Sukta 15
Rishi: Atharvanic compiler-tradition; Indra hymn segment
Devata: Indra
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (common AV protective meter; not strictly verified here)
AV 19.15 ist ein knappes Indra-Sūkta, das Furcht in abhayam (Furchtlosigkeit) verwandelt, indem es Indras schützende Macht gegen Hasser, Angriffe und Gefahren aus allen Richtungen anruft. Es bittet darum, in einen weiten, lichten, sicheren Bereich geführt zu werden und unter Indras „großen Zufluchten“ (seinen standhaften Armen) zu wohnen, sodass bei Tag und bei Nacht Freund wie Feind nicht bedrohlich sind.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अभयम्। यत॑ इन्द्र॒ भया॑महे॒ ततो॑ नो॒ अभ॑यं कृधि । मघ॑वंछ॒ग्धि तव॒ त्वं न॑ ऊ॒तिभि॒र्वि द्विषो॒ वि मृधो॑ जहि
Furchtlosigkeit. Wovor wir uns fürchten, o Indra, davor mache uns furchtlos. O Freigebiger, schlage zu: du, mit deinen Hilfen für uns, zerstreue die Hasser; zerstreue und vernichte die Angriffe.
Mantra 2
इन्द्रं॑ व॒यम॑नूरा॒धं ह॑वाम॒हेऽनु॑ राध्यास्म द्वि॒पदा॒ चतु॑ष्पदा । मा नः॒ सेना॒ अर॑रुषी॒रुप॑ गु॒र्विषू॑चीरिन्द्र द्रु॒हो वि ना॑शय
Indra, den Förderer des Gelingens, rufen wir an; mögen wir Gelingen erlangen – die Zweifüßigen und die Vierfüßigen. Kein rasendes Heer, schwer und seine Geschosse verstreuend, komme uns nahe. O Indra, lass die Trügereien zugrunde gehen.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र॑स्त्रा॒तोत वृ॑त्र॒हा प॑र॒स्फानो॒ वरे॑ण्यः । स र॑क्षि॒ता च॑रम॒तः स म॑ध्य॒तः स प॒श्चात् स पु॒रस्ता॑न्नो अस्तु
Indra ist Retter, ja Vṛtrahan, der Zerschmetterer, der Erwählenswerte. Er sei unser Hüter vom fernsten Rand her, aus der Mitte; er sei hinter uns, er sei vor uns.
Mantra 4
उ॒रुं नो॑ लो॒कमनु॑ नेषि वि॒द्वान्त्स्व॑१र्यज्ज्योति॒रभ॑यं स्व॒स्ति। उ॒ग्रा त॑ इन्द्र॒ स्थवि॑रस्य बा॒हू उप॑ क्षयेम शर॒णा बृ॒हन्ता॑
Führe uns, du Wissender, in einen weiten Bereich — zum himmelreichenden Licht (svàr), zu Furchtlosigkeit und Heil. Gewaltig, o Indra, sind die Arme des Standhaften: unter ihnen mögen wir wohnen wie unter großen Schutzdächern, als in Zuflucht.
Mantra 5
अभ॑यं नः करत्य॒न्तरि॑क्ष॒मभ॑यं॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी उ॒भे इ॒मे। अभ॑यं प॒श्चादभ॑यं पु॒रस्ता॑दुत्त॒राद॑ध॒रादभ॑यं नो अस्तु
Furchtlosigkeit wirke für uns der Luftraum; furchtlos seien Himmel und Erde, diese beiden. Furchtlosigkeit hinten, Furchtlosigkeit vorn; von Norden und von unten – Furchtlosigkeit sei unser.
Mantra 6
अभ॑यं मि॒त्रादभ॑यम॒मित्रा॒दभ॑यं ज्ञा॒तादभ॑यं पु॒रो यः । अभ॑यं॒ नक्त॒मभ॑यं॒ दिवा॑ नः॒ सर्वा॒ आशा॒ मम॑ मि॒त्रं भ॑वन्तु
Furchtlosigkeit vom Freund, Furchtlosigkeit vom Feind; Furchtlosigkeit vom Verwandten, Furchtlosigkeit von jedem, der vor uns ist. Furchtlosigkeit bei Nacht, Furchtlosigkeit bei Tag: mögen mir alle Himmelsrichtungen freundlich werden.
