Sukta 7
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often associated with Bhṛgu/Angiras lineages in herb materials; exact anukramaṇī assignment varies)
Devata: Oṣadhayaḥ (Herbs) personified
Chandas: Mixed meters in the hymn per tradition; this verse commonly treated as a lyric in a triṣṭubh/jagatī-family environment, but exact chandas should be verified against padapāṭha/anukramaṇī.
Is mantra mein sab jadi-bootiyon ko bulaya ja raha hai. Rang aur shakal ke hisaab se alag alag herbs ko patient ke paas aane ko kaha gaya hai. In sab plants se yakshma rog bhagane ki maang ki gayi hai. Ye jadiyan milke patient ko khatre se bahar nikalti hain. Maut ka phanda aur bimari ke bandhan sab tod diye jaate hain. Mantra ke saath ye herbs apni shakti use karti hain. Patient ko wapas healthy banane ki koshish hai ye.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
ओषधयः। १२ पञ्चपदा विराडतिशक्वरी, १४ उपरिष्टान्निचृद् बृहती, २६ निचृत्, २८ भुरिक्। या ब॒भ्रवो॒ याश्च॑ शु॒क्रा रोहि॑णीरु॒त पृश्न॑यः । असि॑क्नीः कृ॒ष्णा ओष॑धीः॒ सर्वा॑ अ॒च्छाव॑दामसि
Hey saari jadi-bootiyan, jo brown hain, jo safed chamakti hain, jo laal hain, jo chitkabri hain. Jo kaali hain, jo andheri hain, sab dawa wali paudhon, tumse hum baat karte hain. Aao hamare paas.
Mantra 2
त्राय॑न्तामि॒मं पुरु॑षं॒ यक्ष्मा॑द् दे॒वेषि॑ता॒दधि॑ । यासां॒ द्यौष्पि॒ता पृ॑थि॒वी मा॒ता स॑मु॒द्रो मूलं॑ वी॒रुधां॑ ब॒भूव॑
Yeh sab milkar is insaan ki raksha karein. Usey bimari se bacha lein jo devataon ki taraf se aayi hai. Aasman baap hai, dharti maa hai, aur samundar sab ka jar hai jahan se ped-paudhe nikle hain.
Mantra 3
आपो॒ अग्रं दि॒व्या ओष॑धयः । तास्ते॒ यक्ष्म॑मेन॒स्य॑१मङ्गा॑दङ्गादनीनशन्
Paani sabse pehle hai, aur saari jadi-bootiyan bhagwan ki den hain. Yeh dono milkar bimari ko bhaga deti hain. Ang se ang nikal ke woh paap aur bimari dono door kar deti hain.
Mantra 4
प्र॒स्तृ॒ण॒ती स्त॒म्बिनी॒रेक॑शुङ्गाः प्रतन्व॒तीरोष॑धी॒रा व॑दामि । अं॒शु॒मतीः॑ का॒ण्डिनी॒र्या विशा॑खा॒ ह्वया॑मि ते वी॒रुधो॑ वैश्वदे॒वीरु॒ग्राः पु॑रुष॒जीव॑नीः ॥४ यद् वः॒ सहः॑ सहमाना वी॒र्यं॑१यच्च॑ वो॒ बल॑म्। तेने॒मम॒स्माद् यक्ष्मा॒त् पुरु॑षं मुञ्चतौषधी॒रथो॑ कृणोमि भेष॒जम्
Main un sab jadi-bootiyon ko pukarta hoon jo failti hain, jinki daant hoti hain, jinki ek daant hoti hai. Jo chamakti hain, jodi wali hain, bahut daant wali hain, un sabko bulaata hoon. Yeh sab deviyon ki jadi-bootiyan hain, insaan ki jaan bachane wali. Tumhari jo taqat hai, jo bal hai, usse is insaan ko is bimari se aazaad karo. Main ab dawai bana raha hoon.
Mantra 5
जी॒व॒लां न॑घारि॒षां जी॑व॒न्तीमोष॑धीम॒हम्। अ॒रु॒न्ध॒तीमु॒न्नय॑न्तीं पु॒ष्पां मधु॑मतीमि॒ह हु॑वे॒ऽस्मा अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये
Main us jadi-booti ko pukarta hoon jo jaan deti hai, kisi ko nuksan nahi karti. Arundhati naam ki yeh booti insaan ko upar le jaati hai, phool wali hai, meethi hai. Main is insaan ke liye isko bula raha hoon taaki woh safe rahe.
