Mandala 5
मण्डल 5
The Family Book of Atri
Rigveda Mandala 5 is the fifth of the “family books” and is traditionally attributed to the Atri lineage, presenting a coherent household-school voice within the early Rigvedic corpus. Its hymns range across major deities—especially Agni and Indra—while also preserving a notable cluster of praise for the Ashvins, the divine healers and rescuers. The book is valued for its archaic diction and compact, formula-rich style, often preserving older turns of phrase and inherited poetic structures. The mandala as a whole blends ritual immediacy (fire, offering, dawn) with heroic theology (victory, bounty, protection) in a characteristically early Rigvedic register.
Suktas in Mandala 5
Sukta 1
Sukta 5.1
This hymn awakens Agni at dawn as the household and sacrificial Fire, whose tongues rise and whose radiance streams toward heaven. It praises him as the inspired Hotṛ who upholds Ṛta, expands heaven and earth, and is continually purified by ghee, so that the worshipper’s hymn becomes a wide, golden light established in him.
Sukta 2
Sukta 5.2
This hymn praises Agni as the hidden yet ever-manifest Fire: concealed like a child in a secret place, but seen openly in human work and sacrifice. It invokes Agni as the wise Hotṛ who releases beings from bonds (as with Śunaḥśepa) and grants protection, peace, and a secure dwelling to the worshipper who prepares the sacred seat and offers oblations.
Sukta 3
Sukta 5.3
This hymn praises Agni as the many-faced divine power who, when kindled, embodies the sovereign order of Varuṇa, the harmony of Mitra, and the victorious might of Indra. It asks Agni to protect the worshiper from guilt, hostile speech, and secret or open harm, while turning away curses and restoring right movement (yāma) toward the Vasu—goodness and prosperity.
Sukta 4
Sukta 5.4
This hymn of the Ātreya tradition praises Agni as vasupati (lord of treasures) and the kingly power presiding over sacrifice, invoked with joy in the adhvara. It asks Agni to intensify vāja (victorious energy and plenitude), secure triumph amid human conflicts, and establish in the worshipper a “pleasant world-room” (syona loka) together with broad prosperity—sons, strength, cattle, and well-being.
Sukta 5
Sukta 5.5
This hymn kindles Agni Jātavedas with clarified butter, praising him as the luminous knower who carries offerings and awakens right order (ṛta) in the sacrificer’s life. It moves from the concrete act of oblation to wider cosmic harmonies—especially the rhythm of Night and Dawn as “Mothers of Ṛta”—and culminates in svāhā-formulas that extend the offering to multiple deities and finally to all the gods.
Sukta 6
Sukta 5.6
This hymn praises Agni as the true “home” (astam) and treasure toward which all nourishing powers, swift energies, and victorious strengths naturally move. It asks Agni to drive and kindle these forces within the sacrifice and to bring continuous increase (iṣ) to the singers—especially hero-power and horse-like swiftness.
Sukta 7
Sukta 5.7
This hymn invokes Agni as the strongest and most desirable divine power among humans, urging the worshippers to unite their intention (iṣ) and praise (stoma) so the sacrifice is rightly directed. Agni is celebrated as the establisher of all, the bringer of sweetness and widening abundance, and the force by which hostile powers (dasyus) are overcome and true strengths are won.
Sukta 8
Sukta 5.8
This hymn praises Agni as the ever-ancient fire kindled by the seekers of ṛta, the radiant house-lord who establishes order and carries worship. It asks Agni to accept the singers’ homage, to blaze with bright kindlings, and to help the mortal overcome earthly obstacles through his growing power.
Sukta 9
Sukta 5.9
This hymn invokes Agni as Jātavedas, the all-knowing Fire who receives offerings and carries them along the human ritual path to the gods. It praises Agni’s beneficent guidance and wealth-giving power while acknowledging his hard-to-master, potentially consuming force when unrestrained. The prayer culminates in a request for victorious prosperity, growth, and protection in conflicts.
Sukta 10
Sukta 5.10
This short Agni-hymn asks the Fire-priest to bring “ojishtha dyumna”—the strongest luminous power—and to set an open path toward victory, wealth, and force (vāja). It praises those whose inspired words adorn Agni and who, through inner ardor (śuṣma), awaken wide fame, then ends by invoking Agni as Aṅgiras and Hotṛ to grant all-conquering riches and growth amid conflicts.
Sukta 11
Sukta 5.11
This short hymn to Agni presents him as the wakeful guardian of the people and the luminous priestly power that leads the Bharatas on the right path. It emphasizes Agni’s universal presence “in every home,” his role as divine messenger and oblation-bearer, and his ancient discovery by the Angirases as the hidden fire brought forth by churning.
Sukta 12
Sukta 5.12
This short Triṣṭubh hymn to Agni presents the seer’s “well-purified” speech as an oblation, praising Agni as the vast, truth-bearing Bull (vṛṣan) who establishes and protects Ṛta in the sacrifice. It asks who binds hostile forces, who guards Agni’s share from untruth, and who keeps the “word” safe—implying that right-ordered ritual, disciplined speech, and divine guardianship together secure victory and a stable dwelling for the worshipper.
Sukta 13
Sukta 5.13
This short Agni-hymn of Atri praises the Fire as the one awakened by song, the chosen Hotṛ who makes the sacrifice spread wide and effective. It repeatedly links praise (arc-) with kindling, protection, and the drawing-near of “many-colored” prosperity, presenting Agni as the hub that gathers the gods to the rite.
Sukta 14
Sukta 5.14
This short Agni hymn of Atri calls the Fire to awaken through praise and kindling, so that he may carry the sacrificer’s oblations into the assembly of the gods. Agni is celebrated as the newborn light who conquers darkness and hostile forces, recovering the “cows/rays,” the waters, and the luminous heaven, and is strengthened by ghee, hymns, and right intention.
Sukta 15
Sukta 5.15
This short Agni hymn praises the fire-god as the wise, ancient Seer and the upholder of riches and stability, kindled and clarified by ghee. It presents Agni as ever-newly born in the ritual cycles, a fierce protector who drives away hostility, and as the hidden “step in the cave” who awakens great abundance and brings Atri across darkness.
Sukta 16
Sukta 5.16
This short Vasiṣṭha hymn praises Agni as the shining, ever-growing flame whom mortals place “in front” like a trusted Friend and guide. It asks Agni to gather strength for the community, protect in conflicts, and bring vārya (desirable abundance), establishing a secure station of svasti (well-being).
Sukta 17
Sukta 5.17
This short Agni hymn of Vasiṣṭha draws the mortal worshipper near to the “more powerful” divine Helper through well-made sacrifice, praising Agni as protector, guide, and increaser. Agni is depicted in luminous, cosmic imagery—clothed in flame, driven by inspired speech—while the poet asks him to guard the desired good, grant well-being, and blaze up for strength in conflicts.
Sukta 18
Sukta 5.18
This short hymn praises Agni at dawn as Atithi—the divine Guest welcomed into the human dwelling through fire and offering. Agni is invoked as the immortal who delights in mortal oblations, drives forward unharmed like a chariot, and magnifies the fame and prosperity of generous patrons.
Sukta 19
Sukta 5.19
This short Agni-hymn contemplates the hidden birth of the Fire within the Mother—concealed in coverings and then revealed in distinct form. It praises Agni’s luminous, quickening power that increases communities and prosperity, and it evokes his dynamic play as ray/flame moving with wind and ash, sharpening his forces for action.
Sukta 20
Sukta 5.20
This brief Agni-hymn of the Atri seers invokes Agni as the bestower of a wealth that is truly “worth hearing of” and aligned with the gods. It chooses Agni as the Hotṛ—ancient, foremost in sacrifice—who perfects dakṣa (right skill/discerning power) and leads the worshipper into ṛta-grounded prosperity, light (cows/rays), and heroic strength.
Sukta 21
Sukta 5.21
This brief Agni hymn invokes the fire “in the human way” (manuṣvat), asking that the sacrificial flame be rightly installed and kindled so it can carry worship to the gods. Agni is praised as the unanimous choice of all deities as their messenger (dūta), and is urged to blaze brightly and take his seat in the “womb of ṛta,” the ordered truth that sustains increase and prosperity.
Sukta 22
Sukta 5.22
This short Atri hymn invokes Agni as the purifying flame and beloved Hotṛ of the sacrifice, asking him to recognize and accept the poets’ inspired speech. It presents Agni as the chosen divine protector with discerning mind, and highlights the Atri lineage as those who “increase” and adorn Agni through stomas and gīras. The purpose is liturgical and devotional: to kindle Agni’s presence, secure his aid, and ensure the sacrifice proceeds under his bright guidance.
Sukta 23
Sukta 5.23
This short Agni hymn asks the Fire-god to bring "sahantama"—the most conquering, luminous wealth (rayi, dyumna) that presses forward against hostile forces. It presents Agni as the beloved Hotṛ sought by all peoples and concludes with a direct plea for Agni to blaze brightly in the worshippers’ homes, granting prosperity and protection.
Sukta 24
Sukta 5.24
This brief Agni hymn is a protective prayer: the poet asks Agni to be the nearest presence (antama) and a steadfast shelter (varūthya) for the worshippers. Agni is invoked to awaken, hear the call, expand his guarding power, and rescue the community from hostile intent. The sukta culminates in seeking Agni’s grace and auspicious well-being for one’s companions engaged in the sacred work.
Sukta 25
Sukta 5.25
This hymn praises Agni as the divine helper who grants wealth, fame, and strong progeny to the sincere offerer, while also protecting the worshipper from hostile forces. Agni is invoked as the truthful, seer-born power who “ferries” the devotee beyond enmity like a ship across dangerous waters. The overall purpose is both ritual (successful offering and blessings) and protective (safe passage beyond opposition).
Sukta 26
Sukta 5.26
This hymn invokes Agni as the radiant purifier and divine priest whose “tongue” carries the offering and summons the gods to the sacrifice. It asks Agni to seat the deities on the sacred barhis (ritual seat) and to bring strength and heroic vitality (suvīrya) to the soma-pressing worshipper. The closing movement widens the invitation to a full divine assembly—Maruts, Aśvins, Mitra, Varuṇa, and all the gods—signaling a complete, well-prepared rite.
Sukta 27
Sukta 5.27
This short hymn praises Agni as Vaiśvānara—the universal Fire and lordly power who makes prosperity and right order visible in the world. It frames Agni’s greatness through a donor-context (Tri-aruṇa) and links the hymn’s efficacy to the sacrificial word (ṛc/vāc) and to the Aśvamedha setting, culminating in a joint invocation of Indra–Agni to uphold kṣatra (sovereign might).
Sukta 28
Sukta 5.28
This short hymn praises Agni as the kindled, heaven-reaching flame whose radiance meets Uṣas (Dawn) as she arrives from the East bearing all desirable gifts. It links the dawn-lit awakening of the world with the awakening of the sacrifice, urging worshippers to choose Agni as havyavāhana—the sure carrier of offerings to the gods.
Sukta 29
Sukta 5.29
This hymn praises Indra as the steadfast, all-knowing leader of the Maruts, celebrating his world-ordering power and his decisive victory over the Serpent (Ahi), the archetype of obstruction. It repeatedly uses the motif of “three” (Aryaman’s ordinance, the luminous realms, streams/waters) to frame Indra’s triumph as a restoration of cosmic order and the release of life-giving waters and light. The seer closes by offering newly fashioned brahman (hymnic craft) to Indra, likening the prayer to a well-made garment and a finely built chariot.
Sukta 30
Sukta 5.30
This hymn extols Indra as the swift-coming, Soma-loving hero who answers invocation and breaks hostile powers, especially the Dasyu forces that obstruct light, cattle, and prosperity. It weaves praise with vivid battle imagery—Indra advancing to fight, revealing the hidden “cows” (wealth/light)—and concludes with the seer’s remembrance of concrete gains and ritual signs of victory.
Sukta 31
Sukta 5.31
This hymn praises Indra as the irresistible chariot-mounted power who clears the path, orders the “herds” (wealth and energies), and leads safely at the front. It recalls his decisive victories over Ahi/Vṛtra and Śuṣṇa’s deceptive māyās, emphasizing how Indra breaks obstructions, drives away Dasyus, and establishes strength among his devotees. The prayer culminates in a protective blessing: may those who delight in Indra be kept from harm and endowed with ojas (vital force).
Sukta 32
Sukta 5.32
This hymn praises Indra as the breaker of obstructions: he splits the mountain, releases the pent-up waters, and strikes down the Dānava who withholds the life-giving streams. It celebrates Indra’s irresistible vajra-might as a cosmic act that restores ṛta (right order) and enables prosperity for the seers and their community. The closing tone turns reflective, asking why those devoted to brahman (sacred word/rite) would ever try to restrain Indra’s generous, seasonally-right giving.
Sukta 33
Sukta 5.33
This hymn of Atri praises Indra’s unsurpassed strength and his battle-winning aid, asking him to awaken “good mind” (sumati) and bring victorious power to the worshippers. It recalls Indra’s serpent-crushing might and his gracious bestowal of wealth, framing prosperity as a divinely guided “in-gathering,” like cows entering a secure pen.
Sukta 34
Sukta 5.34
RV 5.34 is an Atri hymn that summons Indra through the Soma-pressing, praising him as ajātaśatru (“unborn to hostility”) and brahma-vāhas (“bearer of the Word”). It contrasts the disciplined, offering-making pressers with the non-pressers, and presents Indra as the force who sets the cosmic order in motion, subdues obstructing powers, and drives the sacrifice forward into victory and increase.
Sukta 35
Sukta 5.35
This Indra hymn of the Atri tradition asks the god to bring his most “effective resolve” (kratu) as active help, turning it into victorious force for the worshippers in contests and daily struggle. It also petitions Indra to press down hostile, inimical impulses and to guard the singers’ chariot—symbol of their onward movement—so their praise and fame may be established “in heaven,” i.e., in the luminous realm of truth.
Sukta 36
Sukta 5.36
This hymn is an urgent Soma-invocation calling Indra—the knower and bestower of treasures—to come to the pressing and drink the well-prepared Soma. The poet intensifies the call with vivid ritual imagery (pressing-stone, milked Soma) and petitions Indra for wealth from both “left and right,” concluding with Indra’s youthful power and his association with the Maruts.
Sukta 37
Sukta 5.37
This short Indra-hymn praises the one who “presses Soma for Indra,” depicting that sacrificer as moving with solar radiance while the Dawns open a sure path for his rite. Indra’s victorious chariot-power gathers many forces around him, and the hymn promises wholeness—peace in settled times and triumph in conflict—to the Soma-giver who wins the favor of Sun and Agni.
Sukta 38
Sukta 5.38
This short hymn to Indra praises the vastness of his generosity and the far-reaching power of his protection, asking him to increase the worshippers’ "dyumnā"—luminous strengths and victorious energies. It recalls Indra’s forceful might (śuṣma) that rules both heaven and the moving earth-field for the sake of devotees, and it culminates in a plea to dwell safely within his shelter (śarman), well-guarded by his aid.
Sukta 39
Sukta 5.39
This short Atri hymn to Indra petitions the god of victorious power to pour out his “bright, overflowing” wealth and strength without stint, bringing prosperity “with both hands.” It emphasizes Indra’s famed will-to-give (prarādhyam) that can make even the firm yield, and it culminates in the Atris’ self-aware act of consecrated praise—speech made radiant as brahman-bearing force.
Sukta 40
Sukta 5.40
This hymn invokes Indra as Soma-lord and supreme Vṛtra-slayer to come swiftly to the pressed Soma and empower the sacrificer with victorious strength. It then unfolds the celebrated Atri narrative: the demon Svàrbhānu veils Sūrya in darkness, the worlds fall into confusion, and the Atris—through insight and mantra-power—recover the hidden Sun, restoring light and order.
Sukta 41
Sukta 5.41
RV 5.41 is a wide-ranging prayer that begins by appealing to Mitra–Varuṇa as guardians of Ṛta (cosmic order) to protect the sacrificer and secure strength, prosperity, and safe passage. As the hymn unfolds it expands into an almost “all-powers” invocation—calling on other deities and natural guardians (Waters, Plants, Heaven, forests, mountains) for healing, protection, and well-being—ending with a compact wish for nourishing plenitude to be poured into the worshippers.
Sukta 42
Sukta 5.42
RV 5.42 is a wide-ranging protective and prosperity hymn that sends a “peace-bearing” prayer to the Ādityas—especially Varuṇa, Mitra, Bhaga, and Aditi—asking for right order, safe passage, and well-being. It also calls on allied divine powers (notably Maruts and the Aśvins) to repel hostile forces and to bring wealth, strength, and “deathless” good fortune to the worshipper and community.
Sukta 43
Sukta 5.43
RV 5.43 is a wide-ranging invocation to the Viśve Devāḥ, envisioned as nourishing, joy-bringing powers that pour “milk and honey” of abundance into the sacrificer’s life. Moving through key divine helpers (notably Pūṣan and Vāyu, and concluding with the Aśvins), the hymn asks for rayi (plenitude), vāja (effective force and victory), guidance, protection, and “deathless” good fortune.
Sukta 44
Sukta 5.44
This hymn praises Agni as the most ancient and ever-renewed priestly power—seated on the barhis, “finder of the sun-worlds,” and drawn forth (“milked”) by inspired speech. It moves from invoking Agni in the traditional sacrificial manner to portraying him as a luminous protector who overcomes deceptive forces, culminating in the proclamation that Agni has awakened and that Ṛk, Sāman, and Soma all converge upon him as a friend and dwelling-companion.
Sukta 45
Sukta 5.45
This hymn of the Atri tradition praises the Dawn–Sun complex as the luminous power that breaks open obscurity, “opens the doors” for human beings, and leads the sacrificer upward toward svarga/light. It repeatedly centers on dhī (inspired intelligence) as the operative force by which the hidden “cows/light” are released, the Navagvas accomplish their passage, and the worshipper gains divine protection and freedom from distress.
Sukta 46
Sukta 5.46
This hymn of the Ātreya tradition invokes the Viśve Devāḥ as a coordinated powers of guidance, protection, and right movement (ṛta) for the sacrificer’s journey. It opens with the striking image of the inner “knower” (vidvān) harnessing itself like a steed to lead straight on the paths, then expands into an inclusive calling of Maruts, Bṛhaspati, Pūṣan, and the Ādityas, and finally awakens the Devapatnīs (goddess-consorts) to set the divine rhythm in motion.
Sukta 47
Sukta 5.47
This short Atri hymn invokes a mysterious feminine cosmic power—often read through the imagery of Uṣas (Dawn) or a great Mother-principle—who “awakens” and calls the Pitṛs (Fathers/ancestors) to their seat in the rite. It then shifts into compact cosmological riddles (numbers and “cows of light”) describing the ordered gestation of the world, and closes with a prayer for well-being, firm footing, and safe passage under Mitra–Varuṇa, Agni, and the Vast Heaven.
Sukta 48
Sukta 5.48
This brief hymn contemplates a “māyinī/māyin” formative power that gathers the waters in the cloud and spreads out the wide realm, while also evoking the thunderbolt-bearing force that orders day and night. It culminates by naming Varuṇa as the beautifully robed, four-faced power whose vastness cannot be measured, from whom the distributive and impelling deities (Bhaga and Savitṛ) grant desirable wealth.
Sukta 49
Sukta 5.49
This short hymn seeks Savit and Bhaga as divine distributors of life-increasing treasure, while inviting the Abvins as daily companions and helpers. It broadens into a collective praise of several deities who generate auspicious days and remove obstacles, ending with a prayer for a wider path and the sustaining support of Heaven and Earth.
Sukta 50
Sukta 5.50
This brief Atri hymn invokes the Deva as Netṛ, the divine Guide who leads the human being on the right path, granting friendship, protection, and increase of rayi (substance/wealth) and dyumna (luminous power). It combines a personal aspiration—choosing the Leader’s companionship—with a ritual-social prayer for welcomed guests and the honoring of the patnīs (supporting consort-powers), while driving away hostility from the path. The hymn culminates in a peace-blessing (śam) tied to the chariot-lord who steers movement safely toward well-being (svasti).
Sukta 51
Sukta 5.51
This hymn is an invitatory praise to Agni as the priestly fire who brings the gods to the Soma-pressing and ensures the oblation is rightly conveyed. It repeatedly stresses concord (sajūḥ) among the deities—Mitra-Varuṇa, Soma, Viṣṇu and the Viśve Devāḥ—so the sacrifice becomes a single, harmonious act. The closing mood turns benedictory, asking for a safe, orderly path like the Sun and Moon and for a community that gives, knows, and reunites in well-being.
Sukta 52
Sukta 5.52
This hymn is a vigorous invocation to the Maruts—youthful storm-gods—praising their straight, treachery-free glory, their roaring power, and their swift chariots that break obstacles and release abundance. It asks them to come to the sacrifice, strengthen the singer’s fame and protection, and grant rādhas (boons) such as cattle, horses, and victorious energy. The imagery moves between cosmic storm-action (cloud, stone, river) and the inner awakening of ardor and courage in the worshipper.
Sukta 53
Sukta 5.53
RV 5.53 is a vigorous praise-hymn to the Maruts, the storm-hosts, celebrating their chariot-borne rush, thunderous splendour, and life-giving rains. The poet invokes them to move unhindered across rivers and regions, to align with the righteous leader (Sudāsa), and to grant protection, strength, and auspicious favour to the worshipper’s community.
Sukta 54
Sukta 5.54
RV 5.54 is an Atri hymn that invokes the Maruts as lightning-bright, mountain-shaking storm-hosts whose thunderous advance clears obstacles and energizes the world. The poet praises their far-reaching might—swift as the Sun’s course—and asks for their protective presence, victorious force, and truth-aligned aid in the struggle against hostile powers.
Sukta 55
Sukta 5.55
This hymn praises the Maruts as radiant, well-armed storm-gods who ride swiftly with well-yoked steeds and whose chariots move on an auspicious path. It invokes them to dispel hostility and harm, to guide the worshippers toward what is better (vasyaḥ), and to accept the offering so the community may gain abundance (rayi) and well-being.
Sukta 56
Sukta 5.56
This hymn calls the Maruts—the storm-host of Indra—down from the luminous heaven into the human community, with Agni invoked as the mediator who conducts their descent and makes their presence ritually effective. It praises their compact unity, brilliance, and irresistible forward drive, asking that their arrival release abundance, right impulse, and generous fortune for the sacrificer.
Sukta 57
Sukta 5.57
This hymn of Atri calls the Maruts—Rudra’s sons, “Indra-endowed”—to arrive in unified splendor on golden chariots and grant well-being. It praises their radiant, storm-like power and their generous, unclouded gifts, presenting them as guardians of ṛta (cosmic order) who hear truth and uplift the singer’s prayer.
Sukta 58
Sukta 5.58
RV 5.58 is Atri’s vigorous praise of the Maruts as a unified storm-host—ever-renewing, swift-riding, and sovereign in the immortal order. The hymn exalts their impetuous power and their truth-hearing, then turns that power into a plea: that the Maruts be gracious, enrich the sacrificer, and expand the worshipper’s inner “vastness” in accord with ṛta.
Sukta 59
Sukta 5.59
This hymn praises the Maruts as awe-inspiring storm-hosts whose rushing approach makes earth tremble and whose ordered, bird-like flight moves across heaven’s ridges. It celebrates their beauty and martial splendour, their swift steeds, and their power to loosen the cloud-masses from the mountain, releasing the rains and widening the spaces for life and sacrifice.
Sukta 60
Sukta 5.60
This hymn invokes Agni as the discerning, rightly-seated priest who “sorts” and perfects the worshipper’s work, and then draws the Maruts into the rite as the dynamic force that carries the praise forward like victorious chariots. Moving between sacrificial order (Agni) and storming inspiration (Maruts), it culminates in the shared Soma-drinking: Agni-Vaiśvānara rejoices together with the Marut-host in the luminous fore-heaven, securing prosperity, right impulse, and successful offering.
Sukta 61
Sukta 5.61
This hymn addresses the Maruts as a heroic company arriving from the farthest reaches, asking their identity and inviting their protective presence. It celebrates their swift, storm-like power, their capacity to bestow abundance (cattle, strength, “streams” of nourishment), and their role as allies who help the singer cross beyond obstacles. The closing tone gestures to the wider Vedic motif of the bounteous chariot-course moving along the luminous “cows” (rays/wealth), anchoring the Maruts’ gifts in cosmic order.
Sukta 62
Sukta 5.62
This hymn praises Mitra and Varuṇa as the twin upholders of ṛta (cosmic order), whose sovereignty is seen most clearly in the Sun’s course and the flawless governance of the worlds. It asks the pair to guard the worshipper with unbroken protection, to widen inspired intelligence, and to grant victory and well-being through their just, luminous rule.
Sukta 63
Sukta 5.63
This hymn praises Mitra and Varuṇa as the vigilant guardians of Ṛta (cosmic order), enthroned in the highest heaven and upholding truthful law and sacred ordinances. It links their governance to visible cosmic processes—especially the Sun’s course and the sending of rain—showing that divine order becomes nourishment, prosperity, and moral stability for those they favor.
Sukta 64
Sukta 5.64
This short hymn invokes Mitra and Varuṇa together as protective sovereigns who encircle the worshipper like a pen’s boundary, guarding life within the wide radiance of heaven. It asks the pair to accept the well-measured praise and to hasten to the pressed Soma at the kindling of the offering-fire, extending favor to patrons and singers. Overall, it blends cosmic order (ṛta), social harmony, and ritual immediacy into a compact prayer for protection and right dwelling.
Sukta 65
Sukta 5.65
This short hymn to Mitra–Varuṇa asks for inspired speech and right guidance from the Ādityas who uphold ṛta (cosmic order). It praises Mitra’s power to open a “wide path” out of distress and petitions the divine pair to unite and lead the people, protecting the seers and patrons within a secure enclosure.
Sukta 66
Sukta 5.66
This short hymn of Atri invokes Mitra–Varuṇa, with a marked focus on Varuṇa as ṛta-peśas—“whose form/raiment is ṛta (cosmic order).” It urges the mortal worshipper to awaken to their far-seeing guidance, offer rightly, and receive protection, clarity, and a movement toward inner sovereignty (svarājya). Across its verses, the pair are praised as kavi-like seers who illumine peoples by their ketu (luminous sign) and uphold Dakṣa and ṛta through wondrous powers.
Sukta 67
Sukta 5.67
This short hymn praises the Ādityas—especially Varuṇa, Mitra, and Aryaman—as the all-knowing upholders of ṛta (cosmic order) whose vast ordinance grants true sovereignty (kṣatra) and protection. It emphasizes their steady movement in fixed laws (vrata) and their power to guard mortals from harm, while the Atri seer’s inspired thought (mati) presses toward them in worship.
Sukta 68
Sukta 5.68
This short hymn praises Mitra and Varuṇa as the great sovereigns (mahi-kṣatrau) who uphold ṛta, the vast cosmic Truth-Order. It asks them to empower the worshippers with both earthly and heavenly abundance, and portrays their workings through rain, flowing waters, and nourishment that create a “vast foundation” for plenitude.
Sukta 69
Sukta 5.69
This short Atri hymn praises Mitra and Varuṇa as the Ādityas who uphold the three luminous realms and enforce unwavering cosmic ordinances (vratāni). It asks them to protect the divine Law, remove crooked or misguided counsel from rulership and the community, and grant well-being, prosperity (rāyí), and peace for family and posterity.
Sukta 70
Sukta 5.70
This compact Anuṣṭubh hymn invokes Mitra–Varuṇa as present helpers whose orderly, luminous guidance (sumati) can carry the worshipper through wounds, hardships, and inner obstruction. It asks for protection, effective safeguarding power, and victory over dasyu-forces (darkness, disorder), concluding with a plea to be spared any harmful affliction (yakṣa) in body and vitality.
Sukta 71
Sukta 5.71
This brief Gāyatrī hymn invites Mitra and Varuṇa to come near the sacrifice as protectors who repel injuring forces and uphold the right path of the adhvara. It praises them as all-knowing sovereigns and asks that they enlarge and steady the worshipper’s dhiḥ (insight). The hymn culminates in a clear Soma-invitation: may the divine pair approach and drink, establishing inner order and delight.
Sukta 72
Sukta 5.72
This brief Triṣṭubh hymn invokes Mitra and Varuṇa with the precedent of Atri, inviting them to “sit on the barhis” and partake of Soma in the sacrifice. It praises their steadfast governance through vrata (binding ordinance) and dharma, asking them to stabilize peace, restrain disruptive forces, and delight in the yajña for the worshipper’s chosen good (iṣṭi).
Sukta 73
Sukta 5.73
This hymn is an urgent invitation to the Aśvins to come from whatever realm they currently abide—far, near, or in the mid-air—and to extend their swift, abundant aid to the worshippers. It recalls their intimate link with inspired seers (notably Atri) and the “gharma” (warm, luminous offering), while praising their rapid chariot-like arrival and healing beneficence. The closing verse frames the hymn itself as carefully fashioned speech, offered as a widening homage meant to bring peace and increase.
Sukta 74
Sukta 5.74
This hymn is Atri’s urgent dawn-invocation to the Aśvins (Nā́satyā), asking the swift twin healers to hear his call and arrive with protective help and prosperity. It emphasizes their stable, ever-ready presence, their responsiveness to praise, and the tangible “pouring” of boons—strength, enjoyment, support—when they accept the summons.
Sukta 75
Sukta 5.75
This hymn is a dawn-time invocation to the Aśvinau, calling their beloved, treasure-bearing chariot to the sacrifice and asking them to hear the poet’s “honeyed” summons. It recalls their famed rescues and restorations (such as Cyavāna), presenting the Aśvins as swift healers and saviors who arrive with the first light and renew strength, prosperity, and right order for the worshiper.
Sukta 76
Sukta 5.76
This short Aśvin hymn opens with the dawn-lit emergence of Agni and the rising of inspired, godward speech, then urgently invites the Aśvins to turn their chariot toward the prepared gharmá (warming, invigorating draught). It calls the Twin Healers to come at all junction-times—morning, midday, day and night—so the delight-giving drink and their protection never fail. The hymn culminates in a prayer to travel in harmony with their “ever-new” aid and to receive wealth, heroic strength, and enduring auspiciousness.
Sukta 77
Sukta 5.77
This brief Aśvin hymn is a dawn-invocation urging worshippers to call the Twin Riders first at daybreak, so they may arrive swiftly and drink the soma before hostile, “greedy” forces obstruct the rite. It praises their radiant chariot and mind-swift, wind-rushing help that carries the devotee beyond distress, concluding with a prayer for ever-new protection, prosperity (rayi), heroic strength, and enduring good fortune.
