Sukta 9
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (uncertain)
Devata: Āñjana (personified remedy) / Viśve Devāḥ (as guarantors)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (irregular)
This hymn consecrates āñjana (collyrium/eye-salve) as a living, mountain-born remedy that both heals the eye and establishes a protective perimeter around the patient. It petitions the Viśve Devāḥ as guarantors of its divine origin, so that the application becomes a rakṣā against disease, hostile spells, nightmares, and the feared “evil through the eye.” By naming and praising the remedy, the sukta turns medicine into mantra—therapeutic and apotropaic at once.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
आञ्जनम्। एहि॑ जी॒वं त्राय॑माणं॒ पर्व॑तस्या॒स्यक्ष्य॑म्। विश्वे॑भिर्दे॒वैर्द॒त्तं प॑रि॒धिर्जीव॑नाय॒ कम्
आँख में लगाने वाली कजल, आ जा। तू जान बचाती है, आँख की दवा है। पहाड़ से आती है। सारे भगवान ने दी है। तू आँख की सुरक्षा करती है और जान के लिए अच्छी है।
Mantra 2
प॒रि॒पाणं॒ पुरु॑षाणां परि॒पाणं॒ गवा॑मसि । अश्वा॑ना॒मर्व॑तां परि॒पाणा॑य तस्थिषे
यह शक्ति इंसान की हिफाजत करती है। मुर्गी-बकरी जैसा जानवर भी इसकी सुरक्षा में रहते हैं। घोड़े और तेज़ दौड़ने वाले घोड़े के लिए भी यह प्रोटेक्शन है। यह सब की रक्षा के लिए खड़ी है।
Mantra 3
उ॒तासि॑ परि॒पाणं॑ यातु॒जम्भ॑नमाञ्जन । उ॒तामृत॑स्य॒ त्वं वे॒त्थाथो॑ असि जीव॒भोज॑न॒मथो॑ हरितभेष॒जम्
तू भी सुरक्षा करती है, ऐ काजल। तू जादू करने वालों को गिरा देती है। तू अमृत की बात जानती है। तू जान देती है, और बिमारी भगाती है।
Mantra 4
यस्या॑ञ्जन प्र॒सर्प॒स्यङ्ग॑मङ्गं॒ परु॑ष्परुः । ततो॒ यक्ष्मं॒ वि बा॑धस उ॒ग्रो मध्यम॒शीरि॑व
ऐ काजल, जब बिमारी अंग से अंग में फैलती है, जोड़े से जोड़े में जाती है, तब तू उसको बाहर भगाती है। तू उसको बीच से काट देती है जैसे कुल्हाड़ी से।
Mantra 5
नैनं॒ प्राप्नो॑ति श॒पथो॒ न कृ॒त्या नाभि॒शोच॑नम्। नैनं॒ विष्क॑न्धमश्नुते॒ यस्त्वा॒ बिभ॑र्त्याञ्जन
जब कोई तुम्हे अपने आँखों में लगाता है, उसको कोई भी श्राप नहीं पकड़ता। ना कोई जादू-असर चलता है। ना कोई बुरी नज़र का असर होता है। ना कोई बिमारी उसको पकड़ती है।
Mantra 6
अ॒स॒न्म॒न्त्रा॑द् दु॒ष्वप्न्याद् दुष्कृ॒ताच्छम॑लादु॒त। दु॒र्हार्द॒श्चक्षु॑षो घो॒रात् तस्मा॑न्नः पाह्याञ्जन
बुरे जादू से, बुरे सपने से, बुरी हरकत और गंदगी से बचा ले। आँखों पर पड़ने वाली बुरी चीज़ से भी हमें बचा ले, ऐ काजल।
Mantra 7
इ॒दं वि॒द्वाना॑ञ्जन स॒त्यं व॑क्ष्यामि॒ नानृ॑तम्। स॒नेय॒मश्वं॒ गाम॒हमा॒त्मानं॒ तव॒ पूरुष
हे अंजन, मैं जो जानता हूँ वो सच बता रहा हूँ, झूठ नहीं। मेरी यह दुआ है कि मुझे घोड़ा मिले, गाय मिले। और मैं खुद भी जीत लूँ, तुम्हारे लिए जो इंसान है वो भी मेरे हो जाये।
Mantra 8
त्रयो॑ दा॒सा आञ्ज॑नस्य त॒क्मा ब॒लास॒ आदहिः॑ । वर्षि॑ष्ठः॒ पर्व॑तानां त्रिक॒कुन्नाम॑ ते पि॒ता
अंजन के तीन दुश्मन हैं। एक है तकमन, यह बुखार है। दूसरा है बलासा, यह बलगम की बिमारी है। तीसरा है आदहि, यह जला देता है। पहाड़ों में सबसे बड़ा पहाड़ है त्रिककुद, यह अंजन का बाप है।
Mantra 9
यदाञ्ज॑नं त्रैककु॒दं जा॒तं हि॒मव॑त॒स्परि॑ । या॒तूंश्च॒ सर्वा॑ञ्ज॒म्भय॒त् सर्वा॑श्च यातुधा॒न्यः
जब अंजन पैदा हुआ, वो त्रिककुद पहाड़ से आया था। हिमालय के पास से उसका जनम हुआ। उसने सब यातु दैत्यों को कुचल दिया। और सब यातुधानी डायन को भी मिटा दिया।
Mantra 10
यदि॒ वासि॑ त्रैककु॒दं यदि॑ यामु॒नमु॒च्यसे॑ । उ॒भे ते॑ भ॒द्रे॑ नाम्नी॒ ताभ्यां॒ नः पाह्याञ्जन
तुम्हारा नाम त्रिककुद है या यमुना बुलाते हैं, दोनों नाम अच्छे हैं। दोनों में से कोई भी नाम ले लो, अंजन, तुम हमें बचा लो।
Inside Sukta 9
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn begins by calling āñjana to ‘come’ as a living, mountain-born, life-giving protector, explicitly ‘given by all the gods’ and forming a ‘paridhi’ for life and well-being.
