Sukta 39
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution for AV 4.39; commonly Atharvan/Angiras-type seer lists, edition-dependent).
Chandas: Mixed/prose-like anuṣṭubh cadence (Atharvanic style; not strictly metrical throughout).
AV 4.39 is a prosperity-and-vitality charm that imagines the Antarika (mid-air) as a cosmic milch-cow, with V1yu (wind/breath) as her calf who draws out nourishment. By aligning social and cosmic forces into concord (sanati) and sealing the rite through Agni J1tavedas, the hymn seeks to milk life, vigor, desire-fulfillment, progeny, thriving, and wealth for the performer.
Kind of charm
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
संनति पृ॒थि॒व्याम॒ग्नये॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॑ पृथि॒व्याम॒ग्नये॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
धरती पर सब लोग अग्नि के सामने झुके। इससे उसने कामयाबी पाई। जैसे धरती पर सब ने अग्नि के सामने झुका, वैसे ही मेरे लिए भी सब झुक जाओ।
Mantra 2
पृ॒थि॒वी धे॒नुस्तस्या॑ अ॒ग्निर्व॒त्सः । सा मे॒ऽग्निना॑ व॒त्सेनेष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम्। आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑
धरती एक गाय है, अग्नि उसका बछड़ा है। अग्नि के साथ इस गाय से मुझे ताकत मिले, जो मैं चाहता हूँ वो मिले। पहले लंबी उम्र मिले, फिर बच्चे मिले, फिर खुशहाली मिले, फैसला मिले। स्वाहा।
Mantra 3
अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे वा॒यवे॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॒न्तरि॑क्षे वा॒यवे॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
हवा के बीच में लोग वायु के सामने झुके। उससे उनको कामयाबी मिली। जैसे हवा में वायु के सामने सब झुके, वैसे ही मेरे लिए भी सब साथ मिल के झुकें।
Mantra 4
अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं धे॒नुस्तस्या॑ वा॒युर्व॒त्सः । सा मे॑ वा॒युना॑ व॒त्सेनेष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम्। आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑
आकाश एक गाय है और हवा उसका बच्चा है। वो गाय मुझे हवा के बच्चे के ज़रिये ताकत और प्यास की चीज़ें दे। पहले लंबी उम्र, फिर बच्चे, फिर तरक्की और फिर पैसा।
Mantra 5
दि॒व्याऽदि॒त्याय॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॑ दि॒व्याऽदि॒त्याय॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
देवताओं ने मिलके सूर्य के सामने झुका। इससे उनको कामयाबी मिली। जैसे देवताओं ने सूर्य को झुका, वैसे ही लोग मेरे सामने झुकें और मुझे इज़्ज़त दें।
Mantra 6
द्यैर्धे॒नुस्तस्या॑ आदि॒त्यो व॒त्सः । सा म॑ आदि॒त्येन॑ व॒त्सेने॑ष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम्। आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑
आसमान एक गाय है और सूर्य उसका बच्चा है। वो गाय मुझे सूर्य के बच्चे के ज़रिये ताकत और प्यास की चीज़ें दे। पहले लंबी उम्र, फिर बच्चे, फिर तरक्की और फिर पैसा।
Mantra 7
दि॒क्षु च॒न्द्राय॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॑ दि॒क्षु च॒न्द्राय॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
दिशाओं में लोग चंद्रमा के सामने झुके। इससे उनको कामयाबी मिली। जैसे दिशाओं में लोग चंद्रमा को झुके, वैसे ही लोग मेरे सामने झुकें और मुझे इज़्ज़त दें।
Mantra 8
दिशो॑ धे॒नव॒स्तासां॑ च॒न्द्रो व॒त्सः । ता मे॑ च॒न्द्रेण॑ व॒त्सेनेष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम् । आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑
दिशों को गायें मान लो, और चंद्रमा उनका बच्चा है। वो मेरे लिए चंद्रमा के साथ मिलकर ताकत और इच्छा निकालें। पहले लंबी उम्र, फिर बच्चे, फिर तरक्की और पैसा, स्वाहा।
Mantra 9
अ॒ग्नाव॒ग्निश्च॑रति॒ प्रवि॑ष्ट॒ ऋषी॑णां पु॒त्रो अ॑भिशस्ति॒पा उ॑ । न॒म॒स्का॒रेण॒ नम॑सा ते जुहोमि॒ मा दे॒वानां॑ मिथु॒या क॑र्म भा॒गम्
अग्नि में अग्नि चलता है, वो अंदर घुसता है। वो रिशियों का बेटा है, बुरी बातें दूर करता है। मैं झुक के तुम्हे प्रणाम करता हूँ और हवन करता हूँ। भगवान का हिस्सा गलत तरीके से न जाए।
Mantra 10
हृ॒दा पू॒तं मन॑सा जातवेदो॒ विश्वा॑नि देव व॒युना॑नि वि॒द्वान्। स॒प्तास्या॑नि॒ तव॑ जातवेद॒स्तेभ्यो॑ जुहोमि॒ स जु॑षस्व ह॒व्यम्
दिल से साफ़ करके, मन से, जातवेद, तुम्हे पुकारता हूँ। भगवान, तुम सब जानते हो। तुम्हारे सात मुख हैं, जातवेद। उन सब को मैं हवन करता हूँ, तुम यह समर्थन करो।
Inside Sukta 39
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by establishing sanati on earth through Agni: as convergences once bowed together and succeeded, so may all forces now incline in accord for the performer (4.39.1).
