Atharva Veda 2.18.4: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 4

Sukta 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पि॒शा॒च॒क्षय॑णमसि पिशाच॒चात॑नं मे दाः॒ स्वाहा॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.18.4

IAST Transliteration

piśāca-kṣáyaṇam asi piśāca-cátanaṁ me dāḥ svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thou art the wasting of the Piśācas; bestow on me the driving-forth of the Piśācas—svāhā.

Translation

ท่านคือผู้ทำให้ปิศาจปีศาจพีศาจะ (Piśāca) เสื่อมสลาย; ขอประทานฤทธิ์ขับไล่พีศาจะให้แก่ข้าพเจ้า—สวาหา (svāhā).

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Word by Word

• पिशाचक्षयणम्: (you are) the destruction/abode-of-decay of the Piśācas; i.e., a Piśāca-destroyer
• पिशाचक्षयणम्: कर्म (असि के साथ विधेय/विशेष्य-रूपेण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच- (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षयण- (प्रातिपदिक; √क्षि/क्षय् ‘क्षय/नाश’ से) अथवा √क्षि ‘क्षय’ + युच्/अन प्रत्यय

• असि: you are
• असि: (सम्बन्धक क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (भू/सत्तायाम्)

• पिशाचचातनम्: a Piśāca-expeller / Piśāca-destroying charm
• पिशाचचातनम्: कर्म (दाः के साथ दातव्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच- (प्रातिपदिक) + चातन- (प्रातिपदिक; √चत्/चात् ‘नाश/प्रेरण/भग्न’—‘चातयति’ परम्परा)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (दाः के साथ ‘मम/मह्यम्’ = to me)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

• दाः: give (grant)
• दाः: (सम्बन्धक क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम्; कर्म = पिशाचचातनम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (दाने)

• स्वाहा: svāhā (hail; offering-formula)
• स्वाहा: (मन्त्र-निपात; यज्ञ/आहुति-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (निपात/उद्गार)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (exact r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī; commonly Atharvan/Angiras-type for rakṣoghna material)

Devata: Mantra/Charm as personified apotropaic power; functionally directed against Piśācas

Chandas: Mixed/short formulaic; effectively treated as a brief anuṣṭubh-like utterance in ritual use

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: raudra