Sukta 17
Rishi: Atharvanic seer(s) of the Bhaisajya corpus
Devata: Apāmārga (personified Oṣadhi)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (with Atharvanic invocatory style)
Is adhyaya mein Apamarga plant ko sabhi dawaiyon ka raja bataya gaya hai. Isko use karke bimari, bure sapne aur dushman taqaton par jeet payi ja sakti hai. Ye mantra rog theek karne ke saath saath bachav bhi karta hai. Apamarga jaise pocha lagake gandagi saaf karta hai, waise hi ye rog ko mita deta hai. Isme ye plant ek strong dawai hai jo rog aur buri baaton ko door bhagati hai. Log isko pakad kar shakti paate hain aur apne aap ko surakshit karte hain.
Mantras
Mantra 1
अपामार्गः। ईशा॑णां त्वा भेष॒जाना॒मुज्जे॑ष॒ आ र॑भामहे । च॒क्रे स॒हस्र॑वीर्यं॒ सर्व॑स्मा ओषधे त्वा
Hey Apamarg, tum saari dawaaiyon ka raja ho. Hum tumhe jeet ke liye pakad lete hain. Tumme hazaar gun ki taakat hai. Har zaroorat ke liye hum is jadi-booti ko bulaate hain.
Mantra 2
स॒त्य॒जितं॑ शपथ॒याव॑नीं॒ सह॑मानां पुनःस॒राम्। सर्वाः॒ सम॒ह्व्योष॑धीरि॒तो नः॑ पारया॒दिति॑
Yeh booti sach jeetne wali hai, baddua bhagane wali hai, bimari theek karne wali hai. Saari jadi-bootiyan iske paas aa jao. Woh humein is se nikaal ke le jaaye. Aisa ho.
Mantra 3
या श॒शाप॒ शप॑नेन॒ याघं मूर॑माद॒धे। या रस॑स्य॒ हर॑णाय जा॒तमा॑रे॒भे तो॒कम॑त्तु॒ सा
Jis aurat ne bada bada shraap diya hai, jisne buri baatein failayi hai, jisne logon ko behosh kar diya hai, woh aurat jo bacchon ko maarna chahti hai, jo abhi-abhi paida hue hain, us aurat ko uski apni buri harkat khatam kar deni chahiye.
Mantra 4
यां ते॑ च॒क्रुरा॒मे पात्रे॒ यां च॒क्रुर्नी॑ललोहि॒ते। आ॒मे मां॒से कृ॒त्यां यां च॒क्रुस्तया॑ कृत्या॒कृतो॑ जहि
Jinhone tumhare khilaf kacha bartan mein jaadu kiya, neele aur laal rang mein kiya, kache gosht mein kiya, us jaadu se un jaadu karne walon ko maaro. Unki kari hui buri harkat unpe hi wapas padni chahiye.
Mantra 5
दौष्व॑प्न्यं॒ दौर्जी॑वित्यं॒ रक्षो॑ अ॒भ्वऽमरा॒य्यः । दु॒र्णाम्नीः॒ सर्वा॑ दु॒र्वाच॒स्ता अ॒स्मन्ना॑शयामसि
Bure sapne, zindagi mein buri cheezein, bhoot pret, aur jo maut laate hain, sab buri shaktiyan, buri baatein, in sab ko hum apne paas se mita dete hain. Yeh sab humare paas nahi aani chahiye.
Mantra 6
क्षु॒धा॒मा॒रं तृ॑ष्णामा॒रम॒गोता॑मनप॒त्यता॑म्। अपा॑मार्ग॒ त्वया॑ व॒यं सर्वं॒ तदप॑ मृज्महे
Bhukh aur pyaas jo maare, gaay-bhains nahi hona, baccha nahi hona, Apamarg, tumhare saath hum yeh sab cheezein mita dete hain. Tumhari shakti se yeh sab door ho jaye.
Mantra 7
तृ॒ष्णा॒मा॒रं क्षु॑धामा॒रमथो॑ अक्षपराज॒यम्। अपा॑मार्ग॒ त्वया॑ व॒यं सर्वं॒ तदप॒ मृज्महे
Pyaas aur bhukh jo maare, aur jua mein haar jana, Apamarg, tumhare saath hum yeh sab cheezein mita dete hain. Tumhari shakti se yeh sab buri cheezein humare paas se jaayen.
Mantra 8
अ॒पा॒मा॒र्ग ओष॑धीनां॒ सर्वा॑सा॒मेक॒ इद् व॒शी। तेन॑ ते मृज्म॒ आस्थि॑त॒मथ॒ त्वम॑ग॒दश्च॑र
Apamarg sab paudhon mein ekdum main hai. Iske saath hum tumse jo bhi bura chipka hai use saaf kar dete hain. Phir tum dawa ban ke kaam karo aur theek kar do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. The sukta treats Apāmārga as an actual medicinal herb and as a personified oṣadhi-power—“sovereign of medicines”—whose agency can be invoked to cure and protect.
It targets illness and ‘settled’ affliction, but also unseen harms: nightmares (duḥsvapnya), life-wasting misfortune (daurjīvitā), demonic/hostile agencies, curses, and evil speech directed at the patient.
A common Atharvanic application is mārjana—gently wiping/sweeping the person with Apāmārga while reciting the verses—then concluding by commissioning the herb to act as an agada (antidote) that ‘goes forth’ to work the cure.
Ask anything about Sukta 17 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.