Sukta 19
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific ṛṣi attribution for this verse is not securely determinable from the single mantra alone)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (exact metrical diagnosis requires full hymn context and pada scansion)
This short Agni-hymn is a compact Atharvanic counter-charm that turns hostile intent back upon its sender by harnessing Agni’s arciṣ (flame), śocis (scorching heat), and tejas (splendour). It functions as a ritualized “reversal” (praty-), seeking to burn, scorch, and de-empower the one who hates the performer, while simultaneously protecting the household through the controlled power of the fire.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
शत्रुनाशनम्। अग्ने॒ यत् ते॒ तप॒स्तेन॒ तं प्रति॑ तप॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
अग्नि भगवान से दुआ है कि जो शक्ति उनके पास है, उससे दुश्मन को जला दे। जो हमसे नफरत करता है, जिसे हम भी अपना दुश्मन मानते हैं, उसे वापस जला दे।
Mantra 2
अग्ने॒ यत् ते॒ हर॒स्तेन॒ तं प्रति॑ हर॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
अग्नि भगवान, आपकी गर्मी और आग की मार से उस दुश्मन को मारो। जो हमसे नफरत करता है, जिसे हम भी दुश्मन मानते हैं, उसे गरम करके मारो।
Mantra 3
अग्ने॒ यत् ते॒ऽर्चिस्तेन॒ तं प्रत्य॑र्च॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
अग्नि भगवान से यह प्रेयर है। आपकी आग के साथ उसको जला दो जो हमसे नफरत करता है। जो हमारा दुश्मन है, उसपर आग वापस भेजो।
Mantra 4
अग्ने॒ यत् ते॑ शो॒चिस्तेन॒ तं प्रति॑ शोच॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
अग्नि भगवान, आपकी ज्वाला से उस आदमी को जला दे। जो हमसे नफरत करता है, जिसे हम भी दुश्मन मानते हैं, उसे आग से जला दे।
Mantra 5
अग्ने॒ यत् ते॒ तेज॒स्तेन॒ तम॑ते॒जसं॑ कृणु॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
अग्नि भगवान, आपकी चमक से उस आदमी को बेजान कर दे। जो हमसे नफरत करता है, जिसे हम दुश्मन मानते हैं, उसकी सारी चमक छीन ले।
Inside Sukta 19
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Agni is addressed directly and intimately as the accessible household power whose flame and heat can be commanded.
- What it asks
Use Agni’s own arciṣ/śocis/tejas to retaliate upon the hater—burning back, scorching back, and stripping splendour from the hostile person.
- Where its power lies
The repeated formula ‘yo ’smān dveṣṭi yaṃ vayaṃ dviṣmaḥ’ frames the rite as a lawful reversal: the mantra aligns Agni’s force with the performer’s defensive claim.
- How it closes
The hymn seals efficacy by escalating from burning to scorching to de-empowerment (atejas), completing the reversal and leaving the adversary weakened while the performer remains protected.
Famous verses
yo ’smān dveṣṭi yaṃ vayaṃ dviṣmaḥ
tena taṃ prati śoca
tam atejasaṃ kṛṇu
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika (counter-sorcery / hostile-reversal) with apotropaic intent
What it is for
To reflect an enemy’s hatred and harmful intent back onto that enemy, burning and weakening their potency while shielding the performer’s household and social standing.
Who it is for
Householders maintaining a domestic fire, ritual specialists (Atharvan/ purohita), or anyone seeking protection from active hostility, slander, or aggressive rivalry.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna (protective/apotropaic)
- Pratyavāya/pratyāvartana (reversal of harm)
- Gṛhya-protection (household safeguarding via fire)
Powers of the deity
- Burns and consumes hostile influences (dveṣa, śatru-bhāva)
- Scorches and drives away threats (rakṣas, envy, ill-will)
- Transfers and withdraws tejas (splendour/efficacy)
- Acts as a messenger and executor of mantra-command
- Guards the household-space through the maintained fire
Why the deity is called
He is invoked as the immediate, visible power capable of “reversing” hatred: to blaze back (praty-arc), scorch in requital (prati-śoc), and render the enemy ‘atejas’ (splendourless).
The seer
- Atharvanic (anonymous/Angiras-type attribution in AV transmission)Atharvan. Abhicārika and rakṣoghna (apotropaic) fire-charms: reversal of hatred, neutralization of hostile tejas, and protective deployment of ritual heat (Agni) against unseen and human adversaries.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 2.18 (adjacent protective/hostile-reversal material in the same thematic cluster, depending on recension)
- AV 1.7 (Agni-protection and burning-away motifs, broadly Atharvanic)
- AV 6.13 (rakṣoghna/Agni-associated protective formulas, broadly Atharvanic)
Preparing for the rite
- Kindle or approach a steady household/ritual fire (gārhapatya or established hearth).
- Compose mind and intention: identify the ‘hater’ as the target of reversal (without public naming if socially risky).
- Prepare simple fuel (samidh) and a small oblation (ghee or dry offering) if following a gṛhya-style performance.
The rite
- Recite the hymn facing the fire, treating Agni’s visible flame as the mantra’s operative ‘weapon’.
- At the ‘prati-’ commands (praty-arc / prati-śoc), gesture toward the flame or offer a small āhuti to ‘send’ the command.
- Conclude with a brief silent pause, visualizing the hostile force returning to its source and the performer’s space becoming cleared.
What it needs
- Domestic/ritual fire (Agni)
- Kindling sticks (samidh)
- Ghee or simple oblation (optional but traditional)
- A clean hearth-space (as ritual boundary)
When
Preferably at twilight (sandhyā) or when the domestic fire is tended; also suitable immediately upon sensing hostility or after receiving threats/slander.
The main substance
Agni (the maintained fire/flame as arciṣ/śocis/tejas)
Amulets
- Samidh (ritual fuel) as the practical carrier of the rite’s heat
- Hearth/altar boundary (ritually maintained space)
How it is prepared
Maintain a clean, steady fire; optionally feed it with samidh and a small ghee oblation at the key ‘prati-’ commands to embody the verbal reversal in the fire’s action.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to protect oneself and one’s household by ritually reversing hatred or harmful intent back onto the person who is sending it.
Agni is the visible, immediate power of fire; the hymn treats his flame and heat as an executable force that can burn, scorch, and neutralize an enemy’s potency.
The primary ‘substance’ is the fire itself. Traditional performance may add kindling and a small oblation, but the hymn’s main mechanism is directing Agni’s arciṣ/śocis/tejas through recitation.
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