
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution for this hymn: Atharvan/Angiras-type; consult edition-specific Anukramaṇī for exact name).
Devata: Agni (as pāśa-mocaka, ‘looser of bonds’), with Viśve Devāḥ as sanctioning assembly
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in AVŚ 6)
Mantra 1
पाशमोचनम्। मा ज्ये॒ष्ठं व॑धीद॒यम॑ग्न ए॒षां मू॑ल॒बर्ह॑णा॒त् परि॑ पाह्येनम्। स ग्राह्याः॒ पाशा॒न् वि चृ॑त प्रजा॒नन् तुभ्यं॑ दे॒वा अनु॑ जानन्तु॒ विश्वे॑
Loose from the noose. Slay not the eldest: this man, O Agni, from their root-uprooting guard thou round about. As one who knoweth, sever thou the seizable nooses: for thee let all the Gods give sanction.
Mantra 2
उन्मु॑ञ्च॒ पाशां॒स्त्वम॑ग्न ए॒षां त्रय॑स्त्रि॒भिरुत्सि॑ता॒ येभि॒रास॑न्। स ग्राह्याः॒ पाशा॒न् वि चृ॑त प्रजा॒नन् पि॑तापु॒त्रौ मा॒तरं॑ मुञ्च॒ सर्वा॑न्
Unloose thou forth the nooses of these men, O Agni—three, fastened on by three, wherewith they were. As one who knoweth, sever thou the seizing bonds: release the father and the son, release the mother, release them all.
Mantra 3
येभिः॒ पाशैः॒ परि॑वित्तो॒ विब॒द्धोऽङ्गे॑अङ्ग॒ आर्पि॑त॒ उत्सि॑तश्च । वि ते मु॑च्यन्तं वि॒मुचो॒ हि सन्ति॑ भ्रूण॒घ्नि पू॑षन् दुरि॒तानि॑ मृक्ष्व
With what nooses he is compassed round, bound fast, on every limb made fast and set thereon—while he is loosed, for loosers verily there are: O Pūṣan, slayer of the embryo, wipe thou away the evils.
It is the ritual image for anything that constricts life—illness-seizure, curse, hostile magic, or sudden disabling constraint—treated as a bond that can be cut and removed.
They function as the authorizing divine assembly: the unbinding is not merely personal effort but a sanctioned release, strengthening the rite’s legitimacy and protection.
Light the household fire, use a small knotted cord as the bond-symbol, recite the three verses while untying and wiping/sprinkling with water, then remove and discard the cord away from the home to signify release.
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