Sukta 100
Rishi: Requires hymn colophon consultation.
Devata: Apotropaic power of the mantra; implicitly Śānti (pacification) against duḥsvapna.
Chandas: Short anuṣṭubh-like pāda compressed into a single line (formulaic).
ఈ ఒక్క మంత్ర శాంతి-చార్మం దుఃస్వప్నం—అశుభమో భయంకరమో అయిన కలలు—మరియు వాటి వల్ల కలుగుతాయని నమ్మే దురదృష్టాన్ని తిరిగి తిప్పివేస్తుంది. “నేను దానిని అన్ని వైపులా తిరిగి పంపుతున్నాను” అనే బలమైన వాచిక క్రియ ద్వారా, కలల నుంచి పుట్టే పాపాన్ని హిమ్నం త్రోసివేసి, భూతి (వృద్ధి, క్షేమం)ను పునఃస్థాపిస్తుంది. నిద్ర అనే సరిహద్దు-క్షణంలో ఉంచే అపోత్రోపాయిక్ ముద్రలా ఇది పనిచేసి, మేల్కొనే జీవితంలో హాని వ్యక్తమయ్యే ముందే దానిని తిరగదీస్తుంది.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Inside Sukta 100
How it unfolds
- How it opens
A direct identification of the act: ‘duḥsvapna-nāśanam’—the formula is framed as a nightmare-destroyer.
- What it asks
To turn back on every side the evil dream and the harm/ill arising from dreaming.
- Where its power lies
The speaker’s performative verb (‘pari-āvart-e’) claims immediate efficacy: the harm is reversed and cannot adhere.
- How it closes
The list concludes with ‘abhūti’ (lack of thriving) being turned away—ending on restoration of bhūti as the hymn’s sealing outcome.
Famous verses
पर्यावर्ते (pari-āvart-e), ‘I turn it back on every side’दुःस्वप्न्यात् (duḥsvapnyāt), ‘from evil dream’अभूत्याः (abhūtyāḥ), ‘from lack of thriving’Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya / Śānti (duḥsvapna-nāśana; nightmare-warding)
What it is for
Nightmare-warding and reversal of dream-born ill-luck, leading to protection and renewed bhūti (thriving).
Who it is for
Householders, patients, children, or anyone troubled by nightmares/inauspicious dreams; recited by the person themselves or by a family priest/atharvan specialist.
Also used as
- Bhaisajya
- Raksha (apotropaic protection)
The deity
Not a personalized god but the protective efficacy of the spoken Atharvanic formula, directed against duḥsvapna (nightmare/evil dream) and its perceived downstream ill-effects. The ‘deity’ is the mantra’s turning-back power that reverses inauspiciousness and blocks dream-omens from ripening into real-world loss.
Powers of the deity
- Repels and reverses evil dreams (duḥsvapna)
- Turns back pāpa (harm/inauspiciousness) arising from liminal experiences
- Neutralizes dream-begotten mischief (svapnya abhūti)
- Restores bhūti: thriving, prosperity, bodily and social well-being
- Establishes śānti (pacification) at the boundary of sleep and waking
Why the deity is called
To avert nightmares and cancel the misfortune attributed to ominous dreams, ensuring safe sleep and renewed thriving on waking.
The seer
- Requires hymn colophon consultationAtharvan. Śānti and bhaisajya-style apotropaic formulas: brief reversals and expulsions of harm (pāpa, ariṣṭa) especially in liminal states such as sleep and dreaming
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 7.100 (this hymn); further attributions require the hymn colophon/Anukramaṇī for confirmation
Preparing for the rite
- Clean the sleeping space; reduce sources of impurity and disturbance (noise, quarrel, leftover food).
- Calm the mind before sleep (brief silence or steady breathing); set the intention to ‘turn back’ duḥsvapna.
- Optionally prepare a small protective token (knot/cord) or a sip of clean water to accompany the recitation.
The rite
- Recite the mantra once with firm intention of reversal (pari-āvart-) directed outward from oneself.
- Gesture of ‘turning away’ may accompany: a simple outward sweep of the hand from head/heart toward the four directions.
- If used for another person (child/patient), recite near the head of the sleeper and symbolically ‘send away’ the harm from the body to the outside.
What it needs
- Primary: speech/mantra itself
- Optional: clean water for sipping or sprinkling
- Optional: simple cord/thread or small amulet token (mantra as protective seal)
When
At bedtime, immediately after an ominous dream, or at waking from a nightmare; can be repeated on successive nights if distress persists.
The main substance
Mantra (speech as protective amulet)
Amulets
- Optional cord/thread or small token kept near the bed as a reminder/seal of protection
How it is prepared
No material preparation is required; the ‘preparation’ is primarily mental and spatial—quieting the sleeping area and reciting with a clear intention of reversal.
Frequently Asked Questions
It ‘turns back’ duḥsvapna (evil or frightening dreams) and the misfortune believed to come from them, aiming to restore bhūti—well-being and thriving.
At bedtime, immediately after an ominous dream, or upon waking from a nightmare. It can also be used on successive nights if bad dreams repeat.
No. The hymn is designed as a compact apotropaic formula where speech itself is the protection. Optional supports like water or a simple cord may be used, but they are not required.
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