Atharva Veda 4.20.1 — Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 1
Sukta 20
पिशाचक्षयणम्। आ प॑श्यति॒ प्रति॑ पश्यति॒ परा॑ पश्यति॒ पश्य॑ति । दिव॑म॒न्तरि॑क्ष॒माद् भूमिं॒ सर्वं॒ तद् दे॑वि पश्यति
piśācakṣáyaṇam | ā́ paśyati práti paśyati párā paśyati páśyati | dívaṃ antárikṣam ā́d bhū́miṃ sárvaṃ tád devi paśyati
A Piśāca-destroyer is she: she looketh hither, she looketh back in answer, she looketh forth afar—she looketh. From heaven, from mid-air, down unto earth, all that is, O Goddess, she beholdeth.
पिशाचक्षयणी सा। आ पश्यति, प्रति पश्यति, परा पश्यति, पश्यति। दिवमन्तरिक्षमाद् भूमिं सर्वं तद् देवि पश्यति।
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn to a deified oṣadhi)
Devata: Devī Oṣadhi (plant-goddess) as piśāca-destroyer
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (prose-like repetitions within metrical frame)
Primary: bhayankara
Secondary: vira
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