Sukta 56
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (commonly anonymous/Angirasic for such charms)
Devata: Viṣa-nāśana (poison-destroying power) directed against the śarkota; the mantra itself functions as the agent
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; typical for short apotropaic verses)
Ang AV 7.56 ay isang panlaban sa lason na nagpapagaling na encanto na nagtukoy at nagpapasakop sa lason ng śarkota at ibang gumagapang, kumakagat na nilalang sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng mantra at gamot na vīrúd. Pinagsama ng himno ang kapangyarihang botanical na panlaban sa lason kasama ang brahman (banal na pananalita), na nagpapahayag na ang lason ng nilalang ay "dinurog" at ang kumakagat na mga bibig nito ay yuko pababa at ginawang walang kapangyarihan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
विषभैषज्यम्। तिर॑श्चिराजेरसि॒तात् पृदा॑कोः॒ परि॒ संभृ॑तम्। तत् क॒ङ्कप॑र्वणो वि॒षमि॒यं वी॒रुद॑नीनशत्
Lason na natipon sa paligid, lason ng may guhit, ng maitim, ng may batik, ng may bukol sa kasuksuhan, ang halamang ito ay nagtaboy nito.
Mantra 2
इ॒यं वी॒रुन्मधु॑जाता मधु॒श्चुन्म॑धु॒ला म॒धूः । सा विह्रु॑तस्य भेष॒ज्यथो॑ मशक॒जम्भ॑नी
Ang halamang ito ay ipinanganak sa pulot, tumutulo ng pulot, sagana sa pulot, matamis na pulot: siya ay isang gamot sa mga gumagala; at higit pa, pumipigil ng lamok.
Mantra 3
यतो॑ द॒ष्टं यतो॑ धी॒तं तत॑स्ते॒ निर्ह्व॑यामसि । अ॒र्भस्य॑ तृप्रदं॒शिनो॑ म॒शक॑स्यार॒सं वि॒षम्
Kung saan man ito ay nakagat, kung saan man ito ay nanahanan, mula roon ay tinatawag natin ito palabas: ang lason na walang katas ng maliit na lamok na matalim ang kagat.
Mantra 4
अ॒यं यो व॒क्रो विप॑रु॒र्व्यऽङ्गो॒ मुखा॑नि व॒क्रा वृ॑जि॒ना कृ॒णोषि॑ । तानि॒ त्वं ब्र॑ह्मणस्पत इ॒षीका॑मिव॒ सं न॑मः
Itong baluktot, baluktot ang kasu-kasuan, hiwalay ang mga bahagi, na sa pamamagitan ng baluktot na mga bibig ay nagdudulot ng pinsala, ang mga bibig na iyon ay iyong yuyuko, O Panginoon ng banal na pananalita, tulad ng pagyuko sa isang tambo: sa iyo ang paggalang.
Mantra 5
अ॒र॒सस्य॑ श॒र्कोट॑स्य नी॒चीन॑स्योप॒सर्प॑तः । वि॒षं ह्य॑१स्यादि॒ष्यथो॑ एनमजीजभम्
Sa walang katas na Śarkota, ang mababang gumagapang na bagay na nanlilimas, ang lason nito nga, kapag natukoy ko ito, ay dinurog ko at ginawang walang kapangyarihan.
Mantra 6
न ते॑ बा॒ह्वोर्बल॑मस्ति॒ न शी॒र्षे नोत म॑ध्य॒तः । अथ॒ किं पा॒पया॑मु॒या पुच्छे॑ बिभर्ष्यर्भ॒कम्
Walang lakas ang sa iyo sa mga bisig, wala sa ulo, ni sa gitna man: kung gayon, ano, gamit ang masamang bagay na iyon, ang dala mo sa iyong buntot, isang hamak na bagay?
Mantra 7
अ॒दन्ति॑ त्वा पि॒पीलि॑का॒ वि वृ॑श्चन्ति मयू॒र्यः । सर्वे॑ भल ब्रवाथ॒ शार्को॑टमर॒सं वि॒षम्
Kinakain ka ng mga langgam; pinuputol-putol ka ng mga pabang. Sigawan ang lahat ng 'Mabuti!', ang Śārkoṭa, na walang katas, na lason lamang.
Mantra 8
य उ॒भाभ्यां॑ प्र॒हर॑सि॒ पुच्छे॑न चा॒स्येऽन च । आ॒स्ये॒३ न ते॑ वि॒षं किमु॑ ते पुच्छ॒धाव॑सत्
Ikaw na tumatama gamit ang dalawa, gamit ang buntot at gayon din gamit ang bibig, sa loob ng iyong bibig ay walang lason: ano pang lason ang sa iyo, O tumatakbo sa buntot?
