Atharva Veda Sukta 20
Kanda 5Anuvaka 2Sukta 2012 Mantras

Sukta 20

Rishi: Atharvanic/Angiras-type martial seer tradition (consult Anukramaṇī for exact attribution).

Devata: Dundubhi (personified war-drum) / Indraic martial force by implication.

Chandas: Mixed; predominantly Triṣṭubh-like cadence in the long pāda sequence (AV battle hymns often loosen strict RV meters).

AV 5.20 ist ein kriegerischer Zauber, der die Kriegstrommel (dundubhi) heiligt: als lebendige, aus Holz geborene Donnerwaffe, deren Dröhnen den Mut des Feindes bricht und feindliche Reihen zerstreut. Indem der Trommelschall mit kosmischem Widerhall und Indras Kampfkraft gleichgesetzt wird, soll der Hymnus die eigene Seite furchtlos, geschlossen und siegreich machen, während der Gegner erschüttert, verwirrt und in die Flucht geschlagen wird.

Kind of charm

Abhicharika (against foes)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.20

Mantras

Mantra 1

शत्रुसेनात्रासनम्। उ॒च्चैर्घो॑षो दुन्दु॒भिः स॑त्वना॒यन् वा॑नस्प॒त्यः संभृ॑त उ॒स्रिया॑भिः । वाचं॑ क्षुणुवा॒नो द॒मय॑न्त्स॒पत्ना॑न्त्सिं॒ह इ॑व जे॒ष्यन्न॒भि तंस्तनीहि

Schrecken des feindlichen Heeres: lautstimmig mit der Trommel, in Kraft voranschreitend — aus Holz geboren, fest gefügt, mit Rohhaut fest umschlungen. Die Stimme erhebend, die Widersacher bezwingend, wie ein Löwe, der zu siegen begehrt — gegen sie dröhne, donnere los!

Mantra 2

सिं॒ह इ॑वास्तानीद् द्रु॒वयो॒ विब॑द्धोऽभि॒क्रन्द॑न्नृष॒भो वा॑सि॒तामि॑व । वृषा॒ त्वं वध्र॑यस्ते स॒पत्ना॑ ऐ॒न्द्रस्ते॒ शुष्मो॑ अभिमातिषा॒हः

Wie ein Löwe hat es gebrüllt — fest gebunden und sicher befestigt, gegen sie aufschreiend, wie ein Stier, der brüllt. Ein Stier bist du: du schlägst deine Feinde nieder; Indras ist deine Kraft, die feindliche Anstürme überwindet.

Mantra 3

वृषे॑व यू॒थे सह॑सा विदा॒नो ग॒व्यन्न॒भि रु॑व संधनाजित्। शु॒चा वि॑ध्य॒ हृद॑यं॒ परे॑षां हि॒त्वा ग्रामा॒न् प्रच्यु॑ता यन्तु॒ शत्र॑वः

Wie ein Stier inmitten der Herde, der mit Kraft die Beute findet, nach dem Rinderpreis begehrend — brülle gegen sie, du Sieger durch festes Binden. Mit brennender Glut durchbohre das Herz der anderen: ihre Dörfer verlassend, aus der Stätte gedrängt, sollen die Feinde abziehen.

Mantra 4

सं॒जय॒न् पृत॑ना ऊ॒र्ध्वमा॑यु॒र्गृह्या॑ गृह्णा॒नो ब॑हु॒धा वि च॑क्ष्व । दैवीं॒ वाचं॑ दुन्दुभ॒ आ गु॑रस्व वे॒धाः शत्रू॑णा॒मुप॑ भरस्व॒ वेदः॑

Die Schlachten gewinnend, das Leben emporhebend, nehmend, was zu nehmen ist — blicke auf mannigfache Weise hinaus. Mit göttlicher Stimme dröhne, o Dundubhi (Trommel); o Ordner, bringe dein Wissen gegen die Feinde herbei.

Mantra 5

दु॒न्दु॒भेर्वाचं॒ प्रय॑तां॒ वद॑न्तीमाशृण्व॒ती ना॑थि॒ता घोष॑बुद्धा । नारी॑ पु॒त्रं धा॑वतु हस्त॒गह्या॑मि॒त्री भी॒ता स॑म॒रे व॒धाना॑म्

Die Stimme der Dundubhi vernehmend — ausgesandt und tönend, schutzlos, vom Getöse im Sinn ergriffen — soll die feindliche Frau davonlaufen, den Sohn an der Hand, in Furcht mitten im Kampf der Töter.

Mantra 6

पूर्वो॑ दुन्दुभे॒ प्र व॑दासि॒ वाचं॒ भूम्याः॑ पृ॒ष्ठे व॑द॒ रोच॑मानः । अ॒मि॒त्र॒से॒नाम॑भि॒जञ्ज॑भानो द्यु॒मद् व॑द दुन्दुभे सू॒नृता॑वत्

Als Erster, o Dundubhi, lässt du deine Stimme erschallen; auf dem Rücken der Erde töne, leuchtend. Das feindliche Heer zermalmend, sprich ruhmvoll, o Dundubhi — sprich mit heilvoller, wahrheitskräftiger Rede.

