Sukta 36
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (rakṣoghna seer)
Devata: Rakṣas/Piśāca/Kravyād (as adversaries); the effective agent is the mantra’s ‘sahas’ (coercive power)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; common for AV apotropaic verses)
AV 4.36 adalah kidung rakṣoghna–abhicārika yang memperteguh batas rumah tangga terhadap pemangsa malam—rakṣas, piśāca, dan kravyād—terutama yang berkeliaran pada malam bulan baru. Kidung ini memadukan pengusiran berapi melalui Agni Vaiśvānara dengan “sahas” (daya pemaksa mantra), dan pada penutupnya menghadirkan Nirṛti untuk mengikat hingga binasa, dengan tujuan membakar, menundukkan, dan mengekang setiap pendekatan yang bermusuhan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
सत्यौजा अग्निः। तान्त्स॒त्यौजाः॒ प्र द॑हत्व॒ग्निर्वै॑श्वान॒रोवृषा॑ । यो नो॑ दुर॒स्याद् दिप्सा॒च्चाथो॒ यो नो॑ अराति॒यात्
Agni berdaya sejati. Biarlah Agni, Vaiśvānara yang berdaya sejati, Sang Banteng, membakar mereka habis—siapa pun yang hendak mencelakakan kami, siapa pun yang mencari untuk menyakiti, dan juga siapa pun yang datang memusuhi kami.
Mantra 2
यो नो॒ दिप्स॒ददि॑प्सतो॒ दिप्स॑तो॒ यश्च॒ दिप्स॑ति । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रस्य॒ दंष्ट्र॑योर॒ग्नेरपि॑ दधामि॒ तम्
Siapa pun yang hendak mencelakai kami—baik yang tidak mencelakai maupun yang mencelakai, dan siapa pun yang mencelakai—aku tempatkan dia di antara taring Agni Vaiśvānara.
Mantra 3
य आ॑ग॒रे मृ॒गय॑न्ते प्रतिक्रो॒शेऽमावा॒स्ये। क्र॒व्यादो॑ अ॒न्यान् दिप्स॑तः॒ सर्वां॒स्तान्त्सह॑सा सहे
Siapa pun yang mengendap berburu di rumah dan pekarangan, pada saat teriakan tanda bahaya, pada malam Amāvāsyā (bulan baru)—para pemakan daging (kravyāda) yang menginginkan manusia lain sebagai mangsa—mereka semua kutaklukkan dengan daya-kekuatan yang dahsyat.
Mantra 4
सहे॑ पिशा॒चान्त्सह॑सैषां॒ द्रवि॑णं ददे । सर्वा॑न् दुरस्य॒तो ह॑न्मि॒ सं म॒ आकू॑तिरृद्यताम्
Dengan kekuatan aku menundukkan para Piśāca; harta mereka kuambil menjadi milikku. Semua yang berniat jahat kutumpas; semoga tekadku terjalin menjadi satu dan mencapai keberhasilan.
Mantra 5
ये दे॒वास्तेन॒ हास॑न्ते॒ सूर्ये॑ण मिमते ज॒वम्। न॒दीषु॒ पर्व॑तेषु॒ ये सं तैः प॒शुभि॑र्विदे
Para Dewa yang dengan itu tertawa nyaring dalam kemenangan, yang dengan Matahari mengukur dan menata laju—mereka yang berada di sungai, mereka yang di pegunungan—bersama mereka aku memperoleh ternak dan harta kehidupan.
Mantra 6
तप॑नो अस्मि पिशा॒चानां॑ व्या॒घ्रो गोम॑तामिव । श्वानः॑ सिं॒हमि॑व दृ॒ष्ट्वा ते न वि॑न्दन्ते॒ न्यञ्च॑नम्
Aku adalah pembakar bagi Piśāca—bagai harimau di tengah yang kaya ternak. Seperti anjing ketika melihat singa, demikianlah mereka tak menemukan tempat mengintai maupun jalan masuk.
Mantra 7
न पि॑शा॒चैः सं श॑क्नोमि॒ न स्ते॒नैर्न व॑न॒र्गुभिः॑ । पि॒शा॒चास्तस्मा॑न्नश्यन्ति॒ यम॒हं ग्राम॑मावि॒शे
Aku tidak bersekutu dengan Piśāca, tidak dengan pencuri, tidak pula dengan perampok hutan. Karena itu Piśāca lenyap dari desa yang kumasuki.
Mantra 8
यं ग्राम॑मावि॒शत॑ इ॒दमु॒ग्रं सहो॒ मम॑ । पि॒शा॒चास्तस्मा॑न्नश्यन्ति॒ न पा॒पमुप॑ जानते
Ke desa mana pun kekuatan dahsyat dan perkasa milikku ini memasuki, dari tempat itu para Piśāca lenyap; dan mereka pun tidak dapat mendekati Keburukan.
Mantra 9
ये मा॑ क्रो॒धय॑न्ति लपि॒ता ह॒स्तिनं॑ म॒शका॑ इव । तान॒हं म॑न्ये॒ दुर्हि॑ता॒न् जने॒ अल्प॑शयूनिव
Mereka yang membangkitkan amarahku—para pengoceh—bagaikan agas yang mengusik seekor gajah; mereka itu kupandang sebagai orang-orang yang buruk tempatnya di antara manusia, seperti makhluk yang hanya punya alas dan tumpangan yang sempit.
