Sukta 45
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (late AV book; specific ṛṣi attribution varies in ancillary lists)
Devata: Āñjana/Protective charm; Savitar as paradigmatic stabilizer; implicitly the quarters (diś) as pacified powers
Chandas: Mixed/late style; predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (edition-dependent metrical analysis needed)
AV 19.45 ialah himne Atharvanik lewat bertema perlindungan dan kemakmuran yang menguduskan āñjana (celak/salap hitam) sebagai azimat “berkawal empat” untuk menjadikan setiap arah tidak menakutkan dan membawa tuah bagi pemakainya. Dengan menyelaraskan si pemohon dengan gerak Savitar yang teguh dan menegakkan tertib dunia, serta dengan menyeru Bhaga yang membahagi-bahagikan rezeki, himne ini bertujuan menstabilkan kedudukan, meluaskan daya hidup, dan menarik bangsa-bangsa sekeliling kepada pengakuan serta upeti (bali) secara rela.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
आञ्जनम्। ऋ॒णादृ॒णमि॑व सं॒नय॑न् कृ॒त्यां कृ॑त्या॒कृतो॑ गृ॒हम्। चक्षु॑र्मन्त्रस्य दु॒र्हार्दः॑ पृ॒ष्टीरपि॑ शृणाञ्जन
Anjana! Seperti orang melangsaikan hutang dengan hutang, demikian juga—dengan memperhitungkannya—singkirkanlah kṛtyā itu; ya, dari rumah orang yang melakukan kṛtyā. Wahai yang berhati teguh, mata bagi mantra, remukkan juga belakang mereka, wahai Anjana.
Mantra 2
यद॒स्मासु॑ दु॒ष्वप्न्यं॒ यद् गोषु॒ यच्च॑ नो गृ॒हे। अना॑मग॒स्तं च॑ दु॒र्हार्दः॑ प्रि॒यः प्रति॑ मुञ्चताम्
Apa jua mimpi buruk yang ada pada kami, apa jua (keburukan) pada ternakan, dan apa jua yang ada di rumah kami—biarlah (Anjana) yang tanpa penyakit, berhati teguh, lagi pengasih melepaskannya, lalu memulangkannya kembali.
Mantra 3
अ॒पामू॒र्ज ओज॑सो वावृधा॒नम॒ग्नेर्जा॒तमधि॑ जा॒तवे॑दसः । चतु॑र्वीरं पर्व॒तीयं॒ यदाञ्ज॑नं॒ दिशः॑ प्र॒दिशः॑ कर॒दिच्छि॒वास्ते॑
Anjana itu—yang membesar dengan khasiat Air (Apas) dan dengan tenaga; yang lahir daripada Agni, daripada Jātavedas; yang empat kali kekuatannya, lahir dari gunung—mudah-mudahan menjadikan bagimu segala penjuru dan antara-penjuru benar-benar sejahtera.
Mantra 4
चतु॑र्वीरं बध्यत॒ आञ्ज॑नं ते॒ सर्वा॒ दिशो॒ अभ॑यास्ते भवन्तु । ध्रु॒वस्ति॑ष्ठासि सवि॒तेव॒ चार्य॑ इ॒मा विशो॑ अ॒भि ह॑रन्तु ते ब॒लिम्
Ikatkan untukmu Añjana yang berpengawal empat; semoga segala penjuru bagimu bebas daripada takut. Teguhlah engkau, bergerak seperti Savitar bergerak; biarlah kaum-kaum ini mendekat dan membawa kepadamu ufti mereka.
Mantra 5
आक्ष्वैकं॑ म॒णिमेकं॑ कृष्णुष्व स्ना॒ह्येके॒ना पि॒बैक॑मेषाम्। चतु॑र्वीरं नैरृ॒तेभ्य॑श्च॒तुर्भ्यो॒ ग्राह्या॑ ब॒न्धेभ्यः॒ परि॑ पात्व॒स्मान्
Sapukan satu; satu azimat jadikan hitam; dengan satu daripadanya mandilah, dan daripada ini minumlah satu. Semoga (jampi) berpengawal empat itu melindungi kami sekeliling daripada kuasa-kuasa Nairṛta, daripada empat macam rampasan, daripada ikatan-ikatan yang mengikat.
