Sukta 44
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (healing hymn; specific ṛṣi attribution not fixed here)
Devata: Añjana (personified remedy); Āpaḥ as auxiliary deities
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (approx.)
Kidung penyembuhan ini menguduskan Añjana (kolirium/olesan obat untuk mata) sebagai ramuan yang memperpanjang hidup, membawa kesejahteraan, kedamaian, dan tanpa takut, dengan dukungan para Air (Āpaḥ) yang menyucikan dan melindungi. Ia memuji obat ini sebagai yang tiada banding di antara segala tumbuhan obat, sanggup membentuk penjagaan menyeluruh dari segala sisi terhadap penyakit, pengaruh permusuhan, dan kemalangan. Sukta ini berpuncak dengan menempatkan obat itu di bawah pengawalan Mitra dan Varuṇa, menyiratkan pemulihan dari kejauhan—kesehatan, kejernihan (terutama penglihatan), dan kebajikan hidup.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
भैषज्यम्। आयु॑षोऽसि प्र॒तर॑णं॒ विप्रं॑ भेष॒जमु॑च्यसे । तदा॑ञ्जन॒ त्वं शं॑ताते॒ शमापो॒ अभ॑यं कृतम्
Sebuah penyembuhan. Engkau adalah penyeberangan yang memajukan hidup; engkau disebut obat yang ampuh dan terilham. Maka, wahai Añjana, demi kesejahteraan dan demi damai—bersama Air-Airan—jadikanlah tanpa takut itu terwujud.
Mantra 2
यो ह॑रि॒मा जा॒यान्यो॑ऽङ्गभे॒दो वि॒सल्प॑कः । सर्वं॑ ते॒ यक्ष्म॒मङ्गे॑भ्यो ब॒हिर्नि॑र्ह॒न्त्वाञ्ज॑नम्
Apa pun kekuningan itu, apa pun jāyānya itu, apa pun nyeri yang merobek anggota badan, apa pun visalpaka itu—segala yakṣma (penyakit yang menggerogoti) dari anggota-anggota tubuhmu, ke luar dan menjauh, biarlah Añjana memukulnya pergi.
Mantra 3
आञ्ज॑नं पृथि॒व्यां जा॒तं भ॒द्रं पु॑रुष॒जीव॑नम्। कृ॒णोत्वप्र॑मायुकं॒ रथ॑जूति॒मना॑गसम्
Añjana, yang lahir di atas Bumi, yang mujur, penopang hidup manusia,—semoga ia menjadikan (dia) tidak ditakdirkan mati sebelum waktunya, secepat kereta perang, dan tanpa cela.
Mantra 4
प्राण॑ प्रा॒णं त्रा॑य॒स्वासो॒ अस॑वे मृड । निरृ॑ते॒ निरृ॑त्या नः॒ पाशे॑भ्यो मुञ्च
Wahai Prāṇa, lindungilah prāṇa; berbelas-kasihlah kepada Asu, kepada hidup kami. Dari Nirṛti, dari jerat-jerat Nirṛti, lepaskanlah kami.
Mantra 5
सिन्धो॒र्गर्भो॑ऽसि वि॒द्युतां॒ पुष्प॑म्। वातः॑ प्रा॒णः सूर्य॒श्चक्षु॑र्दि॒वस्पयः॑
Engkau adalah janin Sindhu, bunga dari kilat-kilat; Angin adalah napas, Matahari adalah mata, dan susu langit adalah pemeliharaan.
Mantra 6
देवा॑ञ्जन॒ त्रैक॑कुदं॒ परि॑ मा पाहि वि॒श्वतः॑ । न त्वा॑ तर॒न्त्योष॑धयो॒ बाह्याः॑ पर्व॒तीया॑ उ॒त
Wahai salep ilahi, wahai Traikakuda, lindungilah aku dari segala sisi. Tiada tumbuhan lain yang mengunggulimu—baik ramuan luar maupun yang lahir dari gunung sekalipun.
Mantra 7
वी॒३दं मध्य॒मवा॑सृपद् रक्षो॒हामी॑व॒चात॑नः । अमी॑वाः॒ सर्वा॑श्चा॒तय॑न् ना॒शय॑दभि॒भा इ॒तः
Vīda ini merayap ke tengah, pembunuh Rakṣas, pengusir penyakit; menghalau segala penyakit, ia memusnahkan kekuatan-kekuatan penyerang dari sini.
Mantra 8
ब॒ह्वि॒३दं रा॑जन् वरु॒णानृ॑तमाह॒ पूरु॑षः । तस्मा॑त् सहस्रवीर्य मु॒ञ्च नः॒ पर्यंह॑सः
Banyak dusta, wahai Raja Varuṇa, telah diucapkan oleh manusia. Karena itu, wahai yang berdaya seribu, bebaskanlah kami dari dosa yang mengepung dan kesempitan.
Mantra 9
यदापो॑ अ॒घ्न्या इति॒ वरु॒णेति॒ यदू॑चि॒म। तस्मा॑त् सहस्रवीर्य मु॒ञ्च नः॒ पर्यंह॑सः
Apa yang telah kami ucapkan—“Air itu tak tersentuh (aghnya),” dan “wahai Varuṇa”—berkat itu, wahai yang berdaya seribu, lepaskanlah kami dari kesesakan yang mengepung.
