Sukta 2
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Devata: Apsarases and Gandharva; secondarily Samudra (as their seat/containment)
Chandas: Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type cadence (requires full hymn metrical audit; not safely fixed from one pāda in isolation)
Этот гимн обращается к гандхарве и апсарасам как к пограничным, стремительным существам, чьи внезапные появления способны нарушать человеческий порядок, здоровье и ритуальную чистоту. Называя их, воздавая им хвалу и указывая их местопребывание — прежде всего закрепляя их «сиденье» в Самудре (космических водах), — практикующий получает власть призывать их, отпускать или обезвреживать их воздействие. Его сила — в распознавании и удержании: в обозначении того, где им надлежит быть и как они движутся (ā ca parā ca yanti).
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
दि॒व्यो ग॑न्ध॒र्वो भुव॑नस्य॒ यस्पति॒रेक॑ ए॒व न॑म॒स्योऽवि॒क्ष्वीड्यः॑ । तं त्वा॑ यौमि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा दिव्य देव॒ नम॑स्ते अस्तु दि॒वि ते॑ स॒धस्थ॑म्
Небесный Гандхарва, владыка мироздания, единый — воистину достойный поклонения, не подлежащий поношению. Тебя, о боже небесный, я привязываю к себе Брахманом, священным заклятием. Поклон тебе: да будет в небе твоё утверждённое седалище.
Mantra 2
दि॒वि स्पृ॒ष्टो य॑ज॒तः सूर्य॑त्वगवया॒ता हर॑सो॒ दैव्य॑स्य । मृ॒डाद् ग॑न्ध॒र्वो भुव॑नस्य॒ यस्पति॒रेक॑ ए॒व न॑म॒स्यः सु॒शेवाः॑
Коснувшийся неба, почитаемый, с кожей, как солнце, гонимый вперёд — от божественного сияния. Из милости — Гандхарва, владыка мироздания: он один воистину достоин поклонения, всеблагой.
Mantra 3
अ॒न॒व॒द्याभिः॒ समु॑ जग्म आभिरप्स॒रास्वपि॑ गन्ध॒र्व आ॑सीत्। स॒मु॒द्र आ॑सां॒ सद॑नं म आहु॒र्यतः॑ स॒द्य आ च॒ परा॑ च॒ यन्ति॑
С безупречными он шёл в согласии; среди апсар он был — да, гандхарва. Море, говорят мне, — их обитель: оттуда они тотчас уходят и сюда, и прочь.
Mantra 4
अभ्रि॑ये॒ दिद्यु॒न्नक्ष॑त्रिये॒ या वि॒श्वाव॑सुं गन्ध॒र्वं सच॑ध्वे । ताभ्यो॑ वो देवी॒र्नम॒ इत् कृ॑णोमि
Абхрийе — сверкающей; Накшатри́йе — вам, о Богини, что пребываете в союзе с Вишвавасу, Гандхарвой, — тем, вам, о Богини, я воистину совершаю поклонение.
Mantra 5
याः क्ल॒न्दास्तमि॑षीचयो॒ऽक्षका॑मा मनो॒मुहः॑ । ताभ्यो॑ गन्ध॒र्वप॑त्नीभ्योऽप्स॒राभ्यो॑ऽकरं॒ नमः॑
Те, что плачут, что бродят во тьме, что жаждут игры в кости, что смущают ум, — им, жёнам гандхарвов, апсарам, я совершил поклонение.
Inside Sukta 2
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by exalting the heavenly Gandharva as singular, worthy of reverence, and approached through brahman (spell-power) and namas (placation).
- What it asks
To bind the Gandharva’s power in a protective mode and to fix the Apsaras–Gandharva host to their proper seat (heaven/samudra) rather than the human sphere.
- Where its power lies
The hymn asserts efficacy by making the beings ‘knowable’: they are named, their companions are specified, and their dwelling and movement are declared—turning chaotic visitation into regulated circulation.
- How it closes
Ends by obeisance and re-siting: the Gandharva’s ‘settled seat’ is placed in heaven, while the Apsarases are acknowledged and redirected to their locus (Samudra), sealing separation between their realm and ours.
