Sukta 58
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (late AV collections; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī)
Devata: Yajña (Sacrifice) as personified power; also implicitly Prāṇa and Varcas
Chandas: Mixed/late AV style; predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence with expanded pādas
Himne Atharvaveda akhir ini memandang Yajña (Korban Suci) sebagai daya hidup yang menata, yang “membuat tahun bertambah”, menopang sang pelaksana yajña sepanjang seluruh putaran waktu. Dengan ghee dan persembahan yang dibagi menurut ketentuan, himne ini memohon prāṇa yang tak terputus, indra yang utuh (pendengaran dan penglihatan), serta varcas yang lestari (cahaya kemuliaan/keperkasaan), seraya meluaskan kemakmuran himne menjadi keamanan bersama dan perlindungan yang teguh. Sukta ini berpuncak dengan memanggil segenap sidang ilahi—kekuatan-kekuatan dewa laksana para ritvij dan Viśve Devāḥ beserta para pendampingnya—agar bersukacita, menerima bagian masing-masing, dan menjadikan ritus ini tak pernah gagal.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
यज्ञः। घृ॒तस्य॑ जू॒तिः सम॑ना॒ सदे॑वा संवत्स॒रं ह॒विषा॑ व॒र्धय॑न्ती । श्रोत्रं॒ चक्षुः॑ प्रा॒णोच्छि॑न्नो नो अ॒स्त्वच्छि॑न्ना व॒यमायु॑षो॒ वर्च॑सः
Yajña: dorongan ghee (ghṛta) yang menyatu selaras, disertai para dewa; dengan havis (persembahan) ia membuat tahun bertambah. Janganlah pendengaran, penglihatan, dan napas kami terputus; tak terpangkas kiranya kami menetap—dalam umur panjang dan dalam kemilau kemuliaan.
Mantra 2
उपा॒स्मान् प्रा॒णो ह्व॑यता॒मुप॑ व॒यं प्रा॒णं ह॑वामहे । वर्चो॑ जग्राह पृथि॒व्य॑१न्तरि॑क्षं॒ वर्चः॒ सोमो॒ बृह॒स्पति॑र्विध॒त्ता
Biarlah Prāṇa (Napas-Hidup) memanggil Prāṇa kepada kami; ke sini kami memanggil Prāṇa. Kemilau (varcas) telah menguasai Bumi dan Antarikṣa; kemilau—Soma, dan Bṛhaspati, Sang Penetap (Vidhātṛ).
Mantra 3
वर्च॑सो॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी सं॒ग्रह॑णी बभू॒वथु॒र्वर्चो॑ गृही॒त्वा पृ॑थि॒वीमनु॒ सं च॑रेम । य॒शसं॒ गावो॒ गोप॑ति॒मुप॑ तिष्ठन्त्याय॒तीर्यशो॑ गृही॒त्वा पृ॑थि॒वीमनु॒ सं च॑रेम
Kemilau (varcas) menjadikan Langit dan Bumi sebagai Penghimpun; setelah menggenggam kemilau, semoga kami berjalan menyeluruh di sepanjang Bumi. Sapi-sapi, membawa kemasyhuran, berdiri mengelilingi Gopati (Tuan ternak) saat mereka datang; setelah menggenggam kemasyhuran (yaśas), semoga kami berjalan menyeluruh di sepanjang Bumi.
Mantra 4
व्र॒जं कृ॑णुध्वं॒ स हि वो॑ नृ॒पाणो॒ वर्मा॑ सीव्यध्वं बहु॒ला पृ॒थूनि॑ । पुरः॑ कृणुध्व॒माय॑सी॒रधृ॑ष्टा॒ मा वः॑ सुस्रोच्चम॒सो दृं॑हता॒ तम्
Dirikanlah pagar-kandang (vraja); sebab itulah pertahanan para lelaki kalian. Jahitkanlah zirah, banyak dan lebar. Buatlah benteng-benteng kalian dari besi, tak terserang; jangan biarkan musuh yang berteriak nyaring menggoyahkan itu—teguhkanlah ia.
Mantra 5
य॒ज्ञस्य॒ चक्षुः॒ प्रभृ॑ति॒र्मुखं॑ च वा॒चा श्रोत्रे॑ण॒ मन॑सा जुहोमि । इ॒मं य॒ज्ञं वित॑तं वि॒श्वक॑र्म॒णा दे॒वा य॑न्तु सुमन॒स्यमा॑नाः
Mata yajña, asalnya, dan mulutnya—dengan ucapan, dengan pendengaran, dengan pikiran aku mempersembahkan. Yajña ini, yang dibentangkan oleh Viśvakarman, semoga para Dewa mendekat, berkenan hati dan menyetujui dengan ramah.
Mantra 6
ये दे॒वाना॑मृ॒त्विजो॒ ये च॑ य॒ज्ञिया॒ येभ्यो॑ ह॒व्यं क्रि॒यते॑ भाग॒धेय॑म्। इ॒मं य॒ज्ञं स॒ह पत्नी॑भि॒रेत्य॒ याव॑न्तो दे॒वास्त॑वि॒षा मा॑दयन्ताम्
Biarlah mereka yang menjadi ṛtvij para dewa, dan mereka yang layak bagi yajña—yang bagi mereka persembahan dikerjakan sebagai bagian yang ditetapkan—datang ke yajña ini bersama para istri mereka; sebanyak apa pun para dewa yang ada, biarlah mereka bersukacita di sini dengan daya yang gagah.
