Sukta 16
Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic seer(s) associated with Uṣas/Bhaga prosperity hymns (Saunaka anukramaṇī attribution varies by hymn-unit).
Devata: Uṣas (Dawns), Bhaga (Fortune/Distributor), with Dadhikrāvan as simile-power
Chandas: Jagatī-like cadence (mixed; Atharvanic adaptation of RV-style dawn diction)
ಈ ಪೌಷ್ಟಿಕ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರವು ಉಷಸ್ಸಿನ (ಪ್ರಭಾತದ) ಸಂಧಿಕಾಲೀನ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಯಜ್ಞದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ತಂದುಕೊಡುವ’ ವಾಹಕವಾಗಿ ರೂಪಿಸಿ, ಭಗವನ್ನು—ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗೆ ನಿಗದಿಯಾದ ಪಾಲು, ಭಾಗ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅನುಭವಿಸಬಹುದಾದ ಸಮೃದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು—ಯಜಮಾನನ ಜೀವನಕ್ಕೆ ತರಲಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಮೃದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ದೇವರಿಂದ ವಿತರಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ಪಾಲು (ಭಗ) ಎಂದು ನಿರೂಪಿಸಿ, ಅದು ಎಲ್ಲ ವರ್ಗಗಳಿಗೂ ಲಭ್ಯವೆಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತದೆ; ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳು ಸಫಲವಾಗಲೆಂದು ಭಗನು ಮಾರ್ಗವನ್ನು ತೆರೆಯುವ ನಾಯಕನಂತೆ ಸಾಧಕನ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗಲಿ ಎಂದು ಬೇಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಋಗ್ವೇದೀಯ ಪ್ರಭಾತ-ಚಿತ್ರಣಗಳನ್ನು (ರಥ, ಬಹುಮಾನ ಗೆಲ್ಲುವ ಕುದುರೆಗಳು) ಅಳವಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ದಿನವೂ ವಿಧಿಯೂ ಆರಂಭವಾಗುವ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲೇ ಶುಭಭಾಗ್ಯವು ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಆಗಮಿಸಲಿ ಎಂದು ಸಾರುತ್ತದೆ.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
स्वस्तये प्रार्थना। प्रा॒तर॒ग्निं प्रा॒तरिन्द्रं॑ हवामहे प्रा॒तर्मि॒त्रावरु॑णा प्रा॒तर॒श्विना॑ । प्रा॒तर्भगं॑ पू॒षणं॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पतिं॑ प्रा॒तः सोम॑मु॒त रु॒द्रं ह॑वामहे
ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ (ಶುಭಕ್ಷೇಮ)ಗಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ: ಪ್ರಾತಃಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಅಗ್ನಿಯನ್ನು ಆವಾಹಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ; ಪ್ರಾತಃ ಇಂದ್ರನನ್ನು ಆವಾಹಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ; ಪ್ರಾತಃ ಮಿತ್ರ-ವರುಣರನ್ನು; ಪ್ರಾತಃ ಅಶ್ವಿನರನ್ನು. ಪ್ರಾತಃ ಭಗನನ್ನು, ಪೂಷಣನನ್ನು, ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣಸ್ಪತಿಯನ್ನು; ಪ್ರಾತಃ ಸೋಮನನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ರುದ್ರನನ್ನೂ ಆವಾಹಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ.
Mantra 2
प्रा॒त॒र्जितं॒ भग॑मु॒ग्रं ह॑वामहे व॒यं पु॒त्रमदि॑ते॒र्यो वि॑ध॒र्ता। आ॒ध्रश्चि॒द् यं मन्य॑मानस्तु॒रश्चि॒द् राजा॑ चि॒द् यं भगं॑ भ॒क्षीत्याह॑
ಪ್ರಾತಃಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಜಯಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ, ಉಗ್ರನಾದ ಭಗನನ್ನು ಆವಾಹಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ—ಅದಿತಿಯ ಪುತ್ರನನ್ನು, ವಿಧಾತಾ (ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥಾಪಕ/ನಿಯೋಜಕ)ನನ್ನು. ಆ ಭಗದಲ್ಲಿ ದೀನನೂ ‘ಇವನು ನನ್ನವನು’ ಎಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿ ಪಾಲುಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಬಲಿಷ್ಠನೂ; ಹೌದು, ರಾಜನೂ ಸಹ—ಆ ಭಗವನ್ನು ಭಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ.
Mantra 3
भग॒ प्रणे॑त॒र्भग॒ सत्य॑राधो॒ भगे॒मां धिय॒मुद॑वा॒ दद॑न्नः । भग॒ प्र णो॑ जनय॒ गोभि॒रश्वै॒र्भग॒ प्र नृभि॑र्नृ॒वन्तः॑ स्याम
ಓ ಭಗ, ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಯಕನೇ; ಓ ಭಗ, ಅಚಲ ದಾನಸಂಪನ್ನನೇ—ಓ ಭಗ, ನಮ್ಮ ಈ ಧಿಯನ್ನೂ (ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆಯನ್ನು) ಎತ್ತಿ, ನಮಗೆ ದಾನವನ್ನು ನೀಡು. ಓ ಭಗ, ಗೋವುಗಳೂ ಅಶ್ವಗಳೂ ಮೂಲಕ ನಮ್ಮ ವೃದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ಉಂಟುಮಾಡು; ಓ ಭಗ, ನರರ ಮೂಲಕ—ನಾವು ನರಸಂಪನ್ನರು (ನೃವಂತಃ) ಆಗಿರೋಣ.
