Sukta 16
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous/collective)
Devata: Abhaya; Savitar; Indra (Śacīpati)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (compressed, charm-like)
Yeh ek suraksha mantra hai jo dar ko khatam karta hai. Isme Savita aur Indra ko bulaya jata hai. Woh charo dishaon mein raksha karte hain. Yeh ek kawach ki tarah kaam karta hai. Aasman aur dharti ki shaktiyan humein gher leti hain. Koi bhi dushman humein nuksan nahi pahuncha sakta. Isse vyakti nirbhik ho jata hai. Charo taraf se suraksha mil jati hai.
Mantras
Mantra 1
अभयम्। अ॒स॒प॒त्नं पु॒रस्ता॑त् प॒श्चान्नो॒ अभ॑यं कृतम्। स॒वि॒ता मा॑ दक्षिण॒त उ॑त्त॒रान्मा॒ शची॒पतिः॑
Koi hum se takkar na le, aage se bhi nahi, peeche se bhi nahi. Hum safe hon. Savita devta mujhe dakshin se bachaayein. Indra devta mujhe uttar se surakshit rakhein.
Mantra 2
दि॒वो मा॑दि॒त्या र॑क्षन्तु॒ भूम्या॑ रक्षन्त्व॒ग्नयः॑ । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्नी र॑क्षतां मा पु॒रस्ता॑द॒श्विना॑व॒भितः॒ शर्म॑ यच्छताम्। ति॒र॒श्चीन॒घ्न्या र॑क्षतु जा॒तवे॑दा भूत॒कृतो॑ मे स॒र्वतः॑ सन्तु॒ वर्म॑
Aasmaan se Surya devta mujhe bachaayein. Dharti se Agni devta surakshit rakhein. Indra aur Agni dono milke mujhe aage se bachaayein. Ashwini Kumar dono taraf se mujhe suraksha dein. Jatavedas Agni har taraf se mujhe bachaayein. Saari duniya ke rakshak mujhe har taraf se safe rakhein.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Abhaya” means fearlessness and safety. Here it is treated as a power that can be established around a person so that anxiety, threats, and hostile pressure do not gain entry.
The sukta builds protection by mapping guardians onto space. By naming directions, it symbolically closes the approaches through which danger or rivalry might ‘arrive,’ turning the surroundings into a secured perimeter.
No. The text works as a mantra-only protective charm. If desired, a simple cord or cloth can be treated as a symbolic ‘varman’ (armor), but it is optional.
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