Sukta 121
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī attribution varies).
Devata: Varuṇa (as lord of pāśa) and the abstract powers of duṣvapnya/durita to be expelled.
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (edition-dependent).
Cet hymne de quatre strophes est une prière de déliement et d’expiation : il demande à Varuṇa de relâcher ses pāśas juridiques (liens de culpabilité, de violation du serment et de contrainte) et de chasser duṣvapnya (les mauvais rêves) ainsi que durita (le malheur). En ôtant les liens funestes et en rétablissant l’ordre juste, il vise la santé, une progression sans entrave sur les « voies » de la vie et un passage sûr vers la sukṛta-loka (le monde acquis par le mérite).
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
सुकृतलोकप्राप्तिः वि॒षाणा॒ पाशा॒न् वि ष्याध्य॒स्मद् य उ॑त्त॒मा अ॑ध॒मा वा॑रु॒णा ये। दु॒ष्वप्न्यं॑ दुरि॒तं नि ष्वा॒स्मदथ॑ गच्छेम सुकृ॒तस्य॑ लो॒कम्
Délie, écarte de nous les lacets — ceux de Varuṇa, qu’ils soient supérieurs ou inférieurs. Dépose loin de nous le mauvais rêve, le malheur ; alors puissions-nous aller au monde du mérite.
Mantra 2
यद् दारु॑णि ब॒ध्यसे॒ यच्च॒ रज्ज्वां॒ यद् भूम्यां॑ ब॒ध्यसे॒ यच्च॑ वा॒चा। अ॒यं तस्मा॒द् गार्ह॑पत्यो नो अ॒ग्निरुदिन्न॑याति सुकृ॒तस्य॑ लो॒कम्
De quoi que tu sois lié — dans le bois, et de quoi dans la corde; de quoi que tu sois lié sur la terre, et de quoi par la parole : de cela notre Agni du foyer, le Gārhapatya, te conduit vers le haut et au-dehors, vers le monde du mérite (sukṛta).
Mantra 3
उद॑गातां॒ भग॑वती वि॒चृतौ॒ नाम॒ तार॑के । प्रेहामृत॑स्य यच्छतां॒ प्रैतु॑ बद्धक॒मोच॑नम्
Qu’elles montent et s’avancent, les deux bienheureuses — Vichṛtā de nom, ô guides étoilés. Ici accordez une part d’immortalité ; qu’au loin s’en aille la délivrance de celui qui est lié.
Mantra 4
वि जि॑हीष्व लो॒कं कृ॑णु ब॒न्धान्मु॑ञ्चासि॒ बद्ध॑कम्। योन्या॑ इव॒ प्रच्यु॑तो॒ गर्भः॑ प॒थः सर्वां॒ अनु॑ क्षिय
Rejette (cela) et fais ton monde; des liens tu délivres celui qui est lié. Comme de la matrice l’embryon, ayant glissé dehors, ainsi parcours tous les chemins dans l’ordre.
Inside Sukta 121
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by directly addressing Varuṇa’s pāśas and demanding their loosening—whether ‘higher or lower,’ i.e., whatever level of binding has seized the person.
- What it asks
Drive away duṣvapnya and durita, and effect baddhaka-mocana (release of the bound), so the petitioner may move freely and attain the sukṛta-world.
- Where its power lies
The verses speak performatively: loosening, sending away, and granting amṛta are framed as actions accomplished by the invoked powers and by the mantra’s command-form.
- How it closes
It seals the cure with an image of successful emergence and right-course—like an embryo released from the womb—then commands orderly movement along all paths, implying restored normalcy and destiny.
Famous verses
duṣvapnyaṃ duritaṃ ni ṣvāsmad
praitu baddhakamocanam
yonyā iva pracyuto garbhaḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) + Paustika (Prosperity) with strong Varuṇa-expiation (juridical-apotropaic)
What it is for
Release from Varuṇa-like fetters (guilt, oath-constraint, illness-portent), cessation of evil dreams/misfortune, restoration of unhindered life-course, and orientation toward sukṛta-loka/long-life auspiciousness.
