Sukta 79
Rishi: RV-derived Indra hymn seer (per RV parallel).
Chandas: Mixed/expanded Anuṣṭubh or Triṣṭubh-like (to be confirmed by RV parallel metrical analysis).
This brief two-mantra Indra hymn petitions Puruhūta to bestow kratu (inspired resolve and right-minded power) like a father guiding his sons, so the supplicant may “live and attain the light.” It simultaneously wards off unseen hostile forces and inauspicious approaches, asking Indra the Hero to help the patron cross recurring descents and perilous waters—an Atharvanic use of Ṛgvedic Indra-stuti for longevity, safe passage, and success in undertakings.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
इन्द्र॒ क्रतुं॑ न॒ आ भ॑र पि॒ता पु॒त्रेभ्यो॒ यथा॑ । शिक्षा॑ णो अ॒स्मिन् पु॑रुहूत॒ याम॑नि जी॒वा ज्योति॑रशीमहि
इंद्र से दुआ है कि वो हमें सही रास्ता दिखाए, जैसे बाप अपने बेटो को बताता है। हे इंद्र, हमें इस रास्ते में सीख दे। हम ज़ि�दा रहें और रोशनी तक पहुँचें।
Mantra 2
मा नो अज्ञा॑ता वृ॒जना॑ दुरा॒ध्यो॒३माशि॑वासो॒ अव॑ क्रमुः । त्वया॑ व॒यं प्र॒वतः॒ शश्व॑तीर॒पोऽति॑ शूर तरामसि
दुश्मन लोग हम पर अटैक ना करें। वो नजान लोग जो हमें तकलीफ देना चाहते हैं, वो हमारे पास ना आएँ। कोई बुरी चीज़ हम पर ना आए। हे वीर, तुम्हारे साथ हम हर मुश्किल से पार करते हैं। हम पानी से भी पार कर जाते हैं।
Inside Sukta 79
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Indra is addressed directly: bring us kratu, like a father for his sons; teach us in this course (yāman).
- What it asks
Grant empowering resolve and guidance so we may live and reach jyotis; do not let unknown hostile groups or inauspicious forces step down upon us.
- Where its power lies
With Indra as ally, the speakers can cross recurring descents and pass beyond the waters—Indra’s companionship guarantees overcoming repeated dangers.
- How it closes
The hymn seals its aim in the paired images of survival and successful crossing: ‘living we may attain the light’ and ‘with thee…we cross beyond the waters.’
Famous verses
jīvā jyotir aśīmahi
tvayā vayaṃ … apo'ti tarāmasi
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Life/health preservation) + Paustika (success in undertaking)
What it is for
Life-preservation with strengthened resolve and guided action; averting unknown enemies/inauspicious influences; safe crossing of dangerous transitions (symbolized by waters and recurring descents) leading to success and ‘light.’
Who it is for
Householder/patron embarking on a journey, campaign, risky enterprise, or liminal transition; also any practitioner seeking protection from unseen threats and reinforcement of will and clarity.
Also used as
- Paustika
- Rakṣoghna (apotropaic protection)
- Path/Travel-safety (yāman)
Powers of the deity
- Bestows kratu (inspired resolve, effective intention, leadership power)
- Acts as paternal guide/teacher who ‘instructs’ the correct course
- Apotropaic protection against unknown hostile bands and ill-omens
- Enables safe crossing over waters and repeated crises/declivities (pravataḥ)
- Secures longevity and attainment of jyotis (life, clarity, auspicious outcome)
Why the deity is called
To receive Indra’s empowering resolve and instruction for a perilous course or undertaking, while preventing unseen harms and ensuring safe passage, survival, and auspicious arrival at ‘light.’
The seer
- Ṛgvedic Indra-stuti seer (RV-parallel attribution; specific name depends on the source-hymn mapping)Angiras. Indra-invocation for empowerment (kratu), protection in travel/enterprise, and apotropaic guarding against unseen dangers; converting praise into practical success and life-preservation.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (RV-borrowed Indra hymns; exact parallels vary by Anukramaṇī mapping)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place facing east or toward the intended direction of travel.
- Perform ācamana (sipping/purifying) and a brief saṅkalpa: protection, right resolve (kratu), and safe completion.
- Prepare clean water for sprinkling/touching as a boundary-crossing symbol; optionally keep a small protective cord/amulet at hand.
The rite
- Recite 20.79.1 to invoke Indra’s kratu and instruction; mentally frame the ‘yāman’ as the specific course/undertaking.
- Recite 20.79.2 with emphatic prohibitive force (mā…mā) to bar unseen harms; then touch/sprinkle water and step forward as a ritualized ‘crossing.’
- Conclude with a silent dedication: ‘May we, living, attain the light’ (jīvā jyotir aśīmahi) and proceed.
What it needs
- Clean water (āpaḥ) for sprinkling/touching during the protective crossing motif
- Optional protective thread/cord (rakṣā-sūtra) or small amulet pouch
- A lamp or firelight may be used to embody jyotis (optional, interpretive)
When
Before departure, at the start of a new enterprise, or at a liminal moment (river-crossing, entering unknown territory, beginning a hazardous phase).
The main substance
Water (āpaḥ) as a purifying boundary and ‘crossing’ medium; light (jyotis) as an auspicious focus (lamp/fire) when available.
Amulets
- Protective thread/cord (rakṣā-sūtra) tied before departure
- Small amulet pouch carried on the person (optional)
How it is prepared
Keep water in a clean vessel; after recitation, touch or sprinkle it while stepping forward to enact ‘crossing beyond the waters.’ If using a lamp, place it before the reciter as a focus for jyotis.
Frequently Asked Questions
For strengthening resolve and gaining Indra’s guidance in a risky course (yāman), while protecting the person from unseen harms and ensuring safe completion with longevity and auspicious success.
Kratu is inspired resolve—effective intention, clarity, and the power to choose and act rightly. The hymn asks Indra to bring this inner strength like a father guiding his children.
Waters symbolize dangerous boundaries and transitions (literal rivers or repeated crises). The hymn claims that with Indra’s support one can ‘cross beyond the waters,’ meaning to pass safely through threats and obstacles.
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