Atharva Veda 3.25.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 4
Sukta 25
शु॒चा वि॒द्धा व्योऽषया॒ शुष्का॑स्या॒भि स॑र्प मा । मृ॒दुर्निम॑न्युः॒ केव॑ली प्रियवा॒दिन्यनु॑व्रता
śúcā viddhā́ vyòṣayā śúṣkāsyā́bhí sarpa mā́ | mṛdúr nímanyuḥ kévalī priyavā́diny ànuvratā́ ||
Pierced with burning pain by pungent vyoṣā, dry-mouthed—creep thou unto me: gentle, thy wrath laid down, mine wholly, sweet-speaking, obedient to my will.
Przebita palącym bólem przez ostrą vyoṣā, z wyschniętymi ustami - pełzaj ku mnie: łagodna, z odłożonym gniewem, całkowicie moja, słodko mówiąca, posłuszna mojej woli.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anonymous/collective)
Devata: Kāma / the compelled person as addressed subject
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh
Primary: shringara
Secondary: raudra
Sayana glosses the verse as the behavioral ‘output’ of the piercing: the target, stung and parched by longing, approaches irresistibly (‘creep’). The desired social-affective transformation is enumerated: softness, absence of anger, exclusive attachment, pleasing speech, and compliance—standard vaśīkaraṇa desiderata.
To compel the target to approach the operator in a softened, non-hostile, exclusive, affectionate, and compliant state.
āsya (mouth) via śuṣkāsyā
Pungent (kaṭu) agents classically increase heat and dryness; here they are resemanticized as love-symptoms (tṛṣṇā/śoṣa-like longing).
Not medical; parallels the psychophysiology of arousal/anxiety (dry mouth, heat, restlessness) used as a behavioral lever.
stri_karman
A desired woman/person addressed directly.
Vaśīkaraṇa: induce longing and approach; pacify anger; enforce exclusivity and compliance.
Somatic suggestion (heat/dryness) + direct imperative (approach) + identity-recoding (gentle/exclusive/obedient).
Target’s resistance/anger and competing attachments.
The speaker addresses the desired person: “pierced” by the pungent vyoṣā, dry-mouthed, let her creep toward me—gentle, anger laid down, exclusively mine, sweet-speaking, compliant.
A classic Atharvanic vaśīkaraṇa psychology: desire is induced as a somatic syndrome (heat/burning, dryness, restlessness), while resistance (manyu ‘wrath’) is ritually ‘softened’ into pliancy. The mantra externalizes coercion as a natural physiological drift toward the operator.
Strong intention and suggestion can re-script emotion: longing manifests in the body, and the mind often rationalizes what the body is pushed to feel. Atharvanic speech treats vāc as a force that can redirect attachment and aversion.
- śucā
- erotic heat; tapas-like pressure that drives motion toward the operator
- vyoṣayā
- a stimulant/irritant that becomes the signature of longing; ‘spice’ as engineered craving
- śuṣkāsyā
- thirst/desire; loss of self-sufficiency
- abhi sarpa
- irresistible approach; desire as stealthy compulsion
- mṛduḥ
- pacified affect; disarmed defenses
- nimanyuḥ
- anger/agency ritually subdued
- kevalī
- monopolized attention; exclusivity-claim
- priyavādinī
- harmonized speech; affectionate compliance
- anuvratā
- submission to the operator’s saṅkalpa
Observe desire as heat and dryness; convert compulsion into mindful longing without harm.
Anāhata (attachment/affection) with spillover into Maṇipūra (heat/drive).
Cooling breath (śītalī/śītkārī) to pacify ‘śuc’ imagery; then steady nāḍī-śodhana for restraint.
Visualize the ‘burning’ dissolving into cool, gentle speech and mutual consent.
From rajasic craving toward sattvic tenderness.
Use the verse as a mirror: replace coercive intent with a vow of non-harm (ahiṃsā) and truthful sweetness (priyavāda) in communication.
Simple Atharvanic recitation with steady udātta emphasis on imperative phrases; avoid melodic elongation—keep it functional.
Stress the performatives: abhi sárpa, mṛdúr, ní-manyuḥ, kévalī, priyavā́dinī, anuvratā́.
Keep vyoṣayā as ‘vyo-ṣa-yā’ (clear ṣ), śuṣkāsyā: pronounce ṣk cluster cleanly, anuvratā: light ‘nu’, clear ‘vr’ consonant cluster
Low, intent, controlled—more ‘command’ than ‘song’.
In charm-recitation, the operator’s saṅkalpa is part of the rite: keep a single, unwavering intention; traditionally paired with a material analogue (spice/ointment), though not stated here.
21
Historically: attraction/vaśīkaraṇa. Contemporary ethical use: cultivating sweet speech and de-escalation in strained relationships.
Before a difficult conversation to soften one’s own anger and speech; not to override another’s consent.
Reduced reactivity, more affectionate communication, clearer recognition of desire’s bodily signals.
Do not use for coercion, stalking, or manipulation; if obsession/anxiety is present, seek professional support.
(1) व्योऽषया = व्योषया (अवग्रह: ओ-आ संधि; व्योषा + तृतीया एकवचन -या). (2) शुष्का॑स्या = शुष्कास्या (दीर्घ/स्वरचिह्न सहित; समास: शुष्क-आस्य, बहुव्रीहि ‘dry-mouthed’). (3) प्रियवा॒दिन्यनु॑व्रता = प्रियवादिनी + अनुव्रता (ई + अ → य्; sandhi: -नीअनु- → -न्यनु-).
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