Atharva Veda 13.3.16: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 16
Sukta 3
शु॒क्रं व॑हन्ति॒ हर॑यो रघु॒ष्यदो॑ दे॒वं दि॒वि वर्च॑सा॒ भ्राज॑मानम्। यस्यो॒र्ध्वा दिवं॑ त॒न्व॑१स्तप॑न्त्य॒र्वाङ् सु॒वर्णैः॑ पट॒रैर्वि भा॑ति॒ तस्य॑ दे॒वस्य॑ । क्रु॒द्धस्यै॒तदागो॒ य ए॒वं वि॒द्वांसं॑ ब्राह्म॒णं जि॒नाति॑ । उद् वे॑पय रोहित॒ प्र क्षि॑णीहि ब्रह्म॒ज्यस्य॒ प्रति॑ मुञ्च॒ पाशा॑न्
śukráṃ vahanti hárayo raghuṣyádo deváṃ diví várcasā bhrā́jamānam | yásyorḍhvā́ diváṃ tanvàs tápanty arvā́ṅ suvarṇáiḥ paṭaráir ví bhāti tásya devásya | kruddhásyaitád ā́go yá eváṃ vidvā́ṃsaṃ brāhmaṇáṃ jinā́ti | úd vepaya rohita prá kṣiṇīhi brahmajyásya práti muñca pā́śān ||
The bright bay steeds, swift-gliding, bear the God, in heaven resplendent with his holy lustre. Whose forms, uprising, heat the sky; and hitherward he shineth out with golden mantles—of that God. This is the offence against the wrathful One: whoso thus a knowing Brahman wrongs. Up, make him tremble, O Rohita; waste him away: upon the Brahman-hurter loose back the nooses.
輝く栗毛の駿馬たちは、すばやく滑るように進み、天の神を運ぶ。神は天にあって聖なる光輝により燦然と照り映える。その姿は上へと立ちのぼり、天を熱し、こちらへは黄金の外衣をまとって光り放つ――その神について。かくも知れるバラモン（brāhmaṇa）を害する者、これこそ怒れる御方への罪である。起て、震えさせよ、ローヒタ（Rohita）よ！衰えさせよ。梵殺（brahmajya）の者に対し、縄（pāśa）を解き放ち、返してその身に掛けよ。
Rishi: Traditionally connected with solar/Āditya seers in Rohita-hymn cycles (Saunaka tradition associates 13.3 with Rohita/Āditya praise; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī).
Devata: Rohita (solar Āditya; punitive radiant deity)
Chandas: Mixed/Triṣṭubh-like cadence with refrain; Atharvanic refrain structure (edition-dependent metrical labeling).
Primary: raudra
Secondary: bhayankara
Sāyaṇa takes the ‘god’ as the solar Rohita (Āditya) whose haris (tawny steeds) draw him; ‘golden paṭaras’ are explained as radiant coverings—rays/laminae of light—by which he is manifest to men. The refrain identifies brahma-jyā (injury to a Brahman/knower) as a grave āgas that provokes the deity’s krodha; the final imperatives are a punitive turning-back (pratyavāya) whereby the deity’s pāśas (binding punishments, Varuṇa-like) are to be directed against the offender.
To punish and terrify one who harms a learned Brahman; to reverse the ‘nooses’ of divine retribution onto the aggressor (brahmajyá).
Protective/legal-ethical function: deterrence against violence toward scholars/whistleblowers; trauma-informed boundary-setting (symbolic).
abhicarika
Brahman-hurter (aggressor)
Punish and deter one who harms a learned Brahman; reverse the binding nooses onto the offender.
Deity-praise to ‘activate’ solar authority + explicit naming of offense (āgaḥ) + imprecatory imperatives + reversal motif (prati muñca pāśān).
Assault, humiliation, or dispossession of a vidvān brāhmaṇa; collapse of dharma
Rohita, radiant solar power borne by swift bay steeds, shines with golden mantles; it is an offense against the wrathful deity to harm a knowing Brahman. Rohita is urged to make the offender tremble, waste him away, and release the nooses upon the brahmajya (Brahman-hurter).
