Sukta 45
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)
This short Atharvavedic hymn is an apotropaic and healing charm to drive away duḥsvapna—harmful dreams and the mental pollution they imply—so that the mind may rest safely within the home and among one’s cattle. It couples direct banishment of the “mind-evil” with a purificatory appeal to Agni to remove misdeeds gathered in waking and sleep, and ends with a prāyaścitta-like plea to Indra/Brahmaṇaspati to protect from error, sin, and distress.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
दुःष्वप्ननाशनम्। प॒रोऽपे॑हि मनस्पाप॒ किमश॑स्तानि शंससि । परे॑हि॒ न त्वा॑ कामये वृ॒क्षां वना॑नि॒ सं च॑र गृ॒हेषु॑ गोषु॑ मे॒ मनः॑
बुरे सपने खत्म करने वाली, चल हट, जा यहाँ से, अरे बुरी सोच! तू अच्छी बातें क्यों बोलती है? चल भाग, मुझे तू नहीं चाहिए। पेड़ों में, जंगल में घूम, मेरे घर में, मेरे पशुओं में मेरा मन रहे।
Mantra 2
अ॒व॒शसा॑ निः॒शसा॒ यत् प॑रा॒शसो॑पारि॒म जाग्र॑तो॒ यत् स्व॒पन्तः॑ । अ॒ग्निर्वि॑श्वा॒न्यप॑ दुष्कृ॒तान्यजु॑ष्टान्या॒रे अ॒स्मद् द॑धातु
साँस के साथ जो भी गलतियाँ हो जाएँ, चाहे जागे हो या सो रहे हो, अग्नि उन सबको दूर कर दे। वो सारे बुरे काम, जो पसंद नहीं आए, वो हमसे बहुत दूर ले जाए।
Mantra 3
यदि॑न्द्र ब्रह्मणस्प॒तेऽपि॒ मृषा॒ चरा॑मसि । प्रचे॑ता न आङ्गिर॒सो दु॑रि॒तात् पा॒त्वंह॑सः
इंद्र, और बोली के गुरु, अगर हम गलती से भी कोई बुरा काम कर दें, तो अंगिरस रिशि हमें बुरी राह से बचा ले। पाप और तकलीफ से हमें बचा ले।
Inside Sukta 45
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens with a direct expulsion: the duḥsvapna-force is addressed as ‘mind-evil’ and ordered to depart, away from the home-space.
- What it asks
That the inauspicious dream and its unblessed proclamations be removed, the mind be re-established safely in house and cattle, and all unacceptable faults (awake/asleep) be carried far away.
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through performative speech: ‘Begone; I desire thee not’ and through Agni’s universal capacity to put away all duṣkṛta and ajusṭa.
- How it closes
It concludes with a prāyaścitta-style safeguard: even if we have wandered in error, Indra/Brahmaṇaspati and the foreknowing Aṅgiras protect from durita and aṃhas.
Famous verses
paro 'pehi manaspāpa
duritāt pātv aṃhasaḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (Rakṣoghna)
What it is for
Removal of evil dreams and mental disturbance, purification of misdeeds/impurities, and stabilization of domestic prosperity and safety (house and cattle).
Who it is for
Householders (gṛhastha), family-protectors, and Atharvanic practitioners addressing nightmares, bad omens from sleep, or anxiety about unseen impurity.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna (apotropaic)
- Śāntika (pacificatory)
- Prāyaścitta-like (fault-averting/purificatory)
Powers of the deity
- Banishes and redirects inauspicious dream-forces away from the household (duḥsvapna-nāśana)
- Restores mental steadiness and rightful “placement” of mind in home and cattle-pen
- Purifies faults accrued in waking and sleep through Agni’s apadāna (putting-away) power
- Averts harm from mistakes, false steps, and ritual/speech error via Indra–Brahmaṇaspati protection
- Creates a protective perimeter by sending the evil to forests/trees (outside the settled space)
Why the deity is called
To expel evil dreams and their omens, cleanse subtle and moral impurity linked with sleep/waking, and secure protection from the consequences of inadvertent error and sin.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (anon.; Aṅgiras-associated in v.3)Atharvan. Bhaisajya and rakṣoghna charms—banishing harmful influences (dream-omens, mental affliction) and restoring household well-being through speech, breath-regulation imagery, and fire-purification.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.46 (adjacent apotropaic material, traditional association)
- AV 6.44 (adjacent protective material, traditional association)
Preparing for the rite
- Kindle or face the domestic fire (Agni) if available; otherwise orient toward a clean, calm household space.
- Perform brief ācamana/sipping of water and steady the breath (noting exhalation/inhalation as in v.2).
- Set an intention to expel duḥsvapna beyond the dwelling boundary (threshold/doorway).
The rite
- Recite 6.45.1 at the threshold or near the sleeping place, verbally dismissing the ‘mind-evil’ and directing it to trees/forests (outside).
- Recite 6.45.2 facing Agni (or a lamp/fire), synchronizing the line ‘by exhalation, by inhalation’ with gentle regulated breathing; mentally consign faults ‘far away’.
- Recite 6.45.3 as a sealing prayer for protection from error and sin, especially if the dream was taken as an omen or if one fears ritual/ethical lapse.
What it needs
- Domestic fire or lamp (Agni)
- Water for sipping/sprinkling (optional, customary)
When
At dawn after a troubling dream; also suitable before sleep as a preventive charm, or after any perceived impurity from sleep/waking.
The main substance
Agni (domestic fire/lamp)
How it is prepared
Maintain a clean flame (or lamp) as witness; optionally sip and sprinkle clean water, then coordinate a few calm breaths with the second mantra before the concluding protective prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to drive away evil or disturbing dreams and to restore mental steadiness and household safety, especially after a nightmare or ominous dream.
The verse treats breath as the channel through which subtle impurity or agitation can be released; with Agni invoked, faults from waking or sleep are symbolically carried away and purified.
No special herbs or amulets are required in the text; traditionally one may recite near a domestic fire or lamp and use clean water for simple purification, but recitation with focused intent is central.
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