Sukta 7
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (nakṣatra-sūkta corpus; r̥ṣi attribution varies in ancillary lists)
Devata: Nakṣatras (Aṣāḍhā, Uttarā, Abhijit, Śravaṇa, Śraviṣṭhā)
Chandas: Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (late Atharvanic style; often treated as anuṣṭubh in practice)
هذه الترتيلةُ طقسٌ لاسترضاء النكشترات، تُعامِل منازلَ القمر قوىً سماويةً حيّةً سريعةَ الحركة، يكون لرضاها أثرٌ في جودة أيام المرء. وبذكر النكشترات على التوالي وطلبِ الطعام (anna) والعصارة الحيوية (ūrj) والفضل/الاستحقاق (puṇya) واليسر والسلامة منها، ترمي إلى تحصيل الرخاء مع دفع الأذى الناشئ عن انعطافات الزمن غير الميمونة. وتكمن قوتها في المواءمة التقويمية: إذ تُستعمل الكلمة/القول (gīr) لـ«مرافقة» الأيام تحت إشرافٍ نجميٍّ مُبارَك.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
नक्षत्राणि। चि॒त्राणि॑ सा॒कं दि॒वि रो॑च॒नानि॑ सरीसृ॒पाणि॒ भुव॑ने ज॒वानि॑ । तु॒र्मिशं॑ सुम॒तिमि॒च्छमा॑नो॒ अहा॑नि गी॒र्भिः स॑प॒र्यामि॒ नाक॑म्
النجومُ—الزاهيةُ—معًا، أنوارُ السماء اللامعة؛ تنسابُ زاحفةً، سريعةً في العالَم. طالبًا العونَ وحُسنَ الرضا، أُقيمُ العبادةَ لِـنَاكَ (Nāka) بالترانيمِ طوالَ الأيّام.
Mantra 2
सु॒हव॑मग्ने॒ कृत्ति॑का॒ रोहि॑णी॒ चास्तु॑ भ॒द्रं मृ॒गशि॑रः॒ शमा॒र्द्रा। पुन॑र्वसू सू॒नृता॒ चारु॒ पुष्यो॑ भा॒नुरा॑श्ले॒षा अय॑नं म॒घा मे
يا أغني، يا سهلَ الاستدعاء—لتكن كِرِتّيكَا وروهِني مُباركتين؛ وليكن مُرْغَشِيرَسُ خيرًا وعافية، ولتكن آرْدْرَا سَكينةً وسلامًا. وبونَرْفَسُو، يا حقيقةً لطيفة؛ وبوشْيَا الجميلة؛ وآشْلِيشَا المتألّقة—لتكن مَغْهَا مساري.
Mantra 3
पुण्यं॒ पूर्वा॒ फल्गु॑न्यौ॒ चात्र॒ हस्त॑श्चि॒त्रा शि॒वा स्वा॒ति सु॒खो मे॑ अस्तु । राधे॑ वि॒शाखे॑ सु॒हवा॑नुरा॒धा ज्येष्ठा॑ सु॒नक्ष॑त्र॒मरि॑ष्ट॒ मूल॑म्
لتكن الفَلْغُونِيّتان السابقتان مُباركتين، وليكن هَسْتا هنا؛ ولتكن تشِتْرَا رفيقةً رحيمة؛ ولتكن سْفَاتِي يُسري. يا رَادْهَا، يا فِشَاخَا، يا سهلةَ الاستدعاء—أَنورَادْهَا؛ ولتكن جْيَيْشْثَا حسنةَ النجم؛ ولتكن مُولَا غيرَ مُصابَة.
Mantra 4
अन्नं॒ पूर्वा॑ रासतां मे अषा॒ढा ऊर्जं॑ दे॒व्युत्त॑रा॒ आ व॑हन्तु । अ॒भि॒जिन्मे॑ रासतां॒ पुण्य॑मे॒व श्रव॑णः॒ श्रवि॑ष्ठाः कुर्वतां सुपु॒ष्टिम्
لتَهَبْني (النجوم) الأُوَلُ طعامًا؛ ولتَحْمِلْ إليَّ أَصَادْهَا (Aṣāḍhā) التي لا تُقهَر، واللاحقاتُ الإلهيّاتُ، قوةَ الحياة. ولْيَمْنَحْني أَبْهِجِت (Abhijit) خيرًا مباركًا؛ ولْيَجْعَلْ لي شْرَفَنَة (Śravaṇa) وشْرَفِشْتْهَا (Śraviṣṭhā)، الأشدَّ ذِكرًا، نُمُوًّا حسنًا.
