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Rishi: Traditionally RV-derived; in AV 20 the seer attributions follow Rigvedic parallels (Indra-stuti lineage).
Devata: Indra (with the Haris as his conveyance).
Chandas: Jagatī (11-syllable cadence typical of many Indra hymns; AV 20 largely mirrors RV meters).
Mantra 1
ता व॒ज्रिणं॑ म॒न्दिनं॒ स्तोम्यं॒ मद॒ इन्द्रं॒ रथे॑ वहतो हर्य॒ता हरी॑ । पु॒रूण्य॑स्मै॒ सव॑नानि॒ हर्य॑त॒ इन्द्रा॑य॒ सोमा॒ हर॑यो दधन्विरे
Those two bay Steeds, desirable, bear in the car the Thunder-armed Indra—gladdened, hymn-worthy—in the rapture. For him are many tawny Soma-pressings; for Indra the Soma-draughts, and the Bays, are set a-running.
Mantra 2
अरं कामा॑य॒ हर॑यो दधन्विरे स्थि॒राय॑ हिन्व॒न् हर॑यो॒ हरी॑ तु॒रा। अर्व॑द्भि॒र्यो हरि॑भि॒र्जोष॒मीय॑ते॒ सो अ॑स्य॒ कामं॒ हरि॑वन्तमानशे
Duly, for the wish, the Bays are driven forth; urging toward firmness, the two swift Haris. He who with the coursers, with the Bays, draws near to favor—he wins the wish that rests with Indra, the Lord of Haris.
Mantra 3
हरि॑श्मशारु॒र्हरि॑केश आय॒सस्तु॑र॒स्पेये॒ यो ह॑रि॒पा अव॑र्धत । अर्व॑द्भि॒र्यो हरि॑भिर्वा॒जिनी॑वसु॒रति॒ विश्वा॑ दुरि॒ता पारि॑ष॒द्धरी॑
Tawny-bearded, tawny-haired, of iron hardihood—he, the tawny-drinker, waxed strong in the Turaspeya. He who with steeds, with the Bays, is prize-wealthy—may the two Bearers carry us over all misfortunes.
Mantra 4
स्रुवे॑व॒ यस्य॒ हरि॑णी विपे॒ततुः॒ शिप्रे॒ वाजा॑य॒ हरि॑णी॒ दवि॑ध्वतः । प्र यत् कृ॒ते च॑म॒से मर्मृ॑ज॒द्धरी॑ पी॒त्वा मद॑स्य हर्य॒तस्यान्ध॑सः
Like ladles, whose two Tawny Ones flash forth; at his lips, for the prize, the Tawny pair quiver. When in the fashioned cup the two Bearers wipe it clean—having drunk the rapturous tawny juice.
Mantra 5
उ॒त स्म॒ सद्म॑ हर्य॒तस्य॑ प॒स्त्यो॒३रत्यो॒ न वाजं॒ हरि॑वां अचिक्रदत्। म॒ही चि॒द्धि धि॒षणाह॑र्य॒दोज॑सा बृ॒हद् वयो॑ दधिषे हर्य॒तश्चि॒दा
Yea, verily, in the abode of the Tawny One, in the two homes, Harivant cried aloud for strength as a chariot-man for the prize. For great indeed is Inspiration with tawny vigor: broad vital power thou settest here—tawny, desirable—unto us.
It is used to invoke Indra swiftly to the rite for victory-strength and to protect the worshipper by ‘carrying across’ misfortune (durita), while also establishing vitality in the home.
They are Indra’s conveyance and also symbolic rescuers: the hymn asks the ‘two bearers’ to transport the devotee over dangers, not just to bring Indra to the offering.
Traditionally the imagery is soma-centered, but in later practice a symbolic libation (milk/juice/water offered with intention) can stand in, because the hymn’s focus is Indra’s exhilarated power and protective arrival.
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