Sukta 5
Rishi: Atharvan (traditional attribution for stambhana/nidrā material; hymn-level attribution varies by anukramaṇī)
Devata: Nidrā / Stambhana (functional ‘deity’), with Indra invoked indirectly via epithet
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant in this cluster)
本讃歌は、周囲一帯の警戒を封じるスタンバナ（麻痺・拘束）とニドラー（睡眠誘発）の呪であり、風・視覚・動き・覚醒を止めて、行者が気づかれずに通り抜けることを目的とする。女たちや番犬をも含め、万物にまどろみを命じる反復がありつつ、ただ一つの例外として、術者のみは目覚めたまま害を受けないよう定められ、因陀羅の不可侵性になぞらえて守護される。
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
स्वापनम्। स॒हस्र॑शृङ्गो वृष॒भो यः स॑मु॒द्रादु॒दाच॑रत्। तेना॑ सह॒स्येऽना व॒यं नि जना॑न्त्स्वापयामसि
眠り——海より現れ出た千角の牡牛よ。その力によって、力ある者よ、われらは必ず人々を眠りへと沈ませる。
Mantra 2
न भूमिं॒ वातो॒ अति॑ वाति॒ नाति॑ पश्यति॒ कश्च॒न। स्त्रिय॑श्च॒ सर्वाः॑ स्वा॒पय॒ शुन॒श्चेन्द्र॑सखा॒ चर॑न्
風よ、大地を越えて吹き過ぎるな。誰一人として外へ見張り、覗き見ることなかれ。すべての女たちを眠りに落とし、また歩き回る犬――インドラ（Indra）の友――をも眠らせよ。
Mantra 3
प्रो॒ष्ठे॒श॒यास्त॑ल्पेश॒या नारी॒र्या व॑ह्य॒शीव॑रीः । स्त्रियो॒ याः पुण्य॑गन्धय॒स्ताः सर्वाः॑ स्वापयामसि
外の寝台に横たわる女、床に横たわる女、外へ連れ出されてざわめき動く女。吉祥の香りを帯び、芳しくある女――そのすべてを、我らはことごとく眠りに就かせる。
Mantra 4
एज॑देजदजग्रभं॒ चक्षुः॑ प्रा॒णम॑जग्रभम्। अङ्गा॑न्यजग्रभं॒ सर्वा॑ रात्री॑णामतिशर्व॒रे
動くものも動かぬものも、われはことごとく捉えた。眼を捉え、息（プラーナ prāṇa）を捉え、諸々の肢体を捉えた――あらゆる夜、最も暗く、さらに暗き夜において。
Mantra 5
य आस्ते॒ यश्चर॑ति॒ यश्च॒ तिष्ठ॑न्वि॒पश्य॑ति । तेषां॒ सं द॑ध्मो॒ अक्षी॑णि॒ यथे॒दं ह॒र्म्यं तथा॑
坐す者、歩む者、立って遠くを見渡す者――そのすべての眼を、われらは合わせて（閉じて）しまう。ちょうどこの家が（閉ざされている）ように、かくあれ。
Mantra 6
स्वप्तु॑ मा॒ता स्वप्तु॑ पि॒ता स्वप्तु॒ श्वा स्वप्तु॑ वि॒श्पतिः॑ । स्वप॑न्त्वस्यै ज्ञा॒तयः॒ स्वप्त्व॒यम॒भितो॒ जनः॑
母よ眠れ、父よ眠れ。犬よ眠れ、家の主よ眠れ。彼女の親族も眠れ。この周りの人々も皆、眠れ。
Mantra 7
स्वप्न॑ स्वप्नाभि॒कर॑णेन॒ सर्वं॒ नि स्वापया॒ जन॑म्। ओ॒त्सू॒र्यम॒न्यान्त्स्वा॒पया॑व्यु॒षं जा॑गृताद॒हमिन्द्र॑ इ॒वारि॑ष्टो॒ अक्षि॑तः
眠りよ、夢をなす呪力によって、すべての民をことごとく眠りに沈めよ。太陽が昇るまで、ほかの者たちを眠らせよ。だが私は、目覚めの中にあって目覚めている――インドラのごとく、害されず、尽きることなく。
Inside Sukta 5
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn begins by addressing Sleep/Dream as an active force capable of spreading over a space and subduing awareness.
