Library·Atharvaveda Saṃhitā (Śaunaka)·8·8.3

Atharvaveda Saṃhitā (Śaunaka) 8.3

रक्षोहणं वाजिनम् आ जिघर्मि मित्रं प्रथिष्ठम् उप यामि शर्म । शिशानो अग्निः क्रतुभिः समिद्धः स नो दिवा स रिषः पातु नक्तम् ॥१॥

rakṣohaṇaṃ vājinam ā jigharmi mitraṃ prathiṣṭham upa yāmi śarma | śiśāno agniḥ kratubhiḥ samiddhaḥ sa no divā sa riṣaḥ pātu naktam ||1||

I pour ghee upon (a-ghṛ) the vigorous (vājín) demon-slayer; I go for broadest protection to the friend; Agni, sharpened, [is] kindled with acts of skill (? krátu); let him by day, let him by night, protect us from harm.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

अयोदंष्ट्रो अर्चिषा यातुधानान् उप स्पृश जातवेदः समिद्धः । आ जिह्वया मूरदेवान् रभस्व क्रव्यादो वृष्ट्वापि धत्स्वासन् ॥२॥

ayodaṃṣṭro arciṣā yātudhānān upa spṛśa jātavedaḥ samiddhaḥ | ā jihvayā mūradevān rabhasva kravyādo vṛṣṭvāpi dhatsvāsan ||2||

Do thou, of iron tusks, O Jātavedas, kindled, touch the sorcerers with thy flame (arcís); take hold of the false-worshipers with thy tongue; cutting off (?) the flesh-eaters, shut them in thy mouth.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

उभोभयाविन्न् उप धेहि दंष्ट्रौ हिंस्रः शिशानो ऽवरं परं च । उतान्तरिक्षे परि याह्य् अग्ने जम्भैः सं धेह्य् अभि यातुधानान् ॥३॥

ubhobhayāvinn upa dhehi daṃṣṭrau hiṃsraḥ śiśāno 'varaṃ paraṃ ca | utāntarikṣe pari yāhy agne jambhaiḥ saṃ dhehy abhi yātudhānān ||3||

Apply both thy tusks, thou that hast them in both jaws (ubhayāvín), the lower one and the upper, being harmful, sharpened; also in the atmosphere go about, O Agni; put together thy grinders upon the sorcerers.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

अग्ने त्वचं यातुधानस्य भिन्धि हिंस्राशनिर् हरसा हन्त्व् एनम् । प्र पर्वाणि जातवेदः शृणीहि क्रव्यात् क्रविष्णुर् वि चिनोत्व् एनम् ॥४॥

agne tvacaṃ yātudhānasya bhindhi hiṃsrāśanir harasā hantv enam | pra parvāṇi jātavedaḥ śṛṇīhi kravyāt kraviṣṇur vi cinotv enam ||4||

O Agni, split the skin of the sorcerer; let the harmful thunderbolt smite him with flame (háras); crush his joints, O Jātavedas; let the flesh-eating, flesh-craving ⌊one⌋ divide him.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

यत्रेदानीं पश्यसि जातवेदस् तिष्ठन्तम् अग्न उत वा चरन्तम् । उतान्तरिक्षे पतन्तं यातुधानं तम् अस्ता विध्य शर्वा शिशानः ॥५॥

yatredānīṃ paśyasi jātavedas tiṣṭhantam agna uta vā carantam | utāntarikṣe patantaṃ yātudhānaṃ tam astā vidhya śarvā śiśānaḥ ||5||

Wherever now, O Jātavedas, thou seest a sorcerer standing, O Agni, or also moving, also flying in the atmosphere, him [as] archer, pierce with a shaft, being sharpened.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

यज्ञैर् इषूः संनममानो अग्ने इवाचा शल्यां अशनिभिर् दिहानः । ताभिर् विध्य हृदये यातुधानान् प्रतीचो बाहून् प्रति भङ्ग्ध्य् एषाम् ॥६॥

yajñair iṣūḥ saṃnamamāno agne ivācā śalyāṃ aśanibhir dihānaḥ | tābhir vidhya hṛdaye yātudhānān pratīco bāhūn prati bhaṅgdhy eṣām ||6||

By sacrifices, O Agni, straightening (sam-nam) thine arrows, by speech smearing their tips with thunderbolts—with them pierce in the heart the sorcerers; break back (pratīcás) their arms.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

