Sukta 37
Rishi: Atharvanic seer-tradition (often anonymous/Angirasic in such apotropaic hymns)
Devata: Śapatha (personified oath/curse-power) / protective all-seeing force
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (likely; narrative-ritual anuṣṭubh style)
AV 6.37は、害意ある呪詛を放った者を追い詰めるために、誓い／呪いの力を人格化した全見のŚapathaを呼び起こす、簡潔な反呪（厄除け）の讃歌である。詠唱は、被害者の内奥の生命、心（hṛd）から呪いを引き剥がし、火と稲妻の必然のごとき懲罰の勢いを、呪詛者へと反転させて返す。結びでは、加害者を死神Mṛtyuに委ねて反転を封印し、家と共同体の安全を回復する。
Mantras
Mantra 1
शापनाशनम्। उप॒ प्रागा॑त् सहस्रा॒क्षो यु॒क्त्वा श॒पथो॒ रथ॑म्। श॒प्तार॑मन्वि॒छन् मम॒ वृक॑ इ॒वावि॑मतो गृ॒हम्
（呪）呪詛を滅するもの。千の眼をもつ者がここへ来た。誓呪の力（Śapatha）は車を繋ぎ、わたしを呪う者を追い求める——羊を持つ者の家を狙う狼のように。
Mantra 2
परि॑ णो वृङ्ग्धि शपथ ह्र॒दम॒ग्निरि॑वा॒ दह॑न्। श॒प्तार॒मत्र॑ नो जहि दि॒वो वृ॒क्षमि॑वा॒शनिः॑
呪いよ、火が焼き尽くすように、われらから心の痛みを引き剥がせ。さらにここで、天の稲妻が木を打ち倒すように、われらのために呪う者を打ち倒せ。
Mantra 3
यो नः॒ शपा॒दश॑पतः॒ शप॑तो॒ यश्च॑ नः॒ शपा॑त्। शुने॑ पेष्ट्र॑मि॒वाव॑क्षामं॒ तं प्रत्य॑स्यामि मृ॒त्यवे॑
自らは呪われぬのに我らを呪う者、また我らを呪うすべての者――その者を、犬に砕けた屑の一口を投げ与えるように、わたしは死（ムリティユ）へと投げ返す。
Frequently Asked Questions
Śapatha is the personified force of the oath/curse: a moral and ritual enforcer. Here it is invoked as a protective power that detects hostile speech and turns it back on its author.
It does both: it removes the curse’s effect from the victim (especially from the heart/mind) and performs pratyāvartana—sending the curse-force back to the one who uttered it, culminating in handing the offender to Mṛtyu.
Recite the three verses near the threshold or hearth with a small lamp (Agni-symbol) and clean water for sprinkling. Visualize the curse leaving you and returning to its source; optionally tie a protective thread afterward as a seal.
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