Sukta 26
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often treated as anonymous/collective for dik-rakṣā hymns in later indexing)
Devata: Deities of the eastern quarter called Hetayaḥ; Agni as their missile-force
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (refrain-driven; close to anuṣṭubh in practical recitation)
Mantras
Mantra 1
दिक्षु आत्मरक्षा। ये३स्यां स्थ प्राच्यां दिशि हेतयो नाम देवास्तेषां वो अग्निरिषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this eastern quarter—gods called the Impellers—of you those arrows are Agni. Be gracious unto us; speak ye in authority over us. To you be reverence; to you be svāhā.
Mantra 2
ये३स्यां स्थ दक्षिणायां दिश्यऽ विष्यवो नाम देवास्तेषां वः काम इषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this southern quarter—gods called the Piercers—of you those arrows are Kāma. Be gracious unto us; speak ye in authority over us. To you be reverence; to you be svāhā.
Mantra 3
ये३स्यां स्थ प्रतीच्यां दिशि वैराजा नाम देवास्तेषां व आप इषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this western quarter—gods called the Vairājas—of you those arrows are the Waters. Be gracious unto us; speak ye in authority over us. To you be reverence; to you be svāhā.
Mantra 4
ये३स्यां स्थोदीच्यां दिशि प्रविध्यन्तो नाम देवास्तेषां वो वात इषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this northern quarter—gods called the Piercing-forth—of you those arrows are Wind. Be gracious unto us; speak ye in authority over us. To you be reverence; to you be svāhā.
Mantra 5
ये३ऽस्यां स्थ ध्रुवायां दिशि निलिम्पा नाम देवास्तेषां व ओषधीरिषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this steadfast quarter—gods called the Nilimpas—of you those arrows are the Herbs. Be gracious unto us; speak ye in authority over us. To you be reverence; to you be svāhā.
Mantra 6
ये३स्यां स्थोर्ध्वायां दिश्यवस्वन्तो नाम देवास्तेषां वो बृहस्पतिरिषवः । ते नो मृडत ते नोऽधि ब्रूत तेभ्यो वो नमस्तेभ्यो वः स्वाहा
Ye who are stationed in this upward quarter, gods wealthy in might by name—of you, Bṛhaspati is the lord, and the Arrows are your powers. Be gracious unto us; speak over us in blessing. To them be reverence from you; to them from you be Svāhā.
Frequently Asked Questions
It protects the practitioner and ritual space from threats imagined as approaching from specific directions—hostile beings, ill-will, impurity, and destabilizing influences—by appeasing the quarter-guardians and turning their powers into protection.
The hymn treats elemental forces as the operative weapons of the quarters: fire can burn away danger, and wind can drive it off. By naming them as the guardians’ ‘arrows,’ the reciter ritually redirects these forces to strike outward rather than inward.
A fire or lamp supports the symbolism, especially for the eastern verse where Agni is explicit, but the hymn also works as spoken rakṣā: correct orientation, reverence (namas), and the sealing ‘svāhā’ refrain are the core actions.