Mantra 6
इ॒हा य॑न्तु॒ प्रचे॑तसो मे॒दिनी॒र्वच॑सो॒ मम॑ । यथे॒मं पा॒रया॑मसि॒ पुरु॑षं दुरि॒तादधि॑
Mere shabd yahan aayein, jo samajhdari wale hain aur taqat dete hain. Taaki hum is insaan ko bura waqt se paar le jaayein aur safe kar dein.
Mantra 7
अ॒ग्नेर्घा॒सो अ॒पां गर्भो॒ या रोह॑न्ति॒ पुन॑र्णवाः । ध्रु॒वाः स॒हस्र॑नाम्नीर्भेष॒जीः स॒न्त्वाभृ॑ताः
Agni ka khana aur paani ke andar jo paida hota hai, woh sab jo ugte hain aur phir se naye ban-te hain. Yeh sab pakke hain, hazaron naam wale hain. Ilaj karne wali cheezein yahan laao.
Mantra 8
अ॒वको॑ल्बा उ॒दका॑त्मान॒ ओष॑धयः । व्यृऽषन्तु दुरि॒तं ती॑क्ष्णशृ॒ङ्ग्यः
Avakolba naam ki jo bootiyan hain, woh paani mein rehti hain. Unke teekhe seeng hain. Yeh sab buraai aur takleef ko saaf karke le jayein.
Mantra 9
उ॒न्मु॒ञ्चन्ती॑र्विवरु॒णा उ॒ग्रा या वि॑ष॒दूष॑णीः । अथो॑ बलास॒नाश॑नीः कृत्या॒दूष॑णीश्च॒ यास्ता इ॒हा य॒न्त्वोष॑धीः
Yeh jadi-bootiyan sab bandhan khol deti hain, badi taqatwali hain. Zehar ko khatam karti hain, bimari bhagati hain, aur kala jadu tod deti hain. Aisi saari jadi-bootiyan yahan aajayen.
Mantra 10
अ॒प॒क्री॒ताः सही॑यसीर्वी॒रुधो॒ या अ॒भिष्टु॑ताः । त्राय॑न्ताम॒स्मिन् ग्रामे॒ गामश्वं॒ पुरु॑षं प॒शुम्
Jab humne in paudhon ki tarif ki, woh aur taqatwar ho gaye. Ab yeh is gaon mein gaye, ghode, insaan aur jaanwar sabki raksha karenge.
Mantra 11
मधु॑मन्मू॑लं म॑धुमद॑ग्रमासाम्म॑धुमन्म॑ध्यं वीरु॑धां बभूव । मधु॑मत् प॒र्णं मधु॑म॒त् पुष्प॑मासां॒ मधोः॒ संभक्ता अ॒मृत॑स्य भ॒क्षो घृ॒तमन्नं॑ दुह्रतां॒ गोपु॑रोगवम्
In paudhon ki jad mein meetha hai, upar bhi meetha hai, beech mein bhi meetha hai. Unke patte bhi meethi hain, phool bhi meethi hain. Yeh amrit jaisa khana deti hain. Ghee aur khana nikalti hain, gayein aage badhati hain, aur jaanwaron ke liye paisa deti hain.
Mantra 12
याव॑तीः किय॑तीश्चे॒माः पृ॑थि॒व्यामध्योष॑धीः । ता मा॑ सहस्रप॒र्ण्योऽ मृ॒त्योर्मु॑ञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Dharti par jitni bhi jadi-bootiyan hain, chhote bade sab, woh sab mujhe bacha lein. Yeh sab patti wali bootiyan mujhe marne se rokein aur bura waqt se aazaad karein.
Mantra 13
वैया॑घ्रो म॒णिर्वी॒रुधां॒ त्राय॑मानोऽभिशस्ति॒पाः । अमी॑वाः॒ सर्वा॒ रक्षां॒स्यप॑ ह॒न्त्वधि॑ दू॒रम॒स्मत्
Yeh jadi-bootiyan bagh jaisi taqat wali hain. Yeh humein bacha rahi hain, buri nazar aur buri baaton se. Inse sab bimariyan aur buri cheezein humse bahut door bhaag jaayein.
