Sukta 38
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (commonly Atharvan/Angiras attribution for such charms in later indices)
Devata: Protective strength addressed as vājín (guardian potency; functionally a cattle-protector)
Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (as commonly in AV domestic charms; exact metrical scan may vary with pada division)
Ce charme atharvavédique assure la prospérité en liant à la richesse vulnérable d’une maisonnée — surtout le bétail et les gains — une puissance protectrice, vaste et lointaine. Il invoque une Apsaras de bon augure qui « tamise et disperse » la fortune, ainsi qu’une force gardienne de type vājín, se mouvant dans l’espace intermédiaire et le long des rayons du Soleil, afin de ramener au foyer les biens désirés et de les y maintenir fermement.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
वाजिनीवान् ऋषभः। उ॒द्भि॒न्द॒तीं सं॒जय॑न्तीमप्स॒रां सा॑धुदे॒विनी॑म्। ग्लहे॑ कृ॒तानि॑ कृण्वा॒नाम॑प्स॒रां तामि॒ह हु॑वे
Le Taureau, victorieux dans l’assaut : l’Apsaras, la déesse bienveillante, qui perce et fait vaincre les hommes—celle qui, dans le pari, façonne les succès « faits », celle-là, je l’invoque ici.
Mantra 2
वि॒चि॒न्व॒तीमा॑कि॒रन्ती॑मप्स॒रां सा॑धुदे॒विनी॑म्। ग्लहे॑ कृ॒तानि॑ गृह्णा॒नाम॑प्स॒रां तामि॒ह हु॑वे
L’Apsaras, la déesse bienveillante, qui trie et disperse; qui, dans le pari, ramasse les succès « faits »—celle-là, je l’invoque ici.
Mantra 3
यायैः॑ परि॒नृत्य॑त्या॒ददा॑ना कृ॒तं ग्लहा॑त्। सा नः॑ कृ॒तानि॑ सीष॒ती प्र॒हामा॑प्नोतु मा॒यया॑ । सा नः॒ पय॑स्व॒त्यैतु॒ मा नो॑ जैषुरि॒दं धन॑म्
Celle qui, par ses arts, danse en rond et, prenant, emporte hors du gage la réussite «faite» — qu’elle, recherchant nos réussites «faites», par la Māyā nous obtienne le prix. Qu’elle, riche de lait, vienne à nous ; qu’ils ne nous vainquent pas et ne nous ravissent pas cette richesse.
Mantra 4
या अ॒क्षेषु॑ प्र॒मोद॑न्ते॒ शुचं॒ क्रोधं॑ च॒ बिभ्र॑ती । आ॒न॒न्दिनीं॑ प्रमो॒दिनी॑मप्स॒रां तामि॒ह हु॑वे
Celle qui, parmi les dés, se réjouit, portant aussi chagrin et colère — elle, l’Apsaras qui réjouit, qui donne le plaisir, je l’invoque ici.
Mantra 5
सूर्य॑स्य र॒श्मीननु॒ याः स॒ञ्चर॑न्ति॒ मरी॑चीर्वा॒ या अ॑नुस॒ञ्चर॑न्ति । यासा॑मृष॒भो दू॑र॒तो वा॒जिनी॑वान्त्स॒द्यः सर्वाँन् लो॒कान् प॒र्यैति॒ रक्ष॑न्। स न॒ ऐतु॒ होम॑मि॒मं जु॑षा॒णो॒३ऽन्तरि॑क्षेण स॒ह वा॒जिनी॑वान्
Celles qui cheminent le long des rayons du Soleil, ou qui cheminent à la suite de ses lueurs; dont le Taureau, victorieux de loin, aussitôt parcourt tous les mondes en les gardant — qu’il vienne à nous, acceptant ce homa, le Victorieux, avec la voie de l’Antarikṣa.
Mantra 6
अ॒न्तरि॑क्षेन स॒ह वा॑जिनीवन् क॒र्कीं व॒त्सामि॒ह र॑क्ष वाजिन्। इ॒मे ते॑ स्तो॒का ब॑हु॒ला एह्य॒र्वाङि॒यं ते॑ क॒र्कीह ते॒ मनो॑ऽस्तु
Avec l’aide de l’espace aérien, ô fort et rapide, garde ici la vache Karkī, garde ici le veau, ô vigoureux. Voici tes gouttes, abondantes : viens ici, vers nous ; cette Karkī est à toi — qu’ici demeure son esprit.
Mantra 7
अ॒न्तरि॑क्षेण स॒ह वा॑जिनीवन् क॒र्कीं व॒त्सामि॒ह र॑क्ष वाजिन्। अ॒यं घा॒सो अ॒यं व्र॒ज इ॒ह व॒त्सां नि ब॑ध्नीमः । य॒था॒ना॒म व॑ ईश्महे॒ स्वाहा॑
Avec l’aide de l’espace aérien, ô fort et rapide, garde ici la vache Karkī, garde ici le veau, ô vigoureux. Voici le fourrage, voici l’enclos : ici nous attachons fermement le veau, afin d’avoir vraiment pouvoir sur vous — svāhā !
