Sukta 46
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution not supplied in input; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angiras type)
Devata: Svapna (Dream), with Varuṇānī and Yama as invoked genealogical powers
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires pada-count verification against a critical text)
Ang maikling engkanto ng Atharvaveda na ito ay naglalayon sa duḥsvapna (masasamang panaginip) at sa mga kinatatakutang tanda na dala nito, na itinuturing ang bangungot bilang isang puwersang nasa hangganan, malapit sa kamatayan, na maaaring tawagin, makilala, at mapunta sa ibang direksyon. Sa pamamagitan ng pagkilala sa pinagmulan ni Svapna (mga anak na sina Varuṇānī at Yama) at pagpapahayag ng ganap na kaalaman sa kanyang pinagmulan, ang himno ay nagtutulak sa Panaginip na maging tagapagtanggol sa halip na mang-api. Ito ay nagtatapos sa isang pormula ng paglilipat na nagpapasa ng lahat ng masamang panaginip sa isang kalaban, na nagtatatag sa kaligtasan ng pasyente sa gabi.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
दुःष्वप्ननाशनम्। यो न जी॒वोऽसि॒ न मृ॒तो दे॒वाना॑ममृतग॒र्भोऽसि स्वप्न । व॒रु॒णा॒नी ते॑ मा॒ता य॒मः पि॒तार॑रु॒र्नामा॑सि
Ikaw na hindi nabubuhay ni namamatay, O Panaginip - ikaw ay sa mga Diyos, na may sinapupunang imortal. Si Varunani ang iyong ina; si Yama ang iyong ama; Arur ang iyong pangalan.
Mantra 2
वि॒द्म ते॑ स्वप्न ज॒नित्रं॑ देवजामी॒नां पु॒त्रोऽसि य॒मस्य॒ कर॑णः । अन्त॑कोऽसि मृ॒त्युर॑सि। तं त्वा॑ स्वप्न॒ तथा॒ सं वि॑द्म॒ स नः॑ स्वप्न दु॒ष्वप्न्या॑त् पाहि
Kilala namin ang iyong kapanganakan, O Panaginip: ikaw ay anak ng banal na angkan, ang kasangkapan ni Yama. Ikaw ang Tagapagwakas; ikaw ang Kamatayan. Kaya ganap namin kitang kilala, O Panaginip: ingatan mo kami sa masamang pananaginip.
Mantra 3
यथा॑ क॒लां यथा॑ श॒फं यथ॒र्णं सं॒नय॑न्ति । ए॒वा दु॒ष्वप्न्यं॒ सर्वं॑ द्विष॒ते सं न॑यामसि
Kung paano nagtitipon ang mga tao ng isang bahagi, kung paano pinapatnubay nila ang kawan ng may paa, kung paano tinutipon ang isang utang - gayon namin lubos na inililipat ang lahat ng masamang pananaginip sa naghahangal.
Inside Sukta 46
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Addresses Svapna as a paradoxical being ‘neither living nor dead,’ establishing him as divine and death-adjacent, and fixes his lineage (Varuṇānī as mother, Yama as father) and secret name (Arur).
- What it asks
Having ‘fully known’ Dream’s origin and function, the speaker commands him to protect from duḥsvapnyā (evil dreaming) rather than harm.
- Where its power lies
The repeated motif of vidma (‘we know’) functions as ritual mastery: knowledge of birth/name compels the power to obey and reverses its direction from affliction to protection.
- How it closes
A simile-driven transference formula gathers up all duḥsvapnya and conveys it to the dviṣat (hater/enemy), sealing removal by displacement.
Famous verses
yo na jīvo’si na mṛto … (neither living nor dead)
vidma te svapna janitram (we know your birth)
eva duḥsvapnyaṃ sarvaṃ dviṣate saṃ nayāmasi
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (Duḥsvapna-nāśana)
What it is for
Prevention and neutralization of nightmares and their ominous consequences; conversion of the dream-agent into a guardian; removal of residual evil by transferring it to a hostile party.
Who it is for
Householders, healers/atharvan-practitioners, and anyone troubled by recurrent nightmares, fear at night, or anxiety over dream-omens.
Also used as
- Apotropaic (Duḥsvapna-nāśana)
- Śāntika (pacificatory protection)
- Abhicārika (hostile transference in v.3)
The deity
Svapna is treated as a personified, liminal agency—‘neither living nor dead’—whose sphere borders the realm of Yama and mortality, making dreams potent carriers of omen and fear.
Powers of the deity
- Manifests visions/omens through dreams
- Afflicts with duḥsvapna (nightmare, dread, inauspicious signs)
- Operates as an ‘instrument of Yama’ (death-linked agency)
- Can be compelled/converted into a protective force when properly addressed and known
- Allows transference of harm onto an enemy (dviṣat) through mantraic redirection
Why the deity is called
To confront Dream directly, establish ritual mastery by declaring knowledge of his origin and nature, and force him to avert evil dreams while shifting their effects away from the performer/patient.
The seer
- Atharvanic (Atharvan/Āṅgiras-type) seer (unspecified in the Anukramaṇī as supplied)Atharvan. Apotropaic and bhaiṣajya-style charms: warding off nocturnal terrors, ominous dreams, and death-linked afflictions by naming/knowing the power and compelling it to withdraw or protect.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.45 (adjacent apotropaic material; traditional association by placement)
- AV 6.47 (adjacent protective material; traditional association by placement)
Preparing for the rite
- Clean the sleeping space; calm the mind and avoid inauspicious talk before sleep.
- Seat the patient/performer facing a steady direction (commonly east) and establish a protective intention (saṅkalpa) to avert duḥsvapna.
- Optionally mark a simple boundary of protection around the bed/mat (by gesture or silent circumambulation).
The rite
- Recite 6.46.1 to ‘name’ Svapna and fix his liminal identity and genealogy (Varuṇānī–Yama).
- Recite 6.46.2 as the coercive-knowledge formula (‘we know your birth…’), explicitly requesting protection from duḥsvapnyā.
- Recite 6.46.3 as the transfer-seal, directing all evil-dreaming to the dviṣat (hostile rival), then conclude with a quiet settling into sleep or a protective silence.
What it needs
- None required by the hymn-text; optional customary supports: clean water for sipping (ācamana) or a simple protective knot/cord if one follows local practice rather than this sukta’s explicit wording.
When
Nightfall, immediately before sleep; also usable after a nightmare to prevent recurrence the same night.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to prevent or neutralize bad dreams (duḥsvapna) and the feared misfortunes thought to follow from them, especially when nightmares recur or cause anxiety.
Because Svapna is treated as a liminal force that moves between worlds—linked to Yama and death—so naming this in-between status helps the practitioner gain control over its harmful effects.
Not in its wording: it works primarily through recitation and the logic of naming/knowing. Some traditions may add simple customary supports, but the sukta itself is textually self-sufficient.
Ask anything about Sukta 46 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