Mantra 14
सिं॒हस्ये॑व स्त॒नथोः॒ सं वि॑जन्ते॒ऽग्नेरि॑व विजन्त॒ आभृ॑ताभ्यः । गवां॒ यक्ष्मः॒ पुरु॑षाणां वी॒रुद्भि॒रति॑नुत्तो ना॒व्याऽएतु स्रो॒त्याः
Jaise sher ke karne par sab bhaag jate hain, jaise Agni sab ko bhagata hai, waise hi gaayon aur logon ki bimari ko podhon se bahut door bhaga diya. Woh bimari nadi ke paani mein beh jaaye.
Mantra 15
मु॒मु॒चा॒ना ओष॑धयो॒ऽग्नेर्वै॑श्वान॒रादधि॑ । भूमिं॑ संतन्व॒तीरि॑त॒ यासां॒ राजा॒ वन॒स्पतिः॑
Yeh podhe sab bandhan se azaad karte hain. Agni se, us sabse bade Agni se. Woh zameen par fail jate hain. Inka raja vanaspati hai, pedhon ka devta.
Mantra 16
या रोह॑न्त्याङ्गिर॒सीः पर्व॑तेषु स॒मेषु॑ च । ता नः॒ पय॑स्वतीः शि॒वा ओष॑धीः सन्तु॒ शं हृ॒दे
Angiras rishiyon ke podhe jo pahadon par ugte hain aur zameen par bhi. Woh podhe doodh jaise ras wale hon. Woh humare liye acche hon, humare dil ko shanti dein.
Mantra 17
याश्चा॒हं वेद॑ वी॒रुधो॒ याश्च॒ पश्या॑मि॒ चक्षु॑षा । अज्ञा॑ता जानी॒मश्च॒ या यासु॑ वि॒द्म च॒ संभृ॑तम्
Main un sab paudhon ko jaanta hoon jo maine apni aankhon se dekhe hain. Kuch paudhe aise bhi hain jo humein pehchane hain, chahe hum unhe pehle se na jaante the. Aur jin paudhon mein kuch khass taakat hai, woh bhi main jaanta hoon.
Mantra 18
सर्वाः॑ सम॒ग्रा ओष॑धी॒र्बोध॑न्तु॒ वच॑सो॒ मम॑ । यथे॒मं पा॒रया॑मसि॒ पुरु॑षं दुरि॒तादधि॑
Sab paudhe mere bolne par jaag utho. Main chahta hoon ki hum is insaan ko kisi bhi buraai aur takleef se paar le jaayein.
Mantra 19
अ॒श्व॒त्थो द॒र्भो वी॒रुधां॒ सोमो॒ राजा॒मृतं॑ ह॒विः । व्री॒हिर्यव॑श्च भेष॒जौ दि॒वस्पु॒त्रावम॑र्त्यौ
Peepal ka ped, darbha ghaas, aur Soma jo sabhi podhon ka raja hai, yeh sab bhagwan ko bhog lagane ke kaam aate hain. Dhan aur jaw milke aise dawai ban jate hain jo aasman ke bete hain aur kabhi nahi marte.
Mantra 20
उज्जि॑हीध्वे स्त॒नय॑त्यभि॒क्रन्द॑त्योषधीः । य॒दा वः॑ पृश्निमातरः प॒र्जन्यो॒ रेत॒साव॑ति
Jab barish aati hai aur badal garajte hain, tab jadi-bootiyan ugne lagti hain. Parjanya devata barish ke roop mein beej barsate hain aur dharti se naye podhe nikalte hain.
Mantra 21
तस्या॒मृत॑स्ये॒मं बलं॒ पुरु॑षं पाययामसि । अथो॑ कृणोमि भेष॒जं यथा स॑च्छ॒तहा॑यनः
Hum is insaan ko woh amrit pilate hain taaki usme taqat aaye. Main aisi dawai taiyaar karta hoon ki woh sau saal tak jiye aur swasth rahe.
