Atharva Veda 5.6.2: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 6, Mantra 2
Sukta 6
अना॑प्ता॒ ये वः॑ प्रथ॒मा यानि॒ कर्मा॑णि चक्रि॒रे। वी॒रान् नो॒ अत्र मा द॑भ॒न् तद् व॑ ए॒तत् पु॒रो द॑धे
anā́ptā yé vaḥ prathamā́ yā́ni kármāṇi cakriré | vīrā́n no átra mā́ dabhan tád va etád puró dadhe ||
Unattaining were they, the first of you, who wrought those works: let them not here beguile our heroes; this very thing I set before you as a fore-guard.
พวกแรกในหมู่พวกท่าน ผู้กระทำกิจเหล่านั้น ยังมิได้บรรลุถึงผล. ขออย่าให้เขามาหลอกลวงวีรชนของเราที่นี่เลย; สิ่งนี้เองเราวางไว้ต่อหน้าพวกท่าน เป็นแนวหน้าและเครื่องคุ้มกัน.
The meaning
What it says
Those of you who first performed such works were ‘unattaining’; let them not deceive our heroes here—this I place before you as a fore-guard.
The inner meaning
Refusal to be psychologically ‘beguiled’: the community sets a mental and social perimeter so confidence and courage are not undermined by hostile narratives or occult fear.
The truth in it
Protection begins by placing a clear boundary in front of the self and group—naming deception, and installing a counter-intention before it takes hold.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Rakṣoghna (Apotropaic) / Abhicārika-counter (Counter-sorcery)
Its aim
To neutralize hostile ritual acts and prevent harm to the community’s men/warriors by setting a protective barrier in front.
Word by Word
Pada patha
अन्-आप्ताः । ये । वः । प्रथमाḥ । यानि । कर्माणि । चक्रिरे । वीरान् । नः । अत्र । मा । दभन् । तत् । वः । एतत् । पुरः । दधे ।
- अना॑प्ताः
- not attained / not reached (i.e., unsuccessful)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अन्-आप्त (प्रा. ‘आप्त’ < √आप् ‘to obtain’ with privative अन्-)
- ये
- who (those who)who; relative pronoun.Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you / youryour; of you (addressed group—often rival practitioners or hostile agencies).Pronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- प्रथ॒माः
- first (earliest)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- यानि
- which (things)which; the deeds that.Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्माणि
- deeds, actsacts/ritual operations; karman as performed rite.Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चक्रिरे
- they have done / they didthey have done; performed.Verbलिट् (परस्मैपद-समकक्षः आत्मनेपद-रूपम्), 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot √कृ (करणे)
- वीरान्
- heroes, brave menheroes/men; our strong men (also ‘sons/warriors’ as social unit).Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- our / for usour/us.Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अत्र
- herehere; in this place/occasion (ritual space).Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अत्र (अव्यय)
- मा
- do notnot; prohibitive particle.Indeclinableअव्ययम् (prohibitive)Root मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- दभन्
- let them not harm / may they not injureharm/deceive/overreach; injure by guile (hostile magic).Verbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगे निषेध ‘मा’ सह: 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (injunctive/imperative sense)Role KartāRoot √दभ् (हिंसायाम्/द्रोहे; ‘to harm, deceive’)
- तत्
- thatthat; that very (protective countermeasure).Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- to you / for youfor you/against you; to you (dative/ethical; here adversative sense possible).Pronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- एतत्
- thisthis; the present act/formula.Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरः
- in front, beforehandin front; as a fore-guard, before (protective placement).Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पुरस् (अव्ययीभाव/उपसर्गवत् अव्यय)
- दधे
- I have placed / I setI place/set; I establish (ritual ‘setting’ of protection).Verbलिट्, 1 पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KartāRoot √धा (धारणे/निधाने)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (resolved): अना॑प्ताः | ये | वः | प्रथ॒माः | यानि | कर्मा॑णि | चक्रि॒रे | वीरान् | नः | अत्र | मा | द॑भन् | तत् | वः | ए॒तत् | पु॒रः | द॑धे । मुख्य-सन्धि/संहितालक्षणम्:
- (1) ‘कर्मा॑णि चक्रि॒रे’—स्वर/पदविभागः
- वीरान् + नः (पदसीमा पर न् स्थिर).
- (3) ‘तद् व॑’—तत् + वः में द् + वः (जिह्वामूलीय/उपध्मानीय नहीं; साधारण संधि-सीमा).
- (4) ‘पु॒रो द॑धे’—पुरः (अव्यय) + दधे
- विसर्गः पदान्ते संहितायां ‘ओ’ (पुरो) रूपेण दर्शित।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (uncertain at verse-level)
- Devata
- Brahman/mantra as protective force (implicit); addressed adversaries as hostile agents
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes the verse as a counter-charm: it recalls the failure of hostile operators (‘unattained’) and establishes a protective ‘front’ (puras) so that the community’s men/sons are not harmed by deceitful rites. ‘Puro dadhe’ is performative—by utterance the priest places an unseen barrier in advance.
AVŚ 5.6 (contextual cluster: brahman-grounding followed by apotropaic deployment)
Anukramaṇī-level attribution uncertain (Atharvanic compilers)
Rakṣoghna and counter-sorcery (pratiṣedha) formulas; establishing ‘front-guard’ barriers through speech.
