Atharva Veda Sukta 3
Kanda 5Anuvaka 1Sukta 311 Mantras

Sukta 3

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution varies; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type paustika prayer)

Devata: Sarvadevatā with emphasis on Indra-Maruts, Vishnu, Agni, and Vāta

Chandas: Mixed; predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence with Atharvanic flexibility

AV 5.3 est un hymne paustika-rakṣā qui rallie tout l’ordre divin au côté du suppliant pour la victoire, l’extension du « vaste espace » (uruloka) et une prospérité sûre. Il progresse d’Agni, surveillant rituel des joutes, vers l’appui de la Sarvadevatā (Indra-Maruts, Viṣṇu, Agni, Vāta), et s’achève par une invocation à Indra pour des gains tangibles — bétail, richesse et chevaux — sous un auspice protecteur et favorable.

Kind of charm

Paushtika (prosperity)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.3

Mantras

Mantra 1

विजयाय प्रार्थना। ममा॑ग्ने॒ वर्चो॑ विह॒वेष्व॑स्तु व॒यं त्वेन्धा॑नास्त॒न्वंऽपुषेम । मह्यं॑ नमन्तां प्र॒दिश॒श्चत॑स्रस्त्वयाध्य॑क्षेण॒ पृत॑ना जयेम

Ô Agni, que l’éclat et la gloire soient miens dans les joutes; nous, t’allumant, voulons nourrir et fortifier nos propres corps. Que les quatre directions se courbent devant moi; avec toi pour surveillant (adhyakṣa), puissions-nous vaincre au combat.

Mantra 2

अग्ने॑ म॒न्युं प्र॑तिनु॒दन् परे॑षां॒ त्वं नो॑ गो॒पाः परि॑ पाहि वि॒श्वतः॑ । अपा॑ञ्चो यन्तु नि॒वता॑ दुर॒स्यवो॒ऽमैषां॑ चि॒त्तं प्र॒बुधां॒ वि ने॑शत्

Ô Agni, repoussant la colère des autres, sois notre gardien; entoure-nous et protège-nous de toutes parts. Que ceux qui visent mal s’en aillent à reculons, la tête inclinée; et toi, disperse—mène à la ruine—leur esprit, même éveillé et aux aguets.

Mantra 3

मम॑ दे॒वा वि॑ह॒वे स॑न्तु॒ सर्व॒ इन्द्र॑वन्तो म॒रुतो॒ विष्णु॑र॒ग्निः । ममा॒न्तरि॑क्षमु॒रुलो॑कमस्तु॒ मह्यं॒ वातः॑ पवतां॒ कामा॑या॒स्मै

À mon appel, que tous les dieux soient à moi : les Marut avec Indra, Viṣṇu, Agni. Que l’espace intermédiaire soit mien, vaste et libre domaine ; pour moi que le Vent souffle, purifiant, pour ce désir.

Mantra 4

मह्यं॑ यजन्तां॒ मम॒ यानी॒ष्टाकू॑तिः स॒त्या मन॑सो मे अस्तु । एनो॒ मा नि गां॑ कत॒मच्च॒नाहं विश्वे॑ दे॒वा अ॒भि र॑क्षन्तु मे॒ह

Pour moi qu’ils accomplissent le sacrifice ; et que mon dessein — ce but désiré — devienne vrai, issu de mon esprit. Qu’aucune faute, de quelque sorte que ce soit, ne descende sur moi ; que tous les dieux me protègent de toutes parts — ici, oui ici.

Mantra 5

मयि॑ दे॒वा द्रवि॑ण॒मा य॑जन्तां॒ मय्या॒शीर॑स्तु॒ मयि॑ दे॒वहू॑तिः । दै॒वाः होता॑रः सनिषन्न ए॒तदरि॑ष्टाः स्याम त॒न्वाऽसु॒वीराः॑

Que les dieux m’accordent la richesse par le culte sacrificiel ; qu’en moi soit la bénédiction ; qu’en moi soit l’invocation divine (devahūti). Les Hotṛs institués par les dieux, dûment assis, établissent ceci : puissions-nous être intacts de corps, riches en fils vivants et en héros.

