atharva-vedIya nakShatra kalpa sUktaM

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atharva-vedIya nakShatra kalpa sUktaMBelow are the nakShatreShTi mantra-s of

the atharvanic tradition. We use them as the yAjya verses with the ones

from the shaunaka saMhitA kANDa 19 forming the invocatory verses. They

are not found in the extant paippalAda text and appear to represent an

independently preserved tradition only found in nakShatra kalpa. The

oral recitations has minor differences from the published text. There

is an extraordinary mention of the 108 shvetaketu-s associated with

shraviShTha. Also the sarpa-s are recognized as the sons of jaratkAra.

Strangely the two dogs of yama – shyAma and shabala are mentioned in

connection with the apa-bharaNi-s, when in reality they lie much

farther away in the sky.

It is clear the the AV tradition composed a new nakShatra sUktaM for

the nakShatra rite, even as the taittirIyaka-s composed their own

nakShatra sUktaM. This is in sharp contrast to the kaTha-s, who rather

than composing a nakShatra sUktaM merely compiled preexisting mantra-s

into their nakShatra liturgy. See our earlier account of this here.

In an interesting contrast, the kaTha tradition has composed its own

late mantra-s for the graha homa, whereas the taittirIyaka-s and

atharva vedin-s have drawn a series of unrelated mantras from their

saMhitA-s for their versions of the graha homa-s. In general we know

that the graha homa-s are a very late accretion to the Vedic tradition.

But what about the clearly earlier nakShatra homa-s. This raises the

questions: 1) Was there an ancestral nakShatreShTi ? 2) Did the

nakShatra rites convergently evolve in the different vedic traditions

relatively late in their development? 3) What is the connection between

the kR^ittikA period and the emergence of these rites.

We know that in the core agni-chayana there is the famous ritual of

laying of the nakShatra bricks. It was in this context the original

nakShatra liturgy emerged. It appears possible that these original

compositions in combination with new compositions were recycled for the

later emerging nakShatra homa-s. We suspect that the original

compositions alone can be be considered belonging to the actual

kR^ittikA period.

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agnir devo yajvanaH kR^iShNavartmA vaishvAnaro jAtavedA rasAgrabhuk |

sa nakShatrANAM prathamena pAvakaH kR^ittikAbhir jvalano no .anushAmyatAm || 01

prajApatir yaH sasR^ije prajA imA devAnt sa sR^iShTvA viniyojya karmasu |

sa sarvabhuk sarvayogeShu rohiNI shivAH kriyAH kR^iNutAM karmasiddhaye || 02

vidyAvido ye abhishochamAnavA archanti shakraM saha devatAgaNaiH |

sa no yoge mR^igashiraH shivAH kriyAH shreShTharAjaH kR^iNutAM karmasiddhaye || 03

