Atharva Veda 3.2.3: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 3
Sukta 2
इन्द्र॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ मो॒हय॑न्न॒र्वाङाकू॑त्या चर । अ॒ग्नेर्वात॑स्य॒ ध्राज्या॒ तान् विषू॑चो॒ वि ना॑शय
índra cittā́ni moháyann arvā́ṅ-ākū́tyā cara | agnér vā́tasya dhrā́jyā tā́n viṣū́co ví nāśaya
O Indra, bewildering (their) minds, go forth with purpose turned hitherward; with the blazing radiance of Agni and of Wind, those crosswise-working foes—scatter them, destroy them utterly.
O Indra, zaćmując ich umysły, idź naprzód z zamiarem zwróconym ku nam; z płonącym blaskiem Agniego i Wiatru, tych krzyżujących się wrogów - rozprosz ich, zniszcz ich całkowicie.
The meaning
What it says
Indra is asked to bewilder enemy minds and move with intention turned toward us; with the blazing radiance of Agni and Wind, the ‘crosswise-working’ foes are to be scattered and destroyed.
The inner meaning
Indra redirects intention (ākūti) back to the practitioner’s center. Agni and Vāta represent heat and breath: together they disperse intrusive, ‘crosswise’ patterns—contradictory impulses, sabotage, and inner fragmentation.
The truth in it
Aligned intention plus purifying breath-and-fire dissolves oblique, covert opposition. What works ‘crosswise’ cannot stand against coherent direction and cleansing force.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Abhicarika (Counter-sorcery / Apotropaic)
Its aim
To confound and break the hostile intentions of adversaries (human or demonic) and to disperse/annihilate crosswise-working malignant forces.
Word by Word
Pada patha
इन्द्र । चित्तानि । मोहयन् । अर्वाक्-आकूत्या । चर । अग्नेः । वातस्य । ध्राज्या । तान् । विषूचः । वि । नाशय
- इन्द्र
- O IndraIndra; the overpowering lord who confounds hostile intent and grants victory (apotropaic sovereign power).Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vedic voc.)Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्तानि
- minds, thoughtsminds, intentions, settled thoughts; especially the plotted designs of adversaries to be deranged.Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole कर्म (मोहनस्य)Root चित्त (प्रातिपदिक; √चित् ‘to perceive/think’ से)
- मोहयन्
- bewildering, deludingbewildering, deluding, causing to err; magically ‘throwing into confusion’ the enemy’s counsel.Verbवर्त्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्तरिRole कर्तृ (चर-क्रियायाः सहवर्ती)Root √मुह् (मोहने) → मोहयति (णिच्)
- अर्वाङ्
- towards here, downwardIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा: ‘अधो/अधस्तात्/अर्वाक्’ = ‘towards here/downwards’)Role अधिकरण (गत्यर्थे दिशानिर्देशः)Root अर्वाङ् (अव्यय/दिशावाचक)
- आकूत्या
- by intention/resolveNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot आकूति (प्रातिपदिक)
- चर
- move, proceedmove, go forth, operate; perform thy roaming/working (as a present, effective power).Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा)Root √चर् (गत्यर्थे)
- अग्नेः
- of Agniof Agni; of the fire-principle, purifier and burner of malign influences.Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (ध्राज्या-सम्बन्धः)Root अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वातस्य
- of Vāta (Wind)of Vāta (Wind); the sweeping, dispersing force that drives away contagion/evil.Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (ध्राज्या-सम्बन्धः)Root वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- ध्राज्या
- with the blazing force/fiery flashwith the blazing beam/flash, with the fiery radiance (a weapon-like brilliance; Sayana-style: ‘tejasā’).Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot ध्राज्या (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ध्राज्/ध्राज्’ तेजो-दीप्ति-सम्बद्ध)
- तान्
- those (ones)those (persons/forces); the specified hostile agencies just mentioned (their minds/plots).Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole कर्म (नाशय-क्रियायाः)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- विषूचः
- crooked/perverse (ones)the ‘crooked-going’ ones; perverse, crosswise-moving malignities—sorcerers, demons, or disease-agents acting obliquely.Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचन (तान् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot विषूच् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विषूच्’ = ‘crooked/sideways-moving, perverse’)
- वि
- apart, asunder (intensifier)apart, asunder, in separation; indicating thorough dispersal and disintegration.Indeclinableउपसर्गः (विशेषेण/विभागे/विनाशे बलवर्धक)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- नाशय
- destroy, drive awaydestroy, cause to perish; effect complete magical ruin of the hostile agencies.Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा)Root √नश् (नाशे) → नाशयति (णिच्)
Sandhi Notes
- अर्वाङ् + आकूत्या → अर्वाङाकूत्या (ङ् + आ- आरम्भे दीर्घसन्धिः/संयोगलेखः)
- अग्नेः + वातस्य → अग्नेर्वातस्य (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः)
- विषूचः + वि → विषूचो वि (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः/पूर्वरूपम्, पदान्ते ‘ः’ → ‘ो’ वकारादौ)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic/Angiras-type attribution typical for this protective cycle (exact r̥ṣi assignment depends on Anukramaṇī tradition for AVŚ 3.2).