Mantra 6

दैवीः॑ षडुर्वीरु॒रु नः॑ कृणोत॒ विश्वे॑ देवास इ॒ह मा॑दयध्वम्। मा नो॑ विददभि॒भा मो अश॑स्ति॒र्मा नो विदद् वृजि॒ना द्वेष्या॒ या

Faites pour nous les six vastes espaces divins, larges et libres ; vous tous, dieux, réjouissez-vous ici. Qu’aucune oppression ne nous atteigne ; ni malédiction, ni mauvaise renommée ; que ne vienne pas sur nous ce mal haï, né de l’inimitié.

Mantra 7

ति॒स्रो दे॑वी॒र्महि॑ नः॒ शर्म॑ यछत प्र॒जायै॑ नस्त॒न्वे॒३यच्च॑ पु॒ष्टम्। मा हा॑स्महि प्र॒जया॒ मा त॒नूभि॒र्मा र॑धाम द्विष॒ते सो॑म राजन्

Trois Déesses — accordez-nous une puissante protection : pour notre descendance, pour notre corps, et pour ce qui est nourriture et accroissement. Puissions-nous ne pas être privés de progéniture, ni de nos personnes ; puissions-nous ne pas être livrés à l’ennemi, ô Soma, Roi.

Mantra 8

उ॒रु॒व्यचा॑ नो महि॒षः शर्म॑ यछत्व॒स्मिन् हवे॑ पुरुहू॒तः पु॑रु॒क्षु। स नः॑ प्र॒जायै॑ हर्यश्व मृ॒डेन्द्र॒ मा नो॑ रीरिषो॒ मा परा॑ दाः

Que le Taureau puissant, à vaste rayonnement, le Très-invoqué, le Très-secourable, nous accorde un abri à cet appel. Sois favorable à notre descendance, ô Indra aux coursiers fauves ; ne nous fais pas de mal et ne nous livre pas à la ruine.

Mantra 9

धा॒ता वि॑धा॒ता भुव॑नस्य॒ यस्पति॑र्दे॒वः स॑वि॒ताभि॑मातिषा॒हः । आ॒दि॒त्या रु॒द्रा अ॒श्विनो॒भा दे॒वाः पा॑न्तु यज॑मानं निरृ॒थात्

Que Dhātar et Vidhātar — Savitar le Dieu, Seigneur du monde, vainqueur des assauts hostiles — protègent le sacrifiant du malheur ; que les Ādityas, les Rudras et les deux Aśvins, les dieux, le gardent de la calamité.

Mantra 10

ये नः॑ स॒पत्ना॒ अप॒ ते भ॑वन्त्विन्द्रा॒ग्निभ्या॒मव॑ बाधामह एनान्। आ॒दि॒त्या रु॒द्रा उ॑परि॒स्पृशो॑ न उ॒ग्रं चे॒त्तार॑मधिरा॒जम॑क्रत

Que ceux qui sont nos rivaux soient repoussés au loin : par Indra et Agni nous les abattons et les écartons. Les Ādityas et les Rudras, qui s’étendent au-dessus de nous, ont établi pour nous un contrôleur redoutable, un roi souverain.

Mantra 11

अ॒र्वाञ्च॒मिन्द्र॑म॒मुतो॑ हवामहे॒ यो गो॒जिद् ध॑न॒जिद॑श्व॒जिद् यः । इ॒मं नो॑ य॒ज्ञं वि॑ह॒वे शृ॑णोत्व॒स्माक॑मभूर्हर्यश्व मे॒दी

D’ici, depuis là-bas, nous invoquons Indra tourné vers nous, lui qui gagne les vaches, qui gagne la richesse, qui gagne les chevaux. Qu’à notre appel il entende ce sacrifice: sois des nôtres, ô toi aux coursiers fauves, secourable et bienveillant.

Inside Sukta 3

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    Begins by installing Agni as the source of varcas in contests and as the superintendent (adhyakṣa) for conquest, with the quarters made to ‘bend’ in the petitioner’s favor (5.3.1).

  2. What it asks

    A total mobilization of the gods—Indra-Maruts, Viṣṇu, Agni—granting a wide, free mid-space (uruloka) and Vāta’s purifying, desire-carrying force (5.3.3).

  3. Where its power lies

    The hymn frames success as a cosmic alignment: directions submit, the divine host arrives at the call, and the petitioner’s desire is cleansed and propelled as an effective act.

  4. How it closes

    Ends by drawing Indra from afar to hear the yajña at the call, sealing prosperity through the triad of winnings—cattle, wealth, horses—and Indra’s gracious aid (5.3.11).