उतारब्धान्त् स्पृनुहि जातवेद उतारेभाणां ऋष्टिभिर् यातुधानान् । अग्ने पूर्वो नि जहि शोशुचान आमादः क्ष्विङ्कास् तम् अदन्त्व् एनीः ॥७॥

utārabdhānt spṛnuhi jātaveda utārebhāṇāṃ ṛṣṭibhir yātudhānān | agne pūrvo ni jahi śośucāna āmādaḥ kṣviṅkās tam adantv enīḥ ||7||

Both those that are seized do thou win (spṛ), O Jātavedas, and also the sorcerers that have seized with spears; do thou, O Agni, first, greatly gleaming, smite [him] down; let the variegated raw-flesh-eating kṣvín̄kās eat him.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

इह प्र ब्रूहि यतमः सो अग्ने यातुधानो य इदं कृणोति । तम् आ रभस्व समिधा यविष्ठ नृचक्षसश् चक्षुषे रन्धयैनम् ॥८॥

iha pra brūhi yatamaḥ so agne yātudhāno ya idaṃ kṛṇoti | tam ā rabhasva samidhā yaviṣṭha nṛcakṣasaś cakṣuṣe randhayainam ||8||

Proclaim thou here which that [is], O Agni—the sorcerer that is doing this; him take hold of with the fuel, O youngest [god]; subject him to the eye of the men-watcher.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

तीक्ष्णेनाग्ने चक्षुषा रक्ष यज्ञं प्राञ्चं वसुभ्यः प्र णय प्रचेतः । हिंस्रं रक्षांस्य् अभि शोशुचानं मा त्वा दभन् यातुधाना नृचक्षः ॥९॥

tīkṣṇenāgne cakṣuṣā rakṣa yajñaṃ prāñcaṃ vasubhyaḥ pra ṇaya pracetaḥ | hiṃsraṃ rakṣāṃsy abhi śośucānaṃ mā tvā dabhan yātudhānā nṛcakṣaḥ ||9||

With sharp eye, O Agni, defend thou the sacrifice; conduct it forward to the Vasus, O forethoughtful one; thee that art harmful, greatly gleaming against the demons, let not the sorcerers injure, O men-watcher.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

नृचक्षा रक्षः परि पश्य विक्षु तस्य त्रीणि प्रति शृणीह्य् अग्रा । तस्याग्ने पृष्टीर् हरसा शृणीहि त्रेधा मूलं यातुधानस्य वृश्च ॥१०॥ ६

nṛcakṣā rakṣaḥ pari paśya vikṣu tasya trīṇi prati śṛṇīhy agrā | tasyāgne pṛṣṭīr harasā śṛṇīhi tredhā mūlaṃ yātudhānasya vṛśca ||10|| 6

A men-watcher, do thou look around for the demon among the people (vikṣú); crush back his three points (ágra); crush, O Agni, his ribs with flame (háras); cut up threefold the root of the sorcerer.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

त्रिर् यातुधानः प्रसितिं त एत्व् ऋतं यो अग्ने अनृतेन हन्ति । तम् अर्चिषा स्फूर्जयन् जातवेदः समक्षम् एनम् गृणते नि युङ्ग्धि ॥११॥

trir yātudhānaḥ prasitiṃ ta etv ṛtaṃ yo agne anṛtena hanti | tam arciṣā sphūrjayan jātavedaḥ samakṣam enam gṛṇate ni yuṅgdhi ||11||

Let the sorcerer thrice come within thy reach (? prásiti), who, O Agni, slays truth (ṛtá) with untruth; roaring [at] him with thy flame (arcís), O Jātavedas, do thou put him down (ni-yuj) before the eyes of the singer.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

यद् अग्ने अद्य मिथुना शपातो यद् वाचस् तृष्टं जनयन्त रेभाः । मन्योर् मनसः शरव्या जायते या तया विध्य हृदये यातुधानान् ॥१२॥

yad agne adya mithunā śapāto yad vācas tṛṣṭaṃ janayanta rebhāḥ | manyor manasaḥ śaravyā jāyate yā tayā vidhya hṛdaye yātudhānān ||12||

What, O Agni, the pair utter in curses today, what harshness (tṛṣṭá) of speech the reciters (rebhá) produce: the shaft that is born of fury of the mind—with that pierce thou the sorcerers in the heart.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

परा शृणीहि तपसा यातुधानान् पराग्ने रक्षो हरसा शृणीहि । परार्चिषा मूरदेवान् छृणीहि परासुतृपः शोशुचतः शृणीहि ॥१३॥

parā śṛṇīhi tapasā yātudhānān parāgne rakṣo harasā śṛṇīhi | parārciṣā mūradevān chṛṇīhi parāsutṛpaḥ śośucataḥ śṛṇīhi ||13||

Crush away the sorcerers with heat; crush away, O Agni, the demon with flame (háras); crush away with burning (arcís) the false-worshipers; crush away the greatly gleaming ones that feed on lives (? asutṛ́p).

