Sukta 69
Rishi: Traditionally attributed to Ṛgvedic seers in the Indra cycle (AV 20 is largely RV-derived); specific r̥ṣi for this verse follows the RV Anukramaṇī for the source hymn.
Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī context in RV-derived material; this pāda-set is commonly treated within the RV meter of its source hymn.
AV 20.69 is an Indra-stotra drawn from a Ṛgvedic source, repurposed in Atharvanic use as a protective and counter-hostile hymn. It praises Indra’s soma-born, battle-winning supremacy and petitions him to repel treachery and lethal blows aimed at the petitioner’s body. In practice it functions as a rakṣā-mantra: securing victory, shielding the person, and turning back human and unseen aggression by invoking Indra’s sovereign force.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
स घा॑ नो॒ योग॒ आ भु॑व॒त् स रा॒ये स पुरं॑ध्याम्। गम॒द् वाजे॑भि॒रा स नः॑
जब गाड़ी जल्दी में लगती है, वो हमारे साथ हो। धन मिले, खुशी मिले। वो ताकत के साथ हमारे पास आए।
Mantra 2
यस्य॑ सं॒स्थे न वृ॒ण्वते॒ हरी॑ स॒मत्सु॒ शत्र॑वः । तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॑य गायत
जिस इंद्र के दो घोड़े लड़ाई में हारते नहीं, दुश्मन भी उसको जीत नहीं पाते। उस इंद्र के लिए गाना गाओ।
Mantra 3
सु॒त॒पाव्ने॑ सु॒ता इ॒मे शुच॑यो यन्ति वी॒तये॑ । सोमा॑सो॒ दध्या॑शिरः
हे सोमा का साफ करने वाले, यह निचाड़ हुए सोमा रस तेरे लिए जा रहे हैं। यह चमक रहे हैं और साफ है। दूध मिलाके बनाए गए हैं, तेरे लिए रेडी हैं।
Mantra 4
त्वं सु॒तस्य॑ पी॒तये॑ स॒द्यो वृ॒द्धो अ॑जायथाः । इन्द्र॒ ज्यैष्ठ्या॑य सुक्रतो
इंद्र, तूने पिये के लिए तुरंत बड़ा हो गया। पैदाइशी ही बड़ा बन गया। तू इंटेलिजेंट है और सबसे ऊपर आने के लिए बना है।
Mantra 5
आ त्वा॑ विशन्त्वा॒शवः॒ सोमा॑स इन्द्र गिर्वणः । शं ते॑ सन्तु॒ प्रचे॑तसे
हे तेज़ सोमा रस, इंद्र के पास जाओ। इंद्र को गाना और भजन पसंद है। तुम उसके लिए अच्छा करो, उसकी भलाई करो।
Mantra 6
त्वां स्तोमा॑ अवीवृध॒न् त्वामु॒क्था श॑तक्रतो । त्वां व॑र्धन्तु नो॒ गिरः॑
हे सौ पावर वाले इंद्र, लोगों की तारीफ ने तुझे स्ट्रांग बनाया है। भजन और गाने ने तुझे बड़ा किया। अब हमारे गाने भी तुझे और बड़ा करें।
Mantra 7
अक्षि॑तोतिः सनेदि॒मं वाज॒मिन्द्रः॑ सह॒स्रिण॑म्। यस्मि॒न् विश्वा॑नि॒ पौंस्या॑
इंद्र की मदद कभी खत्म नहीं होती। वो हमारे लिए ताकत लाए, हज़ार गुना। उसमें सब तरह की ताकत है।
Mantra 8
मा नो॒ मर्ता॑ अ॒भि द्रु॑हन् त॒नूना॑मिन्द्र गिर्वणः । ईशा॑नो यवया व॒धम्
इंद्र, तू गाना का मालिक है। इन इंसानों को मत देखने दे कि वो धोखे से हमारे शरीर पे वार करें। तू राजा है, मारो को हमसे दूर भगा दे।
Mantra 9
यु॒ञ्जन्ति॑ ब्र॒ध्नम॑रु॒षं चर॑न्तं॒ परि॑ त॒स्थुषः॑ । रोच॑न्ते रोच॒ना दि॒वि
वो लाल घोड़े को जोड़ते हैं जो दौड़ता है। उसके आस-पास नज़र रखने वाले खड़े हैं। आसमान में रोशनी चमकने लगती है।
Mantra 10
यु॒ञ्जन्त्य॑स्य॒ काम्या॒ हरी॒ विप॑क्षसा॒ रथे॑ । शोणा॑ धृ॒ष्णू नृ॒वाह॑सा
उसके लिए दो घोड़े जोड़ते हैं जो मन माँगे काम करें। उन्हें रथ में जोड़ते हैं। यह लाल रंग के हैं, हिम्मत वाले, और इंसान को ले जाते हैं।
Mantra 11
के॒तुं कृ॒ण्वन्न॑के॒तवे॒ पेशो॑ मर्या अपे॒शसे॑ । समु॒षद्भि॑रजायथाः
तू वो बंदा है जिसके पास कोई निशानी नहीं थी, उसके लिए निशानी बना देता है। जिसका कोई श्रृंगार नहीं, उसको सुंदर बना देता है। हे वीर, तू सुबह की रोशनी के साथ पैदा हुआ था।
Mantra 12
आदह॑ स्व॒धामनु॒ पुन॑र्गर्भ॒त्वमे॑रि॒रे। दधा॑ना॒ नाम॑ य॒ज्ञिय॑म्
यह मंत्र आग के बारे में है जो अपनी ताकत से जल उठी है। वो आग विधि के हिसाब से काम करती है। उसने फिर से गर्भ धारण का काम शुरू किया है। यह सब यज्ञ के नाम पर हो रहा है।
Inside Sukta 69
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by directing song to the Indra whom enemies cannot overcome in encounters—Indra whose ‘two bays’ (harī) are unconquerable in battle.
