Sukta 65
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasic milieu (enemy-crushing charm complex; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies)
Devata: Indra-like repelling power / Parāśara (as personified expulsion)
Chandas: Jagatī/Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical verification)
Mantras
Mantra 1
शत्रुनाशनम्। अव॑ म॒न्युरवाय॒ताव॑ बा॒हू म॑नो॒युजा॑ । परा॑शर॒ त्वं तेषां॒ परा॑ञ्चं॒ शुष्म॑मर्द॒याधा॑ नो र॒यिमा कृधि
Down let their wrath sink down; down let their arms, mind-yoked, be lowered. Smite thou them off: crush their strength, turned backward; and then for us do thou bring wealth to be.
Mantra 2
निर्ह॑स्तेभ्यो नैर्ह॒स्तं यं दे॑वाः॒ शरु॒मस्य॑थ । वृ॒श्चामि॒ शत्रू॑णां बा॒हून॒नेन॑ ह॒विषा॒हम्
From the handed do ye make the handless—ye Gods—when ye cast the missile. I cut away the enemies’ arms with this oblation, even I.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र॑श्चकार प्रथ॒मं नै॑र्ह॒स्तमसु॑रेभ्यः । जय॑न्तु सत्वा॑नो॒ मम॑ स्थि॒रेणेन्द्रे॑ण मे॒दिना॑
Indra first made the Asuras handless. Let my champions conquer, by Indra steadfast, by Indra rich in strengthening might.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a ritual way of saying the opponent’s ability to strike is removed—arms, weapons, and agency are magically neutralized so they cannot act effectively.
Indra supplies the authoritative warrior precedent (he first disarmed the Asuras), while Parāśara functions as the expulsive force that drives the enemy away and crushes their strength in the present rite.
Its primary setting is martial or hostile confrontation, but Atharvan tradition also applies such repelling/disabling charms to any situation where an adversary’s aggression and capacity to harm must be checked.
Ask anything about Sukta 65 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.