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

पराद्य देवा वृजिनं शृणन्तु प्रत्यग् एनं शपथा यन्तु सृष्टाः । वाचास्तेनं शरव ऋछन्तु मर्मन् विश्वस्यैतु प्रसितिं यातुधानः ॥१४॥

parādya devā vṛjinaṃ śṛṇantu pratyag enaṃ śapathā yantu sṛṣṭāḥ | vācāstenaṃ śarava ṛchantu marman viśvasyaitu prasitiṃ yātudhānaḥ ||14||

Let the gods crush away today the wicked one (vṛjiná); let [his] curses sent forth go back upon him; let shafts strike (ṛch) in the vitals him who steals by [magic] speech; let the sorcerer come within every one's reach.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

यः पौरुषेयेण क्रविषा समङ्क्ते यो अश्व्येन पशुना यातुधानः । यो अघ्न्याया भरति क्षीरम् अग्ने तेषां शीर्षाणि हरसापि वृश्च ॥१५॥

yaḥ pauruṣeyeṇa kraviṣā samaṅkte yo aśvyena paśunā yātudhānaḥ | yo aghnyāyā bharati kṣīram agne teṣāṃ śīrṣāṇi harasāpi vṛśca ||15||

The sorcerer that smears himself (sam-añj) with the flesh of men, who with that of horses, with cattle, who bears [off] the milk of the inviolable [cow], O Agni—their heads cut thou into with flame.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

विषं गवां यातुधाना भरन्ताम् आ वृश्चन्ताम् अदितये दुरेवाः । परैणान् देवः सविता ददातु परा भागम् ओषधीनां जयन्ताम् ॥१६॥

viṣaṃ gavāṃ yātudhānā bharantām ā vṛścantām aditaye durevāḥ | paraiṇān devaḥ savitā dadātu parā bhāgam oṣadhīnāṃ jayantām ||16||

Let the sorcerers bear [off] poison of the kine; let them of evil courses fall under the wrath of Aditi; let god Savitar abandon them; let them lose their share of the herbs.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

संवत्सरीणं पय उस्रियायास् तस्य माशीद् यातुधानो नृचक्षः । पीयूषम् अग्ने यतमस् तितृप्सात् तं प्रत्यञ्चम् अर्चिषा विध्य मर्मणि ॥१७॥

saṃvatsarīṇaṃ paya usriyāyās tasya māśīd yātudhāno nṛcakṣaḥ | pīyūṣam agne yatamas titṛpsāt taṃ pratyañcam arciṣā vidhya marmaṇi ||17||

Yearly [is] the milk of the ruddy [cow]; of that let not the sorcerer partake (aç), O men-watcher; whatever one [of them], O Agni, would fain enjoy (tṛp) the beestings, him do thou pierce back in the vitals with thy burning (arcís).

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

सनाद् अग्ने मृणसि यातुधानान् न त्वा रक्षांसि पृतनासु जिग्युः । सहमूरान् अनु दह क्रव्यादो मा ते हेत्या मुक्षत दैव्यायाः ॥१८॥

sanād agne mṛṇasi yātudhānān na tvā rakṣāṃsi pṛtanāsu jigyuḥ | sahamūrān anu daha kravyādo mā te hetyā mukṣata daivyāyāḥ ||18||

From of old, O Agni, thou killest the sorcerers; the demons have not conquered thee in fights; burn up the flesh-eaters together with their dupes (? mūrá); let them not be freed from thy heavenly missile.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

त्वं नो अग्ने अधराद् उदक्तस् त्वं पश्चाद् उत रक्षा पुरस्तात् । प्रति त्ये ते अजरासस् तपिष्ठा अघशंसं शोशुचतो दहन्तु ॥१९॥

tvaṃ no agne adharād udaktas tvaṃ paścād uta rakṣā purastāt | prati tye te ajarāsas tapiṣṭhā aghaśaṃsaṃ śośucato dahantu ||19||