Mantra 22
व॒रा॒हो वे॑द वी॒रुधं॑ नकु॒लो वे॑द भेष॒जीम्। स॒र्पा ग॑न्ध॒र्वा या वि॒दुस्ता अ॒स्मा अव॑से हुवे
Suwar jaante hain kaunsa paudha kaam aata hai. Nakul jaante hain dawa kaise karti hai. Saanp aur Gandharv jo bhi jaante hain, main us shakti ko bula raha hoon. Yeh shakti is aadmi ki madad karegi.
Mantra 23
याः सु॑प॒र्णा आ॑ङ्गिर॒सीर्दि॒व्या या र॒घतो॑ वि॒दुः । वयां॑सि हं॒सा या वि॒दुर्याश्च॒ सर्वे॑ पत॒त्रिणः॑ । मृ॒गा या वि॒दुरोष॑धी॒स्ता अ॒स्मा अव॑से हुवे
Jin paron wale pakshi hawa mein urte hain, woh jaante hain. Hans aur saare udne wale jaanwar jaante hain. Jungli jaanwar jaante hain kaunsi jadi-booti kaam aati hai. Main un sab ki shakti ko bula raha hoon is aadmi ki madad ke liye.
Mantra 24
याव॑तीना॒मोष॑धीनां॒ गा॑वः प्रा॒श्नन्त्य॒घ्न्या याव॑तीनामजा॒वयः॑ । ताव॑ती॒स्तुभ्य॒मोष॑धीः॒ शर्म॑ यच्छ॒न्त्वाभृ॑ताः
Jitne bhi jadi-booti hain jinko gaay khati hain, aur jitne bhi hain jinko bakri aur bhed khate hain, utni saari jadi-bootiyan yahan laakar is insaan ko suraksha aur sukoon dein.
Mantra 25
याव॑तीषु मनु॒ष्याऽ भेष॒जं भि॒षजो॑ वि॒दुः । ताव॑तीर्वि॒श्वभे॑षजी॒रा भ॑रामि॒ त्वाम॒भि
Logon mein jo ilaaj vaid log jaante hain, utne saare nuskhe main yahan laakar is par laga raha hoon. Yeh sab bimari theek karne wale hain.
Mantra 26
पुष्प॑वतीः प्र॒सूम॑तीः फ॒लिनी॑रफ॒ला उ॒त। सं॒मा॒तर॑ इव दुह्राम॒स्मा अ॑रि॒ष्टता॑तये
Phool wali paudhiyan, phal wali paudhiyan, aur jinke phal nahi hain, sab ko milaakar maa jaisa pyaar dekar iske liye dudh nikaalte hain. Yeh is insaan ko har tarah ki buraai se bachaayein.
Mantra 27
उत् त्वा॑हार्षं॒ पञ्च॑शला॒दथो॒ दश॑शलादु॒त। अथो॑ य॒मस्य॒ पड्वी॑शा॒द् विश्व॑स्माद् देवकिल्बि॒षात्
Maine tumhe pakad se chhuda liya hai. Paanch raston se bhi, aur dus raston se bhi. Yama ki pakad se bhi tumhe aazaad kiya hai. Har woh galti jo bhagwan ko gussa dilaaye, usse bhi tumhe bacha liya hai.
Inside Sukta 7
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by addressing the full spectrum of herbs—brown, white, ruddy, speckled, dark, black—inviting them to come near and listen as living healers.
- What it asks
The central petition is that the herbs, fierce and life-preserving, deploy their sahas, vīrya, and bala to release the patient from yakṣma and establish the remedy (bheṣaja).
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through totalizing enumeration (all colors/forms), Vaiśvadeva affiliation (plants as ‘All-gods’ own’), and the explicit claim that their combined strength can loosen even compounded bonds.
- How it closes
The conclusion seals the cure as deliverance: the patient is ‘lifted out’ from fivefold and tenfold snares, from Yama’s binding, and from every devakilbiṣa—closing with comprehensive unbinding and purification.
Famous verses
sarvā acchā-vadāmasi
yakṣmāt puruṣaṃ muñcata
ut tvāhārṣam … yamasya paḍvīśāt
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Oṣadhi-sūkta (Herb hymn)
What it is for
Broad-spectrum healing by mobilizing all herbs to remove yakṣma, restore vitality, and unbind the patient from layered dangers (disease, death’s noose, and guilt/pollution).
Who it is for
Atharvanic healer/priest (bhaiṣajika), householders caring for the sick, and ritual specialists performing curative recitation with herbal preparations.
