Sukta 19
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (not specified in excerpt)
Devata: Apāmārga
Chandas: Mixed/irregular prose-anuṣṭubh style (opening label + anuṣṭubh-like cadence; exact metrical scan uncertain from excerpt)
Is mantra mein Apamarg plant ko bulaya ja raha hai. Ye plant bimariyon ko kaat kar bhagati hai. Jo takleef saal bhar peechhe padti hai, use ye tod deta hai. Dusre log jo jadu karte hain, uska asar khatam hota hai. Isse ghar mein dost aur rishtedar mil jate hain. Indra ki taakat se charo taraf suraksha ho jati hai.
Mantras
Mantra 1
अपामार्गः। उ॒तो अ॒स्यब॑न्धुकृदु॒तो अ॑सि॒ नु जा॑मि॒कृत्। उ॒तो कृ॑त्या॒कृतः॑ प्र॒जां न॒डमि॒वा छि॑न्धि॒ वार्षि॑कम्
Apamarg ka naam suno, yeh dost bana deta hai, rishtedaar bhi bana deta hai. Aur jo bhi saal bhar chipka raha buraai, usse kaat ke phenk do, jaise narkil ka podina kaat dete hain.
Mantra 2
ब्रा॒ह्म॒णेन॒ पर्यु॑क्तासि॒ कण्वे॑न नार्ष॒देन॑ । सेने॑वैषि॒ त्विषी॑मती॒ न तत्र॑ भ॒यमस्ति॒ यत्र॑ प्रा॒प्नोष्यो॑षधे
Is jadi-booti ko rishiyon ne shakti di hai. Kanva aur Narsad rishi ne isko aasirwad diya. Yeh aise chalegi jaise koi sena aa rahi ho, chamak ke saath. Jahan yeh pahunchti hai, wahan koi dar nahi rehta.
Mantra 3
अग्र॑मे॒ष्योष॑धीनां॒ ज्योति॑षेवाभिदी॒पय॑न्। उ॒त त्रा॒तासि॒ पाक॒स्याथो॑ ह॒न्तासि॑ र॒क्षसः॑
Tum saari jadi-butiyon mein sabse aage ho. Jaise roshni chamakti hai, waise hi tum chamak ke dushman pe cha jaate ho. Tum ghar ke khane ki hifazat karte ho. Aur tum rakshas ko maarne wale ho.
Mantra 4
यद॒दो दे॒वा असु॑रां॒स्त्वयाग्रे॑ नि॒रकु॑र्वत । तत॒स्त्वमध्यो॑षधेऽपामा॒र्गो अ॑जायथाः
Jab shuru mein devaton ne tumhare saare mil ke asuron ko bhagaya tha. Us waqt tum paida hui thi, hey jadi-buti, Apamarg ke roop mein.
Mantra 5
वि॒भि॒न्द॒ती श॒तशा॑खा विभि॒न्दन् नाम॑ ते पि॒ता। प्र॒त्यग् वि भि॑न्धि॒ त्वं तं यो अ॒स्माँ अ॑भि॒दास॑ति
Tum phaant deti ho, tumhari sau daalen hain. Tumhara baap ne tumhara naam 'Phaantne wali' rakha tha. Jao peeche, us aadmi ko phaant do jo humare khilaaf hai aur hum pe hamla karta hai.
Mantra 6
अस॒द् भूम्याः॒ सम॑भव॒त् तद् यामे॑ति म॒हद् व्यचः॑ । तद् वै ततो॑ विधू॒पाय॑त् प्र॒त्यक् क॒र्तार॑मृच्छतु
Zameen se woh jo kuch bhi bura tha, woh ek saath ho gaya. Woh chalta hai, bada aur faila hua. Phir usmein dhuaan sa nikla. Woh wapas jaaye us aadmi ke paas jisne yeh bura kaam kiya.
Mantra 7
प्र॒त्यङ् हि सं॑ब॒भूवि॑थ प्रती॒चीन॑फल॒स्त्वम्। सर्वा॒न् मच्छ॒पथाँ॒ अधि॒ वरी॑यो यावया व॒धम्
Yeh mantra buraai ko peeche kar deta hai. Jaise ped ka phal peeche ki taraf jhukta hai, waise hi yeh bhi peeche mud gaya. Jo bhi mere upar buri nazar ya bad-dua hai, usse yeh aur taakat se roke. Yeh maut jaisa nuksan door bhaga de.
Mantra 8
श॒तेन॑ मा॒ परि॑ पाहि स॒हस्रे॑णा॒भि र॑क्ष मा । इन्द्र॑स्ते वीरुधां पत उ॒ग्र ओ॒ज्मान॒मा द॑धत्
Sau guna raksha se mujhe gher lo. Hazaar guna se mujhe kisi bhi hamle se bachao. Indra, jo bahut taqatwala hai, paudhon ke swami ke liye zor ki taqat tayyar kar raha hai.
Frequently Asked Questions
In AV 4.19 Apāmārga is a medicinal herb addressed as a personified power. The hymn treats the plant as an active protector that can ‘cut off’ disease and repel hostile forces.
It refers to an illness or trouble that keeps returning with the seasons or year after year. The mantra asks Apāmārga to sever that repeating pattern from the household line.
The verses describe Apāmārga as a ‘splitter’ that turns attacks back (pratyag) and breaks the hostile working. Practically, the recitation is paired with holding/placing Apāmārga and performing a symbolic cutting or reversal gesture to enact the counter-force.
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