Sukta 87
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (not specified in excerpt)
Devata: Rājya/Rāṣṭra (kingship/realm) personified; also the King as ritual focus
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable)
Mantras
Mantra 1
राज्ञः संवरणम्। आ त्वाहार्षमन्तरभूर्ध्रुवस्तिष्ठाविचाचलत्। विशस्त्वा सर्वा वाञ्छन्तु मा त्वद् राष्ट्रमधि भ्रशत्
A fencing-in for the King. Hither have I brought thee; within thou hast entered. Stand thou firm, unshaken. Let all the peoples long for thee; let not the kingdom slip away from thee.
Mantra 2
इहैवैधि माप च्योष्ठाः पर्वत इवाविचाचलत्। इन्द्र इवेह ध्रुवस्तिष्ठेह राष्ट्रमु धारय
Here, even here, do thou prosper; slip not away. Like a mountain, unshaken: like Indra, stand thou firm here, and here uphold the kingdom.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र एतमदीधरत् ध्रुवं ध्रुवेण हविषा । तस्मै सोमो अधि ब्रवदयं च ब्रह्मणस्पतिः
Indra made this firm—firm with a firm oblation. To him Soma spake assent thereon, and this Lord of Prayer as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
To ritually secure and stabilize the king so that the kingdom does not “slip away,” and so the people remain favorably disposed toward his rule.
A mountain symbolizes being unmoved and unshaken, while Indra is the Vedic model of firm, victorious sovereignty—together expressing unbreakable political steadiness.
The verses can be recited as a protective royal charm; the hymn itself also points to a “firm oblation” (havis) as an ideal sealing act, but no specific herb or amulet is required here.