Sukta 27
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn to Maruts/waters; r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī)
Devata: Maruts (with Waters as co-agents)
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (Atharvanic mixed; refrain-driven)
AV 4.27 ialah mantera pāpamocana (pelepasan dosa dan kesusahan) yang menghimpunkan bala Marut bersama kitaran penyucian Air—samudera, langit, hujan, dan bumi—untuk meleraikan aṃhas (kesalahan moral-ritual serta akibatnya yang menimpa). Melalui permohonan berulang berasaskan rangkap ulangan, himne ini menukar daya ribut menjadi ubat: yang garang di medan perang menjadi pelindung daripada mudarat batin dan lahir. Kuasanya dinyatakan sebagai kitaran pembersihan kosmik, di mana air yang sama yang naik dan turun turut mengangkat pergi rasa bersalah, bahaya, dan malang yang melemahkan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
पापमोचनम् । म॒रुतां॑ मन्वे॒ अधि॑ मे ब्रुवन्तु॒ प्रेमं वाजं॒ वाज॑साते अवन्तु । आ॒शूनि॑व सु॒यमा॑नह्व ऊ॒तये॑ ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Pelepasan daripada dosa. Aku memandang para Marut—biarlah mereka berkata bagi pihakku; biarlah mereka menyegerakan kekuatan ini, dan dalam memenangi hadiah menjadi penolong. Seperti kuda-kuda pantas, yang diseru dengan baik untuk bantuan, biarlah mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesusahan.
Mantra 2
उत्स॒मक्षि॑तं॒ व्यच॑न्ति॒ ये सदा॒ य आ॑सि॒ञ्चन्ति॒ रस॒मोष॑धीषु । पु॒रो द॑धे मरुतः॒ पृश्नि॑मातृंस्ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Mereka yang mengalirkan mata air yang tidak susut untuk selama-lamanya, yang mencurahkan sari ke dalam tumbuh-tumbuhan ubat (oṣadhi)—para Marut itu, putera-putera Pṛśni, yang menempatkan diri di hadapan kami sebagai benteng—biarlah mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesusahan.
Mantra 3
पयो॑ धेनू॒नां रस॒मोष॑धीनां ज॒वमर्व॑तां कवयो॒ य इन्व॑थ । श॒ग्मा भ॑वन्तु म॒रुतो॑ नः स्यो॒नास्ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Wahai para kavi (orang bijaksana) yang menggiatkan susu pada lembu-lembu, sari (rasa) pada tumbuh-tumbuhan ubat (oṣadhi), dan kelajuan kuda-kuda—semoga para Marut bagi kami menjadi kuat dan menenangkan; semoga mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesempitan (aṃhas).
Mantra 4
अ॒पः स॑मु॒द्राद् दिव॒मुद् व॑हन्ति दि॒वस्पृ॑थि॒वीम॒भि ये सृ॒जन्ति॑ । ये अ॒द्भिरीशा॑ना म॒रुत॒श्चर॑न्ति ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Dari samudera, Air (Āpaḥ) mengangkat (wapnya) ke langit; dari langit mereka melepaskannya ke bumi. Para Marut, para penguasa dengan perantaraan air, yang beredar luas—semoga mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesusahan, bahaya, dan dosa.
Mantra 5
ये की॒लाले॑न त॒र्पय॑न्ति ये घृ॒तेन॒ ये वा॒ वयो॒ मेद॑सा संसृ॒जन्ति॑ । ये अ॒द्भिरीशा॑ना म॒रुतो॑ व॒र्षय॑न्ति॒ ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Mereka yang menyegarkan dengan kīlāla, mereka yang dengan ghee (ghṛta), atau yang dengan lemak (medas) meramu kekuatan hayat—para Marut, para penguasa dengan perantaraan air, yang menurunkan hujan—semoga mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesusahan, bahaya, dan dosa.
Mantra 6
यदीदि॒दं मरु॑तो॒ मारु॑तेन॒ यदि॑ देवा॒ दैव्ये॑ने॒दृगार॑ । यू॒यमी॑शिध्वे वसव॒स्तस्य॒ निष्कृ॑ते॒स्ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Jika, wahai Marut, hal ini berlaku oleh kuasa Marut; atau jika, wahai para Dewa, oleh kuasa ilahi demikian terbit—kamu, para Vasu, berkuasa atas penebusannya (niṣkṛti); semoga mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesusahan, bahaya, dan dosa.
Mantra 7
ति॒ग्ममनी॑कं विदि॒तं सह॑स्व॒न्मारु॑तं॒ शर्धः॒ पृत॑नासू॒ग्रम्। स्तौमि॑ म॒रुतो॑ नाथि॒तो जो॑हवीमि॒ ते नो॑ मुञ्च॒न्त्वंह॑सः
Wahai pasukan Marut yang bermuka tajam, termasyhur dan perkasa, garang dalam pertempuran—Marut-marut ini kupuji; sebagai orang yang berhajat aku menyeru mereka berulang-ulang: semoga mereka melepaskan kami daripada kesempitan dan dosa.
