Atharva Veda Sukta 18
Kanda 4Anuvaka 2Sukta 188 Mantras

Sukta 18

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi not stated in the provided excerpt)

Devata: Apāmārga / the apotropaic power embodied in the plant and mantra

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; hymn style and cadence consistent with AV anuṣṭubh)

《阿闼婆吠陀》4.18 为一首反制巫咒之歌,旨在将敌对的 kṛtyā(人为制造的巫术、咒害)反转回施咒者自身,护佑无辜的家宅及其生计。此颂以阿波摩伽(Apāmārga)所体现的辟邪之力为核心,将其视为具药力的 oṣadhi,宣称此咒语能“败坏”施于田地、牛畜与人身的巫术,并使对手行动无能,同时为受护者确保福祉与吉祥。

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.18

Mantras

Mantra 1

अपामार्गः। स॒मं ज्योतिः॒ सूर्ये॒णाह्ना॒ रात्री॑ स॒मावती॑ । कृ॒णोमि॑ स॒त्यमू॒तये॑ऽर॒साः स॑न्तु॒ कृत्व॑रीः

阿帕玛尔伽(Apāmārga)啊!我使光明与太阳等同;我使黑夜与白昼相衡。我行真实(satya)以求护佑:愿施作巫术者枯槁无汁,寡味无力。

Mantra 2

यो दे॑वाः कृ॒त्यां कृ॒त्वा हरा॒दवि॑दुषो गृ॒हम्। व॒त्सो धा॒रुरि॑व मा॒तरं॒ तं प्र॒त्यगुप॑ पद्यताम्

诸神啊,凡有人造作巫术,暗中侵入那不知情者之家——愿那巫术如小牛依恋奔向母牛一般,回转而踏向那个人。

Mantra 3

अ॒मा कृ॒त्वा पा॒प्मानं॒ यस्तेना॒न्यं जिघां॑सति । अश्मा॑न॒स्तस्यां॑ द॒ग्धायां॑ बहु॒लाः फट् क॑रिक्रति

凡在家中造作罪恶(pāpmān),并以此欲杀害他人的——当那巫术作业(kṛtyā)被焚烧之时,众多石块齐声呼喊“phaṭ!”,以喧响将其击碎。

Mantra 4

सह॑स्रधाम॒न् विशि॑खा॒न् विग्री॑वां छायया॒ त्वम्। प्रति॑ स्म च॒क्रुषे॑ कृ॒त्यां प्रि॒यां प्रि॒याव॑ते हर

噫,具千处居止者(sahasradhāman)!以汝之影,使其无冠无尖(viśikhān),使其无颈(vigrīvām)。汝确已反转那巫术(kṛtyā);请将所爱者,带归于爱之者。

Mantra 5

अ॒नया॒हमोष॑ध्या सर्वाः॑ कृ॒त्या अ॑दूदुषम्। यां क्षेत्रे॑ च॒क्रुर्यां गोषु॒ यां वा॑ ते॒ पुरु॑षेषु

以此药草(oṣadhi),我已使一切巫术作业(kṛtyā)败坏无效——无论他们在田地中所作的,或在牛群中所作的,或又在你的人众之中所作的。

Mantra 6

यश्च॒कार॒ न श॒शाक॒ कर्तुं॑ श॒श्रे पाद॑म॒ङ्गुरि॑म्। च॒कार॑ भ॒द्रम॒स्मभ्य॑मा॒त्मने॒ तप॑नं॒ तु सः

那位已施作之者——无人能反制其所作——已击碎(敌人的)足与趾,使其踉跄。为我们,他备下吉祥的福分;而为他自己,确然是灼烧(给仇敌的焚痛)。

Mantra 7

अ॒पा॒मा॒र्गोऽप॑ मार्ष्टु क्षेत्रि॒यं श॒पथ॑श्च॒ यः । अपाह॑ यातुधा॒नीरप॒ सर्वा॒ अरा॒य्यः

愿阿婆摩罗伽(Apāmārga)拂拭、抹除那已沉着的病祟,以及一切咒诅。它已驱逐施巫之女妖;愿一切恶害尽皆远离。

Mantra 8

अ॒प॒मृज्य॑ यातु॒धाना॒नप॒ सर्वा॑ अरा॒य्यः । अपा॑मार्ग॒ त्वया॑ व॒यं सर्वं॒ तदप॒ मृज्महे

拂除诸巫魅,愿一切恶害远去。噢阿婆摩罗伽(Apāmārga),凭借你,我们将那一切、那整群尽皆抹除。

Frequently Asked Questions

Kṛtyā is a deliberately ‘made’ harmful act—witchcraft or hostile ritual construction—sent to injure a person, household, cattle, or crops. The hymn treats it as something that can be detected, undone, and forced to return to its maker.

Apāmārga is the ‘sweeper-away’ herb used as an oṣadhi-power that drives out and neutralizes harmful forces. In AV 4.18 it is the main ritual support for spoiling sorcery and protecting every affected domain (field, cattle, people).

It does both: it seeks welfare (bhadra) for the client while explicitly redirecting the harm so the sender bears the consequence. The hymn’s logic is reversal—harm is not kept in the household but sent back to its source.

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