Atharva Veda Sukta 34
Kanda 20Anuvaka 4Sukta 3418 Mantras

Sukta 34

Rishi: Traditionally Indra-stuti material in AV 20 is largely Rigvedic in origin; r̥ṣi aligns with the RV source-hymn’s seer (to be specified by RV concordance).

Devata: Indra

Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type cadence typical of RV Indra-stutis (exact meter to be confirmed by RV concordance).

AV 20.34 es una stuti a Indra derivada del Rigveda, enmarcada como himno de protección y de obtención de victoria: proclama que el triunfo, la firmeza y el rechazo de las huestes hostiles dependen del auxilio de Indra. Al evocar las hazañas arquetípicas de Indra —derribar a los enemigos, no ceder ante los agresores y permanecer «inconmovible»—, el himno se emplea para fortalecer la causa de un patrono, repeler la presión enemiga y asegurar una victoria decisiva.

Kind of charm

Paushtika (prosperity)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 20.34

Mantras

Mantra 1

यो जा॒त ए॒व प्र॑थ॒मो मन॑स्वान् दे॒वो दे॒वान् क्रतु॑ना प॒र्यभू॑षत्। यस्य॒ शुष्मा॒द् रोद॑सी॒ अभ्य॑सेतां नृ॒म्णस्य॑ म॒ह्ना स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que, nacido ya el primero, Dios de corazón sabio, por la fuerza del designio sobrepasó a los dioses; ante el ímpetu de su poder los dos Mundos retrocedieron con reverencia temerosa: por la grandeza de la fuerza heroica, él, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 2

यः पृ॑थि॒वीं व्यथ॑माना॒मदृं॑ह॒द् यः पर्व॑ता॒न् प्रकु॑पिताँ॒ अर॑म्णात्। यो अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं विम॒मे वरी॑यो॒ यो द्यामस्त॑भ्ना॒त् स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que afirmó la Tierra cuando temblaba; que asentó las montañas cuando eran sacudidas; que midió el espacio intermedio, más ancho y espacioso; que sostuvo el Cielo: él, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 3

यो ह॒त्वा हि॒मरि॑णात् स॒प्त सिन्धू॒न् यो गा उ॒दाज॑दप॒धा व॒लस्य॑ । यो अश्म॑नोर॒न्तर॒ग्निं ज॒जान॑ सं॒वृक् स॒मत्सु॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que, tras matar, liberó los Siete Ríos; que hizo salir las vacas del escondite de Vala; que engendró el Fuego de entre las piedras, compañero en las batallas: él, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 4

येने॒मा विश्वा॒ च्यव॑ना कृ॒तानि॒ यो दासं वर्ण॒मध॑रं॒ गुहाकः॑ । श्व॒घ्नीव॒ यो जि॑गी॒वां ल॒क्षमाद॑द॒र्यः पु॒ष्टानि॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel por quien se han obrado todos estos derrocamientos; que hizo más bajo el orden del Dāsa, el que acecha en la cueva; que, como un mataperros, arrebató el premio del vencedor — y las prosperidades del Ārya: él, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 5

यं स्मा॑ पृ॒च्छन्ति॒ कुह॒ सेति॒ घो॒रमु॒तेमा॑हु॒र्नैषो अ॒स्तीत्ये॑नम्। सो अ॒र्यः पु॒ष्टीर्विज॑ इ॒वा मि॑नाति॒ श्रद॑स्मै धत्त॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel por quien los hombres, en verdad, preguntan: «¿Dónde está?» — el terrible; y de ese mismo dicen: «No existe» — de él: ese noble Señor, por así decir, mengua las prosperidades de los pueblos. Poned en él vuestra fe: él, oh gentes, es Indra.

Mantra 6

यो र॒ध्रस्य॑ चोदि॒ता यः कृ॒शस्य॒ यो ब्र॒ह्मणो॒ नाध॑मानस्य की॒रेः । यु॒क्तग्रा॑व्णो॒ योऽवि॒ता सु॑शि॒प्रः सु॒तसो॑मस्य॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

El que impulsa al necesitado, el del débil; el de la plegaria del cantor afligido; el que, con las piedras de prensar dispuestas, es auxilio — de bellos labios — del Soma exprimido: él, oh gentes, es Indra.

Mantra 7

यस्याश्वा॑सः प्र॒दिशि॒ यस्य॒ गावो॒ यस्य॒ ग्रामा॒ यस्य॒ विश्वे॒ रथा॑सः । यः सूर्यं॒ य उ॒षसं॑ ज॒जान॒ यो अ॒पां ने॒ता स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel cuyos caballos están por todas las direcciones, cuyas vacas, cuyas aldeas, cuyos carros todos; el que engendró al Sol, el que engendró a la Aurora; el que es guía de las Aguas: él, oh gentes, es Indra.

