Atharva Veda 2.25.5: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 5
Sukta 25
परा॑च एना॒न् प्र णु॑द॒ कण्वा॑न् जीवित॒योप॑नान्। तमां॑सि॒ यत्र॒ गच्छ॑न्ति॒ तत् क्र॒व्यादो॑ अजीगमम्
parā́ca enā́n prá ṇuda kánvān jīvitayópanān | tamā́ṃsi yátra gáchanti tát kravyā́do ajīgamam ||
Drive ye these forth and far away—these Kánvas, life-besetters, near-approachers. Unto the darkness where they wend, thither have I dispatched the flesh-devourer.
จงผลักไสพวกเขาออกไป ให้ไกลออกไป—พวกกัณวะ (Kaṇva) ผู้คุกคามชีวิต ผู้เข้ามาใกล้. สู่ความมืดที่พวกเขามุ่งไป ณ ที่นั้นเราได้ส่ง “ผู้กินเนื้อ” (kravyāda) ไปแล้ว
The meaning
What it says
The speaker commands: drive these (life-harming near-approachers) away; to the darkness where they go, there the flesh-devourer (kravyād) has been sent.
The inner meaning
A psychological banishment: compulsions, parasitic thoughts, or draining relationships are pushed to their proper distance; the ‘darkness’ is the unconscious sink where unassimilable patterns are returned, carried off by a devouring force.
The truth in it
Health requires boundaries and proper placement: what belongs to disorder must be relocated to its own sphere; expulsion is a legitimate form of healing when integration is impossible.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Abhicarika (Apotropaic/Hostile expulsion)
Its aim
To expel near-pressing vitality-harming entities (human rivals or demonic afflictors) and consign them to the ‘darkness’ that is their proper sphere; to protect the patient/household’s life-force.
Word by Word
Pada patha
परा॑चः । ए॒ना॒न् । प्र । णु॒द॒ । कण्वा॑न् । जी॒वि॒त॒यः । उप॑नान् । तमां॑सि । यत्र॑ । गच्छ॑न्ति । तत् । क्र॒व्यादः॑ । अ॒जी॒ग॒म॒म् ।
- पराचः
- turned away; avertedawayward, turned away (driven off from here; apotropaic directionality)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पराञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) < परा + अञ्च्
- एनान्
- these (persons/ones)these (the targeted beings—hostile entities/afflictors—made present by deictic force)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) — एतद्/इदम्-श्रुति
- प्र
- forth; forward; awayforth, forward (intensifier of expulsion; ‘right out’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- णुद
- drive (them) awaythrust! drive! (imperative of nud-; ritual command-effect)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot नुद् (धातु) ‘to push/drive’
- कण्वान्
- the Kaṇvas (a class/people so called)Kanvas (here: a named class/lineage invoked as hostile or as ‘others’; in Sayana-style reading, a specific group to be expelled)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot कण्व (प्रातिपदिक; जन/ऋषि-नाम)
- जीवितयूपनान्
- those who fasten/attach (others) to life; life-binding (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot जीवितयूपन (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास) = जीवित + यूपन
- तमांसि
- darknesses; dark regionsdarknesses (realms of obscurity; also the ‘dark’ destination of banished evil)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गच्छन्ति-क्रियायाः)Root तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot यत्र (अव्यय)
- गच्छन्ति
- gothey go (their proper course; the banishment is aligned with their destined path)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot गम् (धातु) ‘to go’
- तत्
- that (place/condition)that (that very place; demonstrative fixing the destination)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रव्यादः
- the flesh-eater (demon/ghoul)flesh-eater, carrion-devourer (a demonic/ghoulish being; also a disease-personification consuming the body)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अजीगमम्-क्रियायाः)Root क्रव्याद् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘flesh-eater’)
- अजीगमम्
- I sent/caused to go; I drove (it) awayI have sent/caused to go (perfect with causative force in ritual speech: ‘I have dispatched’)Verbलुङ् (अorist), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot गम् (धातु) ‘to go’ (सन्नन्त/इच्छार्थ-आवृत्तिः: जिगमिष्/जिगम्-आधारः)
Sandhi Notes
- पराचः एनान् प्र णुद कण्वान् जीवितयूपनान् । तमांसि यत्र गच्छन्ति तत् क्रव्यादः अजीगमम् ।
- 1) परा॑च एना॒न् → पराचः + एनान् (विसर्ग-सन्धिः; ‘ः’ before vowel)
- ‘प्र’ उपसर्गः + ‘णुद’ (नुद्-धातोः लोट् 2sg; Vedic spelling with ण-)