The ‘knowing Brahman’ represents conscience, sacred knowledge, and social-ethical order; harming him is attacking the community’s moral intelligence. Solar brilliance symbolizes inescapable visibility: wrongdoing is exposed. The ‘noose’ is guilt, consequence, and binding retribution returning to the aggressor.
When a society attacks its bearers of knowledge and ethical speech, it invites systemic backlash; truth (light) tends to reveal and bind wrongdoing to its consequences.
- रोहित (rohita)
- punitive radiance; truth that exposes; sovereign vitality
- हरयः (harayaḥ)
- swift forces carrying law/truth; sensory energies harnessed
- वर्चस् (varcas)
- moral authority; charisma of dharma
- सुवर्णैः पटरैः (suvarṇaiḥ paṭaraiḥ)
- majestic concealment/revelation; overwhelming brilliance
- आगः (āgaḥ)
- ethical breach that triggers cosmic-legal response
- ब्रह्मज्य (brahmajya)
- one who violates sacred speech/knowledge; attacker of conscience
- पाश (pāśa)
- karmic/ritual constraint; punitive binding; legal consequence
- उद् वेपय / प्र क्षिणीहि (ud vepaya / pra kṣiṇīhi)
- disruption of aggressor’s stability; erosion of illegitimate power
Contemplate ‘inner sun’ as truth-force that protects integrity; dedicate practice to non-harming of knowledge and teachers.
ājñā (clarity)
brisk_energetic kapalabhāti (short set) followed by steady gaze meditation (trāṭaka) on a flame
Golden-red light expanding around the vulnerable/innocent; imagined nooses returning to bind harmful impulses (within oneself first).
Fearless clarity; boundary-protecting resolve.
Use primarily for self-discipline: let Rohita ‘tremble’ one’s own harmful speech and waste away resentment; avoid directing hatred outward.
Strong udātta on imperatives; keep refrain segment (ud vepaya…pāśān) forceful and consistent across repetitions.
Build intensity on: kruddhasya | āgaḥ | ud vepaya róhita | pra kṣiṇīhi | prati muñca pāśān.
Keep rohita with clear ‘h’ (ro-hi-ta)., Pronounce kṣiṇīhi with conjunct kṣ clearly., Maintain retroflex ṣ in pāśān.
Firm, projecting, ‘weaponized’ diction; avoid shouting but keep edge.
Refrain-driven Atharvanic curse: keep the refrain identical each time; traditionally paired with protective boundary-making gestures (conceptually).
3
Seeking protection of teachers, scholars, or one’s ethical integrity under threat; confronting injustice.
When invoking justice and deterrence—preferably within a disciplined, non-personal framing (protection of dharma).
Psychological fortitude, sense of protection, deterrent intention against wrongdoing.
Not for petty revenge; can intensify anger—pair with vows of restraint and lawful action.
(1) शु॒क्रं व॑हन्ति॒ → शुक्रम् + वहन्ति. (2) हर॑यो रघु॒ष्यदो॑ → हरयः + रघुष्यदः. (3) दे॒वं दि॒वि → देवम् + दिवि. (4) वर्च॑सा॒ भ्राज॑मानम् → वर्चसा + भ्राजमानम्. (5) यस्यो॒र्ध्वा → यस्य + ऊर्ध्वाः. (6) दिवं॑ त॒न्व॑१स्तप॑न्ति → दिवम् + तन्वः + तपन्ति. (7) अ॒र्वाङ् सु॒वर्णैः॑ पट॒रैर्वि भा॑ति → अर्वाङ् + सुवर्णैः + पटारैः + वि + भाति. (8) तस्य॑ दे॒वस्य॑ क्रु॒द्धस्य → तस्य + देवस्य + क्रुद्धस्य. (9) ए॒तदागो॒ → एतत् + आगः. (10) य ए॒वं वि॒द्वांसं॑ → यः + एवम् + विद्वांसम्. (11) ब्राह्म॒णं जि॒नाति॑ → ब्राह्मणम् + जिनाति. (12) उद् वे॑पय → उत् + वेपय. (13) रोहित॒ प्र क्षि॑णीहि → रोहित + प्र + क्षिणीहि. (14) ब्रह्म॒ज्यस्य॒ प्रति॑ मुञ्च॒ पाशा॑न् → ब्रह्मज्यस्य + प्रति + मुञ्च + पाशान्.
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