- Devata
- Indra (primary); Agni and Vāta as auxiliary purificatory/dispersive powers.
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (edition-dependent; to be confirmed against pada-count in the received text).
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sāyaṇa takes ‘cित्तानि’ as the hostile counsels (śatrūṇāṃ saṅkalpāḥ) and ‘मोहयन्’ as the divine act of confounding their deliberation. ‘अर्वाङाकूत्या’ is glossed as intent directed toward the sacrificer (asmad-abhimukhena saṅkalpena), reversing the enemy’s momentum. ‘अग्नेर्वातस्य ध्राज्या’ is explained as ‘by the fiery brilliance/energy’ belonging to Agni and Vāta, functioning as a joint purificatory and dispersive weapon. ‘विषूचः’ are those who move ‘crookedly’—interpretable as sorcerers/demonic agents or oblique-acting afflictions—who are to be separated and annihilated (vi-nāśana).
Anukramaṇī-variant / Atharvan–Āṅgirasa for AVŚ 3.2 enemy-confounding set
Counter-sorcery and dispersal rites using Indraic command plus purificatory fire-and-wind imagery; targeting ‘crooked’ hostile workings.
Encodes a classic Atharvanic strategy: first seize the intention-field (ākūti/citta), then apply elemental purifiers (Agni/Vāta) to scatter the oblique foe.
Indra (with Agni and Vāta)
Indra commands and redirects; Agni burns and reveals; Vāta sweeps away and breaks formations—together forming a dispersal triad.
Breath (vāta) and fire (agni) imagery supports clearing of mental congestion and fear; not a clinical cure but a psycho-energetic cleansing.
Scatters covert hostility and crosswise-working sorcery; restores directional advantage.
4 × 8 tendency with compact imperatives; some recensions may show slight irregularity due to compounds (arvāṅākūtyā).
Compound-heavy pādas are handled by phonetic compression; cadence remains ‘spell-like’ and sharp.
Directional and slicing—first half sets intention, second half executes dispersal.
Felt as a forward push followed by a sweeping ‘wind’ release; good for gestures of scattering (hand sweep) during recitation.
Prepare a protective working-space (rakṣā-maṇḍala) near the domestic fire; seat the client facing east.
Kindle/brighten the fire (Agni) and perform a brief sprinkling or wafting action to invoke Vāta’s dispersal (e.g., fanning with a leaf/cloth or breath-directed expulsion).
Recite the mantra once or thrice while making a separating gesture (vi-)—a sweeping motion outward from the client, as if driving away oblique forces.
Optionally, cast a small offering into the fire at ‘agnér’ and perform a final outward expulsion at ‘ví nāśaya’ (symbolic ‘breaking’ of hostile counsel).
Conclude with a sealing act: touch the client’s head/heart region to ‘stabilize’ the now-cleared citta (intention/mind).
Kauśika Sūtra: general apotropaic/counter-sorcery employment for Indra-protective mantras in the 3rd kāṇḍa cycle.
Atharvan/Brahman officiant as apotropaic technician: identifies hostile agency, performs expulsion (nirhāra) and protective sealing (rakṣā-bandhana) through mantra plus gesture.
Chant with lamp or hearth present; accompany with a single sweeping motion outward (symbolic scattering) and a boundary line at thresholds.
At dawn (wind/clearing) or dusk (protection against night dangers); before entering contested spaces.
Householder or Atharvan specialist; may combine with fumigation (dhūpa) as ‘wind + fire’ enactment.
Broadly compatible with Kauśika dispersal/counter-sorcery procedures using fire and sweeping gestures; exact citation requires edition concordance.
Breath-led protective recitation with mindful exhale ‘sweeping away’ negativity.
Agni (ritual fire / heat as purifier); Vāta (wind / breath as disperser); Dhrajyā (radiant ‘flash/beam’ as weapon-like brilliance)
Agni’s blaze (dhrajyā) as operative radiance.