Also used as
- Shantika
- Prāyaścitta (expiatory coloring)
- Rakṣoghna/Apotropaic (protective, disease-repelling)
The deity
The herbs are addressed as sentient, manifold powers of life—diverse in color and morphology—belonging to the All-gods and carrying innate healing intelligence. They function as both medicines and divine agents who can loosen bonds, repel disease, and restore vitality.
Powers of the deity
- Summoning/assembly of all medicinal species (sarvā oṣadhīḥ)
- Extraction and expulsion of disease, especially yakṣma (wasting/consumption-type affliction)
- Restoration of strength (bala), conquering might (sahas), and potency (vīrya)
- Unbinding and deliverance from snares/bonds (pañca-/daśa-śalā, Yama’s binding)
- Purificatory relief from devakilbiṣa (god-provoked offence/pollution)
Why the deity is called
They are invoked to gather near, reveal and apply their combined potency, and effect a complete cure: freeing the patient from yakṣma, from constricting bonds of peril, and from any transgressive contamination thought to sustain illness.
The seer
- Atharvanic (anonymous/collective) seerAtharvan. Bhaiṣajya charms that combine materia medica (oṣadhi/vīrudh) with coercive-inviting speech: summoning herbs, extracting disease, and unbinding the patient from peril (yakṣma, pāśa/bonds, kilbiṣa).
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 8.6 (healing/protective material in the same kanda context; attribution varies by anukramaṇī)
- AV 4.12 (oṣadhi/healing orientation; school-dependent attributions)
- AV 2.31 (yakṣma-related healing material; attribution varies)
Preparing for the rite
- Collect available medicinal herbs (fresh or dried), ideally a mixed bundle representing diverse types (creepers, stalked plants, single-spiked, many-branched).
- Prepare clean water for steeping/washing; arrange a small working space near the patient (head-side preferred in many healing rites).
- Fashion a simple herb-bundle or poultice; optionally tie a small packet as an amulet (herbs wrapped in cloth).
The rite
- Recite the hymn while holding or displaying the herb bundle, verbally ‘calling’ the plants to draw near (acchā-vadāma/ā hvayāmi style).
- Touch or waft the herb bundle over the patient’s body, focusing on chest/breath and afflicted areas; accompany with sprinkling/aspersion of herb-infused water.
- At the yakṣma-release portions, perform an explicit ‘unbinding’ gesture (loosening a knot, drawing the bundle away from the body) to mirror the mantra of release.
- Conclude with a lifting/deliverance act (symbolically raising the patient or raising the herb bundle upward) aligned with the final ‘ut tvāhārṣam’ logic.
What it needs
- Mixed oṣadhi/vīrudh (medicinal herbs, as available locally)
- Water (for infusion/aspersion)
- Cloth or cord (to bind an herb packet/amulet; optional)
- A small vessel for infusion (optional)
When
Performed during illness episodes; preferably at dawn or early morning for restorative rites, or immediately when yakṣma-like wasting symptoms are recognized.
The main substance
Oṣadhi (a mixed bundle/infusion of medicinal herbs)
Herbs
- Creeping plants (vīrudh)
- Stalk-bearing herbs (stambinīḥ)
- Single-spiked plants (ekaśuṅgāḥ)
- Many-branched plants (viśākhāḥ)
- Color-classified herbs: brown/white/ruddy/speckled/dark/black (babhru, śukra, rohiṇī, pṛśni, asiknī, kṛṣṇā)
Amulets
- Herb packet tied in cloth (oṣadhi-potali)
- Herb bundle used as a brushing/wafting implement
How it is prepared
Make a mixed herb bundle for touch/wafting; optionally steep a portion in clean water to create an infusion for sprinkling or washing while reciting the summoning and yakṣma-release verses.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a bhaiṣajya (healing) hymn used to summon medicinal herbs as divine helpers, especially to remove yakṣma (wasting/consumption-type illness) and restore strength.
The color and form catalog is a ritual way of saying “all herbs without exception,” ensuring the healer calls every available medicinal power—creepers, stalked plants, single-spiked, many-branched, and more.
Besides curing disease, the hymn seeks complete deliverance: freedom from death’s noose imagery (Yama’s bond) and from pollution-like guilt or offence (devakilbiṣa) believed to sustain misfortune or illness.
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