Who it is for
Householders, ritual specialists, or anyone experiencing recurring bad dreams, ominous misfortune, illness interpreted as ‘binding,’ or anxiety about transgression and its consequences.
Also used as
- Paustika
- Shantika
- Prāyaścitta/Expiatory
- Apotropaic (unbinding, dream-omen removal)
The deity
Varuṇa appears as the sovereign of ṛta who binds transgressors with pāśas and releases the purified; duṣvapnya and durita are treated as tangible, transferable afflictions/omens to be cast away. Vicṛtā and Tārakā function as auspicious, guiding ‘star-like’ powers that help effect the departure of bondage and the granting of amṛta (life/imperishability).
Powers of the deity
- Binding and releasing through pāśa (juridical-moral constraint)
- Detection and expiation of fault (ṛta enforcement)
- Removal/transfer of evil dreams and ill-luck
- Bestowal of amṛta-like vitality and safe guidance
- Restoration of rightful ‘place/world’ (loka) and free movement on paths
Why the deity is called
To have Varuṇa’s nooses—high or low—loosened from the petitioner, to expel duṣvapnya/durita as ominous afflictions, and to secure release (baddhaka-mocana) leading to health, auspiciousness, and merit’s destination.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (anukramaṇī attribution varies)Atharvan. Apotropaic and bhaisajya-style charms for release from bonds (pāśa), expiation of moral/ritual fault, and removal of ominous dreams and portents; paustika orientation toward long life and auspicious destiny.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.120 (adjacent unbinding/expiatory context; attribution varies by tradition)
- AV 6.122 (adjacent kanda sequence; attribution varies by tradition)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place (ideally near water or after bathing), reflecting Varuṇa’s association with moral clarity and purification.
- Set an intention of confession/expiation: mentally enumerate suspected faults, broken vows, or causes of ‘binding’ (saṃyoga with pāśa).
- Prepare a simple protective token (optional): a cord/loop symbolizing the pāśa to be ‘loosened,’ or a small amulet pouch to receive the expelled omen.
The rite
- Recite the hymn facing an open space (or toward water) while making an untying/loosening gesture with the hands or physically untying a knot to mirror ‘vi ṣyādhi’ (loosen apart).
- At the duṣvapnya/durita lines, perform a ‘casting away’ action: brush downward from head to feet and flick away to the side, imagining the omen leaving.
- On the Vicṛtā/Tārakā verse, look upward briefly or gesture upward to ‘send forth’ the releasing power; conclude with a forward step to embody ‘fare along all paths.’
What it needs
- Water for purification (recommended, Varuṇa context)
- A knotted cord/thread (symbolic pāśa) for unbinding action (optional)
- Simple protective amulet pouch or cloth (optional)
When
Especially after a bad dream (before sunrise) or at twilight; also suitable before travel, after a vow is renewed, or during periods of persistent ill-luck.
The main substance
Water (for Varuṇa-linked purification) and a symbolic cord/knot representing the pāśa
Amulets
- Knotted thread/cord (pāśa-symbol) to be untied during recitation
- Small cloth pouch/amulet to ‘carry’ protection after expelling duṣvapnya (optional)
How it is prepared
Bathe or sip/aspersion with clean water; tie a simple knot in a cord before recitation and untie it at the unbinding lines; optionally keep the cord/amulet as a protective token afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a ritual-moral image of binding: Varuṇa, guardian of ṛta, ‘binds’ those under fault, fear, illness-omen, or broken vow. The hymn asks that binding to be loosened and lifted away.
Both. It treats duṣvapnya (evil dreams) and durita (misfortune) as real afflictions that can cling to a person, and it seeks release that restores health, luck, and clear life-direction.
Recite the verses after washing (especially after a bad dream), untie a small knot while reciting the unbinding lines, and make a gesture of casting away at the duṣvapnya/durita portion, ending with a forward step to symbolize restored freedom.
Ask anything about Sukta 121 of the Atharva Veda
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