Sukta 23
Rishi: Rigvedic provenance (Indra-soma liturgical tradition); in AV 20 typically attributed to the RV seers of the source hymn (needs padapāṭha-anukramaṇī confirmation).
Devata: Indra (contextual), with Soma-pressing apparatus as ritual agents
Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagati-type RV liturgical cadence (exact meter requires syllable count by pada; AV 20 often preserves RV meters)
Yeh mantra Indra aur Soma ke liye hai, subah ki Soma puja shuru karne ke liye. Pehle Indra ko bulaya jata hai, phir unke liye aasan aur barhis taiyar hota hai. Pressing stones chalaye jate hain Soma nikalne ke liye. Sab kuch sahi sequence mein karna zaruri hai, tabhi puja kaam karti hai. Indra Soma peete hain aur badle mein aapko dhan aur shakti dete hain. Agar puja mein koi galti ho to log aapko bura bolte hain, isliye sab sahi karna padta hai.
Mantras
Mantra 1
आ तू न॑ इन्द्र म॒द्र्यऽग्घुवा॒नः सोम॑पीतये । हरि॑भ्यां याह्यद्रिवः
Indra, tum hamare paas aao. Hum tumhe bula rahe hain kyunki som peena hai. Tumhare do peele ghode hain, unpe sawar ho ke aao. Patthar utha ke maarnewale, tum aao.
Mantra 2
स॒त्तो होता॑ न ऋ॒त्विय॑स्तिस्ति॒रे ब॒र्हिरा॑नु॒षक्। अयु॑ज्रन् प्रा॒तरद्र॑यः
Hotar baith ke yagya ke liye kush bichhata hai. Woh pandit jaisa kaam kar raha hai jo sahi time par sab kuch karta hai. Subah ke waqt peene ke patthar kaam mein lag gaye.
Mantra 3
इ॒मा ब्रह्म॑ ब्रह्मवाहः क्रि॒यन्त॒ आ ब॒र्हिः सी॑द । वी॒हि शू॑र पुरो॒लाश॑म्
Yeh sab pavitra shabd ban rahe hain. Aye shabd laane wale, kush par baith ja. Aye veer, yagya ka prasad lene aa.
Mantra 4
रा॒र॒न्धि सव॑नेषु ण ए॒षु स्तोमे॑षु वृत्रहन्। उ॒क्थेष्वि॑न्द्र गिर्वणः
Som peene wale rishi soch rahe hain. Woh Indra ko pyaar se chu rahe hain. Jaise maa apne bacche ko chaat ti hai, waise hi woh Indra ko samjhte hain jo bada taakatwar hai.
Mantra 5
म॒तयः॑ सोम॒पामु॒रुं रि॒हन्ति॒ शव॑स॒स्पति॑म्। इन्द्रं॑ व॒त्सं न मा॒तरः॑
Som peene wale rishi soch rahe hain. Woh Indra ko pyaar se chu rahe hain. Jaise maa apne bacche ko chaat ti hai, waise hi woh Indra ko samjhte hain jo bada taakatwar hai.
Mantra 6
स म॑न्दस्वा॒ ह्यन्ध॑सो॒ राध॑से त॒न्वा म॒हे। न स्तो॒तारं॑ नि॒दे क॑रः
Soma pe ke khush ho jao. Yeh tumhare liye bada fayda layega. Jo tumhari tarif karta hai, usko bura mat kaho.
Mantra 7
व॒यमि॑न्द्र त्वा॒यवो॑ ह॒विष्म॑न्तो जरामहे । उ॒त त्वम॑स्म॒युर्व॑सो
Hum Indra ke liye havan samet taiyaar hain. Hum use bada banaate hain aur usse pukarte hain. Tu bhi humpe accha soch. Tu jo sabko deta hai, tu humara bhi bhala kar.
Mantra 8
मारे अ॒स्मद् वि मु॑मुचो॒ हरि॑प्रिया॒र्वाङ् या॑हि । इन्द्र॑ स्वधावो॒ मत्स्वे॒ह
Indra, humse door buraai ko bhaga de. Teri bhoore ghode pasand hain, unke saath yahan aa. Indra, tu shakti wala hai. Yahan Som ras pee aur khush ho ja.
Mantra 9
अ॒र्वाञ्चं॑ त्वा सु॒खे रथे॒ वह॑तामिन्द्र के॒शिना॑ । घृ॒तस्नू॑ ब॒र्हिरा॒सदे॑
Indra, tere lambe baal wale ghode tujhe laayein. Woh tujhe aaram wali rath mein laayein. Tu aake ghee se bhigi hui ghass par baith ja.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used in a Śrauta Soma context to invite Indra to the morning pressing, align the rite’s actions (barhis spread, stones set to work), and secure success and bounty.
Because the hymn is tied to the actual mechanics of Soma worship: barhis is the divine seat/ritual ground-cover, and adri are the stones that press Soma—signs that the rite is correctly underway.
It asks that the ritualist not be blamed or shamed if something goes wrong; in liturgical terms it seeks faultlessness, public acceptance of the rite, and protection of the priest’s standing.
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