Inside Sukta 38
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by calling an auspicious Apsaras—one who ‘sifts and scatters’ and takes up successes in the wager—inviting her presence into the ritual space.
- What it asks
Prosperity is to be gathered to the patron and secured: winnings are to come under protection, and a specific cow and calf are to be guarded and kept oriented toward home.
- Where its power lies
The invoked power is cosmic in scope—moving with the Sun’s rays and through mid-air—so its guarding cannot be evaded; it ranges all worlds while protecting.
- How it closes
The rite seals efficacy by summoning the guardian ‘hitherward,’ accepting oblation, and fixing the cow’s ‘mind’ to the byre so she remains and yields abundantly.
Famous verses
glahe kṛtāni gṛhṇānām
sūryasya raśmīn anu yāḥ sañcaranti
iyam te karkī iha te mano 'stu
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Raksha (Protective)
What it is for
To bring prosperity under protection—winning/retaining stakes and preventing loss—while safeguarding a particular cow and calf and making them remain mentally ‘at home’ in the byre.
Who it is for
Householders, herdsmen, and patrons seeking to protect livestock and stabilize fortune during contests, wagers, or periods of risk to household wealth.
Also used as
- Raksha (protective)
- Apotropaic (contest/wager)
The deity
Apsaras here functions as a benevolent, luck-directing power associated with selection, dispersal, and capture of ‘made’ successes in a wager; alongside her stands a vājín/ṛṣabha-like protective force that ranges with the Sun’s rays and the mid-space, guarding and returning wealth (notably cattle) to its proper place.
Powers of the deity
- Redirects fortune and winnings toward the patron
- Disperses or destabilizes an opponent’s success in contest/wager
- Guards cattle and calf; prevents straying and loss
- ‘Fixes the mind’ of the animal to the byre/home so it returns and yields
- Cosmic-ranging protection (moves with sun-rays/antarikṣa)
- Accepts oblation to seal efficacy
Why the deity is called
To secure and stabilize prosperity: win or retain gains (including gaming stakes) and protect a named cow and calf, ensuring home-coming and abundant yield under a guardian power that cannot be outpaced.
The seer
- Atharvan/Āṅgirasa (traditional, unspecified in this sukta’s transmission)Atharvan. Domestic rakṣā and pauṣṭika charms: safeguarding cattle, stabilizing household fortune, and securing success in contests/wagers by ritually ‘fixing’ prosperity to the patron.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV.4.37
- AV.4.39
- AV.6.11
- AV.6.50
Preparing for the rite
- Choose the ritual locus: cattle-pen/byre (for cattle-protection) or a clean domestic space near the stake/wealth (for wager-success).
- Prepare a small oblation (homa) if available; otherwise keep milk and water ready for sprinkling.
- Identify the protected animal(s) by name (e.g., Karkī) and ensure the calf is nearby or symbolically represented (rope/halter).
The rite
- Recite the sukta in a steady anuṣṭubh-like cadence, facing the byre/animal; touch or gesture toward the cow and calf at the protective verses.
- At the Apsaras verse(s), gesture over the stake/wealth (or symbolic dice) as if ‘gathering’ success to oneself and ‘scattering’ it away from the opponent.
- At the solar-ray/antarikṣa verse, offer a small oblation (or pour a few milk-drops) while calling the guardian force to ‘come hitherward’.
- Conclude by ‘fixing’ the animal’s mind to the place: lightly sprinkle milk-drops and lead the cow a short step toward the byre, reaffirming residence.
What it needs
- Milk-drops (stokāḥ) for sprinkling/marking prosperity and yield
- Byre/cattle-pen as ritual locus
- Optional: dice/wager items (glaha) or symbolic stake
- Optional: homa materials (ghee, kindling)
When
At dusk when cattle are brought home, or before/at the start of a wager or contest; repeat on successive evenings if the animal is prone to straying.
The main substance
Milk-drops (stokāḥ)
Amulets
- Halter/rope of the cow (as a binding-symbol of return)
- Byre-threshold marking (milk-sprinkled line)
How it is prepared
Collect a few fresh milk-drops in a clean vessel; during recitation sprinkle lightly at the byre/threshold and near the cow’s head/halter, verbally ‘calling’ her mind to remain at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to protect and stabilize prosperity—especially to guard cattle (a cow and calf) and to draw winnings or success toward the patron in contests or wagers.
Here the Apsaras is treated as a benevolent luck-power who can ‘gather up’ successes in a wager and redirect fortune, so the patron’s gains are secured and the opponent’s advantage is scattered.
It is a ritual way of saying the animal’s orientation and habit are bound to the home-place—so she returns, stays settled, and her yield (milk) remains abundant and dependable.
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