Inside Sukta 15
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins with the explicit aim ‘abhayam’ and directly addresses Indra: from whatever we fear, make us fearless.
- What it asks
Scatter and slay assaults; lead us to a wide, heaven-reaching light with welfare; let us dwell under Indra’s mighty arms as shelter.
- Where its power lies
Indra is portrayed as the steadfast, formidable protector whose succours effectively disperse haters and stabilize the reciter’s world in safety.
- How it closes
Concludes with all-round abhayam—friend/foe/kin/stranger, night/day—and the sealing wish that all quarters become ‘mitra’ (friendly).
Famous verses
tato no abhayam kṛdhi
uruṃ no lokam anu neṣi
abhayaṃ naktam abhayaṃ divā naḥ
Kind of hymn
Rakṣā / Abhicārika-counter (Protective, anti-hostility)
What it is for
Neutralization of fear and hostility; dispersal of attackers; establishment of a friendly, auspicious environment characterized by light, wide space, and welfare.
Who it is for
Householders, travelers, leaders, and any practitioner facing threats, enmity, social tension, or anxiety—especially those seeking all-round protection without a complex material rite.
Also used as
- Śāntika (pacificatory)
- Abhicārika-counter (anti-hostility, countering attacks)
- Paustika overtones (securing welfare/svasti and stable dwelling)
The deity
Indra is invoked as the bounteous, battle-winning protector who breaks assaults and makes space—psychological and social—for safety, light, and well-being. In this hymn he functions less as a war-god for conquest and more as a guardian who neutralizes hostility and stabilizes the practitioner’s world.
Powers of the deity
- Transforms fear into fearlessness (abhayam)
- Scatters and destroys haters and hostile attacks (dviṣ, mṛdhaḥ)
- Leads the worshipper to a wide, auspicious realm (uru loka)
- Grants svasti (welfare) and protective “shelter” under his arms
- Extends protection across time (night/day) and space (all quarters)
Why the deity is called
To secure comprehensive safety—social (from enemies and even ambiguous allies/kin), spatial (all directions), and temporal (night/day)—by placing the reciter under Indra’s victorious protection.
The seer
- Atharvanic compiler-tradition (anonymous Indra hymn segment)Atharvan. Rakṣā-mantra composition and counter-hostility charms: turning bhaya (fear) into abhayam, dispersing dviṣ (haters), and establishing svasti (welfare) through divine shelter imagery.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 19.13 (Indra-oriented protective material; compiler tradition)
- AV 19.14 (protective/abhaya-themed segment; compiler tradition)
- AV 19.16 (adjacent rakṣā material in the same compilation stratum)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place; sit facing east or north.
- Perform ācamana (sipping water) and a brief saṅkalpa for abhayam and svasti.
- Optional: light a small lamp or keep clean water nearby as a svasti-symbol (not required by the hymn).
The rite
- Recite the sūkta (6 mantras) in a steady anuṣṭubh cadence; emphasize ‘abhayam’ as the key refrain-idea.
- On verses requesting dispersal of haters (e.g., 19.15.1), perform a gentle outward hand-gesture as symbolic ‘scattering’ of hostility.
- On the ‘wide realm/light’ verse (e.g., 19.15.4), visualize entering a spacious, luminous, safe domain; then conclude with a brief śānti-pāṭha or silent settling.
When
Anytime fear or hostility is felt; especially at dusk/dawn or before travel, sleep, or entering contested social spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
To obtain abhayam (fearlessness) by invoking Indra to disperse hostility, stop assaults, and establish welfare and safety in every direction and at all times.
No specific substances are mentioned in the hymn. It functions effectively as a recitational rakṣā (protective) charm, though simple cleanliness and focused intention are recommended.
Because danger and anxiety can arise from uncertain intentions, social pressure, or conflict even among close relations. The mantra seeks a world where every contact and every quarter becomes ‘mitra’—friendly and non-threatening.
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