Sukta 2
Rishi: RV-tradition attribution (AV 20 is RV-reuse)
Devata: Agni
Chandas: Prose-like yajus-style formula (not a regular metrical pāda in this excerpted form)
AV 20.2 سلسلةُ استدعاءٍ شراوتيّة لسوما تُجيز لآلهةٍ مخصوصة ووظائفَ إلهيّة أن تُقبل إلى «مقاماتها» الكهنوتيّة وتشرب السوما المعصور وفق ṛtu (الموسم/النظام القويم). وبذكر الموضع (مثل Potṛ وĀgnīdhra) وبالتشديد على suṣṭuti («حُسن الثناء»/التلاوة الصحيحة)، تُحوِّل هذه الترتيباتُ التوزيعَ الليتورجيَّ السليم إلى نجاحٍ طقسيّ: انتظامَ العصر، ورضا الآلهة، وقوّةَ المُضحّي وازدهارَه.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
म॒रुतः॑ पो॒त्रात् सु॒ष्टुभः॑ स्व॒र्कादृ॒तुना॒ सोमं॑ पिबन्तु
فلتشربِ الماروتُ، المحمودةُ حسنًا، من مقامِ البوتْرِ (Potṛ)، ومن السماءِ المضيئة، على وفقِ النظامِ والوقتِ، شرابَ السُّوما (Soma).
Mantra 2
अ॒ग्निराग्नी॑ध्रात् सु॒ष्टुभः॑ स्व॒र्कादृ॒तुना॒ सोमं॑ पिबतु
فَلْيَشْرَبْ أَغْنِي، المُمَجَّدُ بِتَسْبِيحٍ قَوِيمٍ، مِنْ مَقَامِ الآغْنِيدْهْرَا (Āgnīdhra)، وَمِنَ السَّمَاءِ الْمُشْرِقَةِ، فِي أَوَانِهِ وَعَلَى نِظَامِهِ الْحَقِّ، سُومَا (Soma).
Mantra 3
इन्द्रो॑ ब्र॒ह्मा ब्राह्म॑णात् सु॒ष्टुभः॑ स्व॒र्कादृ॒तुना॒ सोमं॑ पिबतु
فَلْيَشْرَبْ إِنْدْرَا—بِصِفَتِهِ البَرَاهْمَنَ (Brahman)—المُمَجَّدُ بِتَسْبِيحٍ قَوِيمٍ، مِنْ مَقَامِ البَرَاهْمَنِ، وَمِنَ السَّمَاءِ الْمُشْرِقَةِ، فِي أَوَانِهِ وَعَلَى نِظَامِهِ الْحَقِّ، سُومَا (Soma).
Mantra 4
दे॒वो द्र॑विणो॒दाः पो॒त्रात् सु॒ष्टुभः॑ स्व॒र्कादृ॒तुना॒ सोमं॑ पिबतु
فَلْيَشْرَبْ الإِلَهُ دْرَافِينُودَا (Draviṇodā)، واهِبُ الثَّرْوَةِ، المُمَجَّدُ بِتَسْبِيحٍ قَوِيمٍ، مِنْ مَقَامِ البُوتْرِ (Potṛ)، وَمِنَ السَّمَاءِ الْمُشْرِقَةِ، فِي أَوَانِهِ وَعَلَى نِظَامِهِ الْحَقِّ، سُومَا (Soma).
Inside Sukta 2
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by calling the intended recipients (e.g., Maruts; Agni) and locating them at a specific priestly office (Potṛ/Āgnīdhra), framed as ‘suṣṭubhaḥ’—properly praised.
- What it asks
That the deity(ies) drink the Soma ‘svarkāt’ (from the bright/heavenly realm) ‘ṛtunā’ (in right season/order), i.e., that the offering be accepted under correct ritual law.
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through precision: naming the correct station, insisting on right order (ṛtu), and using the authoritative invitatory imperative—so acceptance is compelled by liturgical correctness.
- How it closes
Each formula seals the act with ‘somaṃ pibatu/pibantu’—a final authorization that completes invitation and effects divine participation.
Famous verses
ṛtunā somaṃ pibatu
draviṇodāḥ
Kind of hymn
Śrauta-Soma (liturgical invitatory; AV 20 is largely RV-derived for Soma ritual use)
What it is for
Successful, orderly Soma distribution to the gods (ṛtunā), divine satisfaction, and the sacrificer’s increase in strength and prosperity (draviṇa).
Who it is for
Śrauta practitioners—adhvaryu-led Soma ritual teams (Hotṛ, Potṛ, Āgnīdhra, etc.) and patrons (yajamāna) seeking a faultless pressing and its rewards.
Also used as
- Śrauta-Soma (liturgical invitatory/anujñā)
- Shantika (rite-stabilizing, obstacle-reducing through correct order)
The deity
Agni is the ritual fire and divine priest who conveys offerings and regulates the sacrifice; in Soma liturgy he is invited to partake in due order from the Āgnīdhra’s locus. Alongside him, the Maruts (storm-host) and Draviṇodā (wealth-giver) are positioned as recipients whose satisfied participation stabilizes the rite and yields prosperity.
Powers of the deity
- Carries offerings between humans and gods (havyavāhana)
- Orders and protects the sacrifice; removes ritual obstacles
- Animates ṛta/ṛtu—right timing and correct procedure
- Bestows vigor and prosperity through accepted offerings
- Draviṇodā: converts sacrifice into “draviṇa” (wealth, gain)
Why the deity is called
To formally invite and authorize Soma-drinking by the designated deity/power at the correct priestly station, ensuring the pressing proceeds in proper order and yields strength, protection, and material gain.
The seer
- RV-tradition attributionAngiras. Śrauta liturgical formulae for Soma offerings (invitations/permissions for deities to drink; ensuring ṛtu and priestly role-correctness rather than domestic Atharvanic charm-work)
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (general RV-derived Soma liturgy sections)
- RV Soma-invitatory and offering-context verses reused across AV 20
Preparing for the rite
- Establish the Soma-pressing setting with fires and priestly stations (including Potṛ and Āgnīdhra) correctly assigned.
- Prepare pressed Soma and cups according to the Soma sequence; ensure recitation is ‘suṣṭuta’ (well-formed praise).
- Maintain ritual purity and readiness of the fire (Agni) as recipient and conveyor.
The rite
- Recite the invitatory formula naming the deity and the station (e.g., ‘Āgnīdhrāt’, ‘Potrāt’).
- Declare the cosmic/ritual source ‘svarkāt’ and the rule ‘ṛtunā’ to anchor the offering in right order.
- Conclude each unit with the permission/command ‘somaṃ pibatu/pibantu’ (let him/them drink Soma).
What it needs
- Pressed Soma (soma-draught)
- Ritual fire(s) for Agni
- Offering vessels/cups used in Soma distribution
- Priestly stations/implements associated with Potṛ and Āgnīdhra
When
During the Soma pressing/offerings at the appropriate invitatory moments when the recipient and station are to be ritually activated.
The main substance
Pressed Soma (soma-draught)
How it is prepared
Soma is pressed and filtered per Śrauta procedure; the mantra functions as an invitatory authorization synchronized with offering and station-assignment rather than as a medicinal preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used in the Śrauta Soma ritual as an invitatory/authorization formula, inviting specific deities to drink the pressed Soma at the correct moment and priestly station.
Because the Soma rite is distributed through defined priestly roles; naming the station ritually “routes” the offering correctly and prevents procedural faults.
Draviṇodā is the wealth-bestowing divine function invoked to convert correct Soma offering into tangible gain—prosperity, resources, and increase for the sacrificer.
Ask anything about Sukta 2 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.
