In the sacred tradition of the Atharva Veda, the seers address the mysterious forces that dwell in sleep and dreams, seeking to understand and to guard themselves from their dangers. They speak to Sleep, acknowledging its origin: it is known as the son of Abhūti, the agent of Yama, the lord of death. Sleep is the ender, it is death itself. With reverence, the sages declare their knowledge of sleep’s nature and beseech it: “O Sleep, protect us from evil dreams.” Again, they recognize Sleep’s origin, this time as the son of Nirbhūti, still the agent of Yama, still the ender and death. With this understanding, they repeat their plea: “O Sleep, shield us from harmful visions that may arise.” Turning to Dream, the seers proclaim their insight: Dream is born of defeat, is an agent of Yama, is the Ender, is Death. They address Dream directly, asking, “Protect us, O Dream, from evil dreams.” They further recognize Dream’s lineage as the child of the offspring of the gods, yet still the agent of Yama, the Ender, Death. Their prayer remains, “O Dream, guard us from malevolent dreams.” Having invoked protection, the seers rejoice: “Today we have conquered, today we have sat down, today we are free from guilt.” The fears that evil dreams once brought are now to be banished. They ask that all hateful and cursed things be carried away from them. Those whom they hate and who hate them, let these burdens be sent to them instead. They call upon the goddess Dawn and the goddess of Speech, each agreeing with the other, and upon the lords of Dawn and Speech, united in purpose. May these divine powers carry away the constant followers of misfortune, the swift ones who speak evil—named as the Kumbhikas, the Dushikas, the Piyakas. The seers pray for the removal of evil in dreams, whether awake or asleep. They ask that the bonds of deceit, the intentions of the unwise, and the desires of the impoverished not return. May the gods, led by Agni, carry away these evils as a wolf carries off a cripple, but not a worthy one. With sacred intent, the seers strike their adversary with misfortune, ruin, destruction, defeat, capture, and darkness. They send him forth with the dreadful, fierce messengers of the gods, placing him between the jaws of Vaiśvānara, the consuming fire, and call upon her to devour him. They wish that whoever hates them, his own self may turn against him; whom they themselves hate, his own self may turn against him. The seers then pray to distribute from the sky, earth, and atmosphere that which is free from hostility, so that they may be well-guided and clear-sighted. They wipe away the evil dream for the descendant, for the son of that one. Whatever harm approached, whatever was done in the evening or the previous night, whatever was done while awake or asleep, by day or by night, whatever is encountered day after day—they ask to be protected from it, to be shown mercy. They call upon the forces to strike their adversary, to delight in that, to listen even to his back. They wish that he may not live, that his breath may depart. With a triumphant voice, the seers declare: “Victory is ours, bursting forth is ours, death is ours, energy is ours, sacred knowledge is ours, heaven is ours, sacrifice is ours, cattle are ours, progeny is ours, heroes are ours.” With this, they set apart the one, the descendant, the son of that one, praying that he may not be released from the bonds of destruction, misfortune, non-prosperity, defeat, the offspring of the gods, Brihaspati, Prajapati, the sages, and the descendants of the sages. Once again, they assert their victory, prosperity, brilliance, sacred knowledge, heaven, sacrifice, cattle, offspring, and heroes. They dedicate the one, the descendant, the son of that one—whoever he may be—so that he may not release the bonds of the Angirases and their descendants. Thus, through invocation, prayer, and declaration, the seers of the Atharva Veda seek to understand the origins of sleep and dream, to protect themselves from their dangers, to banish evil, and to secure victory and prosperity for themselves and their lineage.