Atharva Veda 20.124.4: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 13, Sukta 124, Mantra 4
Sukta 124
इ॒मा नु कं॒ भुव॑ना सीषधा॒मेन्द्र॑श्च॒ विश्वे॑ च दे॒वाः । य॒ज्ञं च॑ नस्त॒न्वं च प्र॒जां चा॑दि॒त्यैरिन्द्रः॑ स॒ह ची॑क्लृपाति
imā́ nú kaṁ bhúvanā sīṣadhā́méndraś ca víśve ca devā́ḥ | yajñáṁ ca nas tanvàṁ ca prajā́ṁ cā́dityair índraḥ sahá cīkḷpāti
Now may we bring these worlds to good success—Indra and all the Gods: our sacrifice, our very body, and our progeny—Indra, together with the Ādityas, sets in due order.
Nun mögen wir diese Welten zu gutem Gedeihen führen – Indra und alle Götter: unser Opfer, unseren eigenen Leib und unsere Nachkommenschaft; Indra, zusammen mit den Ādityas, ordne alles rechtmäßig.
The meaning
What it says
A collective petition that Indra, together with the Viśve Devāḥ and the Ādityas, bring “these worlds” to successful order, stabilizing the sacrifice, the worshiper’s body, and progeny.
The inner meaning
Psychic integration: the ‘worlds’ are one’s inner domains (thought–breath–body). When the rite (disciplined intention) is properly ordered, the body steadies and generativity (creative continuity) becomes possible.
The truth in it
Well-being is systemic: personal health, social-ritual coherence, and the future (children/works) flourish together when one aligns with sustaining cosmic order (ṛta) and cooperative forces rather than isolated will.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) with strong social-history valence (body–rite–progeny)
Its aim
Comprehensive stabilization: successful rite, health of the person, and flourishing offspring under the joint guardianship of Indra and the Ādityas.
Word by Word
Pada patha
इ॒मा । नु । कम् । भुव॑ना । सी॒ष॒धा॒म॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । च॒ । विश्वे॑ । च॒ । दे॒वाः । य॒ज्ञम् । च॒ । नः॒ । त॒न्व॑म् । च॒ । प्र॒जाम् । च॒ । आ॒दि॒त्यैः । इन्द्रः॑ । स॒ह । ची॒क्लृ॒पा॒ति॒ ।
- इमाः
- theseNoun (Pronoun)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्म (सीषधामे इत्यस्य)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now/indeednow, indeed (deictic urgency in ritual time)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot नु
- कम्
- (emphatic/indefinite particle)indeed/forsooth (particle; also read as emphatic ‘surely’)Indeclinable (particle-like pronoun)अव्यय (निपात)Root क (प्रश्न/अनिर्दिष्ट-सर्वनाम)
- भुवनानि
- worlds/realmsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (सीषधामे इत्यस्य)Root भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- सीषधामे
- may we set in order/establishVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √साध् (साधने) [वेद. रूप: सीषध-]
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (चीiklṛpāti इत्यस्य)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- विश्वे
- allAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अध्याहृतः/समुच्चितः)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- देवाः
- godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अध्याहृतः/समुच्चितः)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice/riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (चीiklṛpāti इत्यस्य)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- नः
- of us/ourour (belonging to us)Noun (Pronoun)षष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (यज्ञम्/तन्वम्/प्रजाम् इत्येषां) / लाभार्थ-सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तन्वम्
- body/personNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (चीiklṛpāti इत्यस्य)Root तनू (प्रातिपदिक; वेद. तन्व-)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- प्रजाम्
- offspring/progenyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (चीiklṛpāti इत्यस्य)Root प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च
- आदित्यैः
- with the ĀdityasNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/साकं (सह इत्यनेन) / करण (सहचर्ये)Root आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (चीiklṛpāti इत्यस्य)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableअव्यय (सहयोगार्थक)Root सह
- चीक्लृपाति
- sets in order/arranges; makes readysets in order, arranges, makes ready (causative/iterative of √kḷp: ‘fit, prepare, effect’)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √कॢप् (कल्पने/समर्थने) [वेद. पुनरुक्त-आदेश: चि- + कॢप्]
Sandhi Notes
- इमाः नु कम् भुवनानि सीषधामे । इन्द्रः च विश्वे च देवाः । यज्ञम् च नः तन्वम् च प्रजाम् च आदित्यैः इन्द्रः सह चीक्लृपाति । मुख्य-सन्धयः:
- (1) इमा + नु → इमा नु (स्वर-संहितायां इ॒मा नु) ।
- (2) भुवना + सीषधामे → भुवनानि सीषधामे (पाठे भुव॑ना) ।
- (3) देवाः + यज्ञम् → देवाः । यज्ञम् (पादान्त-विराम) ।
- (4) च + आदित्यैः → चा॑दित्यैः (अ + आ = आ; ‘च’ के अकार का दीर्घीकरण) ।
- (5) आदित्यैः + इन्द्रः → आदित्यैः इन्द्रः (पाठे आदित्यैरिन्द्रः; विसर्ग/र्-सन्धि) ।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Rigvedic seer tradition (AV 20 import); specific r̥ṣi to be confirmed via anukramaṇī.
