Sukta 26
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (seer attribution varies by anukramaṇī for the surrounding hymn)
Devata: A propitiated protective/healing power (often addressed as a benevolent agent capable of both expulsion and grace; specific devatā depends on the hymn’s heading in the anukramaṇī)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (short imperative cola; exact metrical classification depends on pada-counting in the full hymn context)
अथर्वणीयः संक्षिप्तः रक्षोघ्न-भैषज्य-मन्त्रः। प्रथमं स घातुकान् शत्रून् बलान्—विशेषतः ‘इषुं’ तथा यमसम्बद्धं मृत्युतत्त्वं—अपाकरोति, ततः शरीरस्य वंशस्य च कल्याण-स्थैर्यं गृहस्थे प्रतिष्ठापयितुं प्रवर्तते। अस्य प्रभावः आज्ञार्थक-अपसारणवाक्येन (अपोत्प्रैविकेन) सह प्रसाद-याचनया संयुक्तः—आहूताः शक्तयः ‘प्रसन्नाः’ भवन्तु, गृहे क्षेमं पुष्टिं समृद्धिं च स्थापयन्त्विति।
Mantras
Mantra 1
शर्मप्राप्तिः। आ॒रे॒३साव॒स्मद॑स्तु हे॒तिर्दे॑वासो असत्। आ॒रे अश्मा॒ यमस्य॑थ
आरे३सावस्मदस्तु हेतिर्देवासो असत् । आरे अश्मा यमस्यथ ॥
Mantra 2
सखा॒साव॒स्मभ्य॑मस्तु रा॒तिः सखेन्द्रो॒ भगः॑ सवि॒ता चि॒त्ररा॑धाः
सा नः सखासावस्मभ्यं रतिरस्तु; सखेन्द्रः सखा भगः, सखा च सविता चित्रराधाः।
Mantra 3
यू॒यं नः॑ प्रवतो नपा॒न्मरु॑तः॒ सूर्य॑त्वचसः । शर्म॑ यच्छाथ स॒प्रथाः॑
यूयं नः प्रवतो नपान्मरुतः सूर्यत्वचसः । शर्म यच्छाथ सप्रथाः ॥
Mantra 4
सु॒षू॒दत॑ मृ॒डत॑ मृ॒डया॑ नस्त॒नूभ्यो॒ मय॑स्तो॒केभ्य॑स्कृधि॑
सुषूदत मृडत मृडया नस्तनूभ्यो मयस्तोकभ्यः कृधि॥
Frequently Asked Questions
For protection: it sends away hostile harm and death’s reach, and then asks for bodily well-being and safety/prosperity of children in the household.
Yama represents the death-principle; the “stone” (aśman) functions as a symbol of fatal strike or death’s claim, which the mantra pushes far away (āre).
No. In the supplied verses it functions primarily as a spoken charm; optional simple acts like sprinkling clean water or symbolically setting aside a stone may accompany recitation in some traditions.
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