- What it asks
The core petition asks the Antarikƺ-cow, with Vāyu as calf, to milk out refreshment, sap, desire, then life, progeny, thriving, and wealth (4.39.4).
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is framed as cosmic mechanics: when the proper mediator (Agni) and proper extractor (Vāyu) are engaged, the hidden stores of the mid-air become yieldable and reliable for the sacrificer.
- How it closes
Concludes by inner purification and offering to Agni Jātavedas seven mouths, requesting gracious acceptance of the oblation so the rite cannot fail (4.39.10).
Famous verses
antarikƺ dhenus tasyā vāyur vatsa
mahya sanama sa namantu
saptāsyāni tava jātaveda
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Bhaisajya-adjacent (vitality, longevity)
What it is for
Nourishment, strength, desire-fulfillment, longevity, progeny, thriving, and wealth, plus social/cosmic alignment and assured acceptance of the offering.
Who it is for
Householders and ritual practitioners seeking prosperity and vitality, and officiants performing domestic oblations for well-being and concord.
Also used as
- Bhaisajya-adjacent
- Shantika
- Sanati (conciliation)
Powers of the deity
- Bestows iƺ (refreshment/food) and ūrj (sap/vital strength)
- Grants kāma (fulfilled desire) and rāy2 (wealth)
- Supports āyus (longevity) and prajā (progeny)
- Creates sanati (concord/compliance) among persons and powers
- Purifies and validates offerings through Agnis consuming mouths
Why the deity is called
To draw prosperity and vitality from the atmospheric realm via Vāyus extracting force, while enlisting Agni to accept the havis and stabilize the charms success.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer (Anukrama2 attribution; Atharvan/Angiras-type list, edition-dependent)Atharvan. Paustika and bhaisajya-adjacent domestic charms: securing nourishment (iƺ/ūrj), longevity (āyus), concord (sanati), and rite-success through correct offering to Agni.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.38
- AV 4.40
- AV 1.34
Preparing for the rite
- Establish a clean domestic fire (Agni) on a prepared spot of earth (pthiv2).
- Collect simple havis (typically ghee; optionally milk/curd as thematically aligned offerings).
- Perform mental purification: calm breath, steady intention, and recite with hƽā pūtam manasā orientation (inner cleanliness).
The rite
- Recite the sanati-formula to incline persons/powers to agreement, invoking Agni as mediator (cf. 4.39.1).
- Recite the NJntarikƺ as dhenu verse as the central milking visualization, explicitly requesting iƺ, ūrj, kāma, āyus, prajā, poƺ, rāy2, sealing with svāhā (cf. 4.39.4).
- Offer ghee into Agni with svāhā at key points; conclude with the Jātavedas acceptance verse (cf. 4.39.10) to ensure the havis is received.
What it needs
- Domestic fire (Agni)
- Ghee (havis); optionally milk/curd as prosperity symbols
- A clean ladle/spoon for offering
- Water for sipping/cleansing (optional domestic usage)
When
Preferably morning or early evening at the household fire; also suitable at the start of a prosperity undertaking (new work, planting, travel, household rites).
The main substance
Ghee (havis) offered into Agni, with optional dairy symbolism (milk/curd) resonant with the dhenu imagery
How it is prepared
Kindle a steady household fire; keep ghee ready for small svāhā offerings. Recite with controlled breath (Vāyu-as-calf visualization), then offer ghee at the svāhā seals and at the concluding Agni-acceptance verse.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a ritual image for hidden abundance: the atmospheric realm holds life-supporting powers (rain, breath, vitality). The hymn treats these as milk to be Ǎrawn out for the performer.
A calf makes the cow let down milk; likewise Vāyuwind and breathis the activating force that releases nourishment and vigor. Practically, it also points to breath-control and life-force as part of the rites efficacy.
Agni is the receiver and validator of the offering. By addressing Agni as knowing all ordinances and having seven mouths, the performer asks that the oblation be fully accepted so the prosperity request is firmly established.
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