Sukta 4
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (per Anukramaṇī for AV 3.4).
Devata: Rāṣṭra (realm) and royal sovereignty; implicitly the Directions (Pradiś).
Chandas: Mixed/prose + metrical cola (opening nominal phrase + anuṣṭubh-like cadence thereafter; to be verified).
Dieser Hymnus ist ein rājakarma‑Weihespruch, der das rāṣṭra (Reich) zum künftigen König „heranzieht“ und seine Herrschaft durch die allgemeine Anerkennung aus allen Himmelsrichtungen (pradiś) festigt. Er steigert das königliche varcas (Glanz/Autorität), stellt den Herrscher an die Spitze unter göttlichem Geleit und lenkt Gedeihen sowie verteilbaren Reichtum zu seiner Partei als Zeichen rechtmäßiger Souveränität.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
प्रजाभी राज्ञः संवरणम्। आ त्वा॑ गन् रा॒ष्ट्रं स॒ह वर्च॒सोदि॑हि प्रा॑ङ्वि वि॒शां पति॑रेक॒राट् त्वं वि रा॑ज । सर्वा॑स्त्वा राजन् प्र॒दिशो॑ ह्वयन्तूप॒सद्यो॑ नम॒स्योऽ भवे॒ह
Mit den Untertanen ist des Königs umschließender Schutz. Zu dir komme das Reich samt Glanz; erhebe dich empor; voran—du, einziger Herrscher, Herr der Sippen, herrsche weithin. Alle Himmelsrichtungen, o König, sollen dich rufen; hier werde einer, dem man sich nähert, einer, der Verehrung verdient.
Mantra 2
त्वां विशो॑ वृणतां रा॒ज्याऽय॒ त्वामि॒माः प्र॒दिशः॒ पञ्च॑ दे॒वीः । वर्ष्म॑न् रा॒ष्ट्रस्य॑ क॒कुदि॑ श्रयस्व॒ ततो॑ न उ॒ग्रो वि भ॑जा॒ वसू॑नि
Die Völker sollen dich zum Königtum erwählen; dich sollen diese fünf göttlichen Himmelsrichtungen erwählen. Auf der Höhe des Reiches, auf dem Gipfel der Herrschaft nimm deinen Stand ein; von dort, du Gewaltiger, teile uns die Schätze aus.
Mantra 3
अच्छ॑ त्वा यन्तु ह॒विनः॑ सजा॒ता अ॒ग्निर्दू॒तो अ॑जि॒रः सं च॑रातै । जा॒याः पु॒त्राः सु॒मन॑सो भवन्तु ब॒हुं ब॒लिं प्रति॑ पश्यासा उ॒ग्रः
Zu dir mögen die Spender des havi kommen, deine Sippen, Gaben bringend; Agni, der schnelle Bote, möge einträchtig hin und her gehen. Frauen und Söhne mögen wohlgesinnt sein; und du, Gewaltiger, mögest reichliche Abgabe sehen, die dir als Gegengabe zufließt.
Mantra 4
अ॒श्विना॒ त्वाग्रे॑ मि॒त्रावरु॑णो॒भा विश्वे॑ दे॒वा म॒रुत॑स्त्वा ह्वयन्तु । अधा॒ मनो॑ वसु॒देया॑य कृणुष्व॒ ततो॑ न उ॒ग्रो वि भ॑जा॒ वसू॑नि
Die Aśvins führen dich voran; Mitra und Varuṇa beide, alle Götter und die Maruts rufen dich herbei. Dann richte deinen Sinn auf das Spenden von Reichtum; danach, o Gewaltiger, teile uns die Schätze aus.
Mantra 5
आ प्र द्र॑व पर॒मस्याः॑ परा॒वतः॑ शि॒वे ते॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी उ॒भे स्ता॑म्। तद॒यं राजा॒ वरु॑ण॒स्तथा॑ह॒ स त्वा॒यम॑ह्व॒त् स उपे॒दमेहि॑
Herbei, lauf hervor aus der fernsten Ferne; für dich, o Heilvolle, sollen Himmel und Erde, beide, fest stehen. So hat dieser König Varuṇa gesprochen: er, ja er, hat dich gerufen; komm heran an diesen Ort.
Mantra 6
इन्द्रे॑न्द्र मनु॒ष्याः॒३ परे॑हि॒ सं ह्यज्ञा॑स्था॒ वरु॑णैः संविदा॒नः । स त्वा॒यम॑ह्व॒त् स्वे स॒धस्थे॒ स दे॒वान् य॑क्ष॒त् स उ॑ कल्पया॒द् विशः॑
O Indra, Indra — ihr Menschen, geht voran: denn du bist der Wissende, im Einklang mit Varuṇas bindenden Mächten. Er, ja er, hat dich an seinen eigenen Sitz gerufen; er hat die Götter verehrt — so möge er auch die Völker in rechte Ordnung fügen.
