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).
Ye ek chhota mantra hai jo raat ke darr aur buri sapno ko bhagane ke liye bola jata hai. Isme wo sab dushman bataye gaye hain jo raat ko sone nahi dete - buri sapne, kharab swabhav wale log, aur buri baatein. Mantra kehta hai ki in sab ko door karna hai taaki aadmi sukoon se so sake. Ye mantra us waqt kaam aata hai jab kisi ko lagta hai ki koi buri cheez us par havi ho rahi hai. Iska maqsad hai ki aadmi ki neend aur health dono theek ho jayein. Buri baaton aur buri nazar se bachne ke liye ye ek protective mantra hai. Isse bolne wale ka dil strong ho jata hai aur wo darr se aazaad ho jata hai.
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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