Sukta 159
Sukta 10.159
This short hymn speaks in a feminine first-person voice—often read as a bride or wife—who invokes the rising Sūrya and Bhaga (the giver of one’s rightful share) to secure marital union, prosperity, and social sovereignty. It functions as a victory-charm over “rivals” (sapatnī) and corrosive forces that disrupt harmony, aligning domestic fortune with the triumphant power exemplified by Indra.
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
उदसौ सूर्यो अगादुदयं मामको भगः । अहं तद्विद्वला पतिमभ्यसाक्षि विषासहिः ॥
सूर्य ऊपर आ गया है। मेरा भाग भी उठा है। मैं जानती हूँ यह बात। मैंने अपने पति को पा लिया है। मैं जीत गई हूँ, बुराई को हरा दिया है।
Mantra 2
अहं केतुरहं मूर्धाहमुग्रा विवाचनी । ममेदनु क्रतुं पतिः सेहानाया उपाचरेत् ॥
मैं निशानी हूँ, मैं ऊपर हूँ। मैं ताकतवाली हूँ, मैं साफ बोलती हूँ। मेरा पति मेरी बात माने। मेरी इच्छा के हिसाब से चले। ऐसा होना चाहिए।
Mantra 3
मम पुत्राः शत्रुहणोऽथो मे दुहिता विराट् । उताहमस्मि संजया पत्यौ मे श्लोक उत्तमः ॥
मेरे बेटे दुश्मनों को हराते हैं। मेरी बेटी बड़ी है, उसका राज है। मैं पूरी तरह जीत गई हूँ। मेरे पति के घर में मेरी बात चलती है।
Mantra 4
येनेन्द्रो हविषा कृत्व्यभवद्द्युम्न्युत्तमः । इदं तदक्रि देवा असपत्ना किलाभुवम् ॥
जिस शक्ति से इंद्र ने हवन करके सबसे बड़ी चमक पाई थी, उसी शक्ति से मैं यह काम कर रहा हूँ। हे देवता, मैं सच में बिना किसी दुश्मन के हो जाऊंगा, कोई मुझसे टक्कर नहीं ले सकता।
Mantra 5
असपत्ना सपत्नघ्नी जयन्त्यभिभूवरी । आवृक्षमन्यासां वर्चो राधो अस्थेयसामिव ॥
मैं बिना किसी दुश्मन के हूँ, जो भी मुकाबला करे उसे मैं हरा देता हूँ। मैं जीत कर ऊपर आ जाता हूँ। मैं दूसरों से चमक और शक्ति अपनी तरफ खींच लेता हूँ, जैसे कोई चीज़ उठा ले। जो इंसान सही है, उसके दुश्मन का कोई दावा नहीं चलता।
Mantra 6
समजैषमिमा अहं सपत्नीरभिभूवरी । यथाहमस्य वीरस्य विराजानि जनस्य च ॥
मैं इन सब दुश्मनों को पूरा हरा चुका हूँ, मैं उनपर भारी हो गया हूँ। अब मैं इस योद्धा की चमक बन कर चमकूंगा, और लोगों में भी मैं चमकूंगा।
Inside Sukta 159
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
The hymn opens with the sunrise: Sūrya rises and with him rises Bhaga—‘my share’—as the speaker claims auspicious union and victory over corrosive forces.
- Development
The speaker moves from cosmic sign (dawn) to personal destiny (marriage/portion), then to divine precedent—Indra’s victorious might—making that power operative in her own life.
- Climax
The decisive declaration of becoming asapatnī (‘without rival/opposition’) by the same force that made Indra supremely radiant.
- Where it settles
It ends with a complete victory over rivals (sapatnī) and a settled aspiration to shine as virāj—sovereign radiance—for the hero-husband and the people.
The deity: Sūrya, Bhaga, and victorious divine power
- Cosmic functionTo renew order at dawn (Sūrya), allot rightful shares and auspicious fortune (Bhaga), and confer conquering strength that removes opposition (Indraic victory-power).
- Inner significanceAwakening of clarity and will (Sūrya), rightful enjoyment and secure belonging (Bhaga), and the inner capacity to defeat jealousy, rivalry, and divisive impulses that poison relationships.
The seer
- Anukramaṇī attribution varies; traditionally a feminine speaker-voice (often associated in later reception with Indrāṇī/Śacī-type voice)A rare Rigvedic domestic/royal charm in a woman’s voice, asserting auspicious possession of the husband, overcoming rivalry (sapatnī), and claiming social radiance (virāj).
Famous verses
ud asau sūryo agād … māmako bhagaḥ
asapatnā kilābhuvam
sam ajaiṣam … sapatnīḥ
Attributes of the deity
- Dawn-rising illumination
- Bestowal of fortune/portion (bhaga)
- Protection of marital bond
- Overcoming rivals (asapatnā, sapatnī)
- Victorious radiance (dyumna, virāj)
Also by this seer
- This sukta is part of the late (10th maṇḍala) ritual-and-domestic corpus; specific additional hymn attributions to this exact speaker are not consistently fixed across Anukramaṇī recensions.
The rite, step by step
- Prepare a clean domestic space; seat the couple (or the woman as principal reciter) facing east.
- At dawn, recite the opening mantra with attention on Sūrya’s rising and Bhaga as ‘my share’.
- Affirm union and protection: recite verses that declare overcoming ‘poisons’ and disruptive forces.
- Invoke Indraic exemplar-power: recite the verse citing Indra’s dyumna as the operative force for becoming ‘without rival’.
- Seal the intention with the concluding victory-assertion over sapatnī and the wish to ‘shine as virāj’ for husband and community.
- Conclude with silent resolve and distribution of blessed food (if used in a household rite).
Offerings
- Ghee into the household fire (if maintained)
- Water libation or sipping (ācamana)
- Simple food offering (milk, curd, grains) as bhaga/portion symbolism
- Optional fragrant smoke/incense in later practice
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a short hymn in a feminine voice that links sunrise (Sūrya) and fortune (Bhaga) with securing marriage, prosperity, and victory over rivalry or opposition.
Sūrya (the rising Sun) and Bhaga (giver of one’s share and good fortune) are explicit, and Indra’s victorious radiance is invoked as the model power that removes obstacles.
Sapatnī means a rival (often in a domestic sense), and asapatnā means ‘without rival.’ The hymn uses these terms as a spiritual-ritual declaration of overcoming jealousy, hostility, and any force that disrupts harmony.
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