Sukta 6
Devata: Ritual bandhu (sacrificial implements/acts as correlates of cosmic entities).
Chandas: Prose-like yajus-style formulation (not a regular ṛc-meter); often treated as anustubh-deficient/ritual prose in AV ritual sections.
AVŚ 9.6 は bandhu（対応関係）を説く讃歌であり、儀礼の素材と所作を、その権威ある宇宙的対応物および śrauta（正統祭式）的対応物へと「写像」することで、家内的／技術的な行為を正当な供犠の導管とする。barhis（祭草）、pavitra（濾し具）、水、祭余の副産物、敷設・塗布など、各器具をその真の儀礼的同一性として名指すことにより、正しさ（ṛta）を安定させ、儀礼が礼法上「係留を失って漂流する」ことを防ぐ。その力は精密な同定にあり、言葉（yajus に近い散文体）が供物空間と道具を、より大いなる供犠へ参与させる。
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अतिथि-सत्कारः। (१) यो वि॒द्याद् ब्रह्म॑ प्र॒त्यक्षं॒ परूं॑षि॒ यस्य॑ संभा॒रा ऋचो॒ यस्या॑नू॒क्यऽम्
（客の饗応）ブラフマン（Brahman）を知る者——それが諸肢において直に顕現するのを知る者；その備えがリグ（Ṛc）の詩句であり、その定められた誦唱がアヌーキヤー（Anūkyā）である者——
Mantra 2
सामा॑नि॒ यस्य॒ लोमा॑नि॒ यजु॒र्हृद॑यमु॒च्यते॑ परि॒स्तर॑णा॒मिद्ध॒विः
その毛はサーマン（Sāman）の詠唱、その心はヤジュス（Yajus）と呼ばれる；その敷き広げは燃え立つ供献である——
Mantra 3
यद् वा अति॑थिपति॒रति॑थीन् प्रति॒पश्य॑ति देव॒यज॑नं॒ प्रेक्ष॑ते
また、客の主（Atithipati）が客人たちを見渡すとき、まことにそれは神々への祭祀（devayajana）を見つめているのである。
Mantra 4
यद॑भि॒वद॑ति दी॒क्षामुपै॑ति॒ यदु॑द॒कं याच॑त्य॒पः प्र ण॑यति
彼が恭しく言葉を述べるとき、彼はディークシャー（dīkṣā：聖別の誓戒）に入る。水を求めるとき、彼は諸水（apah）を前へと導き出す。
Mantra 5
या ए॒व य॒ज्ञ आपः॑ प्रणी॒यन्ते॒ ता ए॒व ताः
祭儀において前へ導かれるその水こそ——まさにそれらが、これらなのである。
Mantra 6
यत् तर्प॑णमा॒हर॑न्ति॒ य ए॒वाग्नी॑षो॒मीयः॑ प॒शुर्ब॒ध्यते॒ स ए॒व सः
彼らがタルパナ（tarpana、滋養の供献）を運び来るとき――それこそまさに、縛られるアグニーショーミーヤの犠牲獣（Agnīṣomīya paśu）である。
Mantra 7
यदा॑वस॒थान् क॒ल्पय॑न्ति सदोहविर्धा॒नान्ये॒व तत् क॑ल्पयन्ति
彼らが宿営の場を整えるとき――それはまさに、サダス（Sadas）とハヴィルダーナ（Havirdhāna）を整えることにほかならない。
Mantra 8
यदु॑पस्तृ॒णन्ति॑ ब॒र्हिरे॒व तत्
彼らが下に敷き広げるもの――それこそまさしくバルヒス（Barhis、祭草の敷物）である。
Mantra 9
यदु॑परिशय॒नमा॒हर॑न्ति स्व॒र्गमे॒व तेन॑ लो॒कमव॑ रुन्द्धे
彼らが運び来る覆い――それによって、彼はまさしく自らのために天界（スヴァルガ）の世界を囲い定める。
Mantra 10
यत् क॑शिपूपबर्ह॒णमा॒हर॑न्ति परि॒धय॑ ए॒व ते
彼らが運び来る座の敷物（座布）――それらこそまさしくパリディ（Paridhi、祭壇を囲む薪木）である。
Mantra 11
यदा॑ञ्जनाभ्यञ्ज॒नमा॒हर॒न्त्याज्य॑मे॒व तत्
彼らが運び来る塗り膏（あんじな）——それはまことに酥油（ājya）である。
Mantra 12
यत् पु॒रा प॑रि॒वेषात् स्वा॒दमा॒हर॑न्ति पुरो॒डाशा॑वे॒व तौ
配膳の前に、彼らが美味なる分け前として運び来るもの——その二つはまことにプuroḍāśa（供餅）である。
Mantra 13
यद॑शन॒कृतं॒ ह्वय॑न्ति हवि॒ष्कृत॑मे॒व तद्ध्व॑यन्ति
彼らが「食のために作られた」と呼ぶもの、それこそまさに同じものを、彼らは「供物（havis）として作られた」と呼ぶ。
Mantra 14
ये व्री॒हयो॒ यवा॑ निरु॒प्यन्तें॒ऽशव॑ ए॒व ते
正しく供え置かれる米と大麦——それらは、まさしく一頭の馬である。
Mantra 15
यान्यु॑लूखलमुस॒लानि॒ ग्रावा॑ण ए॒व ते
臼と杵としてあるものはすべて——それらこそ、まことに搾り石（圧搾石）である。
Mantra 16
शूर्पं॑ प॒वित्रं॒ तुषा॑ ऋजी॒षाभि॒षव॑णी॒रापः॑
箕（ふるい）は浄めの具、殻（もみがら）はṛjīṣa、ここにある水は搾り水（圧搾の水）である。
Mantra 17
स्रुग् दर्वि॒र्नेक्ष॑णमा॒यव॑नं द्रोणकल॒शाः कु॒म्भ्योऽ वाय॒व्या॒ऽनि॒ पात्रा॑णी॒यमे॒व कृ॑ष्णाजि॒नम्
スルグ（srúg）の杓、ダルヴィー（darvī）の匙、灑水の器、導き上げる具；ドローナ（drona）の壺は鉢となり、器は風神ヴァーユ（Vāyu）に属す——これこそ、まことに黒羚羊の皮である。
Inside Sukta 6
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins by sacralizing the ritual locus through declarative identifications (yajus-like ‘this indeed is…’), establishing the rite’s frame as truly sacrificial.