Do thou, O Agni, from below, from above, do thou defend us from behind and from in front; let those [flames] of thine, unaging, extremely hot, greatly paining, burn against the evil-plotter.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

पश्चात् पुरस्ताद् अधराद् उतोत्तरात् कविः काव्येन परि पाह्य् अग्ने । सखा सखायम् अजरो जरिम्ने अग्ने मर्तां अमर्त्यस् त्वं नः ॥२०॥ ७

paścāt purastād adharād utottarāt kaviḥ kāvyena pari pāhy agne | sakhā sakhāyam ajaro jarimne agne martāṃ amartyas tvaṃ naḥ ||20|| 7

From behind, in front, below, and above, do thou, O Agni, a poet, protect us about with poesy; [as] friend a friend, [as] unaging in order to old age, [as] an immortal mortals, do thou [protect] us, O Agni.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

तद् अग्ने चक्षुः प्रति धेहि रेभे शफारुजो येन पश्यसि यातुधानान् । अथर्ववज् ज्योतिषा दैव्येन सत्यं धूर्वन्तम् अचितं न्योष ॥२१॥

tad agne cakṣuḥ prati dhehi rebhe śaphārujo yena paśyasi yātudhānān | atharvavaj jyotiṣā daivyena satyaṃ dhūrvantam acitaṃ nyoṣa ||21||

Set thou in the reciter, O Agni, that eye with which thou seest the hoof-breaking sorcerers; Atharvan-like, with brightness of the gods, scorch (uṣ) down the truth-damaging fool (acít).

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

परि त्वाग्ने पुरं वयं विप्रं सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णं दिवेदिवे हन्तारं भङ्गुरावतः ॥२२॥

pari tvāgne puraṃ vayaṃ vipraṃ sahasya dhīmahi | dhṛṣadvarṇaṃ divedive hantāraṃ bhaṅgurāvataḥ ||22||

Thee the devout, O Agni, powerful one, would we fain put about us [as] a stronghold, [thee] of daring color, day by day, slayer of the destructive one.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

विषेण भङ्गुरावतः प्रति स्म रक्षसो जहि । अग्ने तिग्मेन शोचिषा तपुरग्राभिर् अर्चिभिः ॥२३॥

viṣeṇa bhaṅgurāvataḥ prati sma rakṣaso jahi | agne tigmena śociṣā tapuragrābhir arcibhiḥ ||23||

With poison smite thou back the destructive ones, the demoniacs, O Agni, with keen brightness (çocís), with heat-pointed flames (arcí).

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

वि ज्योतिषा बृहता भात्य् अग्निर् आविर् विश्वानि कृणुते महित्वा । प्रादेवीर् मायाः सहते दुरेवाः शिशीते शृङ्गे रक्षोभ्यो विनिक्षे ॥२४॥

vi jyotiṣā bṛhatā bhāty agnir āvir viśvāni kṛṇute mahitvā | prādevīr māyāḥ sahate durevāḥ śiśīte śṛṅge rakṣobhyo vinikṣe ||24||

With great light Agni shineth out; he maketh all things manifest by his greatness; he forceth away the ill-conditioned ungodly wiles; he sharpeneth his two horns to gore the demons.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

ये ते शृङ्गे अजरे जातवेदस् तिग्महेती ब्रह्मसंशिते । ताभ्यां दुर्हार्दम् अभिदासन्तं किमीदिनं । प्रत्यञ्चम् अर्चिषा जातवेदो वि निक्ष्व ॥२५॥

ye te śṛṅge ajare jātavedas tigmahetī brahmasaṃśite | tābhyāṃ durhārdam abhidāsantaṃ kimīdinaṃ | pratyañcam arciṣā jātavedo vi nikṣva ||25||

The two horns that thou hast, O Jātavedas, unaging, of keen thrust, sharpened by devotion (bráhman)—with them do thou gore, O Jātavedas, the attacking enemy (durhā́rd), the advancing kimīdín with thy flame (arcís).

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)

अग्नी रक्षांसि सेधति शुक्रशोचिर् अमर्त्यः । शुचिः पावक ईड्यः ॥२६॥ ८

agnī rakṣāṃsi sedhati śukraśocir amartyaḥ | śuciḥ pāvaka īḍyaḥ ||26|| 8

Agni drives off the demons, he of bright brightness, immortal, bright, purifying, laudable.

Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)