Mantra 6
अ॒ग्निर्मा॒ग्निना॑वतु प्रा॒णाया॑पा॒नायायु॑षे॒ वर्च॑स॒ ओज॑से॒ तेज॑से स्व॒स्तये॑ सुभू॒तये॒ स्वाहा॑
Semoga Agni, dengan daya Agni sendiri, melindungiku—untuk prāṇa dan apāna, untuk hayat, untuk seri, untuk kekuatan, untuk tenaga berapi, untuk sejahtera, untuk keberadaan yang makmur: Svāhā!
Mantra 7
इन्द्रो॑ मेन्द्रि॒येणा॑वतु प्रा॒णाया॑पा॒नायायु॑षे॒ वर्च॑स॒ ओज॑से॒ तेज॑से स्व॒स्तये॑ सुभू॒तये॒ स्वाहा॑
Semoga Indra, dengan daya kedaulatan Indra sendiri, melindungiku—untuk prāṇa dan apāna, untuk umur panjang, untuk seri kemuliaan, untuk kekuatan, untuk tenaga bercahaya, untuk sejahtera, untuk keberadaan yang makmur: Svāhā!
Mantra 8
सोमो॑ मा॒ सौम्ये॑नावतु प्रा॒णाया॑पा॒नायायु॑षे॒ वर्च॑स॒ ओज॑से॒ तेज॑से स्व॒स्तये॑ सुभू॒तये॒ स्वाहा॑
Semoga Soma, dengan sifat Soma yang lemah-lembut lagi menyembuhkan, melindungiku—untuk prāṇa dan apāna, untuk umur panjang, untuk seri kemuliaan, untuk kekuatan, untuk tenaga bercahaya, untuk sejahtera, untuk keberadaan yang makmur: Svāhā!
Mantra 9
भगो॑ मा॒ भगे॑नावतु प्रा॒णाया॑पा॒नायायु॑षे॒ वर्च॑स॒ ओज॑से॒ तेज॑से स्व॒स्तये॑ सुभू॒तये॒ स्वाहा॑
Semoga Bhaga, dengan kekuatan Bhaga sendiri, melindungiku—untuk prāṇa dan apāna, untuk panjang umur, untuk seri kemuliaan, untuk daya, untuk tenaga yang menyala, untuk sejahtera, untuk keberadaan yang makmur: Svāhā!
Mantra 10
म॒रुतो॑ मा ग॒णैर॑वन्तु प्रा॒णाया॑पा॒नायु॑षे॒ वर्च॑स॒ ओज॑से॒ तेज॑से स्व॒स्तये॑ सुभू॒तये॒ स्वाहा॑
Semoga para Marut, bersama kumpulan-kumpulannya, melindungiku—untuk prāṇa dan apāna, untuk panjang umur, untuk seri kemuliaan, untuk daya, untuk tenaga yang menyala, untuk sejahtera, untuk keberadaan yang makmur: Svāhā!
Inside Sukta 45
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Consecration of āñjana as a power grown by Waters and born of Agni/Jātavedas, immediately linked to making the quarters benign.
- What it asks
Bind on the fourfold-guarded āñjana so that all directions become fearless, the client stands firm, and peoples approach with acknowledgement/tribute.
- Where its power lies
The charm’s efficacy is grounded in its cosmic pedigree (Waters + Agni), its ‘fourfold’ guarding strength, and its ability to reorder space (diś/pradiś) into auspiciousness.
- How it closes
A prosperity-protection litany culminating in a svāhā-style seal (Bhaga protecting prāṇa/apāna, āyus, varcas, ojas, tejas, svasti, subhūti).
