Sukta 170
Sukta 1.170
Agastya
Triṣṭubh (general for the hymn; this verse shows compact, gnomic style)
This brief Triṣṭubh hymn, voiced in a dialogic frame, stages tension and reconciliation between Indra and the Maruts, with Agastya as the mediating seer. It opens with gnomic uncertainty about what can be known and how unstable “another’s mind” can be, then turns toward restoring concord so Indra may accept the offerings in accordance with ṛta (cosmic order). The purpose is both ritual (securing Indra’s participation with the Maruts) and ethical-psychological (straightening will, speech, and alliance).
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
न नूनमस्ति नो श्वः कस्तद्वेद यदद्भुतम् । अन्यस्य चित्तमभि संचरेण्यमुताधीतं वि नश्यति ॥
आज नहीं, कल नहीं, कोई नहीं जानता कि क्या होगा। दूसरे की सोच में घूमना आसान है, लेकिन जो सीखा है वो भी गायब हो सकता है। इसलिए सच्चाई को पकड़ना चाहिए, सिर्फ सोच में नहीं रहना चाहिए।
Mantra 2
किं न इन्द्र जिघांससि भ्रातरो मरुतस्तव । तेभिः कल्पस्व साधुया मा नः समरणे वधीः ॥
इंद्र, तुम हमें क्यों मारना चाहते हो? मरुत लोग तुम्हारे भाई हैं। उनके साथ मिलकर काम करो। लड़ाई में हमें मत मारो, बल्कि हमारी मदद करो ताकि हम सब मिलके काम कर सकें।
Mantra 3
किं नो भ्रातरगस्त्य सखा सन्नति मन्यसे । विद्मा हि ते यथा मनोऽस्मभ्यमिन्न दित्ससि ॥
अगस्त्य भाई, हम दोस्त हैं, फिर भी इतना क्यों सोच रहा है? हम जानते हैं तुम्हारा क्या मन है। तुम सच में अपना पूरा खुद हमें नहीं दे रहे। इसलिए दोस्ती साफ हो जाए और मन सीधा हो जाए।
Mantra 4
अरं कृण्वन्तु वेदिं समग्निमिन्धतां पुरः । तत्रामृतस्य चेतनं यज्ञं ते तनवावहै ॥
यह लोग वेदी तैयार करें। आग आगे जलाएं। वहीं हम तुम्हारे लिए वो यज्ञ बनाएं जो अमृत की तरफ ले जाता है। यह वो रास्ता है जो इंसान को मरण से मुक्त करता है।
Mantra 5
त्वमीशिषे वसुपते वसूनां त्वं मित्राणां मित्रपते धेष्ठः । इन्द्र त्वं मरुद्भिः सं वदस्वाध प्राशान ऋतुथा हवींषि ॥
तुम धन और संपत्ति के मालिक हो। तुम दोस्ती के सबसे बड़े रक्षक हो। इंद्र, तुम मरुत के साथ मिलकर बात करो। फिर सही समय पे जो चीज़ें चढ़ाई जाती हैं, उनका भोग लगाओ।
Inside Sukta 170
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A stark, aphoristic reflection on uncertainty—“not now, not tomorrow”—and the wonder that cannot be easily known; the instability of mind and learned knowledge is highlighted.
- Development
The hymn shifts into interpersonal/divine negotiation: suspicion of withheld intention, the need for transparent friendship, and the call to align speech and will among allies (Indra, Maruts, and the seer’s party).
- Climax
The explicit injunction to Indra: “speak in concord with the Maruts,” linking concord to ṛta and to the rightful enjoyment of offerings.
- Where it settles
Harmony is re-established as Indra is affirmed as lord of riches and friendships, and the rite is framed to proceed in right order, stabilizing knowledge and relationship.
The deity: Indra with the Maruts
- Cosmic functionIndra secures order by overcoming obstruction and releasing the life-giving waters; the Maruts amplify and accompany that force as the collective energies of the atmosphere, driving movement, rain, and communal power.
- Inner significanceIndra symbolizes decisive clarity and sovereign will; the Maruts symbolize the plurality of impulses, drives, and vital energies. Their “speaking in concord” points to integrating strong intention with harmonized energies so knowledge and action rest in ṛta rather than fluctuating mentality.
The seer
- AgastyaĀgastya (Agastya-gotra); traditionally linked with the Maitrāvaruṇa/Agastya line in later Vedic memory · A major Vedic seer credited with powerful hymns, mediating divine-human relations, and later famed as a southern civilizing sage who “balances” extremes (ocean, winds, powers).
Famous verses
na nūnam asti no śvaḥ
किं नो भ्रातरगस्त्य सखा सन्नति मन्यसे । विद्मा हि ते यथा मनोऽस्मभ्यमिन्न दित्ससि ॥indra tvam marudbhiḥ saṃ vadasva
Attributes of the deity
- Vajra-power and victory (Indra)
- Soma-drinking and patronage of sacrifice (Indra)
- Storm-host collectivity and rhythmic movement (Maruts)
- Friendship/alliance (mitra/mitrapati motif)
- Restoration of concord through right speech (saṃ vadasva)
- Alignment with ṛta (ṛtuthā)
Also by this seer
- Numerous hymns in Rig Veda Maṇḍala 1 (including dialogic and Indra-related pieces traditionally ascribed to Agastya)
- Later Vedic-Itihāsa-Purāṇa traditions preserving Agastya as a paradigmatic ṛṣi and ritual authority
- Agastya-associated mantra lineages used in soma and fire ritual recitations in later Śrauta/Smārta practice
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar/fire (Agni) and establish ritual purity and intention.
- Recite the hymn as an appeasement/conciliation address, acknowledging uncertainty and the need for aligned speech and mind.
- Invoke Indra’s lordship (vasupati/mitrapati) and explicitly request concord with the Maruts (saṃ vadasva).
- Offer havis while inviting Indra (with Maruts) to partake ‘ṛtuthā’—in the right season/measure/order.
- Conclude with a settling prayer for stable knowledge, straightened will, and protected alliance among participants and powers.
Offerings
- Soma (where applicable)
- Ghee (ājya)
- Havis/oblations such as grain cakes or cooked offering (puroḍāśa) depending on rite
- Water/libations as ancillary offerings
Frequently Asked Questions
It portrays a tension between Indra and the Maruts and moves toward reconciliation, asking Indra to align in speech and intention with the Maruts so the offerings are accepted in ṛta (right order).
It stresses that outcomes and “wonders” cannot be fully predicted and that the mind is unstable; therefore the seeker and sacrificer should ground action in ṛta rather than shifting opinions or moods.
It is suited to recitation in Indra-related offerings (often alongside Marut invocations) when seeking strength, unity among forces or people, and a return to clear, truthful cooperation.
Ask anything about Sukta 170 of the Rig Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
