Sukta 40
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Devata: Abhaya (Fearlessness) / Dyāvāpṛthivī, Soma, Savitar, Saptarṣi as protectors
Chandas: Mixed/irregular (protective prose-like anuṣṭubh tendency; Atharvanic charm style)
この短いアタルヴァ系の護身讃歌は、天と地・中空・ソーマ・サヴィタル・七仙という宇宙的支えを招いて、村と人々の周囲に完全な「無畏の場」（abhaya）を張りめぐらす。ついでインドラに向かい、共同体を四方において「敵なきもの」とし、敵対する憤怒を集落から外へと逸らすよう求める。宇宙秩序から地域の安全へと広がる、簡潔な厄除けの封印（方位結界＝dig-bandhana）として機能する。
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अभयम्। अभ॑यं द्यावापृथिवी इ॒हास्तु॒ नोऽभ॑यं॒ सोमः॑ सवि॒ता नः॑ कृणोतु । अभ॑यं नोऽस्तू॒र्व॑१न्तरि॑क्षं सप्तऋषी॒णां च॑ ह॒विषाभ॑यं नो अस्तु
無畏よ！ここに天と地が我らに無畏となれ。ソーマよ、サヴィタルよ、我らに無畏を成し給え。広き中空も我らに無畏となれ。さらに七仙の供物によって——我らに無畏あれ。
Mantra 2
अ॒स्मै ग्रामा॑य प्र॒दिश॒श्चत॑स्र॒ ऊर्जं॑ सुभू॒तं स्व॒स्ति स॑वि॒ता नः॑ कृणोतु । अ॒श॒त्र्विन्द्रो॒ अभ॑यं नः कृणोत्व॒न्यत्र॒ राज्ञा॑म॒भि या॑तु म॒न्युः
この我らの村のために、サヴィタルが四方の方角に安泰を成し給え——養う力、よき成就、吉祥を。敵を払うインドラよ、我らに無畏を成し給え。憤りは他所へ去り、王たちに向かって行け。
Mantra 3
अ॒न॒मि॒त्रं नो॑ अध॒राद॑नमि॒त्रं न॑ उत्त॒रात्। इन्द्रा॑नमि॒त्रं नः॑ प॒श्चाद॑नमि॒त्रं पु॒रस्कृ॑धि
われらに下より敵なからしめ、上よりも敵なからしめよ。インドラよ、われらに後ろよりも敵なからしめ、前には敵なきものを据えよ。
Inside Sukta 40
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens with the emphatic utterance “Abhayam” (Fearlessness!), immediately summoning cosmic supports—Heaven and Earth, Soma, Savitar, the wide midspace, and the Seven Seers.
- What it asks
May fearlessness and welfare be established for the village in all quarters; may Indra make the people foeless, and may hostile wrath be diverted elsewhere.
- Where its power lies
Protection is not local only but cosmic: the three regions and the ṛṣi-guardians are enlisted, then Indra’s directional mastery seals vulnerabilities.
- How it closes
A compact imperative to Indra completes the charm: foelessness from below and above, behind and in front—finalizing the boundary in the directions.
Famous verses
abhayam
svasti savitā naḥ kṛṇotu
anamitram
Kind of hymn
Rakṣoghna / Abhaya (Protection, Apotropaic)
What it is for
A stable, all-direction protection for the village—fearlessness, welfare, and the removal/deflection of hostile wrath and enmity.
Who it is for
Householders, village leaders, and priests performing protective rites for a settlement, travelers departing from or returning to the village, and communities under perceived threat.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna (demon/enemy-warding)
- Paustika (welfare, nourishment)
- Dig-bandhana (directional sealing)
The deity
Abhaya is a personified state-power of security and unthreatened life, here grounded in cosmic stability (Heaven–Earth and midspace), vital potency (Soma), orderly beneficence (Savitar), ancestral-sage guardianship (Seven Seers), and martial protection (Indra).
Powers of the deity
- Creates a protective sphere across the three cosmic regions (earth, midspace, heaven)
- Secures welfare (svasti), vitality (ūrj), and good-being (subhūta) for a settlement
- Repels or neutralizes enemies and hostile influences
- Redirects wrath/hostility away from the community
- Seals the quarters/directions (dig-bandhana) so vulnerabilities are closed
Why the deity is called
To make the village and household fearless in every region and direction, ensuring welfare in the four quarters and preventing enemies or political hostility from taking hold.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (anonymous Atharvan tradition)Atharvan. Rakṣoghna and śānti-style charms: establishing protective boundaries, removing fear and enemy-pressure, and securing settlements through directional sealing and divine guardianship.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.39
- AV 6.41
- AV 6.42
- AV 6.43
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean spot at the village boundary, threshold, or central hearth area.
- Prepare a small oblation (havis) if available; maintain a calm, orderly setting (śānti).
- Face the four quarters in turn, mentally mapping protection to each direction.
The rite
- Recite 6.40.1 to establish fearlessness across Heaven–Earth, midspace, and through Soma/Savitar/Saptarṣi guardianship; offer havis if performing an oblation.
- Recite 6.40.2 while orienting to the four quarters, explicitly intending welfare (svasti) for the village; visualize hostile wrath moving away from the settlement.
- Recite 6.40.3 as a directional seal—below/above/behind/in front—invoking Indra to make the community anamitrá (foeless).
What it needs
- Havis/oblational offering (optional but indicated in 6.40.1)
When
At dawn (Savitar-associated), at village entry/exit, during times of unrest, before assemblies, or when establishing/renewing protective boundaries.
The main substance
Havis (simple oblation)
Amulets
- Boundary cord or thread for symbolic directional sealing (optional, later practice)
- Protective knot or token kept at the threshold (optional)
How it is prepared
If offering: prepare a small, clean oblation (e.g., ghee-based or simple food offering) and present it during/after 6.40.1 while stating the intention of abhaya for the settlement; the rest may be purely recitational with directional orientation.
Frequently Asked Questions
To establish fearlessness (abhaya) and welfare for a village or household by invoking cosmic guardians and sealing protection in every direction.
Savitar grants ordered well-being (svasti) in the quarters, Soma represents vital strengthening, the Seven Seers function as protective ancestral-sage guardians, and Indra provides active enemy-repelling and directional defense.
Recite the three verses with a clear intention of protection, turning attention to the four directions; optionally offer a small havis-like offering (such as a simple ghee oblation) during the first verse to formalize the protective resolve.
Ask anything about Sukta 40 of the Atharva Veda
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.
