Sukta 42
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (unspecified in the supplied excerpt; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angirasic in anukramaṇī groupings)
Devata: Manyu (wrath) / the opponent’s anger as the operative target
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; typical for such quatrain structure)
Mantras
Mantra 1
परस्परचित्तैकीकरणम्। अव॒ ज्यामि॑व॒ धन्व॑नो म॒न्युं त॑नोमि ते हृ॒दः । यथा॒ संम॑नसौ भू॒त्वा सखा॑याविव॒ सचा॑वहै
Down, as a bowstring from the bow, I let thy wrath fall from the heart; that, becoming of one mind, we two may fare together, even as friends in fellowship.
Mantra 2
सखा॑याविव सचावहा॒ अव॑ म॒न्युं त॑नोमि ते । अ॒धस्ते॑ अश्म॑नो म॒न्युमुपा॑स्यामसि॒ यो गु॒रुः
As friends in fellowship may we go together: down I let thy wrath fall. That wrath of thine, heavy as a stone, we will press down beneath (us).
Mantra 3
अ॒भि ति॑ष्ठामि ते म॒न्युं पार्ष्ण्या॒ प्रप॑देन च । यथा॑व॒शो न वादि॑षो॒ मम॑ चि॒त्तमु॒पाय॑सि
I set my foot upon thy wrath, with heel and with the fore-step; so shalt thou, powerless, not speak against me, and unto my will thy mind shall draw near.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to pacify and subdue another person’s anger, prevent them from speaking against you, and bring the relationship back into concord and cooperation.
These are ritual-psychological images: anger is ‘slackened’ like a released bowstring, ‘weighed down’ like a heavy stone, and finally ‘dominated’ underfoot to make it powerless.
Both layers are present: it aims at friendship and one-mindedness (saṃmanas), yet it achieves this through coercive suppression of the opponent’s manyu, typical of Atharvanic pragmatic rites.
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