- What it asks
That each implement and action be fixed in its correct bandhu so the procedure is pure, valid, and connected to the intended world/result.
- Where its power lies
Speech itself effects the correspondence: by naming the object as its śrauta/cosmic counterpart, the mantra makes it so, preventing loss of fruit through mismatch.
- How it closes
Concludes with further identifications and purificatory equivalences (notably involving pavitra/āpaḥ), sealing the rite’s integrity by completing the network of correspondences.
Famous verses
बर्हिरेव तत् (barhireva tat)सामानि यस्य लोमानि (sāmāni yasya lomāni)Kind of hymn
Śrauta/Pravargya–Agnihotra bandhu (Ritual-identification; not primarily Bhaisajya)
What it is for
To secure ritual correctness by establishing authoritative correspondences: implements, spreadings, byproducts, and waters are verbally fixed as their proper sacrificial identities, ensuring purity and efficacy.
Who it is for
Ritual specialists (atharvan/adhvaryu-aligned practitioners), householders performing domestic rites with śrauta-style correctness, and officiants standardizing implements and spaces.
Also used as
- Śrauta/Pravargya–Agnihotra bandhu (ritual-identification)
- Paustika (purificatory-technical homologies)
The deity
Not a single anthropomorphic deity, but the sacral principle that ritual objects and actions are ‘the same as’ their cosmic and śrauta forms; purity is guaranteed through Pavitra (the purifier) and Āpaḥ (consecrating waters).
Powers of the deity
- Establishes correct ritual identity (nāmadheya/bandhu) of implements and actions
- Confers sacrificial validity and right orientation of the offering-space
- Purifies tools, byproducts, and working waters by equating them with soma-rite purifiers
- Prevents error, mismatch, and loss of ritual fruit through misidentification
Why the deity is called
To ensure that what is done in a domestic or technical setting is recognized as fully sacrificial—each item is declared to be its true śrauta correlate—so the rite yields intended results without impurity or procedural fault.
The seer
- Anukramaṇī attribution uncertain for AVŚ 9.6Atharvan. Ritual-bandhu and technical identifications (yajus-style formulations) that secure sacrificial validity, purity, and correct correspondences between implements and cosmic/śrauta entities.
Other hymns of this seer
- AVŚ 9 (bandhu/ritual-identification cluster; exact hymn-level attributions require Anukramaṇī confirmation)
Preparing for the rite
- Arrange the working area as a miniature sacrificial space (clean ground, delineated place for spreadings).
- Lay out implements to be identified (grass/strewing, winnowing-fan, strainer/purifier, vessels, working waters).
- Prepare clean water for sprinkling/handling; keep byproducts (husks/chaff) separated but present for identification.
The rite
- Recite the hymn while touching or indicating each item as it is named (deictic identification).
- When stating an identity (e.g., ‘this is the barhis’), gesture to or place the item in its functional position.
- Use water as a purificatory medium during the identifications, especially where Āpaḥ/Pavitra are mentioned.
What it needs
- Barhis (sacrificial grass/strewing)
- Āpaḥ (clean waters)
- Pavitra/straining device (or symbolic purifier)
- Śūrpa (winnowing-fan)
- Tūṣa (husks/chaff)
When
During preparation and standardization of the offering-space and implements—immediately before or at the start of the relevant rite (agnihotra/pravargya-adjacent domestic analogue).
The main substance
Āpaḥ (purifying waters) and barhis (sacrificial strewing/grass)
How it is prepared
Keep water ritually clean for sprinkling/handling; lay and straighten barhis/strewing as the ground-layer; hold or indicate implements (śūrpa/pavitra) at the moment their bandhu-identities are spoken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bandhu is a ritual correspondence: the mantra states that a given tool or action is truly the same as its authoritative sacrificial/cosmic form, so the rite becomes valid and connected to its intended result.
Because ritual efficacy depends on correct sacral framing. By equating the fan with the purifier (pavitra) and husks with ṛjīṣa, the domestic process is aligned with soma-rite purity and order.
Not primarily. Its main function is śānti and ritual-technical correctness—purifying and validating the rite by fixing the identities of implements, spaces, and waters through bandhu statements.
Ask anything about Sukta 6 of the Atharva Veda
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