Sukta 71
Sukta 5.71
Atri (Ātreya)
Gāyatrī (3×8 syllables typical of brief invitatory verses)
This brief Gāyatrī hymn invites Mitra and Varuṇa to come near the sacrifice as protectors who repel injuring forces and uphold the right path of the adhvara. It praises them as all-knowing sovereigns and asks that they enlarge and steady the worshipper’s dhiḥ (insight). The hymn culminates in a clear Soma-invitation: may the divine pair approach and drink, establishing inner order and delight.
In this hymn
Addressed to
Mantras
Mantra 1
आ नो गन्तं रिशादसा वरुण मित्र बर्हणा । उपेमं चारुमध्वरम् ॥
वरुण और मित्र, तुम दोनों हमारे पास आओ। तुम बुराई को खत्म करने वाले हो। यह पूजा जो हम कर रहे हैं, उसके पास आके बैठो। यह सही धरम का काम है।
Mantra 2
विश्वस्य हि प्रचेतसा वरुण मित्र राजथः । ईशाना पिप्यतं धियः ॥
वरुण और मित्र, तुम दोनों सब कुछ जानते हो। तुम पूरी दुनिया के मालिक हो। हमारे दिमाग को सही दिशा दो। हमारे खयालों को अच्छा बना दो ताकि हम सही रास्ते पर चलें।
Mantra 3
उप नः सुतमा गतं वरुण मित्र दाशुषः । अस्य सोमस्य पीतये ॥
वरुण और मित्र, हमारे पास आओ। हम सोम रस निकाल कर रखेंगे। तुम आके इसको पियो। यह भगवान के लिए है, तुम इसे स्वीकार करो।
Inside Sukta 71
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct call: Mitra and Varuṇa are invited to come, destroy harm, and draw near to the beautiful, rightly-ordered sacrifice (adhvara).
- Development
Their stature is expanded: they are proclaimed pracetasā—wide-aware rulers of all—then entreated to fill and strengthen the worshipper’s dhiḥ (insight).
- Climax
The hymn’s peak is the explicit Soma invitation: “come near to the pressed Soma… for drinking,” making the rite immediate and personal.
- Where it settles
It ends by establishing the intended outcome—divine presence at the offering and the receipt of Soma’s ordered delight under Mitra-Varuṇa’s guardianship.
The deity: Mitra-Varuṇa
- Cosmic functionThey rule and safeguard ṛta (cosmic order), oversee truth and vows, protect the sacrifice, and ensure harmony between the human sphere and the divine law.
- Inner significanceMitra-Varuṇa represent the inner capacity to live in truth: Mitra as the harmonizing mind that keeps faith and right relation, Varuṇa as the vigilant conscience that restrains error and restores order; together they “fill the dhiḥ” with right discernment.
The seer
- Atri (Ātreya)Ātreya (Atri’s family line) · One of the great Ṛgvedic seers; renowned for luminous insight and for hymns that invoke cosmic order, protection, and clarity of mind.
Famous verses
riśādasā varuṇa mitra
viśvasya hi pracetasā
asya somasya pītaye
Attributes of the deity
- pracetasā (wide-aware, far-seeing)
- rulers/sovereigns (rājathas)
- protectors who repel harm (riśādasa)
- upholders of ṛta and vows
- guardians of sacrifice (adhvara)
- bestowers of inspired thought (dhiḥ)
Also by this seer
- Large portions of Maṇḍala 5 are attributed to the Ātreyas (Atri’s lineage).
- Several Rig Veda hymns addressed to Agni, Indra, the Aśvins, and other deities are traditionally linked with the Ātreya seers.
- Atri is remembered in later Vedic-Itihāsa tradition as a primordial ṛṣi associated with tapas and the transmission of sacred knowledge.
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the ritual space and seat (barhis) and kindle/maintain the sacred fire.
- Press and purify Soma; set the offering in readiness.
- Recite RV 5.71.1 as an invitation to approach and sit near the ‘fair adhvara’, seeking protection from injuring forces.
- Recite RV 5.71.2 to praise their universal sovereignty and request the swelling/fullness of dhiḥ (inspired intelligence).
- Recite RV 5.71.3 to invite them specifically to the pressed Soma for drinking, sealing the communion between deity and sacrificer.
Offerings
- Pressed Soma (suta soma)
- Barhis/seat prepared for the deities
- Standard Soma-rite accompaniments (libations and oblations as per the śrauta context)
Frequently Asked Questions
They are a paired Vedic divinity: Mitra represents harmony, agreement, and right relationship, while Varuṇa represents vast moral oversight, truth, and the binding law of ṛta. Together they protect the sacrifice and uphold order.
The hymn asks Mitra-Varuṇa to come to the ritual, drive away harmful forces, and “fill” the worshipper’s dhiḥ—clear, inspired understanding—so life and worship align with ṛta.
Because it is used in a Soma-rite setting: the final verse invites Mitra-Varuṇa to approach the pressed Soma and drink, symbolizing divine presence and the settling of joy and order in the sacrificer.
Ask anything about Sukta 71 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.