devaM bhavaM pashupatiM haraM kR^ishaM mahAdevaM sharvam ugraM shikhaNDinam |

sahasrAkSham ashaniM yaM gR^iNanti sa no rudraH paripAtu na ArdrayA || 04

yA vipraiH kavibhir namasyate dAkShAyaNI devapurAdibhir nR^ibhir |

sA naH stutA prathamajA punarvasuH shivAH kriyAH kR^iNutAM karmasiddhaye || 05

yasya devA brahmacharyeNa karmaNA mahAsuraM tigmatayAbhichakrire |

taM subudhaM devaguruM bR^ihaspatim archAmi pusyeNa sahAbhipAtu mA || 06

yA naH stutaH parihiNomi medhayA tapyamAnam R^iShibhiH kAmashochibhiH |

jaratkArasUnor R^iShibhir manIShibhis tA ashleShA abhirakShantu noragaiH || 07

ye devatvaM puNyakR^ito .abhichakrire ye chApare ye cha pare maharShayaH |

archAmi sUnur yamarAjagAn pitR^IMsh ChivAH kriyAH kR^iNutAM cha no maghA || 08

yo yojayan karmaNA charShaNIdhR^ito bhUmiM cheti bhagaH prajAH prasAdayan |

taddevatye shivatamAm alaMkR^ite phalgunyor IDe bhajanaM cha pUrvayoH || 09

stutaM pUrvair aryamaNaM manIShibhiH staumi devaM jagati vAcham erayan |

taddevatye shivatamAm alaMkR^ite phalgunyau na uttare devatAtaye || 10

shyAvair yuktaH shitipAd-dhiraNyayo yasya rathaH pathibhir vartate sukhaiH |

sa no hastena savitA hiraNyabhug-ghiraNyapANiH savitA no .abhirakShatu || 11

tvaShTre namaH kShitisR^ije manIShiNe bhUta-goptre parama-karmakAriNe |

sA naH stutA kR^iNutAM karmasiddhaye chitrAM devI saha yogena rUpabhR^it || 12

yaH prANinAM jIvayan khAni sevate shivo bhUtvA mAtarishvA rasAgrabhuk |

dhvajo .antarikShasya sa sarvabhUtabhR^id vAyur devaH svAtinA no .abhirakShatu || 13

yAv IDitAv Atmavidbhir maNIShibhiH sahitau yau trINi savanAni sAmagau |

indrAgnI varadau namaskR^itau vishAkhayoH kurvatAm AyuShe shrIH || 14

vishve devA yam R^iShim Ahur mitraM bharadvAjam R^iShitaH prasAmavit |

taM jagatyA gAthayA staumy ugraiH sa mAm anUrAdhAbhir bhR^itakaNvo .abhirakShatu || 15

shatakratur yo nijaghAna shambaraM vR^itraM cha hatvA saritaH prasarjataH |

sa naH stutaH prItamanAH puraMdaro marut-sakhA jyeShThayA no .abhirakShatu || 16

yA dhArayaty ojasAtidevapadaM mAtA pR^ithivI cha sA sarvabhUtabhR^it |

sA naH stutA kR^iNutAM karma-siddhaye mUlaM devI nirR^itiH sarva-karmasu || 17

parjanya sR^iShTAs tisR^iNIbhir AvR^itaM yAs tarpayanty abhitaH pravR^iddhaye |

tAH staumy Apo vAruNIH pUrvA AShADhA svadhayAstu yojane || 18

yAs triMshataM trIMsh cha madanti devA devanAmno nirmitAMsh cha bhUyasaH |

tA no .aShADhA uttarA vaso vishve shivAH kriyAH kR^iNutAM suramatAH || 19

yaH sarvaj~naH sarvakR^it sarvabhUtabhR^id yasmAd anyan na paraM kiM chanAsti |

anirmitaH satyajitaH puruShTutaH sa no brahmAbhijitA no .abhirakShatu || 20

sthAnAchyute sthAnam indrAya pAtave devebhyash cha ya IrayaMs trir vichakrame |

taM svid dhi svargaM nAka pR^iShThaM vishvaM viShNur devaH shravaNenAbhirakShatu || 21

aShTau shatAni shvetaketUnAM yAni tvaM cha sa tvaM nijaghAna bhUyasaH |

anAdeshenobhayatash cha vIDitAH shraviShThAbhir no .abhirakShantu vAjinaH || 22

vAjA devI devamR^iNAni-kAkubhAv ubhAvAjasya natakarmaNA shivA |

tava vrAjaM staumasi devabhojanau pratyagbhiShak shatabhiShak shivau naH || 23

shunAsIrau naH pramumUtu jihmasau tautau pitR^ibhyo dadatuH stanau shubhau |

tau pUrvajau kR^iNutAm ekapAd ajaH pratiShThAnau sarva-kAmAbhayAya cha || 24

sarvArthAya kR^iNomi karmasiddhaye gaviShTutAyAneka-kAriNe namaH |

so .ahir budhnyaH kR^iNutAm uttarau shivau pratiShThAnau sarvakAmAbhayAya cha || 25

yaM mahAhemam R^iShitaH prasAmavid bharadvAjash chandramasau divAkaram |

sajuShTAnAm ashvayujau bhayAya cha sa naH pUShA kR^iNutAM revatIM shivAm || 26

jIrNaM santaM yau yuvAnaM hi chakratur R^iShiM dhiyA chyavAnaM somapau kR^itau |

tau nash chittibhir bhiShajAm asya satkarau prajAm ashvinyAm ashvinau shivau || 27

yasya shyAma-shabalau rakShataH svadhA duShkR^it sukR^id vividhA charShaNIdhR^itau |

tau savitryA cha savitur dharmachAribhir yamo rAjA bharaNIbhir no .abhirakShatu ||28