Sukta 63
Rishi: Traditionally Indra-stuti material; in AV 20 many hymns are RV-derived; specific r̥ṣi attribution follows the RV source-hymn lineage.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (likely; requires metrical confirmation against the RV original)
AV 20.63 is an Indra-stuti hymn (RV-derived in AV Book 20) that converts Indra’s mythic precedent-deeds into present, usable protection: the enemy is made to tremble, and the petitioner is carried safely through peril. Its force lies in coercive exempla—Indra’s past humiliations of obstructors and his rescue “through the sea”—re-applied as a rakṣā (warding) and abhicāra (subjugating) efficacy for the reciter and their community.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
इ॒मा नु कं॒ भुव॑ना सीषधा॒मेन्द्र॑श्च॒ विश्वे॑ च दे॒वाः । य॒ज्ञं च॑ नस्त॒न्वं च प्र॒जां चा॑दि॒त्यैरिन्द्रः॑ स॒ह ची॑क्लृपाति
अब हम दुनिया को ठीक करने की कोशिश करते हैं, इंद्र और सारे देवता साथ हैं। हमारी पूजा, हमारी बॉडी, हमारे बच्चे, सब को इंद्र आदित्य देवियों के साथ ठीक जगह पे रख दे।
Mantra 2
आ॒दि॒त्यैरिन्द्रः॒ सग॑णो म॒रुद्भि॑र॒स्माकं॑ भूत्ववि॒ता त॒नूना॑म्। ह॒त्वाय॑ दे॒वा असु॑रा॒न् यदाय॑न् दे॒वा दे॑व॒त्वम॑भि॒रक्ष॑माणाः
इंद्र आके हमारे शरीर की रक्षा करता है। वो आदित्य और मरुत के साथ आता है। जब देवता असुरों को मारने गए थे, तब अपनी देवता की पावर को बचाके रखा। इंद्र और उसकी पूरी सेना हमारे साथ है।
Mantra 3
प्र॒त्यञ्च॑म॒र्कम॑नयं॒ छची॑भि॒रादित् स्व॒धामि॑षि॒रां पर्य॑पश्यन्। अ॒या वाजं॑ दे॒वहि॑तं सनेम॒ मदे॑म श॒तहि॑माः सु॒वीराः॑
वो तेज़ चमक वाली किरण को पीछे से लाया। चाची के हाथों से उसने अपनी ताकत दी, जो तेज़ चलती है। उसको देखा, चारों तरफ फैला हुआ था। इससे हम वो इनाम पा सकते हैं जो देवता ने रखा है। हम खुश रहें, सौ साल तक, अच्छे बेटे और बहादुर लोगों के साथ।
Mantra 4
य एक॒ इद् वि॒दय॑ते॒ वसु॒ मर्ता॑य दा॒शुषे॑ । ईशा॑नो॒ अप्र॑तिष्कुत॒ इन्द्रो॑ अ॒ङ्ग
वो एक है, हाँ वही, जो धन जीत सकता है और बाँट सकता है। वो देता है उस इंसान को जो भक्त बन कर कुछ चढ़ाता है। वो राजा है, कोई उसकी बात नहीं काट सकता। यह इंद्र है, सचमुच।
Mantra 5
क॒दा मर्त॑मरा॒धसं॑ प॒दा क्षुम्प॑मिव स्फुरत्। क॒दा नः॑ शुश्रव॒द् गिर॒ इन्द्रो॑ अ॒ङ्ग
कब वो उस कंजूस इंसान को पाँव से मार कर हटा देगा? जैसे कोई लकड़ी का टुकड़ा किक करके उड़ा देता है। कब तक इंद्र हमारी बात सुनेगा? यह भी सच है।
Mantra 6
यश्चि॒द्धि त्वा॑ ब॒हुभ्य॒ आ सु॒तावां॑ आ॒विवा॑सति । उ॒ग्रं तत् प॑त्यते॒ शव॒ इन्द्रो॑ अ॒ङ्ग
जो सोम रस निकाल कर भक्ति करता है, उसमें से भी वो तुम्हे चुनता है और तुम्हारा काम करता है। उस पर वो उग्र ताकत आती है, राज करने के लिए। यह इंद्र है, सचमुच।
Mantra 7
य इ॑न्द्र सोम॒पात॑मो॒ मदः॑ शविष्ठ॒ चेत॑ति । येना॒ हंसि॒ न्य॑१त्त्रिणं॒ तमी॑महे
इंद्र, तू सबसे बड़ा सोम पीने वाला है। तू सबसे ताकतवर है। वो जोश जो ताकत की तरह दिखता है, वही चाहिए हमें। जिस ताकत से तू दुश्मन को मार गिरा देता है, उसी की हम दुआ माँगते हैं।
Mantra 8
येना॒ दश॑ग्व॒मध्रि॑गुं वे॒पय॑न्तं॒ स्वर्णरम्। येना॑ समु॒द्रमावि॑था॒ तमी॑महे
वो ताकत जिससे तुमने दशग्व को हिलाया, अध्रिगु को ठुकराया। और स्वर्णरा को काँप दिया। उसी ताकत से समुंदर में मदद की। आज उसी इंद्र को हम पुकारते हैं।
Mantra 9
येन॒ सिन्धुं॑ म॒हीर॒पो रथां॑ इव प्रचो॒दयः॑ । पन्था॑मृ॒तस्य॒ यात॑वे॒ तमी॑महे
वो ताकत जिससे तुमने सिंधु नदी के पानी को आगे बढ़ाया। जैसे कोई रथ को चलाता है। रास्ता बनाया ताकि लोग चल सकें। उसी इंद्र को हम पुकारते हैं।
Inside Sukta 63
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Indra is invoked as protector allied with the Ādityas and Maruts, with the gods’ anti-Asura campaign set as the mythic template for present defense.
