Sukta 28
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angiras-type attribution (exact r̥ṣi for 1.28 requires full anukramaṇī data).
Devata: Counter-sorcery against a yātudhānī/witch-like female agent (functional ‘devatā’ is the addressed/targeted malefic power).
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (requires full metrical verification; pāda division suggests a common AV śloka cadence).
अथर्ववेदस्य १.२८ सूक्तं संक्षिप्तं रक्षोघ्नं मन्त्रसमूहः, यत् यातुधान्याः शापं स्तम्भनमोहं च नवजातस्य प्राणापहारिणीं हिंसां प्रत्यावर्तयति। अत्र दाहः प्रतिक्रमः (प्रति-) दण्ड्यं च “स्वयमेवात्मभक्ष” इव रूपकं चाभिधीयते, येन सा दुष्टशक्तिः स्वस्रोतसि एव निपत्य स्वयमेव क्षीयते, बालस्य गृहस्य च क्षेमं पुनः स्थापयति।
Mantras
Mantra 1
रक्षोघ्नम्। उप॒ प्रागा॑द् दे॒वो अ॒ग्नी र॑क्षो॒हामी॑व॒चात॑नः । दह॒न्नप॑ द्वया॒विनो॑ यातु॒धाना॑न् किमी॒दिनः॑
उप प्रागाद् देवोऽग्निर्रक्षोहामीवचातनः; दहन्नप द्वयाविनो यातुधानान् किमीदिनः।
Mantra 2
प्रति॑ दह यातु॒धाना॒न् प्रति॑ देव किमी॒दिनः॑ । प्र॒तीचीः॑ कृष्णवर्तने॒ सं द॑ह यातुधा॒न्यः
प्रति दह यातुधानान्, प्रति देव किमीदिनः। प्रतीचीः कृष्णवर्तने सं दह यातुधान्यः॥
Mantra 3
या श॒शाप॒ शप॑नेन॒ याघं मूर॑माद॒धे। या रस॑स्य॒ हर॑णाय जा॒तमा॑रे॒भे तो॒कम॑त्तु॒ सा
या शशाप शपनेन, याघं मूरमादधे; या रसस्य हरणाय जातमारेभे तोकमत्तु सा।
Mantra 4
पु॒त्रम॑त्तु यातुधा॒नीः स्वसा॑रमु॒त न॒प्त्यऽम्। अधा॑ मि॒थो वि॑के॒श्यो॒३वि घ्न॑तां यातुधा॒न्यो॒३वि तृ॑ह्यन्तामरा॒य्यः
पुत्रमत्तु यातुधानीः स्वसारमुत नप्त्यम्। अधा मिथो विकेश्यः वि घ्नतां यातुधान्यः वि तृह्यन्तामराय्यः॥
Frequently Asked Questions
It addresses witchcraft-like harm: curses, stupefying spells, and attacks that drain a newborn/child’s vitality. The hymn’s strategy is to repel and ‘burn back’ the hostile force and make the harm return to its sender.
This is a pratyāvartana (reversal) image: the malefic power is compelled to recoil upon the one who launched it. The language is imprecatory and symbolic of total neutralization—harm collapses inward rather than reaching the victim.
Not according to the hymn’s wording: it works primarily through spoken command and the imagery of burning/reversal. Practically, reciters may use a household fire as a focus and simple purification (clean water, a marked safe space), but no specific substance is required by the text.
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