- 3) क्र॒व्यादो॑ → क्रव्यादः (प्रथमा एकवचन; पदान्त ‘ओ’ = विसर्ग-प्रकृतिः in संहिता)
- ‘तत्’ कर्मपदम् (that place/goal) + कर्ता ‘क्रव्यादः’
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution for AV 2.25 varies by anukramaṇī traditions; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type in apotropaic corpora)
- Devata
- Apotropaic force directed against Kravyād and life-harming near-approachers (rakṣas/piśāca-type); the ‘darkness’ functions as the receiving locus
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; Atharvanic anuṣṭubh with minor irregularities)
- Rasa
- Raudra and Bhayankara
Sayana-style construal treats the verse as an expulsion-formula (nirasana) aimed at hostile beings who ‘press upon life’ (jīvitayaḥ) and ‘come near’ (upanān). ‘Kanvas’ is taken not as the RV seer-family in honorific sense but as a named hostile set (or as a conventional label for inimical persons/spirits in this karman). ‘Kravyād’ is glossed as a ghoul/demonic devourer (rakṣaḥ/piśāca-type) or as a consuming affliction; the speaker’s ‘ajīgamam’ is performative—by utterance he effects the sending to the destined dark region (tamāṃsi).
Unknown (Atharvanic/Angiras apotropaic stratum)
Rakṣoghna expulsion and directional banishment; deployment of ‘carrier’ entities (kravyād) to remove affliction.
Shows the Angiras-like edge within Atharvan practice: aggressive removal, consigning harm to darkness, using a devourer principle instrumentally.
Banishment-force; Kravyād as personified remover
Restores social/ritual order by relocating impurity and predation to the margins; aligns the household with light (jyotis) by pushing harm into tamas.
Strong apotropaic thrust; creates distance and ‘proper place’ for hostile agencies.
4 pādas × ~8 syllables; compact imperatives and deictics typical of AV charms.
Alliterative force (parāc… pra ṇuda) reinforces the ‘push’ action; minor syllabic compression via sandhi.
Hard, expulsive beats; the second hemistich drops into heavier ‘tamāṃsi’ gravity.
Creates a felt vector outward; the final phrase functions like a sealing ‘dispatch’ statement.
The Atharvan priest establishes a protective boundary (liminal line/threshold) for the patient or dwelling.
Facing the ritually inauspicious direction (commonly south or toward a waste-place), he recites the mantra as a direct command (ṇuda) of expulsion.
A physical ‘driving’ act accompanies the speech: sweeping, pushing with a staff, or casting away a token (dust/ashes/grass) to embody ‘parāc’ (away).
The destination is verbally fixed (‘tamāṃsi yatra gacchanti’) and the hostile agency is ‘sent’ (ajīgamam) beyond the boundary—often toward a crossroads, refuse-heap, or uninhabited margin.
The rite concludes with reorientation to the auspicious quarter and a sealing act (silence, sprinkling, or tying-on of a protective element) to prevent return.
Kauśika Sūtra: expulsion (nirasana) and rakṣohāṇa-type procedures; this mantra is used in sequences that ‘drive away’ (nud-) hostile beings toward a liminal direction (often west/south or toward a boundary). (Exact pada-by-pada assignment varies by Kauśika recensions; consult the nirasana-prakaraṇa for AV 2.25 deployment.)
Atharvan/Brahman officiant as apotropaic technician: he performs the authoritative speech-act (imperative + performative perfect) and executes the boundary/expulsion gestures to relocate the affliction outside the social body.
Used at thresholds (door, bed-space, cattle-pen edge) to drive away persistent ‘near’ harms; may be accompanied by outward sweeping gesture or disposal of impurity to a remote place.
Night, liminal transitions, after an inauspicious encounter, or when repeated disturbances cluster.
Householder or Atharvan specialist; performs outward-facing recitation toward the direction of removal (often west/southwest in later practice, context-dependent).
Verbal boundary ritual paired with practical steps (blocking contact, cleaning, removing triggering objects).
Directional banishment (parāc- ‘away’ as a ritual vector); Darkness/remote place (tamāṃsi as destination-symbol); Kravyād (personified devourer/ghoul as carrier of removal)
Not all charms heal by soothing; some heal by relocating. ‘Darkness’ is the cosmic waste-bin; ‘flesh-eater’ is the composting force that prevents return.
