A prayer for the destruction of demons

Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com

p. a327

HYMN III

A prayer for the destruction of demons

1I balm with oil the mighty demon-slayer, to the most famous
   friend I come for shelter.
  Enkindled, sharpened by our rites, may Agni protect us in the
   day and night from evil.
2O Jātavedas, armed with teeth of iron, enkindled with thy flame,
   attack the demons.
  Seize with thy tongue the foolish gods' adorers: rend, put with-
   in thy mouth the raw-flesh-eaters.
3Apply thy teeth, the upper and the lower, thou who hast both,
   enkindled and destroying.
  Roam also in the air, O King, around us, and with thy jaws
   assail the wicked spirits.
4Pierce through the Yātudhāna's skin, O Agni; let the destroying
   dart with fire consume him.
  Rend his joints, Jātavedas! let the eater of raw flesh, seeking
   flesh, tear and destroy him.
5Where now thou seest, Agni Jātavedas! a Yātudhāna, standing
   still or roaming.
  Or one that flieth through the air's mid-region, kindled to fury
   as an archer pierce him. p. a328
6Bending thy shafts through sacrifices, Agni! dipping thine
   arrows in the hymn to point them,
  Pierce to the heart therewith the Yātudhānas, and break their
   arms uplifted to attack thee.
7Rescue the captives also, Jātavedas! yea, those whom Yātudhā-
   nas' spears have captured.
  Strike down that fiend, blazing before him, Agni! Let spotted
   carrion-eating kites devour him.
8Here tell this forth, O Agni: whosoever is, he himself, or acteth
   as, a demon,
  Grasp him, O thou most youthful, with thy fuel: to the Man-
  Seer's eye give him as booty.
9With keen glance guard the sacrifice, O Agni: thou Sage, con-
   duct it onward to the Vasus.
  Let not the fiends, O Man-Beholder, harm thee burning against
   the Rākshasas to slay them.
10Look on the fiend, 'mid men, as Man-Beholder: rend thou his
   three extremities in pieces.
  Demolish with thy flame his ribs, O Agni: the Yātudhāna's
   root destroy thou triply.
11Thrice, Agni, let thy noose surround the demon who with his
   falsehood injures holy Order.
  Loud roaring with thy flame, Jātavedas, fetter him in the pre-
   sense of the singer.
12Agni, what curse the pair this day may utter, what rude rough
   word the worshippers have spoken,
  Each arrowy taunt sped from the angry spirit,—pierce to the
   heart therewith the Yātudhānas.
13With fervent heat exterminate the demons: destroy the fiends
   with glow and flame, O Agni.
  Destroy with fire the foolish gods' adorers: destroy the insatiate
   fiercely-burning creatures.
14May Gods destroy to-day the evil-doer: may uttered curses turn
   again and strike him.
  Let arrows pierce the liar in his vitals, and Visva's net enclose
   the Yātudhāna.
15The fiend who smears himself with flesh of cattle, with flesh of
   horses and of human bodies,
  Who steals the milch-cow's milk away, O Agni,—tear off the
   heads of such with fiery fury. p. a329
16Let the fiends steal the poison of the cattle: may Aditi cast off
   the evil-doers.
  May the God Savitar give them up to ruin, and be their share
   of herbs and plants denied them.
17The cow gives milk each year, O Man-Beholder: let not the
  Yātudhāna ever taste it.
  Agni, if one should glut him with the biestings, pierce with thy
   flame his vitals as he meets thee.
18Agni, from days of old thou slayest demons: never have
  Rākshasas in fight o'ercome thee.
  Burn up the foolish ones, the flesh-devourers: let none of them
   escape thy heavenly arrow.
19Guard us, O Agni, from above and under, protect us from be-
   hind and from before us;
  And may thy flames, most fierce and never wasting, glowing
   with fervent heat, consume the sinner.
20From rear, from front, from under, from above us, Agni, pro-
   tect us as a sage with wisdom.
  Guard to old age thy friend as friend eternal: O Agni, as im-
   mortal, guard us mortals.
21Lend thou the worshipper that eye, O Agni, where with thou
   lookest on the hoof-armed demons.
  With light celestial in Atharvan's manner burn up the fool who
   ruins truth with falsehood.
22We set thee round us as a fort, victorious Agni! thee, a sage,
  In conquering colour day by day, destroyer of the treacherous
   foe.
23With deadly poison strike thou back the treacherous brood of
  Rākshasas,
  O Agni, with thy sharpened glow, with rays that flash with
   points of flame.
24Agni shines far and wide with lofty splendour, and by his great-
   ness makes all things apparent.
  He conquers godless and malign enchantments, and sharpens
   both his horns to gore the ogres.
25Thy two unwasting horns, O Jātavedas, keen-pointed weapons,
   sharpened by devotion
  With these transfix the wicked-souled Kimidin, with fierce flame,
  Jātavedas! when he meets thee. p. a330
26Bright, radiant, meet to be adored, immortal with refulgent
   glow,
  Agni drives Rākshasas away.