Sukta 5
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (Indra-Soma invitation type; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī lists).
Devata: Indra (as Soma-drinker and bestower of vigor).
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (invitation style; metrical classification may vary by recension/anukramaṇī).
Mantras
Mantra 1
इन्द्रस्य वीर्याणि। इन्द्र॑ जु॒षस्व॒ प्र व॒हा या॑हि शूर॒ हरि॑भ्याम्। पिबा॑ सु॒तस्य॑ म॒तेरि॒ह मधो॑श्चका॒नश्चारु॒र्मदा॑य
The heroic powers of Indra. O Indra, take thou delight: drive forth, come hither, O hero, with thy two bay steeds. Drink here of the pressed draught, of the inspired intent, of the honeyed sweetness—rejoicing, gracious—for exhilaration.
Mantra 2
इन्द्र॑ ज॒ठरं॑ न॒व्यो न पृ॒णस्व॒ मधो॑र्दि॒वो न। अ॒स्य सु॒तस्य॒ स्व॑१र्णोप॑ त्वा॒ मदाः॑ सु॒वाचो॑ अगुः
O Indra, fill thy belly, as with fresh draught; as with the honey of heaven. Of this pressed Soma, with fair praise, the raptures—well-spoken—have come unto thee.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र॑स्तुरा॒षाण्मि॒त्रो वृ॒त्रं यो ज॒घान॑ य॒तीर्न। बि॒भेद॑ व॒लं भृगु॒र्न स॑सहे॒ शत्रू॒न् मदे॒ सोम॑स्य
Indra the Overmasterer, and Mitra—he who smote Vṛtra—(he) brake the Yatis; he clave Vala asunder; like Bhṛgu he prevailed against the foes, in the exhilaration of Soma.
Mantra 4
आ त्वा॑ विशन्तु सु॒तास॑ इन्द्र पृ॒णस्व॑ कु॒क्षी वि॒ड्ढि श॑क्र धि॒येह्या नः॑ । श्रु॒धी हवं॒ गिरो॑ मे जुष॒स्वेन्द्र॑ स्व॒युग्भि॒र्मत्स्वे॒ह म॒हे रणा॑य
Let the pressed draughts enter thee, O Indra; fill thou thy flanks: smite through, O Mighty, with inspired thought; come hither unto us. Hear thou the call; accept my uttered songs, O Indra; with thine own yoked teams be thou exhilarate here, for the great battle.
Mantra 5
इन्द्र॑स्य॒ नु प्रा वो॑चं वी॒र्याऽणि॒ यानि॑ च॒कार॑ प्रथ॒मानि॑ व॒ज्री। अह॒न्नहि॒मन्व॒पस्त॑तर्द॒ प्र व॒क्षणा॑ अभिन॒त् पर्व॑तानाम्
Now will I forth proclaim the heroic powers of Indra, which first of all the Thunder-armed hath wrought. He smote the Serpent; thereafter he clave a passage for the waters; he rent asunder the flanks of the mountains.
Mantra 6
अह॒न्नहिं॒ पर्व॑ते शिश्रिया॒णं त्वष्टा॑स्मै॒ वज्रं॑ स्व॒र्यं ऽ ततक्ष । वा॒श्रा इ॑व धे॒नवः॒ स्यन्द॑माना॒ अञ्जः॑ समु॒द्रमव॑ जग्मु॒रापः॑
He smote the Serpent, couched upon the mountain; Tvaṣṭṛ for him wrought the thunderbolt, heaven-winning. Like lowing milch-cows, streaming forth, the Waters straightway went down unto the sea.
Mantra 7
वृषा॒यमा॑णो अवृणीत॒ सोमं॒ त्रिक॑द्रुकेष्वपिबत् सु॒तस्य॑ । आ साय॑कं म॒घवा॑दत्त॒ वज्र॒मह॑न्नेनं प्रथम॒जामही॑नाम्
Waxing bull-like, he chose the Soma; at the three pressings he drank of the pressed. Then the Bounteous took in hand the missile, the thunderbolt; and he smote him, the first-born of the serpents.
Frequently Asked Questions
For paustika aims—building strength, fullness, and success—especially before a demanding task or contest; it also serves to ‘break obstruction’ by invoking Indra’s Vṛtra/Ahi-slaying power.
Because Indra’s Soma-exhilaration is treated as the engine of his power: once ‘filled’ by the pressed draught and praise, he becomes the active force that grants vigor and victory to the patron.
Traditional framing presumes Soma, but Atharvanic practice often allows a clean sweet substitute (madhu) and, most importantly, the ‘verbal offering’—clear, well-uttered praise (giraḥ/su-vāc) with focused intention.
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