Sukta 90
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often anonymous in AV; associated with Atharvan/Angiras healing corpus)
Devata: Rudra (as sender and, by appeasement, remover of the missile)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (approx.; AV healing verses commonly in anuṣṭubh)
ಈ ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ಅಥರ್ವವೇದೀಯ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸಾ ಸೂಕ್ತವು ತೀವ್ರವಾದ ಒಳನೋವನ್ನು ರುದ್ರನ ‘ಬಾಣ’ವೆಂದು—ಅದು ಅಂಗಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಹೃದಯದಲ್ಲೂ ಅಂಟಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವಂತೆ—ವರ್ಣಿಸಿ, ಮಂತ್ರದ ಮೂಲಕ ಅದನ್ನು ಹೊರತೆಗೆದು ಹಾನಿಯಿಲ್ಲದಂತೆ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ‘ಹೊರತೆಗೆದು ಎಳೆಯುವ’ ಭಾಷೆ (vi vṛh-) ಯನ್ನು ‘ನಾಡಿ/ಮಾರ್ಗ ಶುದ್ಧೀಕರಣ’ (dhāmanī-) ಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಂತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಣವು ಹಾರಾಟದ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಪುನಃಪುನಃ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ರುದ್ರನನ್ನು ಶಮನಗೊಳಿಸಿ, ಮರುಕಳಿಕೆ ಆಗದಂತೆ ತಡೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.
Mantras
Mantra 1
इषुनिष्कासनम्। यां ते॑ रु॒द्र इषु॒मास्य॒दङ्गे॑भ्यो॒ हृद॑याय च । इ॒दं ताम॒द्य त्वद् व॒यं विषू॑चीं॒ वि वृ॑हामसि
The arrow which thou, O Rudra, didst shoot—unto the limbs and unto the heart—this self-same, to-day, from thee, we pluck forth utterly, the far-wounding shaft.
Mantra 2
यास्ते॑ श॒तं ध॒मन॒योऽङ्गा॒न्यनु॒ विष्ठि॑ताः । तासां॑ ते॒ सर्वा॑सां व॒यं निर्वि॒षाणि॑ ह्वयामसि
What hundred channels of thine are stretched along the members—of them all, for thee, we call in the poisonless powers, the antidotal release.
Mantra 3
नम॑स्ते रु॒द्रास्य॑ते॒ नमः॒ प्रति॑हितायै । नमो॑ विसृ॒ज्यमा॑नायै॒ नमो॒ निप॑तितायै
Homage to thee, O Rudra, as thou shootest; homage to the shaft when it is aimed and set; homage when it is loosed forth; homage when it hath fallen.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a ritual image for sudden, piercing illness or pain—especially in limbs and the heart—treated as a lodged missile that can be drawn out and neutralized by mantra.
It frames the body as a network through which pain/poison can spread; the mantra calls in “nirviṣa” (poisonless, antidotal) force so the affliction cannot remain or circulate.
Both: it performs extraction (removal) and then uses repeated namas (homage) to calm Rudra and ‘finish’ the missile’s power at every stage, helping prevent a return of the attack.
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