Inside Sukta 27
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by addressing the Maruts in their life-quickening and protective aspect, linking them to the vital essences of cows, herbs, and steeds.
- What it asks
A repeated petition that the Maruts—acting through waters—‘release us from aṃhas,’ i.e., unbind distress, fault, and the constriction it brings.
- Where its power lies
The cosmic water-cycle (ocean → heaven → earth) is presented as evidence of their sovereign capacity to carry away impurity and re-establish order; the Marut-host is ‘sharp-fronted’ and victorious, thus able to cut bonds and repel harm.
- How it closes
The hymn ends with intensified praise and repeated calling (johavīmi), sealing the request with the refrain-like release formula directed to the famed, mighty Marut host.
Famous verses
te no muñcantu aṃhasaḥ
payo dhenūnāṃ rasaṃ oṣadhīnām
tig्मam anīkaṃ … māru̍taṃ śardhaḥKind of hymn
Bhaisajya / Apotropaic (Pāpamocana)
What it is for
Unbinding and washing away aṃhas—experienced as guilt, ritual fault, illness-like distress, bad luck, or hostile pressure—while restoring steadiness of life-forces (milk, herb-sap, vigor).
Who it is for
Householders and ritual specialists seeking purification after perceived fault/inauspiciousness, those under recurring misfortune or anxiety, and communities desiring protective ‘storm-guard’ cleansing.
Also used as
- Apotropaic (Rakṣoghna/Pāpamocana)
- Śāntika
- Paustika (vital-essence restoration)
The deity
The Maruts are the storm-host—swift, sharp-fronted, and battle-fierce—yet also life-givers who quicken milk, herb-sap, and vital speed. Here they operate through the Waters’ cosmic circulation, making atmospheric power a purifier that loosens bonds of sin and distress.
Powers of the deity
- Drive and direct storm-waters (rain, cleansing flow)
- Remove aṃhas (sin, distress, constriction) and hostile influences
- Restore vitality in cattle, herbs, and horses (essence, sap, speed)
- Provide martial protection: repelling enemies, dangers, and calamity
- Act as swift-moving guardians invoked repeatedly for rescue
Why the deity is called
To obtain release (muñc-) from aṃhas by harnessing the Maruts’ fierce protective force and the Waters’ purificatory movement as a ritual-ethical cleanser.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (anukramaṇī attribution varies)Atharvan. Apotropaic and bhaiṣajya charms: release from aṃhas, purification through waters, and protective invocation of storm-deities for removing evil, blame, and crisis.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.26
- AV 4.28
- AV 6.96
Preparing for the rite
- Secure clean water (ideally rainwater or flowing water; alternatively well/river water) in a vessel; if possible, mix with a small amount of sea-salt as ‘samudra’ token.
- Choose a clean place; sprinkle the area and the performer with water for preliminary śuddhi.
- Set an intention naming the aṃhas to be released (fault, danger, affliction), keeping it general if unsure.
The rite
- Recite the hymn in full, maintaining the refrain-like petition ‘te no muñcantu aṃhasaḥ’ as the operative release-formula.
- During verses that mention waters’ ascent/descent, pour or sprinkle water from the vessel, circling the head or body (or the patient/household threshold) to enact ‘lifting away’ and ‘sending forth’ of impurity.
- Conclude by offering the remaining water as a final sprinkle/drink (sip) for sealing purification, depending on context and propriety.
What it needs
- Water (āpah) as primary medium
- Optional sea-salt or a pinch of earth from a clean place (symbolic ‘ocean/earth’ link)
- Optional milk or ghee as a prosperity-vitality adjunct (reflecting payaḥ imagery)
When
Preferably at dawn after bathing, or during/after rainfall; also suitable after an inauspicious event, confession-like purification, or before travel/conflict.
The main substance
Water (āpah), preferably rainwater or flowing water
Herbs
- oṣadhi (generic medicinal herbs; hymn alludes to herb-sap rather than naming species)
Amulets
- None required by the hymn; optional water-sprinkled cord/thread (rakṣā-sūtra) may be used as a carrier of the purification intent
How it is prepared
Collect clean water; optionally add a pinch of sea-salt to symbolize samudra. Consecrate by reciting the refrain-bearing verses over the vessel, then use for sprinkling/pouring in a head-to-foot motion to ‘unbind’ and ‘wash away’ aṃhas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aṃhas is more than “sin”: it includes moral-ritual fault, the anxiety or blame that follows, and the misfortune or affliction that can cling to a person or household. The hymn asks the Maruts to “unbind” it.
Because the hymn treats purification as a cosmic process: waters rise from the ocean, move through the sky, and return to earth. The Maruts, as storm-powers, command this movement, so water becomes the vehicle for cleansing and release.
After bathing, keep a vessel of clean water, recite the hymn (or key verses with the refrain), and sprinkle the water around yourself and the threshold while focusing on release from distress and fault. The water acts as the ritual carrier of purification.
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