Life-draining affliction conceptualized as near-pressing entities (rakṣas/piśāca) or hostile human agency; protective against wasting, fear, and recurring disturbance.
Directional banishment plus transfer: the devourer (kravyād) is sent as a carrier to escort the affliction to its domain (darkness).
Tamas as guṇa of stagnation; removal of tamasic influence; metaphorically akin to eliminating āma/bioburden rather than ‘balancing’ it in place.
Boundary-setting in toxic environments; infection-control ‘source removal’; trauma-trigger avoidance during acute phases.
Rakṣas/piśāca-type afflictors or rival malefic intent; any ‘near-pressing’ vitality drain.
Forcefully expel life-harming near-approachers and consign them to darkness, using kravyād as the remover-carrier.
Directional vector (parāc) + verbal thrust (pra-ṇud) + consigning to tamas + transfer via kravyād (carrier principle).
Wasting/weakening, nightmares, repeated misfortune, psychic harassment.
- पराचः (parācaḥ)
- directional magic; boundary-setting as therapy
- प्र णुद (pra ṇuda)
- forceful removal of affliction; decisive disengagement
- उपनान् (upānān)
- subtle, proximal threats (creeping illness, stalking malice, intrusive thoughts)
- तमांसि (tamāṃsi)
- their proper habitat; entropy/ignorance domain; the ‘outside’ of r̥ta
- क्रव्यादः (kravyādaḥ)
- a devouring remover—death/decay principle used as a carrier to take away evil
Practice decisive inner ‘no’: expel intrusive thought-forms to the periphery; return attention to inner light.
Muladhara (boundary/safety)
Forceful but controlled exhale on pra ṇuda; then slow nasal inhale to reestablish calm.
A dark mass at the edge of the aura is pushed outward along a corridor into a distant dark field; a devouring shadow-bird carries it away, leaving clear space.
Protective vigilance transitioning to grounded steadiness.
Use briefly; end with a calming mantra or silent breath to avoid remaining in raudra activation.
Keep the initial parāc… pra ṇuda with strong udātta emphasis; drop slightly in pitch on tamāṃsi to ‘place’ the destination.
Two thrusts: parāc (direction) + pra ṇuda (action). Pause after upānān; final clause spoken as accomplished fact (ajīgamam).
Commanding, outward; final pāda lower and firm (seal).
Traditionally paired with a physical outward action (sweeping, spitting aside, casting away) to embody pra-ṇud.
3 times
Persistent harassment, recurring ‘bad atmosphere’ at home, fear after inauspicious contact, or feeling energetically drained by proximity.
Immediately upon sensing intrusion; also at night before sleep if disturbances recur.
Rapid subjective relief, strengthened boundaries, reduced rumination and fear.
Not a substitute for addressing real-world abuse/safety; seek help if threatened. Avoid overuse if it increases anxiety.
No explicit plant or drug is named in this verse; efficacy is achieved through directional language (parāc), imperative force (ṇuda), and destination-fixing (tamāṃsi…tát). In practice, Kauśika-style performance often materializes the expulsion via a substitute object (dust/ashes/grass or a swept-out impurity), functioning analogously to a ‘carrier’ for the removed evil rather than a pharmacological agent.
The verse presumes an authorized ritual speaker who can command and ‘dispatch’ hostile agencies by speech-act. The naming of a group (kánvān) as expulsable ‘others’ reflects the Atharvanic tendency to map social antagonism onto ritualized categories of impurity/hostility, reinforcing the household/community boundary under priestly control.
The combination of imperative (ṇuda) with a performative perfect (ajīgamam) is characteristically Atharvanic in its pragmatic ‘spell’ style: the utterance both commands and declares completion. The semantic clustering of near-approach (upanān) and vitality-harm (jīvitayaḥ) reflects Atharvanic specialization toward affliction-language more than RV hymnody’s praise-register.
Gopatha Brahmana generally rationalizes Atharvanic mantras as effective through brahman (sacral speech) and correct application (yukti) in domestic rites, especially in rakṣas-repelling contexts. For a verse like this, its efficacy is framed as relocation of evil to its proper sphere (darkness/outer margin) by the priest’s authoritative utterance, aligning cosmological order (ṛta-like separation) with household protection.
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