Sukta 41
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often treated as anonymous/collective in AV ancillary rites)
Devata: Manas–Cetas–Dhī–Ākūti etc. (personified faculties); implicitly Āyus (Life) as the goal
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of 8 syllables; Atharvanic anuṣṭubh style)
This brief Atharvanic hymn is a longevity-charm that stabilizes the inner instruments of life—mind, awareness, intention, and the senses—so that perception does not fail and vitality does not scatter. It harmonizes the prāṇa-complex (prāṇa, apāna, vyāna) and invokes Sarasvatī’s sustaining speech, then appeals to the divine ṛṣis as “body-guardians” (tanūpāḥ) to remain with the mortal and extend lifespan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
दीर्घायुःप्राप्तिः। मन॑से॒ चेत॑से धि॒य आकू॑तय उ॒त चित्त॑ये । म॒त्यै श्रु॒ताय॒ चक्ष॑से वि॒धेम॑ ह॒विषा॑ व॒यम्
हम मन और दिमाग की पूजा करते हैं। सोचने की शक्ति और ध्यान रखने की पूजा करते हैं। समझने और सुनने की शक्ति की पूजा करते हैं। नज़र की शक्ति की भी पूजा करते हैं। हम यह सबको खाना और सामग्री से पूजा करते हैं।
Mantra 2
अ॒पा॒नाय॑ व्या॒नाय॑ प्रा॒णाय॒ भूरि॑धायसे । सर॑स्वत्या उरु॒व्यचे॑ वि॒धेम॑ ह॒विषा॑ व॒यम्
हम सांस की पूजा करते हैं। नीचे जाने वाली सांस और पूरी बॉडी में फैलने वाली सांस की पूजा करते हैं। जीने की शक्ति की पूजा करते हैं। सरस्वती की भी पूजा करते हैं जो बड़ी बात बोलती हैं। हम यह सबको सामग्री से पूजा करते हैं।
Mantra 3
मा नो॑ हासिषु॒र्ऋष॑यो॒ दैव्या॒ ये त॑नू॒पा ये न॑स्त॒न्वऽस्तनू॒जाः । अम॑र्त्या॒ मर्त्यां॑ अ॒भि नः॑ सचध्व॒मायु॑र्धत्त प्रत॒रं जी॒वसे॑ नः
देविया रिशि हमें छोड़ के न जाएं। यह हमारी बॉडी की रक्षा करते हैं। यह हमारी बॉडी में से पैदा हुए हैं और हमारी रक्षा करते हैं। यह अमर हैं और हमारे जैसे इंसानों के साथ रहते हैं। यह हमें लंबी उम्र देते हैं ताकि हम अच्छे से जी सकें।
Inside Sukta 41
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Worship is offered directly to the inner faculties—mind, consciousness, thought, intention—and to the stabilizers of perception (hearing, sight).
- What it asks
That these faculties and the vital breaths (prāṇa, apāna, vyāna), supported by Sarasvatī, remain strong and integrated, resulting in dīrghāyus.
- Where its power lies
By naming and honoring the operative powers of cognition and life-breath, the hymn ritually ‘binds’ them to the person, preventing scattering and decline.
- How it closes
A direct plea that the divine seers, the tanūpāḥ (body-guardians), not abandon the mortal, but cleave close and bestow extended life for continued living.
Famous verses
āyur dhatta prataram jīvase naḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Paustika (Well-being, longevity)
What it is for
To secure long life by harmonizing prāṇa and stabilizing mind/senses, while reaffirming divine protection (tanūpāḥ) so vitality does not depart prematurely.
Who it is for
Householders and domestic priests performing āyus/health rites for a patient, elder, child, or any person seeking resilience, clarity, and longevity.
Also used as
- Bhaisajya
- Shantika
The deity
The hymn treats cognition and vitality as worship-worthy powers: mind and awareness as the seat of steadiness, the vital breaths as the body’s integrative force, Sarasvatī as far-reaching speech and ordered intelligence, and the tanūpāḥ as subtle protectors that “stand by” the embodied person.
Powers of the deity
- Steadying mind and attention (preventing confusion, fear, and inauspicious perception)
- Integrating the vital winds (supporting digestion/elimination, circulation, and life-force)
- Restoring clarity of hearing and vision
- Maintaining protective presence around the body (tanūpāḥ)
- Granting extended lifespan (dīrghāyus/āyus)
Why the deity is called
They are invoked to prevent decline of faculties and withdrawal of protective forces, so the beneficiary’s life-breaths, senses, and cognition remain coherent and life is lengthened.
The seer
- Atharvanic collective (anonymous domestic-charmer tradition)Atharvan. Bhaiṣajya–pauṣṭika charms: longevity (āyus), strengthening prāṇa and senses, restoring mental steadiness, and maintaining protective agencies around the body.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 6.40
- AV 6.42
- AV 3.11 (āyus-type prayers)
- AV 19.67 (āyus/health-oriented material)
Preparing for the rite
- Clean place and person (simple bathing or hand/face washing); seat the beneficiary facing east.
- Prepare a small domestic offering (havis: ghee or cooked food) in a clean vessel; kindle a modest household fire if customary.
- Set an intention for dīrghāyus: steadiness of mind, strength of prāṇa, and protection of the body.
The rite
- Recite 6.41.1 while offering havis, mentally ‘installing’ mind, awareness, thought, intention, hearing, and sight in steadiness.
- Recite 6.41.2 with a second offering; coordinate with calm breathing to ‘gather’ prāṇa, apāna, and vyāna into harmony; invoke Sarasvatī for ordered speech and intelligence.
- Recite 6.41.3 as a protective appeal: invite the divine ṛṣis/tanūpāḥ to remain; conclude with a final offering or silent assent for āyus.
What it needs
- Havis (ghee and/or simple food oblation)
- Clean water for sipping/sprinkling (optional domestic ācamana/prokṣaṇa)
- Fire (optional, if performed as a small homa)
When
Preferably at sunrise or early morning; also suitable during convalescence, after mental agitation, or on birthdays/āyusya days.
The main substance
Havis (ghee or simple food offering)
How it is prepared
Prepare a small, pure oblation (a spoon of ghee or a morsel of cooked food). Offer once per mantra (or at least at the end of each verse) with focused intention on steadiness of mind and integration of prāṇa.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to seek long life by stabilizing mental faculties (mind, attention, understanding) and harmonizing the vital breaths (prāṇa, apāna, vyāna), along with protective support from divine guardians.
In Atharvanic ritual language, key functions of life are treated as personified powers; honoring them with oblation is a way to ‘secure’ their steady presence so they do not weaken or wander.
No special herb is required by the hymn itself; the basic medium is havis (ghee/food offering). The main emphasis is correct recitation with calm breath and a clear intention for āyus (extended life).
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