- What it asks
That the consecrated collyrium protect the practitioner/patient from eye afflictions and from unseen aggressions—evil spells, nightmares, wrongdoing/taint, and the dreadful harm that strikes through the eye.
- Where its power lies
Its efficacy is grounded in divine donation (Viśve Devāḥ), in its potent origin (parvata), and in nāmabala—its auspicious names themselves function as protective forces.
- How it closes
The sukta closes by affirming multiple legitimate names (e.g., Traikakuda, Yāmuna), declaring both auspicious, and sealing protection through correct recognition and invocation of the remedy.
Famous verses
viśvebhir devair dattaṃ pariḍhir jīvanāya
asat-mantrād duṣvapnyād ... tasmān naḥ pāhy āñjana
ubhe te bhadre nāmnī
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Rakṣā (Apotropaic protection)
What it is for
Restoration and safeguarding of eyesight, plus establishment of a protective boundary that blocks spells, nightmares, taint, and eye-mediated harm.
Who it is for
Householders and healers (vaidya-like practitioners), Atharvanic ritualists, and anyone treating eye irritation/injury or seeking protection from the evil eye and hostile influences.
Also used as
- Rakṣā (Apotropaic)
- Śāntika (Pacification)
- Rakṣoghna (anti-demonic/anti-sorcery)
The deity
Āñjana is treated not merely as a substance but as an animate, protective power—‘life-giving’ and ‘guarding’—originating from the mountain/mineral realm and authorized by all the gods. The Viśve Devāḥ function as cosmic guarantors that the remedy is rightly bestowed and therefore effective against seen and unseen harms.
Powers of the deity
- Heals and strengthens vision; soothes eye afflictions
- Creates a protective ‘paridhi’ (enclosure/boundary) around the person
- Repels hostile mantras, sorcery, and the evil-eye complex
- Pacifies nightmares and ominous dream-influences
- Removes śamala (taint/defilement) and ill-hearted harm directed through sight
- Works through correct naming (nāmabala): protection holds under regional/varietal names
Why the deity is called
To empower the physical application of collyrium as a divinely sanctioned medicine and as a protective charm against eye-disease and malevolent influences.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (name uncertain; anukramaṇī attribution varies)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya-rakṣā charms: consecration of remedies, protection of vulnerable organs (especially the eye), and warding off sorcery, nightmares, and ritual-moral taint.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.9 (this sukta)
- Other Atharvanic bhaiṣajya/rakṣā hymns are often grouped with similar anonymous attributions in Kanda 4 (exact rishi names vary by recensional anukramaṇī).
Preparing for the rite
- Obtain āñjana of reputable origin (ideally mineral/mountain-sourced), keeping it ritually clean.
- Prepare a clean applicator (small rod/stick) and a clean seat facing an auspicious direction.
- Perform simple purification: wash hands; sprinkle water; steady the patient and calm the breath.
- Optionally invoke the Viśve Devāḥ as witnesses before application.
The rite
- Recite the opening verse while presenting the āñjana as ‘life-giving’ and ‘protecting’.
- Apply a small amount to the eyelids/inner rim with the applicator while reciting protective verses (especially those naming threats: spells, bad dreams, taint, eye-bane).
- Repeat the guarding petitions as a ‘paridhi’ visualization—encircling protection around the patient.
- Conclude by reciting the name-affirming verse so the remedy protects under all its known names/varieties.
What it needs
- Āñjana (collyrium/eye-salve)
- Clean applicator (stick/rod)
- Water for purification (optional)
When
Preferably at dawn or in the morning (when eyesight ‘awakens’), or immediately upon onset of eye trouble; also suitable before travel or public exposure if fear of evil-eye is prominent.
The main substance
Āñjana (collyrium; mineral/‘mountain-born’ eye remedy)
Amulets
- Āñjana kept in a small clean container as a carried protective charm (optional, tradition-dependent)
How it is prepared
Keep the collyrium dry and uncontaminated; apply a minimal amount with a clean applicator while reciting the relevant mantras, treating the application as both medicine and protective boundary-making.
Frequently Asked Questions
Āñjana is collyrium/eye-salve, treated here as a personified protective remedy—both a medicine for the eyes and a spiritual guard against harmful influences.
No. Along with eye-healing, it is strongly apotropaic: it asks protection from hostile spells, nightmares, taint, and the feared harm that comes ‘through the eye’ (evil-eye type affliction).
It uses nāmabala (the power of names): even if the collyrium is known by different regional names or varieties, invoking its auspicious names ensures the protection remains effective.
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