Sukta 18
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition
Devata: Īrṣyā (personified affliction) and Agni (as inner heat to be quenched)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (Atharvanic anuṣṭubh)
Ang maikling panawagan ng pagpapagaling mula sa Atharvaveda ay tumutugon sa īrṣyā (inggit at pagseselos) bilang isang init na nananahan sa puso, ipinanganak sa isipan, at sumisiklab sa kalumbayan at pinsala sa pakikipagkapwa. Sa pamamagitan ng larawan ng pagpapawi sa panloob na Agni, pagpapabaya ng mainggit na isipan na tila lupa at mga yumao, at paglalabas ng init mula sa isang bag na gawa sa katad, ang himno ay ritwal na "palamig" ang mapusok na damdamin at ibalik ang pagkakaisa.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
ईर्ष्याविनाशनम्। ई॒र्ष्याया॒ ध्राजिं॑ प्रथ॒मां प्र॑थ॒मस्या॑ उ॒ताप॑राम्। अ॒ग्निं हृ॑द॒य्यं॑१ शोकं॒ तं ते॒ निर्वा॑पयामसि
Ang pagkasira ng pagkainggit. Ang liwanag ng pagkainggit, ang una, at ng una ang kanyang huling sindi; ang apoy na nakaupo sa puso, ang kalumbayan, ito ay pinapawi Namin mula sa iyo.
Mantra 2
यथा॒ भूमि॑र्मृ॒तम॑ना मृ॒तान्मृ॒तम॑नस्तरा । यथो॒त म॒म्रुषो॒ मन॑ ए॒वेर्ष्योर्मृ॒तं मनः॑
Tulad ng lupa na walang-isip, na lalong walang-isip kaysa sa mga patay, tulad ng isip ng isang yumao, gayon ang mapanibughong isip ay maging isip na patay.
Mantra 3
अ॒दो यत् ते हृ॒दि श्रि॒तं म॑न॒स्कं प॑तयिष्णु॒कम्। तत॑स्त ई॒र्ष्यां मु॑ञ्चामि॒ निरू॒ष्माणं॒ दृते॑रिव
Ang naipaloob sa iyong puso, na galing sa isipan at nanginginig - mula roon ay aking pinakawalan sa iyo ang iyong pagkainggit, tulad ng pagpapalabas ng init mula sa isang supot na gawa sa balat.
Inside Sukta 18
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Names the work as ‘īrṣyā-vināśana’ and frames jealousy as a blaze with a first and later flare, located as heart-fire and grief.
- What it asks
That this inner fire of jealousy and sorrow be quenched and the jealous mind become inert and non-reactive.
- Where its power lies
By mantra, jealousy is treated as a removable substance/heat: it can be stilled like earth/death and vented like heat from a container.
- How it closes
The hymn ends with an explicit act of loosening and releasing īrṣyā from the heart—‘as heat from a leather-bag’—signaling completed expulsion.
Famous verses
agniṃ hṛdayyaṃ śokaṃ… nirvāpayāmasi
īrṣyor mṛtaṃ manaḥ
nirūṣmāṇaṃ dṛter iva
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (mental-affliction pacification)
What it is for
Quell jealousy/envy and its heart-burning grief; stop hostile impulses; return the mind to steadiness and the community/household to harmony.
Who it is for
Householders, family elders, or an Atharvanic practitioner addressing interpersonal conflict, envy within kin/community, or recurring ‘heart-burning’ resentment.
Also used as
- Shantika
- Apotropaic (rakṣoghna/duṣṭa-bhāva-nivāraṇa)
- Stambhana (neutralization of hostile intent)
The deity
Īrṣyā is treated as an intrusive, personified affliction that ignites the heart and agitates the mind; Agni here is not the external sacrificial fire but the inner burning of grief and passion to be quenched (nirvāpa).
Powers of the deity
- Ignites and spreads mental agitation and social discord (īrṣyā as ‘blaze’)
- Takes residence in the heart as śoka/ūṣman (burning grief/heat)
- Can be quenched, neutralized, and expelled by mantra (nirvāpa, stambhana, muc-)
- Can be rendered inert/ineffective by modeling the stillness of Earth and the dead (mṛta-manās trope)
Why the deity is called
To identify jealousy as a burnable/quenchable inner fire, then ritually cool, immobilize, and release it from the afflicted person so relationships stabilize.
The seer
- Atharvan (Atharvanic tradition; specific seer not securely specified here)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya–śāntika charms for mental afflictions: cooling inner ‘fire’ (śoka/ūṣman), pacifying hostile emotions, and restoring household/social harmony through apotropaic removal and stambhana (neutralization) tropes.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.17 (adjacent Atharvanic pacification charm; traditional grouping context)
- AV 6.19 (adjacent short charm in the same kanda-section; traditional grouping context)
- AV 4.9 (representative Atharvanic ‘removal of inner burning/affliction’ style hymn; thematic parallel)
Preparing for the rite
- Seat the afflicted person facing east or toward a calm, open space; establish a quiet, non-confrontational setting.
- Prepare cool water for symbolic nirvāpa (quenching); optionally touch water to the chest/heart region.
- If available, place a small leather pouch (dṛti-like) or cloth bundle as a symbolic ‘container’ for the heat to be released.
The rite
- Recite 6.18.1 while sprinkling/touching cool water to the heart area, explicitly ‘quenching’ the hṛdayya-agni/śoka.
- Recite 6.18.2 while touching the ground or having the person sit on bare earth, invoking earth-like stillness and inertness of jealous reactivity.
- Recite 6.18.3 while making a gentle outward sweeping gesture from the chest, as if venting heat from a bag; optionally exhale outward to mark release.
What it needs
- Cool water (primary, for nirvāpa logic)
- Earth contact (bare ground or a pinch of clean soil)
- Optional leather pouch/cloth bundle (dṛti-symbol)
When
Preferably at a calm transitional time (dawn/evening), or immediately when jealousy-driven agitation is observed; perform before sleep if rumination is strong.
The main substance
Cool water (nirvāpa/quenching medium)
Amulets
- Optional leather pouch (dṛti-symbol) tied/held briefly during recitation
- Optional simple thread/cord as a ‘binding’ of calm after expulsion (not required by the text)
How it is prepared
Use clean, cool water in a small vessel; during 6.18.1 lightly sprinkle or touch to the chest/heart. If using a pouch/bundle, hold it near the chest during 6.18.3 and then move it outward to mark ‘release’.
Frequently Asked Questions
It treats jealousy/envy (īrṣyā) as an inner burning that causes grief and conflict, and it aims to cool and remove that hostile passion from the heart and mind.
Agni here functions as a metaphor for the heart’s heat—burning grief and agitation. The mantra’s action is ‘nirvāpa’ (quenching), turning emotional fire into calm.
Recite the three verses in a calm setting, using cool water as a symbol of quenching while focusing on releasing resentment from the chest/heart and settling the mind into stillness (like earth).
Ask anything about Sukta 18 of the Atharva Veda
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