Atharva Veda 4.37.6: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 37, Mantra 6
Sukta 37
एयम॑ग॒न्नोष॑धीनां वी॒रुधां॑ वी॒र्याऽवती । अ॒ज॒शृ॒ङ्ग्यऽराट॒की ती॑क्ष्णशृ॒ङ्गी व्यृऽषतु
éyam agan óṣadhīnāṃ vīrudhā́ṃ vīryà-vatī́ | ajaśr̥ṅgī́ ’rāṭakī́ tīkṣṇaśr̥ṅgī́ ví r̥ṣatu
Hither hath come the potent one of herbs, of plants, endowed with strength: Ajaśṛṅgī, Arāṭakī, the Sharp-horned—let her drive (the ill) forth and away.
Ke mari telah datang yang berkuasa dari segala herba, dari tumbuh-tumbuhan, yang berbekal kekuatan: Ajaśṛṅgī, Arāṭakī, yang Bertanduk-Tajam—biarlah ia menghalau (yang jahat) keluar dan menjauh.
The meaning
What it says
A powerful herb among herbs and plants has ‘come here’ endowed with strength. The named plant-powers—Ajaśṛṅgī, Arāṭakī, Tīkṣṇaśṛṅgī—are invoked to drive the affliction out and away.
The inner meaning
The remedy is invited as an ally: therapeutic agency is transferred from the unseen seducer to the visible pharmakon. Naming specific herbs concentrates attention, confidence, and ritual precision; the mind receives a counter-image of ‘sharpness’ and ‘horned force’ that pierces fascination and expels it.
The truth in it
Healing often begins when a concrete, skillful counter-force is welcomed and trusted. Precision (right name, right tool) converts diffuse fear into actionable cure.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Rakṣoghna
Its aim
To introduce and activate specific herbs as expulsive agents against the Apsaras/Gandharva-type affliction
Word by Word
Pada patha
ए॒यम् । अ॒ग॒न् । ओष॑धीनाम् । वी॒रुधाम् । वी॒र्य॑ऽवती । अ॒ज॒शृ॒ङ्गी । अ॒राट॒की । ती॒क्ष्ण॒शृ॒ङ्गी । वि । ऋ॒ष॒तु॒
- एयम्
- this (female one); (name of a herb)this (has) come; deictic introduction of the medicinal powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot एयम् (प्रातिपदिक; इदम्-प्रकारः) अथवा एयम् (औषधि-नाम)
- अगन्
- went; came forthhas come/arrived; arrival of the remedy as an active agentVerbलुङ् (आगम-भूत), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot गम्
- ओषधीनाम्
- of the herbsof the herbs; the medicinal collectiveNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole SambandhaRoot ओषधि
- वीरुधाम्
- of the plants/creepersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole SambandhaRoot वीरुध्
- वीर्यावती
- possessing strength/potencyAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वीर्यवत्
- अजशृङ्गी
- Ajāśṛṅgī (goat-horned; a herb-name)ajaśṛṅgī; a plant-name (‘goat-horned’), used as a sharp protective remedyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अज-शृङ्गिन् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- अराटकी
- Arāṭakī (a herb-name)arāṭakī; a plant-name, invoked as a specific medicinal forceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अराटकी (औषधि-नाम)
- तीक्ष्णशृङ्गी
- Tīkṣṇaśṛṅgī (sharp-horned; a herb-name)tīkṣṇaśṛṅgī; ‘sharp-horned’, a plant-name emphasizing piercing/repellent powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तीक्ष्ण-शृङ्गिन् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; forth; intensivelyapart, away; dispersive particleIndeclinableउपसर्गRole UpasargaRoot वि
- ऋषतु
- let it/they rush forth; let it/they move swiftlylet (it/them) flow forth, rush out; drive out (the affliction) by expulsionVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot ऋष्
Sandhi Notes
- एयम् + अगन् + ओषधीनाम् + वीरुधाम् + वीर्यावती । अजशृङ्गी + अराटकी + तीक्ष्णशृङ्गी + वि + ऋषतु ।
- 1) एयम॑ग॒न् → एयम् अगन् (म् + अ = म् अ; पदान्त-म् परे अकारे)
- 2) वी॒र्याऽवती → वीर्या + वती = वीर्यावती (अवग्रहः: आ + व)
- 3) व्यृऽषतु → वि + ऋषतु (वि + ऋ = व्यृ; अवग्रहः ‘ऽ’ पदविभाग-सूचकः)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (anonymous)
- Devata
- Oṣadhis (Herbs) personified; specific named plants
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes the ‘coming’ as the manifestation/presence of the medicinal herb-power. The ‘horned’ epithets signal piercing, cutting, and repelling efficacy—appropriate against subtle afflictions. ‘vi r̥ṣatu’ is read as expulsion: the herb is commanded to eject the disease/spirit.
Anonymous (Atharvanic tradition)
Bhaiṣajya-rakṣoghna interface: activating oṣadhi-power to counter spirit-caused erotic/psychic affliction; plant-invocation as domestic medicine-magic.
Embodies the Atharvan ‘substance-action’ paradigm: the spoken welcome awakens the plant’s vīrya, making materia medica into a ritual agent.
Oṣadhis (herbs) personified; Ajaśṛṅgī/Arāṭakī/Tīkṣṇaśṛṅgī as named powers
Earth’s remedial forces that oppose decay, invasion, and possession; mediators between human vulnerability and cosmic order.
Expulsive cleansing of spirit-linked affliction; strengthening of the patient’s vitality and clarity.
Creates a botanical ‘kavaca’ by installing plant potency in the domestic space/body.
