Atharva Veda 4.9.6: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 9, Mantra 6

Sukta 9

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒स॒न्म॒न्त्रा॑द् दु॒ष्वप्न्याद् दुष्कृ॒ताच्छम॑लादु॒त। दु॒र्हार्द॒श्चक्षु॑षो घो॒रात् तस्मा॑न्नः पाह्याञ्जन

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.9.6

IAST Transliteration

asánmantrā́d duṣvápnyād duṣkṛtā́c chamálād utá | durhā́rdāc cákṣuṣo ghorā́t tásmān naḥ pāhy ā́ñjana

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

From evil spells, from evil dreaming, from ill-deed and from taint, and also from the dread ill-hearted bane that smiteth through the eye—from all that, guard thou us, O Collyrium.

Translation

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।

The meaning

What it says

Āñjana is invoked to guard from evil spells (asan-mantra), evil dreams, ill-deed and taint (śamala), and from a dreadful ill-hearted bane that strikes through the eye.

The inner meaning

The verse maps harm as entering via speech (mantra), sleep (dream), moral residue (duṣkṛta/śamala), and the gaze (cakṣus). Protection is therefore cognitive (what is believed), nocturnal (what is imagined), ethical (what is done), and perceptual (what is seen/received).

The truth in it

Well-being requires guarding inputs: words, images, dreams, and moral habits. A protective practice works by reorganizing these channels toward clarity and safety.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Rakṣoghna (Apotropaic) / Śānti (Pacification)

Its aim

To protect against hostile spells, nightmares, moral-ritual taint, and eye-related terrors (injury/evil-eye).

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Word by Word

Pada patha

असत्-मन्त्रात् । दुः-स्वप्न्यात् । दुष्-कृतात् । शमलात् । उत । दुः-हार्दात् । चक्षुषः । घोरात् । तस्मात् । नः । पाहि । आञ्जन ।

असत्

from the untrue/evil (thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (अपादानार्थे; ‘असतः’ का पदरूप)Role ApādānaRoot असत् (प्रातिपदिक; न- ‘अस्’ से निष्पन्न) अथवा ‘असत्’ (विशेषण)

मन्त्रात्

from (an evil) spell/charmNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)

दुष्वप्न्यात्

from bad dreaming / nightmare (affliction)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दुष्वप्न्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुः-स्वप्न’ सम्बन्धी)

दुष्कृतात्

from evil deed / sinfrom evil deed/sin (moral-ritual fault producing misfortune)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)

शमलात्

from impurity/defilement, guiltfrom defilement/taint (pollution, guilt, or calamity-bearing impurity)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot शमल (प्रातिपदिक)

उत

and also / moreoverand alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उत (निपात)

दुर्हार्दः

from heart-ill / malignant (affection)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (अपादानार्थे; ‘दुर्हार्दात्’ के स्थान पर पदपाठीय/वैदिक रूप ‘दुर्हार्दः’)Role ApādānaRoot दुर्हार्द (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुः-हार्द’)

चक्षुषः

of the eyeof the eye/vision (seat of vulnerability; also the ‘evil eye’ domain)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

घोरात्

from the dreadful (one/thing)terrible, frightful (intensifier of the danger)Adjectiveपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot घोर (प्रातिपदिक)

तस्मात्

from thatPronounपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नः

of us / for usus (community/household protected by the rite)Pronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

पाहि

protect (you)protect! guard! (imperative; direct activation of rakṣā)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot पा (धातु) ‘रक्षणे’

आञ्जन

O Anjana (collyrium/Anjana-plant/deity)O Collyrium (invoked as guardian)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot आञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अञ्ज्’ से निष्पन्न ‘अञ्जन’)

Sandhi Notes

• असन्मन्त्राद् = असत् + मन्त्रात् (त् + म् → न्म्; पञ्चमी-एकवचन ‘असत्’ का वैदिक पदरूप)
• दुष्कृताच्छमलात् = दुष्कृतात् + शमलात् (त् + श् → च्छ्)
• तस्मान्नः = तस्मात् + नः (त् + न् → न्न्)
• ‘दुर्हार्दश्चक्षुषो’ में ‘दुर्हार्दः’ + ‘चक्षुषः’ (विसर्ग-संधि; वैदिक रूप-भेद)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition

Devata

Āñjana (guardian remedy); implicit domain: Cakṣus (vision) as vulnerable locus

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh

Rasa

Shanta and Bhayankara

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions