Sukta 26
Rishi: Traditionally connected with Viṣṇu-trivikrama tradition (RV 1.154 parallels); Atharvanic redaction preserves the formula.
Devata: Viṣṇu (Trivikrama)
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as in RV parallels; Atharvan transmission may show minor metrical looseness)
Mantras
Mantra 1
विष्णुः। विष्णो॒र्नु कं॒ प्रा वो॑चं वी॒र्याऽणि॒ यः पार्थि॑वानि विम॒मे रजां॑सि । यो अस्क॑भाय॒दुत्त॑रं स॒धस्थं॑ विचक्रमा॒णस्त्रे॒धोरु॑गा॒यः
Viṣṇu: now what heroic deeds of Viṣṇu shall I proclaim—who measured out the earthly regions; who propped the upper station, striding forth threefold, the wide-going One.
Mantra 2
प्र तद् विष्णु॑ स्तवते वी॒र्याऽणि मृ॒गो न भी॒मः कु॑च॒रो गि॑रि॒ष्ठाः । प॒रा॒वत॒ आ ज॑गम्या॒त् पर॑स्याः
Forth is that heroic might of Viṣṇu to be praised: like a dread wild beast, roaming at will, mountain-haunting; from the far distance—yea, from the farthermost—may he come hither.
Mantra 3
यस्यो॒रुषु॑ त्रि॒षु वि॒क्रम॑नेष्वधिक्षि॒यन्ति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ । उ॒रु वि॑ष्णो॒ वि क्र॑मस्वो॒रु क्षया॑य नस्कृधि । घृ॒तं घृ॑तयोने पिब॒ प्रप्र॑ य॒ज्ञप॑तिं तिर
On whose wide three strides all worlds abide established—stride wide, O Viṣṇu; make for us a wide dwelling-place. Drink thou the ghee, O ghee-sourced One; drive forth—aye, drive forth—carry the Lord of sacrifice across.
Mantra 4
इ॒दं विष्णु॒र्वि च॑क्रमे त्रे॒धा नि द॑धे प॒दा। समू॑ढमस्य पांसु॒रे
This Viṣṇu hath strode forth; in threefold wise he set his steps; he made it firm—this work of his—in the dusty earth.
Mantra 5
त्रीणि॑ प॒दा वि च॑क्रमे॒ विष्णु॑र्गो॒पा अदा॑भ्यः । इ॒तो धर्मा॑णि धा॒रय॑न्
Three steps did Viṣṇu stride forth, the Guardian, unbeguiled; from hence he holdeth up the ordinances.
Mantra 6
विष्णोः॒ कर्मा॑णि पश्यत॒ यतो॑ व्र॒तानि॑ पस्प॒शे। इन्द्र॑स्य॒ युज्यः॒ सखा॑
Behold ye Viṣṇu’s deeds, from whom the ordinances were watched and ordered forth: Indra’s meet-yoked friend and comrade.
Mantra 7
तद् विष्णोः॑ पर॒मं प॒दं सदा॑ पश्यन्ति सू॒रयः॑ । दि॒वीऽव॒ चक्षु॒रात॑तम्
That highest station of Viṣṇu the sages evermore behold—an eye outstretched, as it were, in heaven.
Mantra 8
दि॒वो वि॑ष्ण उ॒त वा॑ पृथि॒व्या म॒हो वि॑ष्ण उ॒रोर॒न्तरि॑क्षात्। हस्तौ॑ पृणस्व ब॒हुभि॑र्व॒सव्यै॑रा॒प्रय॑च्छ॒ दक्षि॑णा॒दोत स॒व्यात्
From heaven, O Viṣṇu, or from earth; from the Great, O Viṣṇu, from the wide mid-air—fill thou our hands with many a goodly treasure; bestow it hither from the right and from the left.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to establish and stabilize a protected space—such as a home, boundary, or ritual ground—by invoking Viṣṇu’s three strides as the cosmic model for firm placement and security.
Earth/dust functions as the medium of fixation—marking stations and boundaries—while ghee is the nourishing offering that strengthens Viṣṇu as yajña-supporter, helping the rite pass safely beyond obstacles.
In this sukta, prosperity is not just ‘gain’ but stable order: when Viṣṇu’s strides secure space and drive off impediments, wealth can legitimately flow in from all regions and ‘fill the hands’ of the patron.
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