4 pādas with slight irregularities due to compound plant-names; strong cadence on vīryā’vatī and vi ṛṣatu.
Name-heavy pādas often compress/expand; performance prioritizes clear articulation of plant names over strict syllable count.
Invocatory arrival (eyam agan) followed by a triple naming and a decisive expulsive verb.
Builds momentum through enumeration; culminates in a forceful ‘drive out’ release.
Collect the named herbs (or ritually acceptable substitutes) with prescribed purity observances.
Prepare them as a fumigant, paste, or amulet-bundle depending on local śākhā practice.
Touch/apply to the patient (head/heart/navel) while reciting the mantra, treating the herb as a commanded agent.
Conclude by casting away the used plant-remnants to running water or outside the settlement.
Kauśika Sūtra: herb-application within Apsaras/Gandharva pacification-expulsion rites (AV 4.37; numbering varies)
Atharvan priest as healer (bhiṣaj), administering plant-dravya while voicing the command-formula
Prepare a small herbal bundle/infusion (where tradition identifies the plants) or symbolically substitute with available protective herbs; recite while presenting it to the patient or placing near the bed/threshold.
Evening or immediately after symptoms; also at dawn for ‘renewal’ effect.
Householder can recite; a knowledgeable vaidya/atharvan may oversee identification and administration.
KauśS: oṣadhi-prayoga patterns frequently accompany rakṣoghna hymns; for AVŚ 4.37, herb-based acts are contextually appropriate (edition-dependent citation).
Use as a mindful ‘herbal intake’ blessing (tea/aroma) to pair somatic calming with mantra focus.
Ajaśṛṅgī (herb); Arāṭakī (herb); Tīkṣṇaśṛṅgī (herb)
The ‘horn’ metaphor turns medicine into a weapon of clarity: the plant’s sharpness is the counter-seduction that punctures the spirit’s soft enchantment.
Apsaras/Gandharva-type affliction; broadly rakṣas-invasion, fascination, sexual/psychic disturbance.
Pharmakon activation: welcome the herb-power, name the specific remedies, command expulsion (vi-).
Use of tikṣṇa (sharp/pungent) and uṣṇa-like expulsive qualities conceptually aligns with kapha/tamas-clearing and āvaraṇa removal; also supports manovaha-srotas cleansing in symbolic terms.
Herbal anxiolytic/sedative or anti-agitation supports used alongside counseling; ritualized administration improves adherence and expectancy effects.
Affliction attributed to Apsaras/Gandharva influence; the ‘ill’ broadly construed
Install herbal potency and expel the intrusive affliction from person/space.
Summoning (āhvāna) of herb-power + onomastic focusing (naming) + expulsive command (vi ṛṣatu).
Nocturnal/erotic intrusion, fascination, spirit-caused agitation
- ओषधि (oṣadhi)
- medicine as conscious ally; earth’s remedial intelligence
- वीरुध् (vīrudh)
- life-force that rises; regenerative power
- वीर्यवत् (vīrya-vatī)
- efficacy, ‘active principle’—both pharmacological and mantra-charged
- अजशृङ्गी (ajaśṛṅgī)
- piercing, protective ‘horn’ energy; anti-demonic spike
- तीक्ष्णशृङ्गी (tīkṣṇa-śṛṅgī)
- cutting through enchantment; expulsive intensity
- वि ऋषतु (vi ṛṣatu)
- therapeutic expulsion; restoring boundaries by forceful removal
Invite ‘remedy-mind’: concentrate on a single supportive factor (herb/breath) as ally; cultivate vīrya (inner strength) that expels intrusive thought-patterns.
manipura
Brisk exhalation emphasis (e.g., 21 gentle kapalabhāti strokes if suitable) followed by calm breathing while reciting—mirrors ‘expulsion then settling.’
Visualize a bright, sharp green-gold plant-force entering the body/room and pushing out dark, sticky fascination through the door/window.
Energized clarity without agitation.
Recite 3 times to ‘invite’ (eyam agan), then 7 times focusing on each plant-name as a distinct protective spear-point; end with quiet grounding.
Maintain even pitch through eyam agan; slightly lift on vīryā’vatī; strike consonants crisply on the plant-names; finish with a decisive downward cadence on vi ṛṣatu.
Do not rush the compounds; separate the names with micro-pauses; make vi prominent as the expulsive prefix.
Clear and ‘medicinal’—firm but not harsh; final verb slightly forceful.
If paired with an herb, touch/raise the bundle on the plant-names and gesture outward on vi ṛṣatu to enact expulsion.
7 times
Need for protective-healing support during periods of intrusive desire, disturbed sleep, or ‘unclean’ atmosphere in a room.
Before sleep; before administering a calming herbal drink/aroma; after returning from environments that feel psychologically ‘sticky.’
Greater steadiness, reduced intrusive pull, sense of protection and embodied support.
Do not ingest unknown plants; treat the named herbs as ritual archetypes unless properly identified by a qualified practitioner.
The mantra performs ‘activation by naming’: the herb is not inert matter but a personified potency that ‘arrives’ and is commanded to expel. The ‘horn’ imagery encodes a theory of sharp, penetrating pharmacodynamics mapped onto spirit-repulsion.
Medical authority is ritual authority: the healer-priest mediates access to plant power through correct speech and handling, reinforcing specialist control over embodied crisis.
The dense use of plant-names and the imperative command to the remedy (‘vi r̥ṣatu’) typify AV’s applied register; RV more often praises deities rather than directly ordering materia medica.
Gopatha’s Atharvanic hermeneutic supports the idea that efficacy arises when mantra and dravya are conjoined: the spoken command ‘sets’ the herb’s power into motion against the affliction.
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