Sukta 78
Sukta 5.78
This hymn is an urgent invocation to the Aśvins (Nāsatyā), the swift divine physicians, to come quickly to the Soma offering and not turn away. It centers on protection and successful delivery in childbirth—asking for the womb to open at the right time and for mother and child to emerge alive and unharmed, with a remembered rescue motif (Saptavadhri) reinforcing the Aśvins’ healing power.
Sukta 79
Sukta 5.79
This hymn is a direct, intimate invocation to Uṣas (Dawn) to awaken the sacrificers and lead them into abundance (rāyī), strength, and right activity. Dawn is praised as ever-renewing, unfailing in her shining, and as a giver of heroic fame, swift energies, and inspired speech to the singers and patrons.
Sukta 80
Sukta 5.80
RV 5.80 is a dawn-hymn in which Atri’s seers praise Uṣas as the vast, crimson-bright power who manifests the world in accord with ṛta (cosmic order). The hymn celebrates her orderly unveiling of light, her guidance that “does not disturb the directions,” and her recurring return that renews life, work, and spiritual aspiration.
Sukta 81
Sukta 5.81
This short hymn to Savitṛ praises the divine Impeller who “yokes” the seers’ mind and insight, sets the ritual powers in right order, and makes all gods move in his onward motion. Savitṛ is celebrated as the measurer of the worlds and the sovereign who pervades all becoming, guiding beings safely as the inner and outer initiator of action. The hymn culminates by identifying Savitṛ as the sole lord of prasava (impulsion) and, in his goings, as Pūṣan—the guiding nourisher—invited to accept the stoma.
Sukta 82
Sukta 5.82
This hymn is a prayer to Savitṛ, the divine Impeller, to bestow the choicest nourishment, right movement, and auspicious destiny, with Bhaga invoked as Savitṛ’s power of allotment and felicity. It asks that all misdirections (duritāni) be driven away and that what is truly good (bhadram) be impelled into the worshippers. The sukta also praises Savitṛ as the cosmic force who brings all beings and births into manifestation and makes them “heard” through inspired speech.
Sukta 83
Sukta 5.83
This hymn is a fervent invocation to Parjanya, the Vedic rain-power, to thunder, release the waters, and impregnate the earth so that herbs and food may arise. It portrays rain as a life-seed placed into plants and soil, asking for protection, fertility, and safe passage beyond drought and barrenness.
Sukta 84
Sukta 5.84
This brief Atri hymn addresses a swift, roaming power hailed by nocturnal chants, praised for driving forth plenitude and force like a neighing war-horse. The verse functions as an evocative invocation: it “calls” the moving brilliance/storm-energy (named or epitheted as Arjunī) to manifest vigor, momentum, and victorious abundance for the worshipper.
Sukta 85
Sukta 5.85
This hymn praises Varuṇa as the sovereign upholder of ṛta (cosmic and moral order) who measures out heaven-and-earth and establishes the pathways of the Sun. It moves from awe at Varuṇa’s vast “māyā” (effective power of ordering) to a penitential prayer that all seen and unseen faults be loosened like slackened bonds, so the worshipper may return to divine favor.
Sukta 86
Sukta 5.86
This compact Indrāgnī hymn invokes Indra and Agni together as the paired powers who uphold the mortal in contests of strength and right action. It asks them to break inner and outer obstructions, guide the “chariots” of movement, and establish wide fame, wealth, and sustaining nourishment for the singers through the properly offered oblation.
Sukta 87
Sukta 5.87
This hymn invokes the Maruts—the storm-host born of the mountains—as a disciplined, sacrifice-worthy company whose thunderous force brings brilliance, protection, and victorious movement. It links their dynamic power with Vishnu’s wide, forward-striding might, asking the Maruts to hear the call, guard the rite, and make the worshipper unassailable against hostile negation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mandala 5 belongs to the family-book layer (Mandalas 2–7) and is traditionally attributed to Atri and his descendants (Atrides), whose school preserved and transmitted these hymns.
It is often noted for an archaic register: conservative vocabulary, inherited formulae, and compact, dense poetic constructions typical of early Rigvedic family collections.
Agni and Indra dominate as in much of the Rigveda, but Mandala 5 is especially remembered for a strong presence of Ashvin hymns, alongside notable praises to Uṣas, the Maruts, and the Ādityas.