Opening the text

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted without a single named ṛṣi for minor healing charms; assigned in some indices to Atharvan/Angiras lineages).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Rājanī/Night (personified night-power).
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of 8 syllables; typical of Atharvanic healing charms).
AVŚ 1.23 は、凶兆として「白くなってしまった」ものを再び黒く戻すための、簡潔なアタルヴァ系の治療呪(バイシャジャ)である。とくに kílāsa(皮膚の白斑)と palitá(早発の白髪)を対象とし、夜に生まれ黒色を帯びる薬草と、人格化されたラージャニー(夜)の力を呼び起こして、変色を反転させ、ニルリティ(Nirṛti)的な不運を追い払い、マントラの力(brahman)によって白い痕を消し去る。
Mantra 1
शत्रुनिवारणम्। न॒क्तं॒जा॒तास्यो॑षधे॒ रामे॒ कृष्णे॒ असि॑क्नि च । इ॒दं र॑जनि रजय कि॒लासं॑ पलि॒तं च॒ यत्
(敵を退ける法。)夜に生まれし薬草(Oṣadhi)よ——汝は闇なるもの、黒きもの、まことに黒色のもの。ラジャニー(Rajanī、夜)よ、これを再び黒くせよ。キラーサ(kilāsa、白斑)と、パリタ(palita、白髪・灰白)と、いかなるものであれ。
Mantra 2
कि॒लासं॑ च पलि॒तं च॒ निरि॒तो ना॑शया॒ पृष॑त्। आ त्वा॒ स्वो वि॑शतां॒ वर्णः॒ परा॑ शु॒क्लानि॑ पातय
斑ある者(pṛṣat)よ、白斑(kilāsa)と白髪とを、ニリティ(Nirṛti、不吉・破滅の力)より滅ぼせ。汝みずからの正しい色(varṇa)が汝に入り来たれ。白きものどもを遠く投げ捨てよ。
Mantra 3
असि॑तं ते प्र॒लय॑नमा॒स्थान॒मसि॑तं॒ तव॑ । असि॑क्न्यस्योषधे॒ निरि॒तो ना॑शया॒ पृष॑त्
汝の座は黒く、解きほどき(pralaya)のための立ち場も黒い。黒はまた汝のもの。黒き者の薬草(oṣadhi)よ、斑ある者(pṛṣat)よ、ニリティ(Nirṛti)を滅ぼせ。斑なる禍(害)を打て。
Mantra 4
अ॒स्थि॒जस्य॑ कि॒लास॑स्य तनू॒जस्य॑ च॒ यत् त्व॒चि। दूष्या॑ कृ॒तस्य॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ लक्ष्म॑ श्वे॒तम॑नीनशम्
骨より生じたもの、白斑(kilāsa)に属するもの、また身より生じた病が、皮膚の上にあるならば――汚れの徴(lakṣman)よ――作られ押しつけられたものを解くがごとく、ブラフマン(brahman、呪力)によって、その白き印をわれは消し去った。
It targets whitening conditions—especially kílāsa (white skin patches) and palitá (premature grayness)—and treats them as both a medical and inauspicious ‘mark’ to be reversed.
Night symbolizes the power of darkening and restoration; the herb is imagined as carrying that same blackening potency, so together they ‘turn back’ the whitened sign and drive away its harmful agency.
Both. Along with healing, it expels Nirṛti (calamity/misfortune) and cancels an affliction described as ‘wrought’ or imposed, giving the charm an apotropaic, protective edge.
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.