेवैकः॑ क॒पिरि॒वैकः॑ कुमा॒रः स॑र्वकेश॒कः । प्रियो दृश इ॑व भू॒त्वा ग॑न्ध॒र्वः स॑चते॒ स्त्रिय॑स्त॑मि॒तो ना॑शयामसि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा वी॒र्याऽवता

Comme un parent—un; comme un singe—un; un jeune homme, tout velu. Devenant comme agréable à la vue, le Gandharva s’attache aux femmes. Lui, hors des ténèbres, nous le faisons périr—par le brahman, avec une puissance efficace.

Mantra 12

जा॒या इद् वो॑ अप्स॒रसो॒ गन्ध॑र्वाः॒ पत॑यो यू॒यम्। अप धावतामर्त्या॒ मर्त्या॒न् मा स॑चध्वम्

Épouses, en vérité, sont les vôtres, ô Apsaras; vous, Gandharvas, en êtes les époux. Au loin, fuyez—immortels—les mortels; ne vous attachez pas aux mortels.

Inside Sukta 37

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    The hymn opens by naming the herb as ‘kṛmi-nāśanam’ and anchoring its power in the victories of primordial Atharvans and renowned seers.

  2. What it asks

    Let the empowered herb destroy worms and drive away rākṣasa-like disease agents; let intrusive Gandharva–Apsaras influence be broken and dismissed from human life.

  3. Where its power lies

    Efficacy is asserted through precedent (what the seers accomplished with this power) and through direct, performative speech-acts that maim/disable the hostile force and sever its attachment.

  4. How it closes

    It concludes with a social-cosmic reordering: Apsarases belong with Gandharvas, and immortals must not cling to mortals—thus the affliction is sent away and boundaries are sealed.

Famous verses

kṛmināśanam
Verse 4.37.1Programmatic thesis-verse: defines the herb as worm-slayer and legitimizes the charm by citing Atharvans and major seers as prior users of the same power.Read verse 4.37.1 →
apa dhāvatām … mā sacadhvam
Verse 4.37.12Concluding dismissal and boundary-restoration: reassigns proper spouses (Apsaras–Gandharva) and commands immortals to depart from mortals, sealing the apotropaic outcome.Read verse 4.37.12 →

Kind of hymn

Bhaiṣajya (Healing; anti-parasitic/anti-demonic therapy)

What it is for

Eradication of parasitic infestation and the removal of demonic/possessive afflictions; restoration of health, sexual/social boundaries, and domestic stability.

Who it is for

Atharvanic healer/priest (bhaiṣajika) treating a patient with suspected worms, wasting, or possession-like symptoms; also householders seeking protection from disruptive spirit-erotic influence.

Also used as

  • Rakṣoghna
  • Śāntika
  • Strīkarmāṇi (regulating harmful spirit-erotic attachment)
  • Abhicārika (aggressive counter-measures within healing context)

The deity

Oṣadhi is treated as an intelligent, potent healer—both medicine and mantra-bearer—whose power is validated by primordial Atharvanic practice. Secondarily, the hymn addresses/targets liminal beings (rākṣasas; Gandharva as apsarā-pati) as embodiments of invasive disease, obsession, and disorder.

Powers of the deity

  • Destroys kṛmi (worms/parasites) and internal infestations
  • Repels rākṣasas and other harmful unseen agencies
  • Restores bodily integrity and protective boundaries
  • Counters erotic possession/infliction associated with Gandharva–Apsaras
  • Re-establishes proper pairing and social-ritual order (immortal with immortal; mortal protected)

Why the deity is called

To consecrate and activate an herb as a worm-slayer and demon-repellent medicine, and to dismiss/disable intrusive Gandharva–Apsaras forces so the patient and household return to health and order.

The seer

  • Atharvanic seers (anonymous tradition; hymn cites Atharvans, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya as authorities)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya and rakṣoghna charms: herb-consecration, anti-parasitic therapy, and expulsion of demonic/possessive agencies affecting body and sexuality

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 2.31 (kṛmi-nāśana theme)
  • AV 5.23 (oṣadhi-stuti / healing herb material)
  • AV 6.111 (disease-removal / protective healing)

Preparing for the rite

  • Select a potent oṣadhi (medicinal herb) suitable for anti-parasitic use; keep it ritually clean.
  • Prepare a small quantity of water (for washing/infusion) and a clean space near the patient.
  • Mentally establish lineage-authority by recalling Atharvans and the cited seers (Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya).

The rite

  • Recite the hymn over the herb to ‘awaken’ it as kṛmi-nāśanam (worm-destroyer).
  • Administer the herb as paste/infusion or apply it topically at the afflicted region, repeating key verses during application.
  • For Gandharva–Apsaras disturbance, perform a firm verbal dismissal (apa-dhāvatam) and boundary-setting: ‘immortals from mortals,’ optionally with a cutting/cleaving gesture to signify severance of attachment.

What it needs

  • Oṣadhi (medicinal herb; species not fixed in the hymn)
  • Water for washing/infusion
  • Optional binding thread/strip of cloth for a simple herb-amulet application

When

Preferably at a liminal time (dawn or dusk) or at onset/recognition of symptoms; repeat for several days as needed during treatment.

The main substance

Oṣadhi (medicinal herb, consecrated by mantra)

Herbs

  • Unspecified oṣadhi (selected locally as anti-parasitic/cleansing medicine)

Amulets

  • Herb-tied thread/cloth band (optional, as a carrier of the recited power)

How it is prepared

Wash the herb, then make an infusion or paste while reciting; speak key verses over the medicine before administration, and repeat during application/ingestion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both. It can denote actual intestinal/skin parasites, and also a broader category of invasive, unseen agents of wasting and disease that are treated as ‘worm-like’ intruders.

To establish authority and proven efficacy: the herb’s power is validated by ancestral precedent—what those seers accomplished is invoked as a guarantee for the present cure.

Because some afflictions are framed as possession-like or disruptive attachments (often erotic or household-disturbing). The hymn dismisses such beings from mortals and restores proper boundaries and pairing.

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