Inside Sukta 58
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by naming Yajña as ghṛta’s driving force, harmonizing and god-attended, that increases the year through oblation (19.58.1).
- What it asks
That hearing, sight, and breath not be cut off; that the sacrificer remain ‘unshorn’ in lifespan and splendour, with prosperity extending to defended space and wealth.
- Where its power lies
The hymn treats correct offering and proper shares as intrinsically world-sustaining—when Yajña is fed, time, vitality, and social protection become firm and continuous.
- How it closes
Ends by summoning all gods (and their consorts) and the divine ‘priests’ to come, take their allotted portions, and rejoice in strength—thereby ratifying efficacy (19.58.6).
Famous verses
acchinnā vayam āyuṣo varcasaḥ
vrajaṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ … varmā sīvyadhvam
yāvanto devās taviṣā mādayantām
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Ayusya (Longevity)
What it is for
To maintain uninterrupted breath and senses, extend lifespan and radiance, and stabilize prosperity and communal security by empowering the yearly sacrifice and satisfying all divine claimants.
Who it is for
Householders and ritual patrons seeking longevity and splendour; officiants (Atharvanic/Śrauta-adjacent) using late AV liturgical material for yearly/seasonal reinforcement and protection of settlement and cattle.
Also used as
- Āyuṣya (longevity)
- Śāntika (stabilizing/auspicious)
- Rakṣoghna/Apotropaic (protective fortification imagery)
- Yājñika (rite-completion; divine satisfaction)
The deity
Yajña here is not merely a ritual act but a personified cosmic force that harmonizes gods and humans, enlarges the year (saṃvatsara), and preserves embodied faculties. Prāṇa (life-breath) and Varcas (splendour/effulgence) are treated as outcomes secured by the well-fed sacrifice, while the final verses broaden to the entire divine host who must be satisfied for the rite’s completeness.
Powers of the deity
- Strengthens and “grows” the yearly cycle (saṃvatsara-vardhana)
- Preserves unbroken prāṇa and protects sensory integrity (śrotra, cakṣus)
- Confers varcas (radiance, prestige, vigor) and āyus (longevity)
- Establishes concord between human performers and the divine order (sadeva, samanā)
- Creates protective fortification/varman imagery for community stability
- Ensures proper distribution and acceptance of bhāgadhéya (divine shares), making the rite efficacious
Why the deity is called
Invoked to keep life and faculties “unshorn,” to secure prosperity and durable splendour across the year, and to guarantee that all divine recipients accept their portions so the sacrifice succeeds without rupture.
The seer
- Atharvanic tradition (late AV anukramaṇī attribution varies)Atharvan. Paustika–āyuṣya charms that stabilize life-breath, senses, and radiance through sacrificial reinforcement; also protective (rakṣa/varman) formulae for settlement and cattle-wealth.
Other hymns of this seer
- AVŚ 19.57
- AVŚ 19.59
- AVŚ 19.60
- AVŚ 20.24 (parallel late liturgical invocations in some recensions)
Preparing for the rite
- Clean the ritual space and establish a small domestic or auxiliary yajña-fire (as appropriate to local practice).
- Prepare ghṛta and a simple havis portion (e.g., cooked grain or clarified-butter offering) reserved as bhāgadhéya for the gods.
- Seat the reciter facing east; maintain silence/mental steadiness to emphasize ‘unbroken’ (acchinna) continuity.
- If used for community protection, mark a boundary line or symbolic enclosure (vraja/puraḥ) around the intended protected area.
The rite
- Recite the hymn while offering ghṛta/havis in measured portions, aligning the intention with ‘growing the year’ and ‘uncut’ prāṇa/senses (cf. 19.58.1).
- On the protective verse(s) (e.g., 19.58.4), gesture outward (or circumambulate) to ‘build’ the enclosure and ‘sew on’ armour in speech—an Atharvanic performative act.
- Conclude by inviting the Viśve Devāḥ and divine consorts to approach, accept their shares, and rejoice, sealing the rite’s completion (cf. 19.58.6).
What it needs
- Ghṛta (ghee)
- Havis (simple oblation; grain, milk-rice, or equivalent)
- Āyas (iron/metal) symbol or implement for the ‘iron rampart’ motif (optional)
- Water for purification (optional)
When
Performed at a year-turning/seasonal junction, on an auspicious morning, or whenever longevity and ‘unbroken faculties’ are ritually reaffirmed; protective deployment suits times of threat to settlement/cattle.
The main substance
Ghṛta (ghee) as the energizing medium of Yajña
Amulets
- Iron/metal token (āyas) as a symbolic ‘rampart’ or ‘armour’ object (optional, context-dependent)
How it is prepared
Warm and clarify ghee; portion havis as a clean offering. If using the protective symbolism, keep a small iron piece near the boundary/enclosure while reciting the fortification verse(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
It asks that breath (prāṇa), hearing, and sight remain “uncut,” and that the reciter gain long life (āyus) and splendour (varcas) through a well-nourished, well-completed sacrifice.
Because the hymn views sacrifice as a living power that organizes time and vitality: when offerings are correctly given, the year is strengthened and human faculties are preserved in continuity.
It can be applied as a spoken fortification—recited to symbolically ‘build’ a boundary and ‘sew on’ armour for the community or cattle-wealth, reinforcing stability against hostile threats.
Ask anything about Sukta 58 of the Atharva Veda
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