Famous verses
sarvā diśo abhayās te bhavantu
bhago mā bhagenāvatu
Kind of hymn
Rakṣoghna / Apotropaic; Paustika (security, social ascendancy)
What it is for
To bind on and empower āñjana as a charm that removes fear from every quarter, stabilizes the client’s presence, strengthens vital functions, and brings social ascendancy and willing offerings/tribute.
Who it is for
Householders, leaders, travelers, and anyone seeking security, public standing, and well-being—especially those who employ amulets and substance-charms in Atharvanic practice.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna (apotropaic)
- Śāntika (directional pacification)
- Bhaiṣajya (substance-based reinforcement)
The deity
Āñjana is treated as a personified apotropaic substance—mountain-born, strengthened by Waters and Agni—capable of forming a protective field around the client; Savitar supplies firmness and right movement, while Bhaga supplies allotted well-being and prosperity.
Powers of the deity
- Averts fear, evil influences, and rakṣas-like threats from all directions
- Creates directional auspiciousness (diś/pradiś become śivāḥ)
- Stabilizes the client’s position (dhruva-sthiti) and social standing
- Augments prāṇa/apāna, longevity, radiance (varcas), strength (ojas), and fiery vitality (tejas)
- Attracts recognition, support, and “tribute” (bali) from surrounding communities
Why the deity is called
Invoked to transform a simple black unguent into a ritually charged boundary-marker: it protects the wearer in space (all quarters), steadies them like Savitar’s ordered course, and increases their share of fortune through Bhaga.
The seer
- Atharvanic (late-book) redactional seer (ṛṣi attribution variable)Atharvan. Rakṣoghna and paustika charms: binding/amulet rites, directional pacification (diś-śānti), and vitality–fortune reinforcement through consecrated substances such as āñjana.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 19.44
- AV 19.46
- AV 19.47
Preparing for the rite
- Obtain āñjana (preferably ‘mountain-born’/mineral collyrium) and keep it on a clean surface.
- Purify with water (āpaḥ) by sprinkling or touching the substance while mentally dedicating it to protection and auspicious directions.
- Prepare a binding (thread/cord, small pouch, or eye-application implement) to ‘bind on’ (badhyata) the charm.
- Seat the client facing east (or toward the chief direction of concern) and establish calm (śānti) in the space.
The rite
- Recite the hymn while consecrating the āñjana, explicitly naming the quarters and sub-quarters as to be made fearless/benign.
- Bind the āñjana as an amulet on the person (arm/neck/waist) or apply a small amount as collyrium to the eyes/forehead as locally customary.
- At the Savitar-stabilization lines, affirm steadfastness (dhruva) and social support; at the Bhaga formula, enumerate prāṇa/apāna, āyus, varcas, ojas, tejas, svasti, subhūti.
- Conclude with a sealing utterance (e.g., svāhā where present) and a brief silent intention that all directions remain pacified.
What it needs
- Āñjana (black collyrium/unguent; mineral or prepared)
- Water for sprinkling/purification
- Binding cord/thread or amulet pouch (bandha)
When
At dawn or early morning (Savitar-associated), or before travel/assembly; also suitable when seeking stabilization in a new place or office.
The main substance
Āñjana (black collyrium/unguent; ideally mineral ‘mountain-born’)
Amulets
- Bandha (binding cord/thread)
- Small pouch/container for the āñjana (if worn as amulet)
How it is prepared
Lightly moisten the āñjana with clean water, consecrate by recitation, then either (a) apply a small amount as collyrium, or (b) place it in a pouch and bind it onto the body while naming the directions as pacified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here āñjana is treated as a ritually empowered black unguent/collyrium that functions as a protective charm. It can be applied or worn, and it is praised as ‘mountain-born’ and strengthened by Waters and Agni.
Many Atharvanic dangers are imagined as approaching from any side. The hymn’s goal is to pacify all directions and sub-directions so the client is ‘fearless’ everywhere, not only in one place.
It indicates social acknowledgment and support—people drawing near with offerings, respect, or due shares. In paustika usage, it signals the client’s stabilized standing and increased prosperity rather than coercion.
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