Sukta 7
Rishi: Ṛgvedic provenance; attributed per the corresponding RV hymn’s seer in traditional indices.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (as transmitted)
AV 20.7 is a short, RV-derived hymn that harnesses the Sun’s victorious rising to push back agha (harm, ill-omen, malign influence) and restore auspicious order. Though headed by Sūrya’s apotropaic movement, the hymn also leans on Indra’s beneficent friendship and Soma-fed strength to secure protection, vigor, and household prosperity. In practice it functions as a compact śānti-recitation: light over darkness, right course over obstruction.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
उद् घेद॒भि श्रु॒ताम॑घं वृष॒भं नर्या॑पसम्। अस्ता॑रमेषि सूर्य
सूरज, तू उठ और चल। बुरे काम का नाम सुन कर तू उठता है। तू बलवान है, मर्दों जैसा काम करता है। तू जीत कर चलता है, आगे बढ़ता है।
Mantra 2
नव॒ यो न॑व॒तिं पुरो॑ बि॒भेद॑ बा॒ह्वोजसा । अहिं॑ च वृत्र॒हाव॑धीत्
उसने अपनी ताकत से निनानवे किले तोड़ दिए। उसने बड़े साँप वृत्र को भी मारा। यह इंद्र है, जो बड़े दुश्मन को हराता है।
Mantra 3
सन॒ इन्द्रः॑ शि॒वः सखाश्वा॑व॒द् गोम॒द् यव॑मत्। उ॒रुधा॑रेव दोहते
इंद्र हमारा दोस्त है। वो हमें घोड़े, गाय और गेहू जैसी दौलत दे। जैसे कोई नदी से दूध निकालता है, वैसे ही वो हमें देता रहे।
Mantra 4
इन्द्र॑ क्रतु॒विदं॑ सु॒तं सोमं॑ हर्य पुरुष्टुत । पिबा वृ॑षस्व॒ तातृ॑पिम्
हे इंद्र, तुम जानते हो कि यह सब क्यों होता है। लोग तुम्हारी तारीफ करते हैं। यह सोम रस पियो और ताकत पाओ। खुश हो जाओ।
Inside Sukta 7
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins with Sūrya’s upward advance against ‘famed evil’, praising him as a bull of manly deeds and an overcomer (20.7.1).
- What it asks
That harm (agha) be driven away and that beneficent powers yield fullness—wealth in livestock and grain, and strength through the divine allyship of Indra (20.7.3–4).
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is asserted through the imagery of irresistible motion and conquest: Sūrya ‘goes on’ as the overcomer, and Indra ‘yields’ abundance like a broad-flowing milking stream.
- How it closes
Ends by empowering the protector: Indra is urged to drink Soma, grow strong, and become fully satisfied—implying the rite’s completion and the sealing of protection and success (20.7.4).
Famous verses
astārameṣi sūrya
śivaḥ sakhā
pibā vṛṣasva
Kind of hymn
Apotropaic / Śānti (solar dispelling of evil); also usable in healing as darkness/evil-removal
What it is for
Removal of agha and hostile influence, establishment of auspicious calm, and support of strength and prosperity for the household or patient.
Who it is for
Householders seeking daily protection/śānti; healers applying light-and-removal symbolism to illness or affliction; officiants using short RV-material recitations for protection and success.
Also used as
- Apotropaic (rakṣā)
- Bhaisajya (darkness/evil-removal applied to healing contexts)
- Paustika (prosperity and strength via Indra/Soma)
The deity
In this sukta, Sūrya is praised in bull-like, conquering terms, while Indra appears as the auspicious ally who grants wealth and strength, especially when empowered by Soma.
Powers of the deity
- Dispels darkness, fear, and ill-omen through rising and radiance
- Overcomes agha (harmful influence) and clears obstructions
- Restores auspiciousness (śiva) and right direction to persons and spaces
- Bestows prosperity tokens (cattle, horses, grain) through Indra’s patronage
- Augments strength and victory through Soma-empowered Indra
Why the deity is called
To align the reciter/patient/household with the Sun’s conquering ascent so that evil is driven away, and to enlist Indra (as śiva-sakhā) for protective abundance and reinforced power.
The seer
- RV-provenance seer (as in the corresponding Ṛgvedic source hymn)Angiras. Śānti and rakṣā-oriented recitation: dispelling evil/ill-omen (agha), strengthening vitality through solar imagery, and invoking Indraic protection and prosperity.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (Rig-hymn recensions in this kanda, attributed per their RV seers)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet spot facing east (ideally where sunlight is visible).
- Perform simple ācamana/hand-washing and a brief intention (saṅkalpa): ‘for dispelling agha and establishing śānti’.
- If used for a patient, seat them facing east; if for a house, stand at the threshold or central space.
The rite
- Recite the sukta steadily in Anuṣṭubh cadence, visualizing Sūrya’s forward motion ‘pushing out’ harm.
- On 20.7.1, gesture upward/eastward (or toward the sun) as the ‘rising/advancing’ is voiced.
- On the Indra verses (e.g., 20.7.3–4), mentally ‘invite’ protection and fullness—strength that seals the clearing already achieved by the solar movement.
- Conclude with a short silent pause, letting the ‘cleared space’ settle (śānti-bhāva).
What it needs
- None required (core śānti-recitation)
- Optional: water for sprinkling (prokṣaṇa) after recitation
- Optional (contextual): a token of yava (barley) for paustika intent; Soma is textual/ritual referent rather than required in simple use
When
Best at sunrise or early morning; also suitable at the onset of fear/ill-omen, before travel, or at the start of a healing/protection session.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily a śānti/protective recitation: it uses the Sun’s victorious rising to drive away harmful influence (agha) and restore auspiciousness.
In this short RV-derived set, Sūrya clears away harm through light and forward motion, while Indra is invoked as the beneficent ally who ‘yields’ prosperity and, when strengthened by Soma, stabilizes protection and success.
No. The hymn works as a mantra-recitation by itself; optional additions (like sprinkling water or keeping barley as a prosperity token) are supportive but not required.
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