Mantra 8

यं क्रन्द॑सी संय॒ती वि॒ह्वये॑ते॒ परेऽव॑रे उ॒भया॑ अ॒मित्राः॑ । स॒मा॒नं चि॒द् रथ॑मातस्थि॒वांसा॒ नाना॑ हवेते॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel a quien las dos huestes rugientes, unidas en el asalto, invocan — ambos bandos, enemigos, los de lejos y los de cerca; aunque subidos al mismo carro, lo llaman de modos distintos: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 9

यस्मा॒न्न ऋ॒ते वि॒जय॑न्ते॒ जना॑सो॒ यं युध्य॑माना॒ अव॑से॒ हव॑न्ते । यो विश्व॑स्य प्रति॒मानं॑ ब॒भूव॒ यो अ॑च्युत॒च्युत् स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Sin quien los hombres no alcanzan la victoria; a quien, combatiendo, llaman en auxilio; quien se ha vuelto la medida de todo; el Inconmovible, sí, el Inconmovible: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 10

यः शश्व॑तो॒ मह्येनो॒ दधा॑ना॒नम॑न्यमानां॒छर्वा॑ ज॒घान॑ । यः शर्ध॑ते॒ नानु॒ददा॑ति शृ॒ध्यां यो दस्यो॑र्ह॒न्ता स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que abatió al portador perpetuo de gran culpa, al que se tiene por sí mismo; aquel que no cede ante la hueste hostil ni concede nada al asaltante; aquel que es matador de los Dasyu: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 11

यः शम्ब॑रं॒ पर्व॑तेषु क्षि॒यन्तं॑ चत्वारिं॒श्यां श॒रद्य॒न्ववि॑न्दत्। ओ॒जा॒यमा॑नं॒ यो अहिं॑ ज॒घान॒ दानुं॒ शया॑नं॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que rastreó a Śambara, que moraba en las montañas, en el año cuadragésimo, en otoño; aquel que mató a la Serpiente cuando crecía en fuerza, y a Dānu tendida en el suelo: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 12

यः शम्ब॑रं प॒र्यत॑र॒त् कसी॑भि॒र्योऽचा॑रुका॒स्नापि॑बत् सु॒तस्य॑ । अ॒न्तर्गि॒रौ यज॑मानं ब॒हुं जनं॒ यस्मि॒न्नामू॑र्छ॒त् स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que con su poder venció a Śambara; que, de bella palabra, bebió del soma prensado; que, dentro de la montaña, guardó al sacrificante y a la mucha gente, en quien no cayó el desmayo: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 13

यः स॒प्तर॑श्मिर्वृष॒भस्तुवि॑ष्मान॒वासृ॑ज॒त् सर्त॑वे स॒प्त सिन्धू॑न्। यो रौ॑हि॒णमस्फु॑र॒द् वज्र॑बाहु॒र्द्यामा॒रोह॑न्तं॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel de siete riendas, el Toro, el impetuoso, que soltó a los Siete Ríos para que corrieran; que, con el brazo armado del vajra, hirió a Rohiṇa cuando ascendía al cielo: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 14

द्यावा॑ चिदस्मै पृथि॒वी न॑मेते॒ शुष्मा॑च्चिदस्य॒ पर्व॑ता भयन्ते । यः सो॑म॒पा नि॑चि॒तो वज्र॑बाहु॒र्यो वज्र॑हस्तः॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Hasta el cielo y la tierra se inclinan ante él; hasta las montañas tiemblan por su fuerza impetuosa. Él, bebedor de soma, firmemente asentado, con el brazo armado del vajra; él, que empuña el vajra: él, oh pueblos, es Indra.

Mantra 15

यः सु॒न्वन्त॒मव॑ति॒ यः पच॑न्तं॒ यः शंस॑न्तं॒ यः श॑शमा॒नमू॒ती। यस्य॒ ब्रह्म॒ वर्ध॑नं॒ यस्य॒ सोमो॒ यस्ये॒दं राधः॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que ampara al que exprime el Soma, aquel que auxilia al que cuece (la ofrenda), aquel que ayuda al cantor de alabanza, aquel que con socorro salvador sostiene al adorador fervoroso; de quien es la plegaria que acrecienta, de quien es el Soma, de quien es esta dádiva: ese, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 16

जा॒तो व्यख्यत् पि॒त्रोरु॒पस्थे॒ भुवो॒ न वे॑द जनि॒तुः पर॑स्य । स्त॒वि॒ष्यमा॑णो॒ नो यो अ॒स्मद् व्र॒ता दे॒वानां॒ स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Nacido, se manifestó en el regazo de sus dos padres; no conocía los mundos ni al supremo engendrador. Y, sin embargo, siendo digno de alabanza, aquel que nos guarda de quebrantar nuestro voto y (el voto) de los dioses, — ése, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 17

यः सोम॑कामो॒ हर्य॑श्वः सू॒रिर्यस्मा॒द् रेज॑न्ते॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ । यो ज॒घान॒ शम्ब॑रं॒ यश्च॒ शुष्णं॒ य ए॑कवी॒रः स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्रः॑

Aquel que ama el Soma, de corceles leonados, señor generoso, de quien tiemblan todos los mundos; quien abatió a Śambara y quien (abatió) a Śuṣṇa; el héroe único — ése, oh hombres, es Indra.

