Sukta 23
Rishi: Uncertain (requires anukramaṇī verification for AVŚ 7.23.1).
Devata: Rakṣoghna-brahman (the mantra’s own power); implicitly Indra/Agni as destroyers of rakṣas in Atharvanic idiom.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires scansion).
AVŚ 7.23 est un charme rakṣoghna concis visant tout l’ensemble des atteintes nocturnes et psychosomatiques — mauvais rêves, « mauvaise vie », oppression démoniaque et parole hostile. En une seule profération de type anuṣṭubh, il nomme les menaces et opère leur bannissement, afin de rétablir un sommeil sûr, la vitalité et le bien‑être dans la sphère sociale et de la parole prononcée.
Mantras
Frequently Asked Questions
It protects against bad dreams and the forces believed to cause them—demonic oppression, life-wasting misfortune, deathward influences, and harmful/hostile speech.
No. The verse itself is designed as a self-sufficient rakṣoghna-brahman: the spoken mantra is the primary instrument, though simple cleansing or sprinkling water may be added optionally.
Before sleep is the most natural timing; it can also be recited right after a disturbing dream or whenever one feels pressured by misfortune, fear, or slander.
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