Mantra 7

अ॒न्त॒रेमे नभ॑सी॒ घोषो॑ अस्तु॒ पृथ॑क् ते ध्व॒नयो॑ यन्तु॒ शीभ॑म्। अ॒भि क्र॑न्द स्त॒नयो॒त्पिपा॑नः श्लोक॒कृन्मि॑त्र॒तूर्या॑य स्व॒र्धी

Zwischen diesen beiden Himmeln sei dein Dröhnen; getrennt mögen deine Widerhall-Schläge schnell dahineilen. Schrei gegen sie auf, anschwellend wie Donner — Ruhm schaffend für das Kriegssignal des Verbündeten, das Licht des Sieges erringend.

Mantra 8

धी॒भिः कृ॒तः प्र व॑दाति॒ वाच॒मुद्ध॑र्षय॒ सत्व॑ना॒मायु॑धानि । इन्द्र॑मेदी॒ सत्व॑नो॒ नि ह्व॑यस्व मि॒त्रैर॒मित्राँ॒ अव॑ जङ्घनीहि

Mit geheiligten Gedanken, recht bereitet, spricht er das machtvolle Wort (vāc) hervor: erwecke die Waffen der Krieger. O Indra-suchender Kämpfer, rufe Indra herab; mit Freunden schlage nieder, ja zertrete die feindseligen Gegner.

Mantra 9

सं॒क्रन्दनः॑ प्रव॒दो धृ॒ष्णुषे॑णः प्रवेद॒कृद् ब॑हु॒धा ग्रा॑मघो॒षी। श्रेयो॑ वन्वा॒नो व॒युना॑नि वि॒द्वान् की॒र्तिं ब॒हुभ्यो॒ वि ह॑र द्विरा॒जे

Erreger des Schlachtrufs, Herold eines kühnen Heeres; Schöpfer der Vorherkenntnis auf vielerlei Weise, dörferhallend. Das Bessere suchend, die Kunstgriffe wohl kennend, trage Ruhm aus der Menge hervor, o Herr von zweifachem Glanz.

Mantra 10

श्रेयः॑केतो वसु॒जित् सहीयान्त्संग्राम॒जित् संशि॑तो॒ ब्रह्म॑णासि । अं॒शूनि॑व॒ ग्रावा॑धि॒षव॑णे॒ अद्रि॑र्ग॒व्य॑न् दु॑न्दु॒भेऽधि॑ नृत्य॒ वेदः॑

Mit dem Zeichen des Heils gekennzeichnet, Gütergewinner, der Stärkere; siegreich im Kampf, scharf geschliffen — durch heilige Beschwörung (brahman) bist du so. Wie Strahlen der Pressstein (grāvan) über dem Pressen; ein Stein, der nach Vieh verlangt: auf der Trommel tanze, o Wissender.

Mantra 11

श॒त्रू॒षाण् नी॒षाड॑भिमातिषा॒हो ग॒वेष॑णः॒ सह॑मान उ॒द्भित्। वा॒ग्वीव॒ मन्त्रं॒ प्र भ॑रस्व॒ वाचं॒ सांग्रा॑मजित्या॒येष॒मुद् व॑दे॒ह

O Anführer, der feindliche Anstürme niederzwingt, nach Rindern suchend, siegreich, hervorbrechend: wie ein Herr der Rede bring den Zauberspruch hervor, bring das Wort hervor; zum Sieg in der Schlacht — sprich dies laut aus.

Mantra 12

अ॒च्यु॒त॒च्युत् स॒मदो॒ गमि॑ष्ठो॒ मृधो॒ जेता॑ पुरए॒तायो॒ध्यः । इन्द्रे॑ण गु॒प्तो वि॒दथा॑ नि॒चिक्य॑द्धृ॒द्द्योत॑नो द्विष॒तां या॑हि॒ शीभ॑म्

Erschütterer des Unerschütterlichen, im Kampf der schnellste zum Vorrücken; Sieger in Fehden, als Vorhut gehend, kampftauglich: von Indra behütet, in den Beratungen kundig, das Herz erleuchtend — zieh eilends gegen die hassenden Feinde.

Inside Sukta 20

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    The hymn opens by naming the drum as ‘terror of the enemy host’—a loud-voiced, wood-born power, tightly bound with rawhide, commanded to thunder against the rivals (5.20.1).

  2. What it asks

    Let the drum’s roar spread through the two firmaments, its reverberations travel swiftly and widely, and its thunderous cry strike the enemy while generating renown for allies and the war-signal (cf. 5.20.7).

  3. Where its power lies

    The drum is depicted as lion-like and thunder-swollen: its sound is not mere noise but an efficacious force that subdues sapatnas, creates śloka, and drives victory through cosmic-scale resonance.

  4. How it closes

    The conclusion turns explicitly Indraic: the battle-leader/advance is ‘guarded by Indra,’ discerning in counsel and heart-illuming, urged to go swiftly against the hateful foes (5.20.12).