Mantra 10
अ॒भि तं निरृ॑तिर्धत्ता॒मश्व॑मिवाश्वाभि॒धान्या॑ । म॒ल्वो यो मह्यं॒ क्रुध्य॑ति॒ स उ॒ पाशा॒न्नमु॑च्यते
Biarlah Nirṛti menimpa dia, seperti tali-kekang pada kuda. Orang Malva yang murka kepadaku—sungguh, ia tidak dilepaskan dari jerat.
Inside Sukta 36
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by establishing Agni as satyaujā—‘of true might’—and commands Vaiśvānara to burn out all ill-wishers and hostile approachers.
- What it asks
That every rakṣasic, piśāca-like, flesh-devouring prowler hunting near the homestead—particularly in liminal night-time—be expelled and rendered incapable of harm.
- Where its power lies
The speaker claims direct mastery by sahas: the mantra’s coercive force is sufficient to overpower ‘them all’ even when they hunt for prey.
- How it closes
Ends with a binding/doom-seal: Nirṛti fastens upon the enraged adversary like a horse-halter, declaring he is not released from the noose.
Famous verses
satyaujā agniḥ
sarvāṃstāntsahasā sahe
pāśān na mucyate
Kind of hymn
Rakṣoghna / Abhicarika (Apotropaic counter-sorcery; warding of demons and night-prowlers)
What it is for
Drive away, scorch, and subdue hostile entities and human/inhuman aggressors, preventing predation, intrusion, and retaliatory harm—especially during liminal night-times like amāvāsyā.
Who it is for
Householders, village guardians, Atharvanic ritualists, and anyone seeking protection from night-terrors, prowlers, and malign influences around the home.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna
- Śāntika (household protection)
The deity
Agni Vaiśvānara functions as the household’s universal fire—truth-mighty, bull-like, and purifying—who exposes and incinerates hostile beings. ‘Sahas’ is treated as the operative force of the spell that subdues prowlers, while Nirṛti embodies calamity and restraint, fastening the adversary in an inescapable bond.
Powers of the deity
- Burns and expels hostile beings (rakṣas/piśāca/kravyād)
- Illuminates and reveals night-prowlers near the homestead
- Creates a protective perimeter through domestic fire and authoritative speech
- Overpowers enemies through sahas (coercive mantric force)
- Binds and immobilizes an adversary through Nirṛti’s pāśa (noose)
Why the deity is called
To neutralize nocturnal and boundary-crossing threats by burning them out (Agni), overpowering them by force of mantra (sahas), and finally binding an angry adversary so harm cannot return (Nirṛti).
The seer
- Atharvanic rakṣoghna seer (name not specified in excerpt; to be verified from AV Anukramaṇī)Atharvan. Apotropaic rakṣoghna charms, boundary-protection, counter-sorcery, and coercive/binding formulas (stambhana–bandhana) against nocturnal and flesh-eating entities.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.35 (contextually allied rakṣoghna material; attribution to be checked)
- AV 4.37 (adjacent protective/counter-hostile material; attribution to be checked)
Preparing for the rite
- Kindle or steady the domestic fire (gārhapatya/household hearth) and ensure it is clean-burning.
- Mark the homestead threshold/boundary mentally or physically (doorway/courtyard edge), as the hymn targets ‘at the homestead’ prowlers.
- Set intention: identify the class of threat (rakṣas/piśāca/kravyād) and any named human adversary if applicable.
The rite
- Recite the opening with Agni Vaiśvānara as the burning agent, directing the ‘true-mighty’ fire against all who ‘seek to harm’.
- Continue with verses that name the nocturnal setting (alarm-cry, amāvāsyā) and explicitly overpower prowlers by sahas.
- Conclude with the binding formula invoking Nirṛti to ‘set upon’ the hostile one like a halter, sealing restraint and non-release from the pāśa.
What it needs
- Domestic fire (Agni)
- Fuel/offerings implied (samidh/ghṛta optional, as customary for sustaining Agni)
- Optional symbolic bond/noose imagery (string/halter) if performing as a binding rite
When
Night protection, especially on amāvāsyā (new-moon night) and whenever alarm-cry/prowling is feared near the house.
The main substance
Domestic fire (Agni)
Amulets
- Optional cord/halter (pāśa) as a ritual prop for binding imagery
How it is prepared
Maintain a steady household fire; if using a cord, hold or display it during the concluding binding verse to externalize the ‘pāśa’ intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to protect the home from nocturnal threats—rakṣas, piśācas, kravyāds, and hostile prowlers—by burning them out through Agni and overpowering them through mantric force.
Amāvāsyā is treated as a liminal time when harmful beings and human malice are thought to move more freely; the hymn targets exactly that night-time vulnerability near the homestead.
Both: it begins as apotropaic protection (rakṣoghna) through Agni’s burning, and it culminates in a binding/constraint act by invoking Nirṛti’s noose so the adversary cannot escape restraint.
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