Famous verses
taṃ tvā yaumi brahmaṇā
samudra āsāṃ sadanaṃ… ā ca parā ca yanti
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika / Apotropaic (spirit-control; liminal beings)
What it is for
To control liminal spirit-forces by naming, honoring, and fixing their dwelling-place, thereby preventing sudden afflictions, disturbances, or obsession and restoring calm order to the person/space.
Who it is for
Atharvanic household ritualists, healers (bhaiṣajika), and practitioners performing protection for homes, sleepers, women/children, and vulnerable liminal times (night, storms, travel).
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna
- Shantika
- Bhaisajya
The deity
The Gandharva is a celestial/liminal male power linked with fragrance, music, desire, and threshold-crossing; the Apsarases are his mobile, alluring female counterparts associated with cloud, lightning, stars, and sudden appearances. Samudra functions as their cosmological ‘seat’—a containment-zone and point of departure/return that makes their movement ritually legible.
Powers of the deity
- Moves swiftly between realms; ‘comes and goes’ suddenly (ā ca parā ca)
- Can fascinate, distract, or seize attention/mind; linked with possession-like disturbances
- Guards and controls liminal passages (night, wilderness, water, dream-space)
- Can be propitiated to become protective rather than disruptive
- Can be ‘bound’ or re-seated by mantra (brahman) and obeisance (namas)
Why the deity is called
To acknowledge and propitiate the Gandharva–Apsaras host, then ritually locate them in their proper seat (Samudra/heaven), so their intrusive presence is checked and their power is redirected into protection.
The seer
- Atharvanic traditionAtharvan. Rakṣoghna and abhicārika-style spirit-management: binding (yau/yojana), placation (namas), and re-siting of intrusive liminal beings (Gandharvas/Apsarases) to restore household and bodily order.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 2.1 (adjacent protective material in the same kanda context)
- AV 4.37 (Gandharva–Apsaras thematic cluster; tradition-level parallel, not a strict anukramaṇī attribution)
- AV 6.111 (spirit-warding and binding logic; thematic parallel)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet boundary-space (threshold, courtyard edge, or near a water-vessel) to emphasize ‘liminal control’.
- Perform ācamana and basic purification; keep the operator’s mind steady (avoid anger/fear, which ‘feeds’ liminal beings).
- Set a water-vessel (symbolic samudra) and, if available, a small cord/grass tie to represent ‘binding’ (yau/yojana).
The rite
- Recite the opening praise to the ‘divya Gandharva’ with namas, requesting his seat remain in heaven (stabilization).
- Recite the identifying/location verse that states Samudra as their seat and notes their movement (ā/para), using it as the operative ‘containment statement’.
- Offer verbal obeisance to named Apsaras figures (e.g., Abhriyā, Didyut, Nakṣatriyā) to pacify the retinue and prevent retaliation.
- Conclude by directing them to their proper abode (heaven/samudra), optionally circling the water-vessel clockwise as a sealing gesture.
What it needs
- Water in a vessel (as samudra-symbol and containment medium)
- Kusha/darbha grass or a cord (for symbolic binding/marking)
- Optional: ghee lamp or incense (to ‘sweeten’/placate rather than provoke)
When
Best at twilight (sandhyā), at nightfall, during storms/astral disturbances, or immediately upon signs of uncanny disturbance, bad dreams, or sudden agitation.
The main substance
Water (samudra-symbol)
Amulets
- Kusha/darbha tie or cord-knot used as a ‘binding marker’
- Water-vessel kept near the threshold during the rite
How it is prepared
Fill a clean vessel with water; place it at a boundary-point (threshold/courtyard edge). During recitation, treat it as the ‘seat/containment’ (sadana) for the invoked host; optionally knot a cord once while reciting the binding line to externalize the act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because ‘Samudra’ functions as a containment-locus: by declaring their proper dwelling-seat, the mantra relocates their activity away from the human sphere and makes their movement ritually controllable.
It is both in Atharvanic style: it begins with reverence (namas) and praise to pacify, then uses precise identification and re-siting language to regulate and limit liminal beings’ intrusion.
At liminal times (twilight/night), during stormy/astral disturbances, or when there are signs of uncanny agitation—bad dreams, sudden fear, household unrest—attributed to Gandharva–Apsaras influence.
Ask anything about Sukta 2 of the Atharva Veda
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