- What it asks
Put everyone into sleep and non-perception—no roaming, no looking out; close the eyes of all regardless of posture or activity, and pacify watchdogs/companions.
- Where its power lies
The charm claims effective ‘binding’ by direct imperative speech: eyes are ‘set together’ like a sealed house; the whole scene is stilled (wind, watchers, movement).
- How it closes
It ends with a protective exception: others sleep until sunrise, while the reciter stays awake, uninjured and undiminished, ‘like Indra’ (ariṣṭa, akṣita).
Famous verses
striyaś ca sarvāḥ svāpaya śunaś cendra-sakhāḥ
teṣāṃ saṃ dadhmo akṣīṇi
jāgṛtād aham indra ivāriṣṭo akṣitaḥ
Kind of hymn
Abhicarika (Sorcery) / Stambhana (Paralysis, Sleep-induction)
What it is for
A targeted ‘sensory shutdown’ of the environment—sleep, eye-closure, and reduced vigilance—so the operator can act without being seen, challenged, or pursued.
Who it is for
A practitioner of Atharvanic rites (mantrin) seeking stealth, escape, or unobserved passage; also applicable where night-operations require disabling guards and watchers.
Also used as
- Stambhana (paralysis/binding)
- Nidrā/Svapna (sleep & dream-working)
- Rakṣā (self-protection for the operator)
The deity
Personified Sleep and Dream as a functional power that ‘binds’ faculties—eyes, mind, motion, and alertness—producing a controlled blackout of perception. Indra appears as an indirect paradigm of the operator’s protected wakefulness (ariṣṭa, akṣita).
Powers of the deity
- Induces sleep in groups and individuals
- Closes/‘sets together’ the eyes (cakṣus-nirodha) and dulls perception
- Quiets movement and roaming guardians (including dogs)
- Creates a perimeter of non-noticing (apratyavekṣaṇa)
- Allows selective exemption: keeps the practitioner awake and safe until sunrise
Why the deity is called
To render bystanders and protectors insensible and non-observant, enabling stealth or undisturbed action, while safeguarding the reciter’s alertness and bodily integrity.
The seer
- AtharvanAtharvan. Abhicārika and rakṣā-oriented charms, especially stambhana (binding/paralysis), nidrā/svapna (sleep and dream-working), and sensory ‘closing’ rites (cakṣus-stambhana).
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.6 (stambhana/binding cluster, traditional)
- AV 6.46 (sleep/drowsing material, traditional)
- AV 19.47 (nidrā/svapna related tradition, late Atharvanic)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a secluded spot near the target area; maintain silence and controlled breath.
- Set a clear saṅkalpa: ‘others sleep; I remain awake and unharmed until sunrise.’
- Orient awareness to thresholds—doors, windows, lanes—imagining them ‘sealed’ like a closed house (hārmya).
The rite
- Recite the hymn in a low, steady voice, projecting the command outward (women, dog/guardians, all who sit/walk/stand).
- On verses about sight, gesture as if ‘closing’ eyelids or ‘joining’ the eyes (cakṣus-saṃdāna) of the watchers.
- On the final verse, affirm the operator’s exemption: remain wakeful and protected ‘like Indra.’
What it needs
- None required by the text (voice, intention, and visualization are primary).
When
Nighttime, especially before entry/passage; efficacy is framed ‘until sunrise’ (ut sūryam).
Frequently Asked Questions
It aims to make nearby people and guardians drowsy and unobservant—especially by ‘closing’ their eyes—so the practitioner can act without being detected.
Indra functions as a protective paradigm: the hymn asks that others sleep, but the reciter remain awake, unharmed, and undiminished ‘like Indra.’
Not in the verses provided: it works primarily through spoken command, analogy (the sealed house), and the operator’s stated intention to keep others asleep until sunrise.
Ask anything about Sukta 5 of the Atharva 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 Atharva 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.
