Sukta 21
Rishi: Notionally Atharvanic/technical (often unattributed in a personal r̥ṣi sense)
Devata: Chandas (the meters personified/collectivized)
Chandas: List-form (not a single meter; meta-liturgical)
Mantras
Frequently Asked Questions
In Vedic liturgy, correct naming and ordering can itself be an invocation. The enumeration functions like a formal “calling” of the metres so that speech is properly measured and effective.
It can be used as a brief preface or seal to confirm that recitation is grounded in chandas, helping maintain rhythm, clarity, and confidence—especially in formal ritual contexts.
No. The operative power is the chandas itself—regulated, correctly articulated speech—so the ‘material’ is the recitation and its metrical awareness.