Sukta 130
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often treated as anonymous/atharvanic for such kāmya hymns)
Devata: Smara (Kāma) empowered through Apsarases; Gods as dispatchers
Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (edition-dependent; many AV love-spells are treated as anuṣṭubh)
अथर्वणीयः संक्षिप्तः काम्यः प्रेममन्त्रः अयं—अप्सरसां देवतानां च प्रेषणेन स्मरः (कामः) प्रेष्यते, येनाभिलषितः पुरुषः/स्त्री प्रेमरोगी, चञ्चलः, विरहदाहेन दग्ध इव कर्तरि प्रति तीव्रलालसः भवति। अत्र वशीकरणं प्रतिद्वन्द्विनां निरासेन सह योज्यते—लक्ष्यं केवलं कर्तारं स्मरेत्, अन्यान् सर्वान् विस्मरेदिति आज्ञाप्यते। अस्य प्रभावः दैवप्रेषणरूपेण निरूप्यते—देवा एव स्मरं प्रचोदयन्ति, मरुतोऽग्निश्च लक्ष्यस्य अन्तःकरणे उन्मादतापं वर्धयतः।
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
स्मरः। र॒थ॒जितां॑ राथजिते॒यीना॑मप्स॒रसा॑म॒यं स्म॒रः । देवाः॒ प्र हि॑णुत स्म॒रम॒सौ मामनु॑ शोचतु
स्मरः । रथजितां राथजितेयीना॑मप्सरसामयं स्मरः । देवाः प्र हिणुत स्मरमसौ मामनु शोचतु ॥
Mantra 2
अ॒सौ मे॑ स्मरता॒दिति॑ प्रि॒यो मे॑ स्मरता॒दिति॑ । देवाः॒ प्र हि॑णुत स्म॒रम॒सौ मामनु॑ शोचतु
असौ मे स्मरतादिति प्रियो मे स्मरतादिति । देवाः प्र हिणुत स्मरमसौ मामनु शोचतु ॥
Mantra 3
यथा॒ मम॒ स्मरा॑द॒सौ नामुष्या॒हं क॒दा च॒न। देवाः॒ प्र हि॑णुत स्म॒रम॒सौ मामनु॑ शोचतु
यथा असौ दूरस्थो मां स्मरेत, न तु अमुष्याहं कदाचन। हे देवाः, स्मरं प्र हिणुत; असौ मामनु शोचतु।
Mantra 4
उन्मा॑दयत मरुत॒ उद॑न्तरिक्ष मादय । अग्न॒ उन्मा॑दया॒ त्वम॒सौ मामनु॑ शोचतु
हे मरुतः, तमुन्मादयत; हे अन्तरिक्ष, मादय। हे अग्ने, त्वमपि तमुन्मादय; असौ मामनु शोचतु।
Inside Sukta 130
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by naming Smara as an Apsaras-empowered force—‘this is the Smara of the Apsarases’—and immediately calls on the gods to dispatch it.
- What it asks
That the ‘yonder one’ (asau) pine after the operator, burning with longing, and that remembrance be fixed on the performer alone (with rival exclusion).
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through divine agency and intensification: the gods ‘drive forth’ Smara, while Maruts and Agni are commanded to madden and inflame the target.
- How it closes
It seals repeatedly with the refrain-like command: ‘asau māmanu śocatu’—let that person burn after me.
Famous verses
devāḥ pra hiṇuta smaram / asau māmanu śocatu
yathā mama smarād asau … na amuṣyāhaṃ kadā cana
unmādayata marutaḥ … agne unmādayā tvam
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika (Erotic compulsion / fascination; love-magic)
What it is for
Compel the target to burn with longing, remember the operator exclusively, and become emotionally driven toward them.
Who it is for
A ritual practitioner or householder seeking to attract/retain a lover or spouse, especially where rivalry or wavering attention is feared.
Also used as
- Vaśīkaraṇa (fascination/attraction)
- Kāmya (desire-fulfilling)
- Sāpatna-nivāraṇa (rival-exclusion, implicit)
The deity
Smara is the personified force of erotic memory and longing, here specifically identified as the Smara belonging to Apsarases (celestial enchantresses) and their lineages (Rathajitāḥ/Rāthajiteyyaḥ), making desire a summoned, directed power rather than a private emotion.
Powers of the deity
- Ignites longing and ‘burning’ (śoc-) in the target
- Binds the mind to exclusive remembrance of the operator
- Creates restlessness, intoxication-like agitation, and pursuit
- Operates through divine agencies (devas ‘drive forth’ the force; Maruts/Agni inflame it)
Why the deity is called
To send and concentrate erotic desire so the target pines after the performer, becomes mentally seized by remembrance, and is turned away from rivals.
The seer
- Atharvanic (anonymous kāmya tradition)Atharvan. Kāmya mantras for vaśīkaraṇa (fascination), smaraṇa-bandhana (binding remembrance), and erotic compulsion framed as divine “sending” of Kāma/Smara.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.8 (vaśīkaraṇa / fascination-type charm, tradition-dependent attribution)
- AV 6.9 (love/fascination charm, tradition-dependent attribution)
- AV 6.131 (adjacent kāmya material in the same book, often treated as Atharvanic/anonymous)
Preparing for the rite
- Maintain privacy and focused intention; identify the target clearly (name or mental designation ‘asau’).
- Purificatory rinse (ācamanam) and brief Agni-focused centering, since Agni appears as an inflamer in the hymn.
- Choose a quiet place facing east or toward the household fire (if available).
The rite
- Recite the four mantras as a ‘sending’ (pra-hiṇu-) of Smara, visualizing the force moving from the gods/Apsarases into the target’s mind and heart.
- On the refrain ‘asau māmanu śocatu’, fix the intention of exclusive longing and repeated remembrance.
- Optionally repeat the core refrain verse as a japa-cycle for reinforcement, especially the rival-excluding formulation (6.130.3).
When
Traditionally suited to twilight or night (desire/meeting context), or when the target is thought to be receptive; editional/lineage practice varies.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to intensify attraction and compel a specific person to pine after the performer, with an emphasis on exclusive remembrance and longing.
Apsarases embody enchantment and irresistible allure; the hymn treats Smara as their empowered force, making desire a summoned and directed potency.
In the received text of this sukta, no specific substances are prescribed; it functions primarily as a spoken/recited ‘sending’ of Smara, though later practice may add customary purifications.
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