Atharva Veda 8.2.12: Kanda 8, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 12
Sukta 2
आ॒रादरा॑तिं॒ निरृ॑तिं प॒रो ग्राहिं॑ क्र॒व्यादः॑ पिशा॒चान्। रक्षो॒ यत् सर्वं॑ दुर्भू॒तं तत् तम॑ इ॒वाप॑ हन्मसि
ārā́d arātíṃ nírṛtiṃ paráḥ grāhíṃ krav-yā́daḥ piśācā́n | rákṣo yát sárvaṃ durbhūtáṃ tát táma ivápá hanmasi
Far away [be] malignity and Nirṛti; far away the Seizer, the flesh-eaters, the Piśācas. Whatsoever Rakṣas, all that is ill-formed, that we smite away, as [one smites] darkness.
आराद् अरातिं निरृतिं च; परो ग्राहिं क्रव्यादः पिशाचान् च। यत् सर्वं रक्षो दुर्भूतं तत् तम इव अपहन्मसि।
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (rakṣoghna corpus; specific anukramaṇī attribution varies).
Devata: Rakṣoghna-brahman (the demon-smiting power of the mantra); adversarial focus on Nirṛti/Rakṣas/Piśācas.
Chandas: Likely Anuṣṭubh (requires metrical confirmation).
Primary: raudra
Secondary: vira
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