Mantra 5
आ मे॑ म॒हच्छ॒तभि॑ष॒ग् वरी॑य॒ आ मे॑ द्व॒या प्रोष्ठ॑पदा सु॒शर्म॑ । आ रे॒वती॑ चाश्व॒युजौ॒ भगं॑ म॒ आ मे॑ र॒यिं भर॑ण्य॒ आ व॑हन्तु
إليَّ فَلْتَأْتِ شَتَبْهِشَج (Śatabhiṣaj) العظيمة، بعطيةٍ أَفْضَل؛ وإليَّ فَلْتَأْتِ البْرُوشْتْهَبَدَان (Proṣṭhapadā) الاثنتان، مَأْوًى لطيفًا. وإليَّ فَلْتَأْتِ رِفَتِي (Revatī)، وزوجُ أَشْفَيُج (Aśvayuj)—حظٌّ حسنٌ لي؛ ولْتَحْمِلْ إليَّ بْهَرَنِي (Bharaṇī) الثروة.
Inside Sukta 7
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by praising the nakṣatras as splendid, heaven-lit, swift-moving powers and frames the recitation as day-by-day worship through hymns.
- What it asks
Asks the named nakṣatras to bestow food, convey vital strength, grant auspicious merit, and establish fair thriving and ease.
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is implied through direct address plus the calendrical logic: correctly named astral powers, honored by gīr, become protectors of the days and givers of puṣṭi.
- How it closes
Ends by consolidating boons—anna, ūrj, puṇya, śravas, and supuṣṭi—so the practitioner’s time-course is sealed as prosperous and unharmed.
Famous verses
nakṣatrāṇi citrāṇi sākam divi rocanāni
ariṣṭaṃ mūlam
kurvatāṃ supuṣṭim
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Apotropaic-Auspicious (Nakṣatra)
What it is for
Secures food, vitality, merit, ease, and overall thriving by aligning the practitioner with beneficent nakṣatra powers and sealing off astral misfortune.
Who it is for
Householders, ritual specialists, and anyone beginning travel, trade, rites, or life-events who seeks auspicious timing and protection across the days.
Also used as
- Shantika
- Apotropaic-Auspicious (Nakṣatra)
- Kāla/daiva-śamana (time-and-fate pacification)
The deity
The nakṣatras are personified astral stations that regulate time, fate, and the flow of auspiciousness across days and undertakings; they are invoked as “shining lights” moving swiftly through the world and as dispensers of puṣṭi (thriving).
Powers of the deity
- Bestow food, wealth, and nourishment (anna, puṣṭi)
- Convey vital strength and life-sap (ūrj)
- Grant merit and auspicious good (puṇya)
- Stabilize daily passage and undertakings through favorable timing
- Avert harm/ariṣṭa associated with difficult nakṣatra periods
- Confer fame and good repute (śravas/śraviṣṭhā nuance)
Why the deity is called
They are invoked to make the sequence of days auspicious, to draw prosperity and vigor toward the reciter, and to neutralize any inauspicious astral influence by direct praise and petition.
The seer
- Anonymous Atharvanic seer (Nakṣatra-sūkta tradition)Atharvan. Śānti–paustika charms: astral pacification, auspicious timing, prosperity-requests (anna/ūrj/puṣṭi), and apotropaic negation of ariṣṭa tied to specific nakṣatras.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 19.7–19.10 (nakṣatra-propitiation sequence; attribution varies by ancillary lists)
- AV 19.8 (adjacent nakṣatra hymn in the same liturgical cluster)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place with a clear view of the sky if possible; perform basic ācamana and mental saṃkalpa for puṣṭi and śānti.
- Note the current nakṣatra/day; orient the intention as ‘nakṣatra-prasāda’ (winning astral favor) for the coming sequence of days.
- Prepare a small offering token of food (anna) and water as symbols of nourishment and life-sap (ūrj).
The rite
- Recite the hymn in a steady anuṣṭubh-like cadence (as practiced) while mentally ‘addressing’ each named nakṣatra as a present deity.
- At verses requesting anna/ūrj/puṇya/puṣṭi, touch or present the food token and sip/sprinkle water to mark reception of nourishment and strength.
- Conclude with a brief silent sealing (niyama) that the days be escorted safely under these lights.
What it needs
- Food token (anna: cooked grain, bread, or rice)
- Water (for sipping/sprinkling as ūrj-symbol)
- Optional lamp/fire (for rocanāni—‘shining lights’ symbolism)
When
Ideally at dawn or at the transition into/under the relevant nakṣatra; also suitable at the start of a journey or undertaking spanning multiple days.
The main substance
Anna (food offering-token) as the concrete carrier of prosperity-intent
Amulets
- Optional consecrated thread/cord (rakṣā-sūtra) tied after recitation as a ‘time-protection’ marker
How it is prepared
Set aside a small portion of edible food and a cup of clean water; during recitation, present/touch the food at anna-requests and sprinkle/sip water at ūrj-requests; consume or share the food afterward as a prosperity-seal.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to gain prosperity—food, strength, merit, and steady thriving—by honoring the nakṣatras that govern the flow of days and undertakings.
Knowing the current nakṣatra helps align intention with time, but the hymn also works as a general ‘auspicious-days’ prayer when recited at dawn or before multi-day activities.
Yes. A small food portion (anna) and clean water are fitting tokens; they match the hymn’s requests for nourishment (anna) and vital sap/strength (ūrj).
Ask anything about Sukta 7 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