Famous verses

śatrusenātrāsanam… uccairghoṣo dundubhiḥ
Verse 5.20.1Programmatic opening: defines the dundubhi as enemy-host terror, wood-born and rawhide-bound, whose ‘voice’ is commanded to thunder and subdue rivals—setting the hymn’s whole magical mechanics (sound as weapon).Read verse 5.20.1 →
antar eme nabhasī ghoṣo astu
Verse 5.20.7Cosmic amplification verse: places the drum’s din between the two firmaments and sends its reverberations outward, explicitly modeling it on thunder and tying it to fame and allied war-signaling.Read verse 5.20.7 →
indreṇa gupto… yāhi śībham
Verse 5.20.12Closing Indra-seal: frames the advance as Indra-guarded, strategically discerning, morale-brightening, and swift—linking the drum-charm to leadership, counsel, and decisive movement.Read verse 5.20.12 →

Kind of hymn

Abhicarika (Martial/Hostile Magic) and Rājanya-Protection

What it is for

Enemy panic and dispersal, allied cohesion and fame, and a swift Indra-guarded advance culminating in victory.

Who it is for

Kṣatriya/rājanya leaders, commanders, royal chaplains (atharvavedin purohita), and war-band ritual specialists using signal-drums in organized conflict.

Also used as

  • Rājanya-Protection
  • Saṅgrāmika (battle rite)
  • Apotropaic intimidation
  • Jayakāma (victory-seeking)

The deity

Dundubhi is treated as an animate battle-power: a vanaspati (wood-born) body bound with rawhide, whose voice becomes thunder (stanayitnu) and whose reverberation fills the two firmaments. Indra stands behind the drum’s efficacy as the paradigmatic victor and guardian who enables swift advance and conquest.

Powers of the deity

  • Terrifies and disorganizes enemy formations through overwhelming sound
  • Projects reverberation across space, encircling the foe with dhvani/ghoṣa
  • Subdues rivals (sapatna-damana) and breaks hostile resolve
  • Creates śloka/renown and victory-fame for allies
  • Functions as a rallying signal that stabilizes one’s own troops
  • Channels Indraic protection (gupti) and battle-swiftness (śībham)

Why the deity is called

To empower the drum as a coercive, thunder-like instrument that routs the enemy host and to place the advancing vanguard under Indra’s victorious guardianship.

The seer

  • Atharvan/Āṅgiras-type (Anukramaṇī attribution varies)Atharvan/Angiras. Saṅgrāmika and rājanya-protection charms: intimidation of enemy hosts, consecration of weapons/signals, morale-brightening and victory-making rites through sound and coercive mantra.

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 5.19 (martial/hostile charm cluster, allied thematically)
  • AV 6.130 (Indraic victory-protection type hymns, thematic parallel)
  • AV 11.9 (royal protection/ksatriya support themes, broad parallel)

Preparing for the rite

  • Select and inspect the dundubhi (preferably of strong vanaspati wood) and tighten the rawhide bindings/straps (usrīyābhiḥ).
  • Place the drum in the front/center of the marching formation or near the banner/standard where commands are issued.
  • Ritually ‘wake’ the instrument: touch the drumhead and body while mentally identifying its voice with thunder (stanayitnu) and its reach with cosmic space.
  • If available, establish Indraic protection by a brief Indra-salutation before the main recitation (contextual adjunct, consistent with the hymn’s closing Indra-guarded thrust).

The rite

  • Recite while striking the drum in measured, escalating strokes to embody ‘uccairghoṣa’ (loud-voiced) and ‘abhi kranda’ (cry against them).
  • At verses of intimidation, face the enemy direction and increase tempo/force so the sound ‘separates and travels’ (pṛthak… dhvanayaḥ) into the distance.
  • At the concluding Indra-guarded advance, beat a forward-driving cadence and have the vanguard step out in synchrony with the drum-signal.
  • Optionally repeat key lines as refrains when the army begins movement or when enemy contact is imminent.

What it needs

  • Dundubhi (war-drum)
  • Vanaspati wood body (drum shell)
  • Rawhide straps/bindings (usrīyābhiḥ)
  • Drumstick(s) / striking implement
  • Optional: banner/standard area as the ‘signal station’

When

Immediately before marching out, at the moment of forming ranks, and again at the first sight/sound-contact with the opposing host.

The main substance

Dundubhi (war-drum) with rawhide bindings

Amulets

  • Rawhide thong/strap from the drum as a symbolic ‘binding’ of enemy courage (optional, contextually derived)
  • Standard/banner cord used as a rally-token (optional)

How it is prepared

Tighten and tune the drumhead with rawhide straps; keep the instrument dry and resonant. Consecrate by reciting while touching the wooden shell (vanaspati) and striking the head to ‘install’ the mantra as audible thunder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Primarily the dundubhi (war-drum) as a personified power whose sound is treated like thunder; Indra is invoked by implication and explicitly near the end as the guardian of victory.

It is a battle-oriented (abhicārika/saṅgrāmika) charm: its goal is to intimidate and scatter an enemy force, strengthen one’s own side, and drive a swift, protected advance.

By reciting while striking and tuning the war-drum at the time of forming ranks and advancing. The ritual logic is that the mantra installs coercive power into the drum’s roar, making it a weapon of morale and coordination.

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