Inside Sukta 56
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by gathering and naming ‘poison’ from various kinds of venomous beings and immediately presenting vīrúd as the driving-away force (anti-venom herb power).
- What it asks
That the venom be expelled/neutralized and that the harmful creature’s capacity to injure be restrained at its source (mouthparts/poison).
- Where its power lies
The speaker claims effective action: the poison is ‘marked out’ and ‘crushed’ (7.56.5), and Brahmaṇaspati can bend down the injuring mouths like a reed (7.56.4).
- How it closes
Concludes with a sealing of protection: poison is rendered powerless and the threat is ritually constrained, leaving the patient safeguarded against further approach and harm.
Famous verses
iṣīkām iva saṃ namaḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (anti-venom)
What it is for
Immediate neutralization of venom and protection from the creeping śarkota and allied poisonous beings; restoration of safety and bodily integrity.
Who it is for
Householders, village healers (vaidya-like practitioners), Atharvanic ritualists, and anyone treating bites/stings in domestic or pastoral settings.
Also used as
- Apotropaic
- Rakṣoghna
- Śāntika (pacificatory, in the sense of calming/settling venom)
The deity
A functional Atharvanic divinity: the destroying of poison itself, expressed through the medicinal herb (vīrúd) and empowered by Brahmaṇaspati (lord of brahman/mantra). The mantra acts as the operative agent that detects, binds, and disables the envenoming force.
Powers of the deity
- Neutralizes and expels venom (viṣa) from the body
- Identifies/marks out the poison and renders it ineffective
- Disables the biting/stinging apparatus of the creature (binding/bending the mouths)
- Provides apotropaic protection against further approach/attack
- Channels healing potency through vīrúd (medicinal plant power)
Why the deity is called
Invoked to stop the spread of venom after a bite/sting, to “crush” the poison’s power, and to prevent re-envenomation by ritually disabling the creature’s harmful mouthparts.
The seer
- Anonymous Atharvanic / Bhṛgu (sectional attribution)Bhrigu. Bhaiṣajya and rakṣoghna charms—especially antidotes to bites/stings, neutralization of viṣa, and binding/crippling of harmful creatures through mantra.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 7.56 (anti-venom against śarkota)
- Other nearby AV 7 bhaiṣajya/viṣa-hymns in the same anuvāka often carry similar Bhṛgu/Angirasic sectional attributions (variant by recension).
Preparing for the rite
- Seat the patient and calm the affected limb; expose the bite/sting site.
- If available, gather a vīrúd (medicinal herb/creeper) regarded as anti-venom; clean water for washing.
- Mentally ‘mark out’ (ādiś-) the poison: identify the source (creeping/low-moving, crooked-mouthed) as the hymn does.
The rite
- Recite the sukta (8 mantras) over the patient and over the herb/water.
- Touch or lightly stroke the bite area while reciting poison-crushing lines (e.g., 7.56.5), directing the mantra to the venom.
- Administer the prepared herb or apply it as a poultice; sprinkle/ablute with mantra-charged water.
- During the Brahmaṇaspati-address (e.g., 7.56.4), gesture as if bending down a reed—symbolically ‘bending’ the creature’s mouths/venom.
What it needs
- Vīrúd (medicinal herb/creeper) as antidote medium
- Clean water (for washing/sprinkling and mantra-charging)
- Optional binding thread/amulet cord for protective sealing
When
As soon as possible after the bite/sting; may be repeated at intervals until symptoms subside.
The main substance
Vīrúd (medicinal herb/creeper) used as an anti-venom medium
Herbs
- Vīrúd (unspecified medicinal creeper/herb; identified locally as an anti-venom plant)
Amulets
- Protective thread/cord (optional, for sealing the charm)
- Herb bundle carried on the person (optional)
How it is prepared
Bruise or grind the vīrúd with a little water to make a paste for topical application, and/or steep it to make a wash; charge both with full-sukta recitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Śarkota is a low-creeping venomous being in the hymn’s imagery—often understood as a stinging/biting creature (such as a scorpion-like or similar ground-crawling threat). The hymn targets its venom and its ability to injure.
Both. The sukta presents vīrúd (a medicinal herb/creeper) as the antidotal carrier while mantra provides the binding and poison-destroying force that ‘marks out’ and crushes the venom.
Brahmaṇaspati represents the mastery of sacred speech. In 7.56.4 he is asked to bend down the creature’s injuring mouths like a reed—ritually disabling the source of envenomation and reinforcing protection.
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