Shows Atharvanic logic: metaphysical warrant (5.6.1) immediately becomes a practical protective installation (5.6.2).
Brahman/Mantra as protective fore-guard (implicit)
Operative speech that stands at the boundary and prevents hostile ‘works’ from reaching their mark.
Indirect: prevents psychosomatic and spirit-linked harms attributed to hostile rites.
Primary: blocks deception, bewitchment, and ritual aggression aimed at the household’s ‘vīras’.
4×8 (with minor AV sandhi-driven elasticity)
Charm-style anuṣṭubh with strong prohibitive (mā) and performative placement (dadhe).
Crisp, martial, directive—suited to ‘setting’ a guard.
Builds confidence and a sense of defended frontage.
Define the ritual boundary (a line, cord, or threshold) ‘in front’ of the protected persons/household.
Recite the mantra while placing (dadhāti) a physical token: a cord, a stake, or a marked clod at the front/entrance.
Touch the ‘vīrāḥ’ (men/sons) or their weapons/tools to the token to transfer protection.
Dismiss hostile influence by sweeping outward from the threshold and disposing of sweepings away from the dwelling.
Kauśika Sūtra: counter-sorcery protections (puro-dhāna / rakṣā-bandhana type; exact numbering varies).
Atharvan priest as protector: identifies hostile karman, declares its failure, and installs a forward defensive emplacement at the limen.
Recite while marking the front boundary—doorstep, gate, or the front of the patient’s bed; optionally tie a cord/knot as ‘fore-guard’.
Before public disputes, travel, court/political encounters, or when suspecting hostile intent.
Householder or purohita sets the ‘puro-dhā’ verbally and materially.
Use as a brief protective affirmation before stressful meetings; pair with a simple grounding gesture (hand on chest/belly).
Protective ‘fore-guard’ (conceptual barrier; may be instantiated by a cord/amulet in practice)
Likely instantiation via cord, knot, or amulet placed at the front/threshold (conceptual ‘fore-guard’).
The ‘substance’ is the installed boundary itself—speech crystallized into a front-line defense.
Harm attributed to hostile rites (stress-illness, fear-sickness, spirit-affliction)
Counter-sorcery through verbal negation and boundary-installation; reduces fear and ‘suggestion’ pathways that amplify symptoms.
Manasika rakṣā: calming rajas/tamas through protective certainty; aligns with satvavajaya-like containment (conceptual).
Stress inoculation and group reassurance; cognitive ‘fore-guard’ against manipulation and panic.
Hostile operators and their ‘works’
Neutralize hostile ritual acts and prevent deception/harm to the community’s men by placing a protective barrier in front.
Pratiṣedha (prohibitive) + puro-dhāna (placing in front) as performative speech; often paired with a physical marker (cord/line).
Abhicāra, deception, intimidation, curse-effects
- अनाप्ताः (anāptāḥ)
- failed/ineffective hostile operators; nullified sorcery
- कर्माणि (karmāṇi)
- intentional operations—especially hostile rites
- मा दभन् (mā dabhan)
- blocking delusion, fear, and covert harm
- वीरान् (vīrān)
- vital force of the community; protectors and breadwinners
- पुरः दधे (puro dadhe)
- installing an apotropaic barrier (mental, verbal, and often material)
Front-boundary awareness: place attention ‘in front’ of the body like a shield.
Maṇipūra (courage/agency)
Brisk, controlled exhale; then settle into steady nasal breathing.
A bright shield at the front of the body/house; hostile arrows dissolve before contact.
Alert, defended, non-reactive.
Recite once with full intent, then hold a moment of stillness as if ‘posting a guard’.
Keep a firm, even pitch; slight lift on ‘mā dabhān’ and ‘puro dadhe’ to mark the performative action.
Stress prohibitive and placement: mā | dabhan; púraḥ | dadhé (clear word boundary).
Commanding but controlled; end decisively.
If used as counter-sorcery, recite facing the perceived direction of harm, then symbolically ‘seal’ the front with a small knot/mark.
11 times
Facing intimidation, rivalry, workplace hostility, or fear of ‘nazar’/occult harm; protecting family’s main earners/protectors.
Immediately before entering contested spaces; when rumors/manipulation threaten morale.
Increased confidence, reduced susceptibility to fear/deception, sense of protection.
Avoid escalating conflict; combine with ethical conduct and practical security.
The verse is largely non-pharmacological: its ‘substance’ is spatial technology—puras (‘in front’) as a defensive emplacement. In applied rites, this is often materialized by cords, marks, or boundary objects, showing how AV healing/protection can be infrastructural rather than herbal.
It presumes inter-ritual competition and the reality of hostile specialists. The Atharvan priest protects the household’s ‘vīrāḥ’—a valued social category—thereby aligning priestly service with lineage security and martial/productive capacity.
The explicit polemic against rival ‘karmāṇi’ and the performative ‘puro dadhe’ are strongly Atharvanic: speech acts that install defenses. RV has fewer direct references to countering other ritualists; AV foregrounds social conflict and pragmatic protection.
Gopatha’s model of mantra as a ‘placing’ (dhā-) of protection maps directly onto ‘puro dadhe’: the utterance is an act of emplacement. The verse exemplifies how Atharvanic brahman operates as a defensive architecture against unseen aggression.
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