{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/av/av05014.htm","path":"hin/av/av05014.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/av/av05014.htm","text":"Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895]\n1An eagle found thee: with his snout a wild boar dug thee from\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the earth.\n \u00a0\u00a0Harm thou, O Plant, the mischievous, and drive the sorcerer\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0away.\n 2Beat thou the Y\u0101tudh\u0101nas back, drive thou away the sorcerer;\n \u00a0\u00a0And chase afar, O Plant, the man who fain would do us injury.\n 3As 'twere a strip cut round from skin of a white-footed an-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0telope,\n \u00a0\u00a0Bind, like a golden chain, O God, his witchcraft on the sorcerer.\n 4Take thou his sorcery by the hand, and to the sorcerer lead it\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0back.\n \u00a0\u00a0Lay it before him, face to face, that it may kill the sorcerer.\n 5Back on the wizard fall his craft, upon the curser light his\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0curse! p. a172\n \u00a0\u00a0Let witchcraft, like a well-naved car, roll back upon the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sorcerer.\n 6Whoso, for other's harm hath dealt-woman or man-in magic\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0arts,\n \u00a0\u00a0To him we lead the sorcery back, even as a courser with a rope.\n 7Now whether thou hast been prepared by Gods or been pre-\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0pared by men,\n \u00a0\u00a0We, with our Indra at our side to aid us, lead thee back again.\n 8Agni, victorious in fight, subdue the armies of our foes!\n \u00a0\u00a0Back on the sorcerer we cast his sorcery, and beat it home.\n 9Thou who hast piercing weapons, pierce him who hath wrought\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0it; conquer him.\n \u00a0\u00a0We do not sharpen thee to slay the man who hath not practised\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0it.\n 10Go as a son goes to his sire: bite as a trampled viper bites.\n \u00a0\u00a0As one who flies from bonds, go back, O Witchcraft, to the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sorcerer.\n 11Even as the timid antelope or hind from her assailant flees,\n \u00a0\u00a0So swiftly let the sorcery o'ertake and reach the sorcerer.\n 12Straighter than any arrow let it fly against him, Heaven and\n \u00a0\u00a0Earth.\n \u00a0\u00a0So let that witchcraft seize again the wizard like a beast of\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0chase.\n 13Let it go contrary like flame, like water following its course.\n \u00a0\u00a0Let witchcraft, like a well-naved car, roll back upon the\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0sorcerer.","title":"Atharva Veda: Book 5: Hymn 14: A charm against witchcraft","type":"page"}