Sukta 165
Sukta 10.165
Traditionally associated with Atharvanic/late book (Mandala 10) apotropaic seers; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by Anukramaṇī for this hymn (often given as a late/anonymous tradition).
Devas in general; with explicit reference to Nirr̥ti as the adverse power being averted.
Triṣṭubh (probable; RV 10 frequently uses Triṣṭubh in such stanzas—exact metrical scan recommended for confirmation).
ଏହି ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ ଅପଶକୁନ-ନିବାରକ ସୂକ୍ତରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଦେବତାଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ବୋଧନ କରି ଏକ ଅଶୁଭ ଚିହ୍ନକୁ ଦୂର କରିବା ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା କରାଯାଏ—ନିର୍ରୃତି (ଦୁର୍ଭାଗ୍ୟ, ବିଲୟ)ର ସନ୍ଦେଶବାହକ ଭାବେ ଦେଖାଯାଇପାରୁଥିବା ଏକ ପରାବତ (କପୋତ)ର ଆଗମନ। ମନ୍ତ୍ର (ଋଚ୍) ଦ୍ୱାରା ସୂକ୍ତଟି ‘ମୁକ୍ତି/ବିମୋଚନ’ (ନିଷ୍କୃତି) କ୍ରିୟା ସମ୍ପାଦନ କରେ ଏବଂ ଯଜ୍ଞାଗ୍ନି-ପରିସର ଚାରିପାଖରେ ବିଶେଷଭାବେ ଦୁଇପାଦ ଓ ଚତୁଷ୍ପାଦ ସମେତ ସମସ୍ତ ଜୀବନ୍ତ ସମୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଁ ରକ୍ଷା ଚାହେ।
Mantras
Mantra 1
देवाः कपोत इषितो यदिच्छन्दूतो निॠत्या इदमाजगाम । तस्मा अर्चाम कृणवाम निष्कृतिं शं नो अस्तु द्विपदे शं चतुष्पदे ॥
ହେ ଦେବମାନେ, ଯଦି ପ୍ରେରିତ ଓ ଅନ୍ୱେଷୀ କପୋତ (ପରା) ନିଋତି (ବିଘଟନ ଓ ଦୁର୍ଭାଗ୍ୟର ଶକ୍ତି)ର ଦୂତ ହୋଇ ଏଠାକୁ ଆସିଥାଏ, ତେବେ ସେହି (ଅନ୍ଧକାରମୟ) ପ୍ରେଷଣ ପାଇଁ ଆମେ ସ୍ତୁତି ଅର୍ପଣ କରି ମୋଚନର କ୍ରିୟା କରୁ। ଆମ ପାଇଁ ଦ୍ୱିପଦରେ ଶାନ୍ତି ହେଉ; ଚତୁଷ୍ପଦରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶାନ୍ତି ହେଉ।
Mantra 2
शिवः कपोत इषितो नो अस्त्वनागा देवाः शकुनो गृहेषु । अग्निर्हि विप्रो जुषतां हविर्नः परि हेतिः पक्षिणी नो वृणक्तु ॥
ପ୍ରେରିତ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ କପୋତ ଆମ ପାଇଁ ଶିବ (ମଙ୍ଗଳକାରୀ) ହେଉ; ହେ ଦେବମାନେ, ଆମ ଘରେ ଶକୁନ ନିର୍ଦୋଷ ହେଉ। କାରଣ ବିପ୍ର ଅଗ୍ନି ଆମ ହବିକୁ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନତାରେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରନ୍ତି; ଏବଂ ପକ୍ଷିଣୀ ହେତି (ଶତ୍ରୁର ଆଘାତ) ଆମକୁ ପରିହରି ଯାଉ, ଆମକୁ ନ ବାଛୁ।
Mantra 3
हेतिः पक्षिणी न दभात्यस्मानाष्ट्र्यां पदं कृणुते अग्निधाने । शं नो गोभ्यश्च पुरुषेभ्यश्चास्तु मा नो हिंसीदिह देवाः कपोतः ॥
ପକ୍ଷିଣୀ ହେତି ଆମକୁ ନ ଠକାଇବ, ନ ଦବାଇବ; ଅଗ୍ନିଧାନ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ସେ ନିଜ ପଦ (ଚିହ୍ନ) କରେ। ଆମ ଗୋଭ୍ୟଃ (କିରଣ/‘ଗାଈ’) ଓ ପୁରୁଷମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଶାନ୍ତି ହେଉ; ହେ ଦେବମାନେ, ଏଠାରେ କପୋତ ଆମକୁ ହିଂସା ନ କରୁ।
Mantra 4
यदुलूको वदति मोघमेतद्यत्कपोतः पदमग्नौ कृणोति । यस्य दूतः प्रहित एष एतत्तस्मै यमाय नमो अस्तु मृत्यवे ॥
ଉଲୂକ ଯାହା କହେ ତାହା ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ; କପୋତ ଅଗ୍ନିରେ ଯେ ପଦଚିହ୍ନ କରେ ତାହା ମଧ୍ୟ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ—କାରଣ ଏହା ସେଇ ଶକ୍ତିର ପ୍ରେରିତ ଦୂତ ମାତ୍ର। ସେଇ ଯମଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର—ମୃତ୍ୟୁକୁ ନମସ୍କାର; (ତାଙ୍କର ଅଧିକାର) ଅନ୍ୟତ୍ର ତୃପ୍ତ ହେଉ, ଏଠାରେ ନୁହେଁ।
Mantra 5
ऋचा कपोतं नुदत प्रणोदमिषं मदन्तः परि गां नयध्वम् । संयोपयन्तो दुरितानि विश्वा हित्वा न ऊर्जं प्र पतात्पतिष्ठः ॥
ଋଚାଦ୍ୱାରା କପୋତକୁ ହାଙ୍କି ଦିଅ—ଦୂରକୁ ଧକ୍କା ଦିଅ; ପୋଷକ ରସରେ ଆନନ୍ଦିତ ହୋଇ ତାହାକୁ ଚାରିପାଖେ ଘୁରାଇ (ବାହାରକୁ) ନେଇଯାଅ। ସମସ୍ତ ଦୁରିତକୁ ସଂଗ୍ରହ କରି, ଆମ ଊର୍ଜାର ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତାକୁ ଅସ୍ପର୍ଶ ରଖି, ସେ ଅତିଶୀଘ୍ର ଆଗକୁ ଉଡ଼ିଯାଉ—ସର୍ବାଧିକ ଦ୍ରୁତରେ।
Inside Sukta 165
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct, conditional address: if the pigeon has come as Nirr̥ti’s messenger, the situation is ritually named and brought under divine jurisdiction.
