Sukta 22
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (attributed generically to Atharvan/Angiras line in many paustika contexts)
Devata: Bhaga and Varcas (personified fortune and lustre), with the elephant as exemplary locus of power
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (approx.)
এই পৌষ্টিক সূক্তত সার্বভৌম সমৃদ্ধি (ভগ) আৰু জনসমক্ষে তেজ/কান্তি (বৰ্চস) আহ্বান কৰি সাধকৰ ভিতৰত একাগ্ৰ কৰি স্থানান্তৰ কৰা হয়। সৰ্বোচ্চতাৰ আদৰ্শ ৰূপ হিচাপে—বিশেষকৈ পশুমানৰ মাজত সৰ্বশ্ৰেষ্ঠ হাতীক—উদাহৰণ হিচাপে ধৰা হৈছে। যজ্ঞৰ ৰূপান্তৰকাৰী অগ্নিৰ জৰিয়তে আৰু চাৰি দিশৰ বিস্তৃত প্ৰভাৱৰ দ্বাৰা, এই সূক্তৰ লক্ষ্য হৈছে পাঠকক বৰ্চস্বিন কৰা—দৃশ্যমানভাৱে দীপ্তিমান, সামাজিকভাৱে প্ৰভাৱশালী আৰু সফল। ইয়াৰ মন্ত্রসমূহ স্ব-অভিষেক আৰু ক্ষমতায়নৰ সূত্ৰৰ দৰে কাম কৰে, যিয়ে ৰাজত্ব-সদৃশ প্ৰাধান্য আৰু বিস্তৃত ইন্দ্ৰিয়/অধিকাৰ (ইন্দ্ৰিয়)ৰ ব্যাপক আয়ত্তক আদৰ্শ কৰে।
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
वर्चः प्राप्तिः। ह॒स्ति॒व॒र्च॒सं प्र॑थतां बृ॒हद् यशो॒ अदि॑त्या॒ यत् त॒न्वः संब॒भूव॑ । तत् सर्वे॒ सम॑दु॒र्मह्य॑मे॒तद् विश्वे॑ दे॒वा अदि॑तिः स॒जोषाः॑
বৰ্চঃ প্ৰাপ্তিঃ। হাতীৰ দৰে বৰ্চস্ বিস্তাৰিত হওক—মহৎ যশ; অদিতিৰ যি বৰ্চস্ দেহৰ পৰা জন্মিল। সেই শক্তিটো—সকলেই একেলগে—মোৰ ওপৰত মহিমাৰে দান কৰক; এই বৰ্চস্—সকলো দেৱতা আৰু অদিতি একমত হৈ।
Mantra 2
मि॒त्रश्च॒ वरु॑ण॒श्चेन्द्रो॑ रु॒द्रश्च॑ चेततु । दे॒वासो॑ वि॒श्वधा॑यस॒स्ते मा॑ञ्जन्तु॒ वर्च॑सा
মিত্ৰ আৰু বৰুণ, ইন্দ্ৰ আৰু ৰুদ্ৰ—সাৱধান হওক। বিশ্বধায়স্ দেৱতাসকলে—সকলোকে ধাৰণ কৰা—মোক বৰ্চস্ৰে অভিষিক্ত কৰক।
Mantra 3
येन॑ ह॒स्ती वर्च॑सा संब॒भूव॒ येन॒ राजा॑ मनु॒ष्येऽष्व॒प्स्व॑१न्तः । येन॑ दे॒वा दे॒वता॒मग्र आय॒न् तेन॒ माम॒द्य वर्च॒साग्ने॑ वर्च॒स्विनं॑ कृणु
যেনে হস্তী তেজেৰে সমৃদ্ধ হ’ল; যেনে ৰজা মানুহৰ মাজত, অশ্বসমূহৰ মাজত, আৰু জলৰ ভিতৰত (উজ্জ্বল) হয়; যেনে দেৱাসকলে দেৱত্ব আগ্ৰে লাভ কৰিলে—সেই তেজেৰে, আজি, হে অগ্নি, মোক তেজেৰে তেজস্বী কৰি দে।
Mantra 4
यत् ते॒ वर्चो॑ जातवेदो बृ॒हद् भ॑व॒त्याहु॑तेः । याव॒त् सूर्य॑स्य॒ वर्च॑ आसु॒रस्य॑ च ह॒स्तिनः॑ । ताव॑न्मे अ॒श्विना॒ वर्च॒ आ ध॑त्तां॒ पुष्क॑रस्रजा
হে জাতবেদস, তোমাৰ সেই তেজ, যি আহুতিৰ দ্বাৰা মহান হয়—যিমান সূৰ্যৰ তেজ, আৰু অসুৰৰ, আৰু হস্তীৰ (তেজ) আছে—সিমান তেজ, হে অশ্বিনদ্বয়, পদ্ম-মালাধাৰী, মোৰ ওপৰত স্থাপন কৰা।
Mantra 5
याव॒च्चत॑स्रः प्र॒दिश॒श्चक्षु॒र्याव॑त् समश्नु॒ते। ताव॑त् स॒मैत्वि॑न्द्रि॒यं मयि॒ तद्ध॑स्तिवर्च॒सम्
চাৰি দিশৰ ওপৰেৰে চকুৱে যিমান দূৰলৈকে পায়, সিমান দূৰলৈ—সম্পূৰ্ণভাৱে—ইন্দ্ৰীয়-শক্তি (ইন্দ্ৰিয়ং/ইন্দ্ৰবল) মোৰ ভিতৰত আহক; সেই হস্তি-তেজ।
Mantra 6
हस्ती मृ॒गाणां॑ सु॒षदा॑मति॒ष्ठावा॑न् ब॒भूव॒ हि। तस्य॒ भगे॑न॒ वर्च॑सा॒भि षि॑ञ्चामि॒ माम॒हम्
হস্তী নিশ্চয়েই মৃগসকলৰ ওপৰত, সুদৃঢ়ভাৱে স্থিতসকলৰ ওপৰত, উৰ্ধ্বে স্থিত হৈ আছে। তাৰ ভাগ্য আৰু তেজেৰে মই নিজকে অভিষিঞ্চন কৰোঁ—হয়, মই নিজকে অভিষেক কৰোঁ।
Inside Sukta 22
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn begins by orienting to archetypal sources of splendour and precedence—those by which the elephant, the king, and even the gods became eminent.
