Sukta 23
Rishi: Uncertain (requires anukramaṇī verification for AVŚ 7.23.1).
Devata: Rakṣoghna-brahman (the mantra’s own power); implicitly Indra/Agni as destroyers of rakṣas in Atharvanic idiom.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires scansion).
AVŚ 7.23 ಒಂದು ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ರಕ್ಷೋಘ್ನ ಮಂತ್ರವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ರಾತ್ರಿಕಾಲದ ಹಾಗೂ ಮನಃ–ದೇಹ ಸಂಬಂಧಿತ ಕಷ್ಟಗಳ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಗುಚ್ಛವನ್ನು ಗುರಿಯಾಗಿಸುತ್ತದೆ—ದುಸ್ವಪ್ನಗಳು, “ದುರ್ಜೀವನ” (ಅಶುಭ ಜೀವನಾಚರಣೆ), ರಾಕ್ಷಸೀಯ ಪೀಡನೆ, ಮತ್ತು ವೈರಿ/ಹಾನಿಕರ ವಾಕ್ಯ. ಒಂದೇ ಅನುಷ್ಟುಭ ಶೈಲಿಯ ಉಚ್ಚಾರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದು ಈ ಅಪಾಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹೆಸರಿಸಿ ಅವುಗಳ ನಿರಾಸನೆಯನ್ನು ನೆರವೇರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ ನಿದ್ರೆ, ಪ್ರಾಣಶಕ್ತಿ, ಮತ್ತು ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತು–ವ್ಯವಹಾರದ ಕ್ಷೇಮವನ್ನು ಪುನಃ ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸುವುದೇ ಇದರ ಉದ್ದೇಶ.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Inside Sukta 23
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by naming the target field: duḥsvapna-nāśana—‘the destruction of bad dreams,’ then enumerates the afflictions.
- What it asks
That ill-dreaming, ill-living/misfortune, rakṣas, the dreadful oppressive ‘abhva,’ and deathward forces be driven off.
- Where its power lies
The speech-act is performative: by naming and commanding, the reciter asserts the mantra’s capacity to make the harms ‘perish.’
- How it closes
Ends with the decisive verb of expulsion: ‘asmannāśayāmasi’—‘from us we cause them to perish.’
Famous verses
अस्मन्नाशयामसि (asmannāśayāmasi)Kind of hymn
Rakṣoghna (Demon-expelling) / Bhaisajya (Psychic-somatic healing)
What it is for
Removal of bad dreams and life-diminishing afflictions; banishment of demonic/oppressive forces and hostile speech, yielding protected sleep, steadier vitality, and social safety.
Who it is for
Householders, healers (Atharvanic practitioners), or anyone seeking protection from nightmares, anxiety-like oppression, wasting misfortune, or curse/slander.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna
- Śāntika
The deity
The operative power is the brahman/mantra itself as a demon-expelling force; in Atharvanic diction, Indra and Agni often stand behind such expulsions as archetypal destroyers of rakṣas and hostile agencies.
Powers of the deity
- Destroys duḥsvapna/dauṣvapnya (ill-dreaming) and nightmare-causes
- Counters daurjīvit/daurjīvitya (life-harming misfortune, wasting vitality)
- Expels rakṣas and abhva (dreadful, oppressive, uncanny harm)
- Neutralizes amārāyyaḥ (deathward/ruin-bringing forces)
- Silences duṛvāc (evil speech), slander, and hostile naming (duḥnāman/duṛṇāmnīḥ)
Why the deity is called
To effect immediate apotropaic removal—“from us we cause them to perish”—so the reciter/patient is freed from dream-terror, wasting ill-luck, demonic pressure, and socially harmful speech.
The seer
- Anukramaṇī-uncertain (verification needed for AVŚ 7.23.1)Atharvan. Rakṣoghna and bhaiṣajya-style apotropaic charms: expelling rakṣas, countering duḥsvapna (bad dreams), and neutralizing curse/slander through mantraic “naming-and-banishing.”
Other hymns of this seer
- AVŚ 7.23 (single-verse sukta; rishi attribution uncertain)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place near the sleeping area or at the threshold of the house.
- Perform basic ācamana (sipping/cleansing with water) and steady the breath; set a protective intention for sleep and well-being.
- If desired, mark a small protective boundary (e.g., by sprinkling water) around bed/doorway—optional, not required by the verse.
The rite
- Recite AVŚ 7.23.1 once or three times, audibly or in a low voice, directing the banishment “from us” toward the outside (doorway/window).
- Optionally conclude with a short silent pause, imagining the named harms dissolving and departing.
When
Most fitting at night before sleep; also usable immediately after a disturbing dream or during periods of felt oppression/slander.
Frequently Asked Questions
It protects against bad dreams and the forces believed to cause them—demonic oppression, life-wasting misfortune, deathward influences, and harmful/hostile speech.
No. The verse itself is designed as a self-sufficient rakṣoghna-brahman: the spoken mantra is the primary instrument, though simple cleansing or sprinkling water may be added optionally.
Before sleep is the most natural timing; it can also be recited right after a disturbing dream or whenever one feels pressured by misfortune, fear, or slander.
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