Mantra 18

यः सु॑न्व॒ते पच॑ते दु॒ध्र आ चि॒द् वाजं॒ दर्द॑र्षि॒ स किला॑सि स॒त्यः । व॒यं त॑ इन्द्र वि॒श्वह॑ प्रि॒यासः॑ सु॒वीरा॑सो वि॒दथ॒मा व॑देम

Tú que, para el que exprime (el Soma) y para el que cuece, aun a través del obstáculo tenaz, haces aparecer el premio — tú eres ciertamente veraz. Nosotros, oh Indra, somos siempre tus amados; ricos en buenos héroes, hablemos en la asamblea ritual (vidatha).

Inside Sukta 34

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    The hymn opens by identifying Indra through his defining martial and sovereign qualities, positioning him as the decisive support without whom victory does not occur.

  2. What it asks

    That Indra be called upon for aid in conflict, ensure triumph, and deny advantage or concession to hostile bands and assailants.

  3. Where its power lies

    Indra’s past feats—overthrowings, lowering hostile powers, slaying Dasyus, and remaining ‘unshaken’—are cited as proof that the same force will operate now through the stuti.

  4. How it closes

    The verses repeatedly conclude by publicly naming and recognizing the agent of victory—“he, O peoples, is Indra”—functioning as an identificatory seal that fixes the invoked power.

Famous verses

yo acyuta acyut
Verse 20.34.9States the hymn’s core logic: victory is impossible without Indra; fighters call him for aid; he is the ‘measure of the whole’ and ‘unshaken,’ making him the stabilizing guarantor of success.Read verse 20.34.9 →
yo dasyor hantā
Verse 20.34.10A strong rakṣoghna formulation: Indra smites the enduring bearer of guilt and refuses to yield to hostile bands; explicitly names him as Dasyu-slayer—ideal for protection and non-concession under pressure.Read verse 20.34.10 →

Kind of hymn

Paustika / Rakṣoghna (Indra-praise used for protection and victory)

What it is for

To secure victory and steadfastness, repel hostile bands and polluting/culpable forces, and ensure prosperity and dominance for the sacrificer’s side.

Who it is for

Kings, warriors, householders seeking protection; officiants deploying Indra-praise as a battle/contest charm and for safeguarding leadership and community stability.

Also used as

  • Rakṣoghna
  • Rājakarmaṇi (victory/sovereignty)
  • Abhaya (fearlessness)

The deity

Indra is the paradigmatic Vedic victor and protector: the unshaken sovereign who breaks hostile formations, defeats Dasyu forces, and transfers prosperity to the supported community.

Powers of the deity

  • Grants victory in battle and contest (vijaya)
  • Breaks and routs hostile bands (śardha) and aggressors
  • Slays Dasyu/anti-ṛta forces and removes oppressive guilt/pollution symbolized as an enemy
  • Stabilizes kingship and resolve as the “unshaken” (acyuta) support
  • Measures/surpasses all powers as the universal standard (pratimāna)

Why the deity is called

Invoked to make victory contingent on divine backing, to prevent any “concession” to hostile forces, and to secure steadfast dominance and prosperity for the patron/community.

The seer

  • To be confirmed by RV concordance (RV-source seer of the underlying Indra-stuti)Angiras. Stotra-style protective praise (rakṣoghna) and victory-charms (vijaya/abhaya) that strengthen the patron’s side by invoking Indra’s martial sovereignty and steadfastness

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 20 Indra-stuti group (RV-derived): exact parallels to be fixed by RV concordance
  • Related RV Indra-stutis with refrain-like identification “sa janāsa indraḥ” (to be confirmed)

Preparing for the rite

  • Establish a clean recitation space facing east or north; seat the patron (or commander) with weapons/insignia nearby as a symbolic focus.
  • Perform simple ācamana and a brief Indra-sankalpa for victory and protection.
  • If used before conflict, assemble the group/patron’s supporters to hear the stuti for collective morale and cohesion.

The rite

  • Recite the sukta in full with clear cadence; emphasize the identifying refrain-like clauses that culminate in recognizing Indra (“sa janāsa indraḥ”).
  • Optionally perform a concluding oblation (ghṛta) into fire or a libation of water while naming Indra as ‘acyuta’ (unshaken) and ‘dasyu-hantṛ’ (Dasyu-slayer).
  • Seal with a brief prayer for ‘non-concession’ to hostile bands and for the transfer of ‘puṣṭi’ (prosperity) to the patron.

What it needs

  • None required by the hymn text
  • Optional: ghee for a small homa; water for libation; a staff/weapon or banner as a symbolic support

When

Before battle/contest, at the start of a campaign, or at dawn on a day requiring firmness, protection, and success.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used as an Indra-praise charm to secure victory, strengthen resolve, and repel hostile forces—especially when facing opposition, conflict, or competitive trials.

Because the hymn presents Indra as the steadfast support that does not slip under pressure; invoking ‘acyuta’ ritually transfers that stability to the patron’s cause.

No specific substances are required by the text. It can be recited as a stand-alone stuti; optional simple offerings (like ghee in fire or water libation) may be added as customary supports.

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