- What it asks
May that very power become mine: let Agni make me varcasvin; let bhaga and varcas be poured upon me through anointing and mantra.
- Where its power lies
The mantra identifies a transferable, universal ‘formula of eminence’ (seen in elephant/king/gods), asserting that the same varcas can be internalized as indriya and public radiance reaching the quarters.
- How it closes
It culminates in explicit self-anointment—“with his bhaga and varcas I besprinkle myself”—sealing the transfer of supremacy into the practitioner.
Famous verses
varcasāgne varcasvinaṃ kṛṇu
tadd hastivarcasaṃ
abhí ṣiñcāmi mām ahám
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity/Ascendancy)
What it is for
To anoint the practitioner with bhaga and varcas—producing recognizable eminence, persuasive presence, success, and wide-reaching mastery.
Who it is for
Householders, aspirants to office/leadership, students entering public life, and patrons seeking enhanced reputation, authority, and prosperity.
Also used as
- Vārchasya (lustre/charisma acquisition)
- Rājya/aiśvarya-style ascendancy (quasi-royal empowerment)
- Saubhāgya (good fortune enhancement)
The deity
Bhaga embodies apportioned good fortune, share, and auspicious allotment; Varcas is visible splendour—radiant prestige, authority, and the glow that compels recognition. Agni is invoked as the consecrating force that converts archetypal splendour (of elephant, king, gods) into the practitioner’s own varcas.
Powers of the deity
- Bestows prosperity, allotment, and auspicious “share” (bhaga)
- Generates visible charisma, brilliance, and social dominance (varcas/varcasa)
- Confers mastery/command (indriya) extending across the quarters
- Transforms and transfers power through consecration (Agni as ritual catalyst)
- Establishes precedence and eminence modeled on kingship and divine seniority
Why the deity is called
To appropriate the same prestige-bearing potency by which the elephant stands above beasts, the king stands eminent among men, and the gods attained precedence—so the practitioner becomes varcasvin and fortunate.
The seer
- Atharvan/Āṅgirasa lineage (generic Atharvanic attribution)Atharvan. Paustika and vārchasya charms: rites for prosperity, eminence, social radiance, and the acquisition of mastery/authority through consecration and anointment.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 3.21 (vārchasya/paustika vicinity in many recensions)
- AV 6.88 (varcas and brilliance themes, Atharvanic paustika style)
- AV 19.52 (royal/ascendancy-oriented varcas formulas; late-book parallels)
Preparing for the rite
- Select a clean space facing east or toward the intended quarter of influence; establish a small fire (if available) or a lamp as Agni’s seat.
- Prepare a consecrated sprinkling medium (water with a little ghee, milk, or curd as locally appropriate), keeping it in a clean vessel.
- Set an intention for varcas (public lustre) and bhaga (fortunate allotment); maintain ritual purity (snāna/ācamana).
The rite
- Recite the sukta in full; at verses emphasizing varcas and bhaga, perform self-sprinkling/anointing (abhisecanā) on head, chest, and shoulders.
- At the Agni-addressed mantra(s), offer a small oblation (ghee or sesame) into the fire/lamp while requesting to be made varcasvin.
- At the quarters-verse, turn or gesture to the four directions, visualizing one’s influence extending as far as sight.
What it needs
- Water for sprinkling (optionally mixed with ghee/milk/curd)
- Ghee (for oblation or lamp)
- Sesame (optional, as a general Atharvanic offering adjunct)
- Clean vessel and spoon/ladle
- Optional emblem: elephant motif/figure as a focus of ‘hastivarcasa’ (symbolic, not required)
When
Morning (sunrise) for public-facing varcas; alternatively before an audience, undertaking, or competitive encounter.
The main substance
Consecrated water (optionally enriched with ghee/milk/curd) for abhiṣeka-style self-sprinkling
Amulets
- Optional elephant emblem (metal/wood/cloth) used as a symbolic focus for hastivarcasa
- Optional bright cloth or ornament worn after recitation to ‘carry’ varcas outward
How it is prepared
Keep water in a clean vessel; optionally add a few drops of ghee (or a little milk/curd). Sanctify it by reciting the sukta (or key mantras) over it, then use it to sprinkle/anoint oneself during the recitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It aims to confer bhaga (good fortune, a favorable share in outcomes) and varcas (visible lustre—prestige, charisma, authority), so the person becomes varcasvin and socially eminent.
The elephant functions as the model of supremacy among animals—stable, towering, and unmistakably powerful. The hymn treats that ‘elephant-lustre’ (hastivarcasa) as a transferable pattern of eminence to be internalized by mantra and anointing.
No. A simple, clean self-sprinkling with consecrated water while reciting (especially 3.22.3, 3.22.5, 3.22.6) is the core practice; a small Agni offering or lamp is helpful but optional.
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