- Devata
- Indra with Viśve Devāḥ and Ādityas
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī/Triṣṭubh mixture typical of RV hymns; confirm by RV source.
- Rasa
- Shanta and Adbhuta
Sayana emphasizes ‘cīkḷpāti’ as ‘samīcīnaṃ karoti’—he makes fit/secure. The triad ‘yajña–tanū–prajā’ marks the full welfare of the sacrificer: ritual efficacy, bodily wholeness, and lineage. The Ādityas supply the juridical-moral dimension (ṛta), stabilizing the boon.
Unknown in AV context; RV-derived (AV Śaunaka 20)
Rigvedic-style royal/ritual theology: ordering of worlds (ṛta), success of yajña, protection of body and lineage; in AV usage, adapted for household stabilization and prosperity.
Represents the AV20 strategy of importing RV praise into Atharvan domestic aims: the cosmic victory/ordering theme becomes a household charm for wholeness (rite–body–progeny).
Indra with Viśve Devāḥ and Ādityas
Indra supplies decisive force and ‘making-successful’ capacity; the Viśve Devāḥ supply totality/coverage; the Ādityas supply lawful order, oath-protection, and social-cosmic stability.
Stabilizes vitality by restoring order; supports recovery through ‘re-integration’ (somatic steadiness, resilience).
Guards sacrifice and household continuity; wards disorder that threatens body and lineage.
Triṣṭubh (probable RV source); AV recitation often preserves RV cadence
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh norm); minor sandhi/recensional variation possible
AV20 often shows slight lexical/phonetic adjustments while keeping RV metrical skeleton; cadence remains RV-like rather than AV spell-meter.
Processional, steady, ‘ordering’ rhythm suited to formal petition.
Creates a sense of comprehensive alignment—each clause adds a life-domain (worlds → rite → body → progeny) producing cumulative stabilization.
Recite at the conclusion of a domestic offering (homa) as a ‘settling’ mantra (saṃsthāpana) for the rite’s results.
Touch the sacrificer’s chest/shoulders on ‘tanvàm’ to anchor bodily welfare; gesture toward spouse/children or the household space on ‘prajā́m’.
Optionally perform a circumambulation of the hearth to ‘set in order’ the domestic cosmos (‘bhúvanā’).
Kauśika Sūtra: paustika rites for welfare of household (tanū) and progeny (prajā) commonly employ such ‘sarvasaṃpatti’ formulas; exact sutra-number for this RV-derived verse in AV 20 requires edition-specific mapping.
Atharvan as integrator of welfare domains: he ritually links cosmic order (bhúvanā) to household continuity (prajā).
Recited at the start of a household rite (śānti, vrata, lineage-prayer) to secure success of undertaking, bodily steadiness, and family continuity.
Dawn or rite-opening; also before important family decisions (marriage talks, conception rites, house-entering).
If present, purohita frames it as ‘ṛta-sthāpana’ (establishing order); otherwise householder recites with offering of ghee.