- What it asks
May Indra hear our words, protect our bodies, and forcibly remove the obstructive mortal enemy; may his saving power carry us through peril as before.
- Where its power lies
The hymn repeatedly grounds efficacy in Indra’s already-accomplished feats—making foes quake, spurning the churl, rescuing across the sea—so the same power is ‘recalled’ and reactivated now.
- How it closes
The invocation culminates in direct calling upon Indra (‘tam īmahe’)—a sealing formula that fixes the transfer of precedent-power into the petitioner’s situation.
Famous verses
avita tanūnām
padā kṣumpam iva sphurat
yena samudram āvithā
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika / Rakṣa (apotropaic-protective, with coercive exempla)
What it is for
Enemy/obstructor is humiliated, destabilized, and driven away; the petitioner’s words are ‘heard’ by Indra; the reciter gains bodily protection and safe transit through danger.
Who it is for
Householders, leaders, or ritual specialists seeking protection against human hostility and unseen threats, especially when facing obstruction, conflict, or dangerous journeys.
Also used as
- Rakṣa (apotropaic)
- Rakṣoghna (anti-demonic/anti-hostile)
- Saṅgrāmika (martial-protective, by mythic legitimation)
Powers of the deity
- Makes adversaries tremble and lose footing (stambhana/bheṣaja-like intimidation)
- Spurns and expels the obstructive ‘arādhasa’ (hostile churl)
- Protects the body (tanū) and the community as a shield
- Leads divine allies (Ādityas, Maruts) in coordinated defense
- Carries the devotee safely through liminal danger (the ‘sea’ motif as peril-crossing)
Why the deity is called
To appropriate Indra’s precedent-power for immediate protection and coercive removal of opposition—securing bodily safety, divine hearing of the prayer, and safe passage through threats.
The seer
- RV-source r̥ṣi (Indra-stuti lineage)Angiras. Indra-invocation for rakṣā and abhicāra: compelling divine attention, breaking obstruction, and transferring victory-over-Asuras paradigms into immediate protection
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (multiple RV-reprises of Indra hymns; specific parallels depend on the RV source-hymn for 20.63)
- RV Indra-stutis in Anuṣṭubh and mixed meters (exact hymn-number to be confirmed by padapāṭha/anukramaṇī)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, undisturbed place; establish a protective boundary mentally (dik-bandhana) and by orderly seating.
- Perform ācamana and a brief Indra-saṅkalpa: protection of tanū (body) and removal of arādhasa (obstructors).
- If following Atharvanic praxis, face east or north; keep a water vessel present as general śānti support (not required by the hymn text).
The rite
- Recite the sukta in full once or thrice; emphasize the precedent-deeds verses as ‘transfer’ (itihāsa-prayoga) into the present.
- On verses like 20.63.5, gesture a symbolic ‘spurning away’ (apāsaraṇa) toward the direction of threat; on 20.63.8, gesture ‘crossing’ (taraṇa) over the water vessel or imagined boundary.
- Conclude with a brief personal petition naming the danger (journey, adversary, litigation, conflict) while maintaining Indra as the sole coercive agent (avoid self-directed aggression).
What it needs
- None required by the mantra-text; optional plain water for śānti and boundary-marking
When
As-needed in moments of obstruction, before travel, before contest/conflict, or at dawn for daily protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used for protection and coercive removal of obstruction—asking Indra to guard the body, make opponents tremble, and clear a path through danger.
No. The mantra-text itself does not prescribe substances; it works primarily through Indra-stuti and precedent-deed invocation (calling the same power ‘again’ for the present need).
The ‘sea’ functions as a model of extreme peril or liminal crossing; by recalling Indra’s rescue there, the reciter seeks safe transit through whatever danger they face now (journey, conflict, crisis).
Ask anything about Sukta 63 of the Atharva Veda
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