Sukta 37
Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic seers; the verse itself cites Atharvans, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya as precedent authorities
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)
AV 4.37 is a bhaiṣajya-hymn that empowers a medicinal herb as a living, personified healer to destroy kṛmi (worms/parasites) and the rākṣasa-like agencies of disease. It grounds its efficacy in ancestral precedent—Atharvans and famed seers (Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya)—and then escalates into forceful rakṣoghna speech that expels Gandharva–Apsaras influences, especially those linked with erotic possession and household disruption.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
कृमिनाशनम्। त्वया॒ पूर्व॒मथ॑र्वाणो ज॒घ्नू रक्षां॑स्योषधे । त्वया॑ जघान क॒श्यप॒स्त्वया॒ कण्वो॑ अ॒गस्त्यः॑
यह पोदीयाँ कीड़े को मारती है। पहले अथर्व रिशियों ने इस्से राक्षस मारना था। कश्यप रिशि ने इस्से इस्तेमाल किया। कण्व और अगस्त्य रिशि भी इस्से यूज़ करते थे। यह बहुत पुराना और पावरफुल है।
Mantra 2
त्वया॑ व॒यम॑प्स॒रसो॑ गन्ध॒र्वांस्चा॑तयामहे । अज॑शृ॒ङ्ग्यज॒ रक्षः॒ सर्वा॑न् ग॒न्धेन॑ नाशय
तुम्हारी मदद से हम अप्सरा और गंधर्व को भगा देते हैं। हे अजशृंगी, बकरे के सींग वाली, तुम्हारी खुशबू से सारे राक्षस खत्म हो जाएं।
Mantra 3
न॒दीं य॑न्त्वप्स॒रसो॒ऽपां ता॒रम॑वश्व॒सम्। गु॒ल्गु॒लूः पीला॑ नल॒द्यौ॒३क्षग॑न्धिः प्रमन्द॒नी। तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन
अप्सरसों को नदी की तरफ जाने दो, पानी के पास, उस कष्टीवाले के पास। गुग्गुलु, पीला, नलद और द्यौष की खुशबू, यह सब चीज़ें हैं जो मन को खुश करती हैं। वहां जाओ अप्सरसें, जाग जाओ और साफ हो जाओ।
Mantra 4
यत्रा॑श्व॒त्था न्य॒ग्रोधा॑ महावृ॒क्षाः शि॑ख॒ण्डिनः॑ । तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन
जहां पीपल और बरगद के बड़े पेड़ खड़े हैं, उनकी डाल ऊपर की तरफ है, वहां जाओ अप्सरसें। वहां जाग जाओ और साफ हो जाओ।
Mantra 5
यत्र॑ वः प्रे॒ङ्खा हरि॑ता॒ अर्जु॑ना उ॒त यत्रा॑घा॒ताः क॑र्क॒र्यः सं॒वद॑न्ति । तत् परे॑ताप्सरसः॒ प्रति॑बुद्धा अभूतन
जहां अर्जुन पेड़ों के बीच में हरी झूलें हैं, और जहां कर्करी बजने की आवाज़ आती है, वहां जाओ अप्सरसें। वहां जाग जाओ और साफ हो जाओ।
Mantra 6
एयम॑ग॒न्नोष॑धीनां वी॒रुधां॑ वी॒र्याऽवती । अ॒ज॒शृ॒ङ्ग्यऽराट॒की ती॑क्ष्णशृ॒ङ्गी व्यृऽषतु
यह सब जड़ी-बूटियां आई हैं जो बीमारी भगाने की ताकत रखती हैं। अजशृंगी, अराटकी, और तीखनी सिंग वाली, यह सब बीमारी को बाहर भगाए।
Mantra 7
आ॒नृत्य॑तः शिख॒ण्डिनो॑ गन्ध॒र्वस्या॑प्सराप॒तेः । भि॒नद्मि॑ मु॒ष्कावपि॑ यामि॒ शेपः॑
जब गंधर्व और अप्सरा नाच रहे हो, मैं उनकी ताकत तोड़ देता हूँ। मैं उनके टेस्टिकल्स फाड़ देता हूँ, उनकी लाइन में हाथ डालता हूँ। यह मंत्र दुश्मन की ताकत खत्म करने के लिए है।
Mantra 8
भी॒मा इन्द्र॑स्य हे॒तयः॑ श॒तमृ॒ष्टीर॑य॒स्मयीः॑ । ताभि॑र्हविर॒दान् ग॑न्ध॒र्वान॑वका॒दान् व्यृऽषतु
इंद्र के बाण बहुत खतरनाक हैं। यह लोहे के हैं और सौ धार वाले हैं। इन बाणों से वो लोगों को मारो जो हवन का खाना खाते हैं। गंधर्व और अवकाद खाने वाले दूर भाग जाएंगे।
Mantra 9
भी॒मा इन्द्र॑स्य हे॒तयः॑ श॒तमृ॒ष्टीर्हि॑र॒ण्ययीः॑ । ताभि॑र्हविर॒दान् ग॑न्ध॒र्वान॑वका॒दान् व्युऽषतु
इंद्र के बाण बहुत खतरनाक हैं। यह सोने के हैं और सौ धार वाले हैं। इन बाणों से गंधर्व और अवकाद खाने वाले को जला दो। यह लोग हवन का खाना खाते हैं, इन्हें सज़ा दो।
Mantra 10
अ॒व॒का॒दान॑भिशो॒चान॒प्सु ज्यो॑तय माम॒कान्। पि॒शा॒चान्त्सर्वा॑नोषधे॒ प्र मृ॑णीहि॒ सह॑स्व च
जो अवकाद वाले पानी में छुपे हैं, उन्हें साफ दिखना चाहिए। सारे पिशाच भगाओ। औषध, तुम भी मदद करो और इन्हें कुचल दो।
Mantra 11
स्वेवैकः॑ क॒पिरि॒वैकः॑ कुमा॒रः स॑र्वकेश॒कः । प्रियो दृश इ॑व भू॒त्वा ग॑न्ध॒र्वः स॑चते॒ स्त्रिय॑स्त॑मि॒तो ना॑शयामसि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा वी॒र्याऽवता
गंधर्व औरतों के पास आता है। वो अपने आपको अच्छा दिखाता है, जैसे कोई अपना रिश्तेदार हो। वो औरतों को अपनी तरफ खींचता है। पर हम उसे भगाएंगे। ब्रह्मन की शक्ति से हम उसे दूर करेंगे।
Mantra 12
जा॒या इद् वो॑ अप्स॒रसो॒ गन्ध॑र्वाः॒ पत॑यो यू॒यम्। अप धावतामर्त्या॒ मर्त्या॒न् मा स॑चध्वम्
यह बात अप्सरा और गंधर्व के लिए है। अप्सरा और गंधर्व पति-पत्नी हैं। वो अमर्त हैं और इंसान मर्त हैं। इसलिए वो लोग इंसान से दूर भाग जाते हैं। इंसान के साथ नहीं रहते।
Inside Sukta 37
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by naming the herb as ‘kṛmi-nāśanam’ and anchoring its power in the victories of primordial Atharvans and renowned seers.