Famous verses

tvayādhykṣeṇa pṛtanā jayema
Verse 5.3.1Sets the operative frame: Agni grants varcas in contests, nourishes the body, makes the four quarters favorable, and oversees victory—this is the hymn’s ‘installation’ verse.Read verse 5.3.1 →
mamāntarikṣam urulokam astu
Verse 5.3.3Core Sarvadevatā muster: summons all gods with emphasis on Indra-Maruts, Viṣṇu, Agni; asks for ‘wide space’ and Vāta’s purifying propulsion of desire—protective prosperity in one sweep.Read verse 5.3.3 →
gojid dhanajid aśvajid
Verse 5.3.11Concluding Indra-call that concretizes prosperity as gojít-dhanajít-aśvajít; it seals the hymn with Indra’s attentive hearing and helper-role.Read verse 5.3.11 →

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Raksha (Protective)

What it is for

Victory with varcas, bodily thriving, protective dominance over the quarters, and the acquisition/retention of prosperity (cattle-wealth-horses) under a broad, obstruction-free field of life.

Who it is for

Householders, leaders/warriors, travelers, and any petitioner facing rivalry, litigation-like contests, or conflict who seeks both protection and material success.

Also used as

  • Raksha (Protective)
  • Jayakarman (Victory)
  • Shantika (Auspicious stabilization)

The deity

A composite invocation of the divine totality, focusing on the martial-protective (Indra-Maruts), the all-pervading stabilizer (Viṣṇu), the consecrating ritual power (Agni), and the purifying, desire-bearing breath of the cosmos (Vāta).

Powers of the deity

  • Bestows varcas (radiant dominance) and victory in contests
  • Subdues hostile directions/obstacles and grants “wide space” (uruloka)
  • Purifies and carries prayers/desires through Vāta’s cleansing flow
  • Secures prosperity markers: cattle, wealth, horses, and social standing
  • Establishes protective oversight through Agni as adh्यक्ष (superintendent)

Why the deity is called

To obtain comprehensive divine backing for triumph and flourishing, to open safe room for movement and life (“wide mid-air”), and to have Vāta purify and propel the petitioner’s desire toward fulfillment.

The seer

  • Atharvan/Āṅgiras-type seer (Anukramaṇī varies)Atharvan. Paustika and rakṣā-prayogas: winning varcas (victory-splendor), securing broad “space” free of constraint, and enlisting multi-deity protection for success in rivalry, travel, and conflict.

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 5.1
  • AV 5.2
  • AV 5.4
  • AV 6.121 (varcas/victory-type prayers)

Preparing for the rite

  • Choose a clean, quiet place; establish a small domestic fire (or lamp) as Agni’s seat.
  • Perform ācamana and a brief sankalpa for victory/prosperity and protection.
  • Orient to the east or toward the intended ‘field of contest’ (work, journey, dispute).

The rite

  • Kindle/steady Agni while reciting the opening victory-verse(s) to install varcas.
  • Recite the Sarvadevatā section as a ‘mustering call’—mentally placing Indra-Maruts, Viṣṇu, Agni, and Vāta around oneself and one’s undertaking.
  • Conclude by calling Indra ‘hitherward’ and offering a simple oblation (ghee or grains) or respectful salutations, sealing the request for gains and help.

What it needs

  • Fire (Agni) or a lamp as a minimal substitute
  • Ghee or grains for a simple offering (optional)
  • Clean water for ācamana

When

Preferably at dawn or before undertaking a risky task/contest; also suitable on auspicious days when initiating work or travel.

The main substance

Agni (fire) as the ritual engine; optional ghee/grain offering

How it is prepared

Maintain a steady flame; if offering, add a small spoon of ghee or a pinch of grains at key invocations (Agni-installation and Indra-conclusion).

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used to secure victory and protective prosperity—strength in contests, safety through “wide space,” and the acquisition of resources such as cattle, wealth, and horses (i.e., stability and status).

Because the goal is comprehensive backing: Agni empowers the rite and varcas, Indra-Maruts supply victorious force, Viṣṇu stabilizes and extends space, and Vāta purifies and carries the petitioner’s desire to success.

No specific substances are required by the verses cited; a simple fire (or lamp) is the most fitting support, with optional ghee/grains as a modest offering to anchor the recitation ritually.

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