Sukta 23
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous)
Devata: Āpas (divine Waters)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (shorter, incantatory)
AV ៦.២៣ គឺជាឆន្ទនាការព្យាបាលដ៏សង្ខេបមួយដែលអំពាវនាវទឹកដ៏សក្តិសិទ្ធិឱ្យធ្វើជាឱសថដែលមានជានិច្ច, ហូរទៅក្នុងថ្ងៃនិងក្នុងយប់, ដើម្បីសម្អាត, ត្រជាក់, និងស្តារឡើងវិញ។ វាមើលទឹកមិនត្រឹមតែជាសារធាតុប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ ប៉ុន្តែជាអំណាចដែលបានបញ្ចូលក្នុងពិធីដែលរំដោះនិងបណ្តេញរោគភាពឱ្យចេញភ្លាមៗ ហើយបិទបញ្ចប់ដោយដាក់ពិធីនេះក្រោមការជំរុញដ៏សក្តិសិទ្ធិរបស់សវិតារ ដើម្បីឱ្យទឹកនិងរុក្ខជាតិធ្វើការដោយសុខភាពល្អសម្រាប់សុខមង្គល។
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अपां भैषज्यम्। स॒स्रुषी॒स्तद॒पसो॒ दिवा॒ नक्तं॑ च स॒स्रुषीः॑ । वरे॑ण्यक्रतुर॒हम॒पो दे॒वीरुप॑ ह्वये
ឱសថនៃទឹកទាំងឡាយ៖ ទឹកទាំងនោះហូរលឿន ហូរលឿនទាំងថ្ងៃនិងយប់។ ខ្ញុំដែលមានសេចក្ដីប្រាថ្នាដ៏ប្រសើរ ហៅទឹកទាំងឡាយដ៏ទេវតាមកទីនេះ។
Mantra 2
ओता॒ आपः॑ कर्म॒ण्याऽमु॒ञ्चन्त्वि॒तः प्रणी॑तये । स॒द्यः कृ॑ण्व॒न्त्वेत॑वे
ទឹកទាំងឡាយត្រូវបានស្រេចចូលក្នុងពិធីការ៖ សូមឲ្យពួកគេលែងឲ្យពីទីនេះ ដើម្បីនាំចេញ សូមឲ្យពួកគេធ្វើឲ្យវាចេញទៅភ្លាមៗ។
Mantra 3
दे॒वस्य॑ सवि॒तुः स॒वे कर्म॑ कृण्वन्तु॒ मानु॑षाः । शं नो॑ भवन्त्व॒प ओष॑धीः शि॒वाः
ក្រោមការជំរុញរបស់ព្រះសវិតារទេវៈ សូមឲ្យមនុស្សទាំងឡាយប្រព្រឹត្តកិច្ចការ ហើយសូមឲ្យទឹកទាំងឡាយ និងរុក្ខជាតិទាំងឡាយជាសុខសន្តិភាពសម្រាប់យើងខ្ញុំ គឺមានសេចក្តីគាប់ប្រសើរ និងមេត្តាករុណា។
Inside Sukta 23
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn begins by naming water itself as the remedy and calling the swift-flowing divine Waters near.
- What it asks
That the Waters, pervading the rite, release the affliction from here and make it depart immediately.
- Where its power lies
Waters are ‘woven into’ the ritual act and therefore operationally effective—able to loosen and expel the ill at once.
- How it closes
Under Savitar’s impulse the work is rightly done; Waters and Herbs are invoked to become śivāḥ—benign, welfare-bringing.
Famous verses
apāṃ bhaiṣajyam
amuñcantv itaḥ… sadyah kṛṇvantu etave
śaṃ no bhavantv apa oṣadhīḥ śivāḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apām-bhaiṣajya
What it is for
Summon and activate the divine Waters to purify and heal, causing the illness/inauspiciousness to be released and depart at once, and securing welfare through the combined benignity of waters and medicinal herbs.
Who it is for
Atharvanic healer/priest, household ritual practitioner, or anyone performing a simple purification-and-healing rite for a patient or afflicted space.
Also used as
- Shantika
- Apotropaic purification (rakṣā/pariśuddhi)
The deity
Āpas are the personified sacred Waters—swift, purifying, life-sustaining, and ritually pervading—invoked as a living remedy. Savitar functions as the divine impeller who authorizes correct human performance, while Oṣadhīs (herbs) join the Waters as complementary healing agencies.
Powers of the deity
- Purification of body/space and removal of contamination
- Cooling, soothing, and pacifying febrile or inflamed conditions
- Immediate loosening and expulsion of disease/evil influence
- Ritual pervasion (“woven-in” to the act) that makes the rite effective
- Bestowal of śam (welfare, well-being) and śivá (benign auspiciousness)
Why the deity is called
To call the Waters as a ready medicine at any time, have them release and drive away the affliction from the patient, and ensure that the rite—performed under Savitar’s impulse—yields benign welfare through Waters and Herbs.
The seer
- Anonymous Atharvanic seer (collective healing tradition)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya (healing) and śānti-style purification charms, especially water-based remedies for cleansing, cooling, and driving out disease/inauspiciousness
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.24 (Āpas/Oṣadhi-oriented healing continuum, traditional association)
- AV 6.91 (Waters-themed healing/purification, broad Atharvanic stratum)
- AV 1.5 (Oṣadhī-sūkta, frequently linked in ritual logic to water-and-herb therapeutics)
Preparing for the rite
- Draw or prepare clean water (preferably flowing or freshly collected) in a clean vessel.
- Seat the patient facing the practitioner; keep the space ritually clean and quiet.
- If herbs are used, place them near the water or steep them lightly (as appropriate to local practice).
The rite
- Recite 6.23.1 to invoke the divine Waters as the remedy, emphasizing their constant availability (day/night).
- Recite 6.23.2 while touching/sprinkling the patient (or the affected area) with the water, intending the ‘release’ and ‘departure’ of the affliction.
- Recite 6.23.3 to place the rite under Savitar’s impulsion and to seal welfare: may Waters and Herbs be śivāḥ (benign).
What it needs
- Water (āpaḥ)
- Optional medicinal herbs (oṣadhīḥ) suitable to the complaint
- Clean vessel; optional sprinkling implement (kuśa/hand)
When
Any time of need; explicitly effective by day and by night (divā naktam).
The main substance
Water (āpaḥ)
Herbs
- Oṣadhīs (medicinal herbs suited to the ailment; unspecified in this sukta)
How it is prepared
Use clean, preferably fresh water; optionally steep or infuse appropriate herbs and employ the water for sipping, washing, or sprinkling while reciting the mantras.
Frequently Asked Questions
It calls the divine Waters as a healing remedy and asks them to release and drive away illness or harmful influence immediately, bringing welfare through water and herbs.
To stress that the Waters’ healing availability is continuous—effective at any time, not limited to a particular hour or occasion.
Savitar authorizes and impels the correct performance of the rite, and the herbs (oṣadhīs) are invoked alongside the Waters so that both act benignly and support complete well-being.
Ask anything about Sukta 23 of the Atharva Veda
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