Heat reveals and breaks; wind disperses and carries away—together they neutralize ‘crooked’ formations that cannot withstand exposure and scattering.
Energetic cleansing: breath-and-fire visualization to clear intrusive thoughts and perceived malefic influence.
Vāta and Agni as core doṣa/metabolic principles; symbolically balancing vāta-driven anxiety with agni-driven clarity.
Anxiety management via breath regulation and attentional control; ‘dispersing crosswise patterns’ parallels interrupting maladaptive thought loops.
Covert adversaries, saboteurs, sorcerers; generalized hostile forces.
Confound enemy counsels; redirect advantage toward the performer; scatter and destroy crosswise-working foes (human or demonic/sorcerous).
Directional command (arvāṅ-ākūti) + elemental weaponization (Agni/Vāta dhrajyā) + dispersal/destruction imperative (vi nāśaya).
Hidden opposition, backbiting, indirect attack, ‘crooked’ magic.
- अर्वाङाकूत्या (arvāṅ-ākūtyā)
- re-centering; reclaiming agency
- चित्तानि (cittāni)
- strategies, intentions, planning faculty
- मोहयन् (mohayan)
- disrupting hostile coordination
- ध्राज्या (dhrājyā)
- weaponized brilliance; purifying glare
- अग्नेः (agneḥ)
- transformative heat; discernment
- वातस्य (vātasya)
- breath, dispersal, prāṇa-force
- विषूचः (viṣūcaḥ)
- covert sabotage; misaligned tendencies
- वि नाशय (vi nāśaya)
- complete dissolution of hostile pattern
Re-centering intention (ākūti) and dispersing intrusive patterns with breath and inner heat.
Maṇipūra
Exhale-focused practice: inhale 4, exhale 6–8 while mentally ‘sweeping’ outward; keep gentle heat at navel.
A bright flame-ray (dhrajyā) from the navel/heart meets a cool wind from the nostrils; together they scatter dark, crosswise arrows into harmless dust.
Directed, clear, and unentangled.
Chant, then perform 9 slow exhale-sweeps. End with stillness to stabilize directionality.
Keep indra prominent; articulate arvāṅākūtyā carefully; maintain cadence so the second half hits strongly on dhrajyā…vi nāśaya.
Emphasize mohayann; pause after cara; strike final vi nāśaya with decisive drop.
Focused and cutting; end with a firm but not angry closure.
Pairs well with outward hand-sweep or blowing gently toward the threshold (vāta enactment) while keeping ethical intent protective.
11 times
When facing covert sabotage, back-channel hostility, or persistent ‘negative atmosphere’ in a place.
Before entering a tense workplace/meeting; after sensing manipulation; during home-clearing routines.
Greater clarity and centeredness; reduced susceptibility to manipulation; sense of space being ‘cleared’.
Do not substitute for practical conflict resolution; if paranoia/anxiety escalates, pause and seek support.
No explicit plant is named; the operative ‘substances’ are elemental-technological: Agni (heat/fire) and Vāta (wind/breath). The mantra treats radiance (dhrā́jyā) as a quasi-material weapon that purifies (Agni) and disperses (Vāta), functioning analogously to later herb/amulet logics: a medium that carries efficacy into the hostile domain.
The verse presumes a specialist who can redirect divine force (‘arvā́ṅ-ākū́tyā’) and neutralize opponents by attacking their ‘citta’ (strategic intention). This reflects a social world where conflict (rivalry, accusation of sorcery, hostile plotting) is managed through Atharvanic expertise, reinforcing the ritualist’s authority as protector and adjudicator of unseen aggression.
The diction is broadly RV-compatible (Indra, Agni, Vāta; imperative ‘cara’, causative ‘nāśaya’), but the Atharvanic tendency is the explicit targeting of ‘cittā́ni’ (enemy counsels) and the category ‘viṣū́c-’ as oblique malignity—more pointedly apotropaic and psychological/strategic than many RV battle hymns. The compound ‘arvā́ṅ-ākū́ti-’ foregrounds intentionality as a manipulable ritual vector.
In Gopatha-style Atharvanic theory, efficacy is grounded in brahman (formulated speech) yoked to cosmic correspondences: Agni purifies by burning, Vāta disperses by sweeping, and Indra overpowers by victory-force. This mantra exemplifies that triad: speech directs Indra to derange hostile cognition, while Agni/Vāta supply the physical-cosmic mechanisms by which ‘crooked’ agencies are separated and destroyed.
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