Mantra 7
प॒थ्याऽ रे॒वती॑र्बहु॒धा विरू॑पाः॒ सर्वाः॑ सं॒गत्य॒ वरी॑यस्ते अक्रन्। तास्त्वा॒ सर्वाः॑ संविदा॒ना ह्व॑यन्तु दश॒मीमु॒ग्रः सु॒मना॑ वशे॒ह
Die weg-bereitenden, reichen Mächte, vielfach und von verschiedener Gestalt — alle, zusammengekommen, haben dir einen besseren Weg bereitet. Mögen sie alle, in Eintracht, dich hierher rufen: auf der zehnten Stufe, o Gewaltiger, gütig gesinnt, sei hier in unserer Gewalt.
Inside Sukta 4
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins with a compact, declarative nominal phrase establishing the king’s protection as grounded in his subjects, then immediately summons the rāṣṭra and commands the king to rise in varcas and rule (3.4.1).
- What it asks
May the realm come to the consecrand; may all directions acclaim him; may the gods lead him at the head; may he become a giver and apportion riches to ‘us’ (the patron’s side).
- Where its power lies
Legitimacy is presented as universal and cosmic: quarters, gods, and auspicious ‘paths/fortunes’ converge in concord to make the king’s way superior, implying irresistible efficacy when properly voiced.
- How it closes
Ends by sealing convergence and control at the culminating ‘tenth stage,’ asking the mighty one to be gracious and remain ‘here’ under beneficent restraint—stability rather than mere conquest (3.4.7).
Famous verses
eka-rāṭ tvaṃ vi rāja
sarvāḥ saṃgatya varīyas te akran
Kind of hymn
Rajakarma / Paustika
What it is for
Installation and consolidation of sovereignty: the kingdom ‘comes’ to the consecrand, his varcas rises, the quarters acclaim him, and prosperity/wealth is apportioned to his supporters.
Who it is for
Kings, princes, consecrands, royal purohitas/atharvan priests, and households aligned with governance seeking stable rule and prosperity.
Also used as
- Rājakarma
- Rāṣṭrabhṛt (realm-supporting consolidation)
- Śāntika (public stabilization/legitimation aspect)
The deity
Rāṣṭra here is the personified political-cosmic order: the realm that must consent to, surround, and empower the ruler. The Directions function as the public, universal field of recognition, while the divine collectives serve as escorts of legitimacy, order (ṛta), martial force, and prosperity.
Powers of the deity
- Transfers and stabilizes kingship by collective assent (subjects + quarters)
- Generates varcas (royal splendour, commanding presence)
- Makes the ruler ‘approachable and worthy of reverence’ (public legitimacy)
- Secures divine escort and precedence (placing the ruler ‘in front’)
- Channels prosperity/wealth for distribution (vasu-dāna; apportioning riches)
- Opens and harmonizes auspicious ‘paths’ so outcomes converge favorably
Why the deity is called
To cause the realm itself—along with all quarters and supportive deities—to recognize, approach, and establish the consecrand as sole ruler, and to convert that legitimacy into prosperity and distributable wealth.
The seer
- Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa seer (Anukramaṇī attribution)Atharvan. Royal and public-ritual charms (rājakarma) for securing sovereignty, social assent, and prosperity (paustika), often by invoking cosmic supports (quarters, paths, gods) to “converge” upon the patron.
Other hymns of this seer
- AVŚ 3.3 (rāṣṭra/royal consolidation context, traditional grouping)
- AVŚ 3.5 (adjacent royal/prosperity-oriented context, traditional grouping)
Preparing for the rite
- Seat the consecrand facing east (or toward the public/assembly direction) with attendants representing the clans/viś.
- Establish a clean, quiet ritual space; set a respectful posture (namas) to frame the king as ‘upasadya’ (approachable).
- If performed in a larger rājakarma setting, align recitation with an anointing/enthronement sequence and public acclamation.
The rite
- Recite the opening as a formal proclamation of the king’s ‘encompassing guard’ by subjects, then verbally ‘call’ the rāṣṭra to him (3.4.1).
- Invoke the quarters as witnesses who summon and recognize the king; maintain a cadence suitable for public declaration.
- Recite the divine-escort verse to place him ‘in front’ under Aśvins, Mitra-Varuṇa, Viśve Devāḥ, and Maruts, then petition wealth-distribution (3.4.4).
- Conclude by invoking Pathyāḥ/Revatīḥ to make all auspicious ways converge and to ‘hold’ the empowered one in benevolent control at the rite’s completion-point (3.4.7).
When
During enthronement/consecration, public assembly, or a prosperity rite following accession; ideally at a liminal moment (installation, first audience, or formal proclamation).
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used in royal or public rites to secure the transfer and stability of the realm to a ruler, increasing his varcas (splendour/authority) and gaining universal recognition from all quarters.
The Directions (pradiś) function as cosmic-public witnesses: if every quarter ‘calls’ and acknowledges the king, his rule is portrayed as universally valid and socially uncontestable.
In the presented verses no specific substances are required; it primarily works as a declarative-acclamatory recitation within a consecration or prosperity-setting. In larger rājakarma, it can accompany enthronement actions like seating, proclamation, or anointing.
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