- What it asks
Let the empowered herb destroy worms and drive away rākṣasa-like disease agents; let intrusive Gandharva–Apsaras influence be broken and dismissed from human life.
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through precedent (what the seers accomplished with this power) and through direct, performative speech-acts that maim/disable the hostile force and sever its attachment.
- How it closes
It concludes with a social-cosmic reordering: Apsarases belong with Gandharvas, and immortals must not cling to mortals—thus the affliction is sent away and boundaries are sealed.
Famous verses
kṛmināśanam
apa dhāvatām … mā sacadhvam
Kind of hymn
Bhaiṣajya (Healing; anti-parasitic/anti-demonic therapy)
What it is for
Eradication of parasitic infestation and the removal of demonic/possessive afflictions; restoration of health, sexual/social boundaries, and domestic stability.
Who it is for
Atharvanic healer/priest (bhaiṣajika) treating a patient with suspected worms, wasting, or possession-like symptoms; also householders seeking protection from disruptive spirit-erotic influence.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna
- Śāntika
- Strīkarmāṇi (regulating harmful spirit-erotic attachment)
- Abhicārika (aggressive counter-measures within healing context)
The deity
Secondarily, the hymn addresses/targets liminal beings (rākṣasas; Gandharva as apsarā-pati) as embodiments of invasive disease, obsession, and disorder.
Powers of the deity
- Destroys kṛmi (worms/parasites) and internal infestations
- Repels rākṣasas and other harmful unseen agencies
- Restores bodily integrity and protective boundaries
- Counters erotic possession/infliction associated with Gandharva–Apsaras
- Re-establishes proper pairing and social-ritual order (immortal with immortal; mortal protected)
Why the deity is called
To consecrate and activate an herb as a worm-slayer and demon-repellent medicine, and to dismiss/disable intrusive Gandharva–Apsaras forces so the patient and household return to health and order.
The seer
- Atharvanic seers (anonymous tradition; hymn cites Atharvans, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya as authorities)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya and rakṣoghna charms: herb-consecration, anti-parasitic therapy, and expulsion of demonic/possessive agencies affecting body and sexuality
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 2.31 (kṛmi-nāśana theme)
- AV 5.23 (oṣadhi-stuti / healing herb material)
- AV 6.111 (disease-removal / protective healing)
Preparing for the rite
- Select a potent oṣadhi (medicinal herb) suitable for anti-parasitic use; keep it ritually clean.
- Prepare a small quantity of water (for washing/infusion) and a clean space near the patient.
- Mentally establish lineage-authority by recalling Atharvans and the cited seers (Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, Agastya).
The rite
- Recite the hymn over the herb to ‘awaken’ it as kṛmi-nāśanam (worm-destroyer).
- Administer the herb as paste/infusion or apply it topically at the afflicted region, repeating key verses during application.
- For Gandharva–Apsaras disturbance, perform a firm verbal dismissal (apa-dhāvatam) and boundary-setting: ‘immortals from mortals,’ optionally with a cutting/cleaving gesture to signify severance of attachment.
What it needs
- Oṣadhi (medicinal herb; species not fixed in the hymn)
- Water for washing/infusion
- Optional binding thread/strip of cloth for a simple herb-amulet application
When
Preferably at a liminal time (dawn or dusk) or at onset/recognition of symptoms; repeat for several days as needed during treatment.
The main substance
Oṣadhi (medicinal herb, consecrated by mantra)
Herbs
- Unspecified oṣadhi (selected locally as anti-parasitic/cleansing medicine)
Amulets
- Herb-tied thread/cloth band (optional, as a carrier of the recited power)
How it is prepared
Wash the herb, then make an infusion or paste while reciting; speak key verses over the medicine before administration, and repeat during application/ingestion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. It can denote actual intestinal/skin parasites, and also a broader category of invasive, unseen agents of wasting and disease that are treated as ‘worm-like’ intruders.
To establish authority and proven efficacy: the herb’s power is validated by ancestral precedent—what those seers accomplished is invoked as a guarantee for the present cure.
Because some afflictions are framed as possession-like or disruptive attachments (often erotic or household-disturbing). The hymn dismisses such beings from mortals and restores proper boundaries and pairing.
Ask anything about Sukta 37 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