- What it asks
That Indra grant supremacy and immediate strength, and that he prevent mortals from assailing the petitioner’s body with treachery; he is asked to drive away the deadly blow.
- Where its power lies
Indra’s soma-born, full-grown might and his proven battle-victory are presented as the warrant that the hymn’s protection will hold against foes.
- How it closes
The hymn seals protection by reaffirming praise and Indra’s sovereign capacity to avert harm—ending in a stance of confidence that hostility is turned back.
Famous verses
mā no martā abhi druhān tanūnām … īśāno yavayā vadham
sadyo vṛddho ajāyathāḥ … jyaiṣṭhyāya
yasya saṃsthe na vṛṇvate harī
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika (Counter-sorcery) / Raksha (Protection)
What it is for
To avert treacherous harm and deadly strikes, neutralize hostile intent, and establish Indra-backed dominance and success in confrontations.
Who it is for
Householders, leaders/warriors, and ritual specialists seeking protection from rivals or attackers; also any client needing apotropaic defense against human hostility.
Also used as
- Raksha (Protection)
- Kṣātrika (Martial success)
- Paustika (Strengthening via Indra–Soma empowerment)
Powers of the deity
- Repels and destroys hostile attacks (vadhá)
- Grants supremacy (jyaiṣṭhya) and victory in battles (samatsu)
- Protects the body and life-force from treachery and assault
- Strengthens allies through soma-linked vigor and resolve
- Overcomes rivals so they cannot ‘win the steeds’—i.e., seize momentum or victory
Why the deity is called
Invoked to prevent human enemies from harming the petitioner, to drive away lethal blows and deceit, and to secure Indra’s victorious momentum for one’s side in conflict.
The seer
- Ṛgvedic Indra-cycle seer (per RV Anukramaṇī for the source hymn; AV 20 compiler preserves RV attribution)Angiras. Martial-protective stotra (kṣātrika rakṣā): praise that mobilizes Indra’s might to avert treachery, repel deadly attack, and secure dominance in contest.
Other hymns of this seer
- RV source hymn corresponding to AV 20.69 (Indra-stotra; exact RV number varies by recension/Anukramaṇī mapping)
- Other AV 20 RV-derived Indra hymns in the same compilation cycle (general Indra-stotra group)
Preparing for the rite
- Select a clean, quiet place; sit facing east or north.
- Perform basic ācamana and a brief saṅkalpa for protection/victory.
- If available, light a small fire or lamp; keep water for sipping/sprinkling.
- Mentally place Indra before you as ‘gīrvāṇa/girvaṇaḥ’—lord of hymns—responsive to praise.
The rite
- Recite the sukta in full (12 mantras) with steady voice; emphasize protective pādas such as ‘mā no martā abhi druhān tanūnām’.
- At key verses, make a protective gesture (right hand over head/heart) and then extend outward as if ‘driving away’ the vadhá (deadly blow).
- Optionally, conclude with a short Indra-nāma japa and a final sprinkling of water around oneself or the threshold.
What it needs
- None required (stotra-based protection)
- Optional: clean water for pariṣecana (sprinkling)
- Optional (if in śrauta/stotra setting): soma/pressed offering conceptually aligned with Indra’s ‘sutásya pītaye’
When
Performed before travel, before entering dispute/battle/competition, or at dawn when seeking daily protection; also immediately upon sensing threat or treachery.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used for protection and counter-hostility—asking Indra to prevent treacherous harm to one’s body and to drive away deadly attacks, while also supporting victory in contests.
No specific substances are required in the text; it works primarily through praise (stotra). In a soma-oriented setting, it can be aligned with Indra’s soma empowerment, but that is optional.
Mantra 20.69.8 is the clearest protective petition: it asks that mortals not attack the body with treachery and that Indra, as sovereign, drive away the lethal blow.
Ask anything about Sukta 69 of the Atharva Veda
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