- Development
The hymn shifts from diagnosis to remedy—establishing niṣkṛti and repeatedly asking for śam for all forms of life and wealth, especially around the fire-space.
- Climax
The decisive act: with the ṛc, the pigeon is driven away; misfortunes are ‘collected’ and expelled, preserving the community’s ūrj.
- Where it settles
A final outward sending: the ominous force departs swiftly, leaving peace and intact vitality for the household and herd.
The deity: Viśve Devāḥ, with Nirr̥ti named as the averted adverse power
- In the VedaThe hymn invokes the Devas as a collective protective presence who can neutralize ill-omens and restore śam (peace/wholeness). Nirr̥ti appears not as a deity to be praised, but as a malevolent direction/power whose ‘messenger’ (the pigeon) must be sent away.
- Cosmic functionThe Viśve Devāḥ uphold ṛta and communal well-being by turning away calamity; Nirr̥ti represents the counter-current—decay, loss, and misfortune—to be expelled beyond the ritual boundary.
- Inner significancePsychologically, the hymn converts anxiety triggered by a bad omen into ordered action: naming the threat, ritually ‘releasing’ it, and re-centering life-force (ūrj) and peace (śam). Spiritually, it affirms mantra as a force that re-aligns the environment with ṛta.
The seer
- Anukramaṇī-varied / late (anonymous) Atharvanic-style seer traditionProtective (apotropaic) mantra-work in the late Rigvedic layer (Mandala 10), using speech as a ritual instrument to avert Nirr̥ti and other inauspicious forces.
Famous verses
śaṃ no astu dvipade śaṃ catuṣpade
हेतिः पक्षिणी न दभात्यस्मानाष्ट्र्यां पदं कृणुते अग्निधाने । शं नो गोभ्यश्च पुरुषेभ्यश्चास्तु मा नो हिंसीदिह देवाः कपोतः ॥ṛcā kapotaṃ nudata
Attributes of the deity
- Collective divine protection (Viśve Devāḥ)
- Averting inauspicious portents
- Nirr̥ti as dissolution/misfortune
- Śam (peace) for bipeds and quadrupeds
- Mantra (ṛc) as an active ritual tool
- Boundary-making around the agnidhāna (fire-setting place)
Also by this seer
- Often grouped with late Mandala 10 hymns concerned with expiation (prāyaścitta), warding-off (rakṣaḥ/aghāni), and ritual protection around the fire-place.
- Shares style and intent with Atharvavedic apotropaic materials (though this hymn is Rigvedic in placement and diction).
The rite, step by step
- Recognize the omen and address the Devas collectively, explicitly naming the possibility of Nirr̥ti’s ‘messenger’.
- Recite the hymn as a niṣkṛti (release/expiatory discharge), declaring śam for ‘two-footed and four-footed’.
- Mark and protect the agnidhāna space (fire-setting area), reaffirming it as a safe ritual center.
- Verbally command the pigeon/omen to depart; ‘drive it away’ with the ṛc, sending misfortune outward beyond the boundary.
- Conclude with a reaffirmation that misfortunes are gathered up and removed, while ūrj (vital plenitude) remains intact.
Offerings
- Primarily mantra-recitation (ṛc) as the operative offering
- If integrated into a fire-rite: ghee (ājya) or simple oblations customary to the household/sacrificial fire
- Water-sprinkling or protective boundary gestures (contextual, later praxis)
Frequently Asked Questions
In this sukta the pigeon is treated as a possible bad omen—an apparent ‘messenger’ of Nirr̥ti (misfortune). The hymn uses mantra to send that omen away and restore peace.
Nirr̥ti is a Vedic power associated with loss, decay, and misfortune. Here she is not praised; she is the adverse force to be averted so that well-being (śam) returns.
It is a compact blessing for the whole community: humans (two-footed) and animals like cattle and horses (four-footed). The hymn asks that all embodied life in the household remain safe and prosperous.
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