Mantra 10
मि॒त्रश्च॑ त्वा॒ वरु॑णश्चानु॒प्रेय॑तुराञ्जन । तौ त्वा॑नु॒गत्य॑ दू॒रं भो॒गाय॒ पुन॒रोह॑तुः
Mitra dan Varuṇa telah menyertaimu, wahai Anjana; dan kedua itu, berjalan bersamamu, telah membawamu kembali dari jauh untuk kenikmatan kami.
Inside Sukta 44
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Opens by naming the act as bhaiṣajya and praising Añjana as the ‘furthering ford’ of life and an inspired, potent remedy, immediately pairing it with the Waters for welfare and fearlessness.
- What it asks
That Añjana, supported by Āpaḥ, establish peace and make fearlessness effective—protecting the patient from every side and overcoming affliction.
- Where its power lies
Declares the remedy unsurpassed among herbs, including ‘outer’ and mountain-born medicines, establishing its supremacy and comprehensive guarding power.
- How it closes
Ends by invoking Mitra and Varuṇa as attendants of Añjana who bring it back from afar for our enjoyment—sealing efficacy as restoration and regained well-being.
Famous verses
āyuṣo'si prataranam … abhayam kṛtam
pari mā pāhi viśvataḥ
punaḥ…ūhatuḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing)
What it is for
Consecration and application of añjana as a potent remedy that removes affliction, prevents further harm, stabilizes the patient in peace, and secures fearlessness and restoration.
Who it is for
Household healers, Atharvanic practitioners, and caregivers treating illness (especially ocular/skin-related) and seeking protective safeguarding for the patient.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna (protective/apotropaic)
- Śāntika (pacificatory)
- Pauṣṭika (well-being/wholeness overtones)
The deity
Añjana is a personified medicinal unguent/collyrium (often understood as a dark mineral/plant preparation used for the eyes and as a protective smear), here elevated to a deified remedy. The Waters function as auxiliary deities that cleanse, stabilize, and render the medicine ‘fearlessness-made’; Mitra–Varuṇa sanction the remedy through cosmic order and benevolent oversight.
Powers of the deity
- Prolongs life and ‘fords’ the patient beyond danger (āyuṣo prataranam)
- Grants śam (peace), śānti (welfare), and abhaya (fearlessness)
- Creates all-sided protection (pari…pāhi viśvataḥ) against seen/unseen harms
- Surpasses other herbs/remedies in potency (na tvā taranty oṣadhayaḥ)
- Restores well-being ‘from afar’—recovering lost strength/fortune/clarity (punaḥ…ūhatuḥ)
Why the deity is called
Invoked to empower and ‘install’ Añjana as a supreme, divinely guarded medicine—especially protective and restorative (notably for the eyes and for general safety)—with the Waters ensuring purity and Mitra–Varuṇa ensuring right order and successful return to health.
The seer
- Atharvanic healer-seers (anonymous/collective attribution)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya and rakṣā-prayoga: consecration of medicines (especially ocular/unguents), apotropaic protection, and pacification of disease-agencies through mantra and substance.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 19.43 (añjana/medicine-adjacent healing context)
- AV 4.9 (general healing and herb-lore type hymn)
- AV 6.91 (Bhaiṣajya: disease-removal charm, broadly Atharvanic in style)
Preparing for the rite
- Prepare añjana/unguents (collyrium-like paste) in a clean vessel.
- Bring clean water for mixing, washing, or sprinkling; set aside a small applicator (rod/stick) or fingertip application method.
- Seat the patient facing a calm direction; establish a quiet, ritually clean space (hands washed; vessel rinsed).
The rite
- Recite the hymn while touching/holding the añjana vessel to ‘charge’ it with mantra.
- Mix or moisten the añjana with water while invoking Āpaḥ for śam and abhaya.
- Apply a small amount as collyrium/unguent (as appropriate) or mark protective points (forehead/around eyes), reciting protective verses during application.
- Conclude by verbally ‘sending away’ fear/disease and affirming restored well-being under Mitra–Varuṇa’s patronage.
What it needs
- Añjana (medicinal collyrium/unguent)
- Āpaḥ (clean water)
- Traikakuda (as named potent ingredient/identity of the remedy, where available)
- Applicator (small stick/rod) or clean fingertip; small vessel
When
Preferably at dawn or early morning (healing/clarity), or at the onset of symptoms; may be repeated for several days as the remedy is applied.
The main substance
Añjana (medicinal collyrium/unguent; often mineral/plant-based black pigment used therapeutically)
Herbs
- Traikakuda (named potent drug/compound in the hymn’s diction)
Amulets
- Consecrated añjana itself (kept in a small container)
- Applicator/rod used only for this remedy (as a dedicated ritual implement)
How it is prepared
Cleanse vessel; place añjana; add a few drops of clean water to make a smooth paste; recite the sukta over it; apply sparingly as appropriate (especially around/for the eyes), optionally sprinkling water to seal śam/abhaya.
Frequently Asked Questions
Añjana is a medicinal unguent/collyrium (often used for the eyes) that the hymn personifies and praises as a divine remedy capable of healing and protecting the patient.
The Waters represent purification and soothing power; in this hymn they help make the remedy bring śam (peace/welfare) and abhayam (fearlessness), as if sealing the medicine’s safety and efficacy.
Traditionally it functions as a consecration charm: the practitioner recites the verses over añjana (often mixed with clean water) and then applies it as a therapeutic/protective unguent, repeating as needed for recovery and safeguarding.
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