Used as a ‘whole-life’ sankalpa mantra before puja/meditation focused on stability, fertility, and family harmony.
Yajña (sacrifice as operative medium)
Implicit in yajña (fire-offering complex)
The yajña itself is the operative medium: disciplined offering transforms contingency into order; ‘substance’ is the ritual economy of giving/receiving.
तन्वम् (whole body/person)
Not disease-specific; ‘systemic health’ via restoring order (ṛta) across ritual, body, and lineage—reducing psychosomatic destabilization and social stressors.
Supports ojas and dhātu-stability conceptually (not technical Ayurveda): order, nourishment, and lineage-strength as markers of vitality.
Stress-regulation and family-systems stability: aligning routines/values improves somatic health and reproductive/parenting outcomes.
Householder/patron and household line
Comprehensive success: auspicious completion of rites, bodily well-being, and flourishing progeny under divine coalition.
Totalizing invocation (sarva-devatā-samāveśa): calling an all-gods coalition + ‘ordering verb’ (cīklṛp-) to ‘set’ life into right arrangement.
General disorder, misfortune, ritual failure, lineage-fragility
Longevity, fertility/offspring, social-ritual success
- भुवनानि (bhuvanāni)
- the total field of life—body, household, society, and inner states needing harmonization
- सीषधाम (sīṣadhāma)
- skillful ordering; deliberate alignment that turns chaos into workable form
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- structured offering—attention, discipline, reciprocity with powers beyond ego
- तन्वम् (tanvam)
- embodied life-force; the lived container of dharma
- प्रजाम् (prajām)
- continuity—children, students, projects, legacy
- आदित्यैः (ādityaiḥ)
- guardians of law, contracts, truth—moral-cosmic stabilizers
- चीक्लृपाति (cīklṛpāti)
- restoration of right arrangement (ṛta) in life-systems
Establishing inner ‘order’ (ṛta): align intention (yajña), embodiment (tanū), and generativity (prajā).
Visualize three spheres—altar-flame (rite), luminous body, and a growing lineage-tree—being ‘set in place’ by a golden solar order.
Centered, coherent attention (ekāgratā) with a sense of lawful spaciousness.
Recite slowly, pausing after yajñaṃ/tanvaṃ/prajāṃ; end with silent resolve to act in truth and regularity for 1 day (diet, speech, duty).
RV-style udātta/anudātta/svarita preserved in AV20 recitation; keep udātta peaks on deity-names (índraḥ, víśve, ādityáiḥ).
Maintain clear breaks at ca; emphasize the triad: yajñaṃ—tanvaṃ—prajāṃ.
Steady, declarative, ‘ordering’ tone rather than ecstatic.
In Atharvan use, treat as śānti-opening: recite with a small offering (ghee or water-libation) to ‘set’ the rite and household in order.
3 times
Beginning a major undertaking: house move, business start, conception planning, family reconciliation, exam period.
At dawn or before lighting a lamp/fire; also before family meals when seeking harmony and continuity.
Greater steadiness, fewer disruptions, improved family cooperation, sense of protected continuity.
Not a substitute for medical care or fertility counseling when needed; avoid using as a ‘guarantee’—pair with ethical action (Āditya principle: truth/contract).
No plant is named; instead the ‘substance’ is the yajña itself—an engineered process. Atharvanic medicine often treats ritual order as a therapeutic substrate: by ‘setting in order’ the rite, one ‘sets in order’ body and progeny.
Welfare is defined by three institutional goods: ritual performance (requiring specialists), bodily integrity (household health), and progeny (lineage). The Ādityas’ presence signals that prosperity is tied to normative order—contracts, truth, and social regulation.
Lexemes like tanū́ and prajā́ are RV-common; cīkḷp- is also RV. The Atharvanic distinctiveness is the explicit bundling of body and progeny into a single prosperity formula, congenial to AV domestic aims.
Gopatha frequently interprets success as kḷpti (‘fitness/arrangement’) produced by brahman (correct formulation). This verse explicitly names that mechanism: Indra-with-Ādityas ‘makes fit’ the sacrificer’s key assets, implying efficacy through alignment with ṛta.
Ask anything about this verse
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.