Mantra 4
उ॒तेदानीं॒ भग॑वन्तः स्यामो॒त प्र॑पि॒त्व उ॒त मध्ये॒ अह्ना॑म्। उ॒तोदि॑तौ मघव॒न्त्सूर्य॑स्य व॒यं दे॒वानां॑ सुम॒तौ स्या॑म
ಮತ್ತು ಈಗಲೂ ನಾವು ಭಾಗ್ಯವಂತರು (ಭಗವಂತಃ) ಆಗಿರೋಣ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಪೂರ್ವಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ, ದಿನಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ. ಮತ್ತು ಸೂರ್ಯೋದಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಓ ಮಘವನ್ (ಉದಾರ ದಾತ), ನಾವು ದೇವರ ಸುಮತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇರೋಣ.
Mantra 5
भग॑ ए॒व भग॑वाँ अस्तु दे॒वस्तेना॑ व॒यं भग॑वन्तः स्याम । तं त्वा॑ भग॒ सर्व॒ इज्जो॑हवीमि॒ स नो॑ भग पुरए॒ता भ॑वे॒ह
ಭಗನೇ—ದೇವನು ಭಗವಾನ್ (ಸೌಭಾಗ್ಯದಾತ) ಆಗಿರಲಿ; ಅದರಿಂದ ನಾವು ಭಾಗ್ಯವಂತರು ಆಗಿರೋಣ. ಓ ಭಗ, ನಿನ್ನನ್ನೇ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಮರುಮರು ಜೋಹವಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ (ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ); ಓ ಭಗ, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮಿಗಾಗಿ ಪುರಏತಾ—ಮುಂದೆ ನಡೆಯುವ ನಾಯಕ—ಆಗು.
Mantra 6
सम॑ध्व॒रायो॒षसो॑ नमन्त दधि॒क्रावे॑व॒ शुच॑ये प॒दाय॑ । अ॒र्वा॒ची॒नं व॑सु॒विदं॒ भगं॑ मे॒ रथ॑मि॒वाश्वा॑ वा॒जिन॒ आ व॑हन्तु
ಯಜ್ಞಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಉಷಸ್ಸುಗಳು ಒಂದಾಗಿ ನಮಿಸಲಿ, ದಧಿಕ್ರಾವನ್ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಮಾನ ಪಥಕ್ಕೆ ನಮಿಸುವಂತೆ. ಬಹುಮಾನ-ಜಯಿ ವಾಜಿ ಅಶ್ವಗಳು ರಥದಂತೆ ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಭಗನನ್ನು—ವಸು-ವಿದ್, ಧನ-ಶೋಧಕ, ಭಾಗ್ಯದ ಪಾಲನ್ನು—ತಂದುಕೊಡಲಿ.
Mantra 7
अश्वा॑वती॒र्गोम॑तीर्न उ॒षा॑सो॑ वी॒रव॑तीः॒ सद॑मुछन्तु भ॒द्राः । घृ॒तं दुहा॑ना वि॒श्वतः॒ प्रपी॑ता यू॒यं पा॑त स्व॒स्तिभिः॒ सदा॑ नः
ಅಶ್ವಸಮೃದ್ಧ, ಗೋಸಮೃದ್ಧ, ವೀರಸಮೃದ್ಧ—ಹೇ ಉಷಸ್ಸುಗಳೇ—ಶುಭ ಉಷಸ್ಸುಗಳು ಪ್ರತಿದಿನ ನಮ್ಮಿಗಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸಲಿ; ಘೃತವನ್ನು ದೋಹುತ್ತ, ಎಲ್ಲ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಿಂದ ತೃಪ್ತರಾಗಿರುವಿರಿ. ಕಲ್ಯಾಣದ ಆಶೀರ್ವಾದಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನೀವು ಸದಾ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿರಿ.
Inside Sukta 16
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by calling Bhaga at morning as the ‘won and mighty’ Āditya, stressing his role as ordainer and distributor of portions.
- What it asks
That Bhaga—wealth-finding and hitherward—be brought swiftly like a chariot drawn by prize-winning horses, and that the Dawns incline to the rite to make the path bright and successful.
- Where its power lies
Prosperity is portrayed as a divinely legitimate allotment: even the needy, the strong, and the king partake of Bhaga; therefore the reciter can ritually claim their rightful share without contradiction.
- How it closes
It culminates in repeated communal invocation—‘all call on Bhaga’—and seals the charm by asking Bhaga to be ‘puraetā,’ the one who goes in front here and now, leading the patron into success.
Famous verses
prātár … bhágaṃ havāmahe
sa no bhaga puraetā bhaveha
arvācīnaṃ … bhagaṃ me … ā vahantu
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Saubhagya (Good-fortune)
What it is for
To obtain and stabilize the practitioner’s allotted prosperity (bhaga)—wealth, sustenance, and success—especially at the start of the day/rite, with Bhaga leading the way and removing impediments to gain.
Who it is for
Householders, patrons beginning ventures (trade, travel, agriculture, litigation, royal or civic tasks), and ritualists seeking auspicious starts and dependable daily prosperity.
Also used as
- Saubhagya (good-fortune)
- Svastyayana (well-being/auspiciousness)
- Shantika (obstacle-calming at beginnings)
The deity
Uṣas is the renewing threshold that opens paths and sets rites in motion; Bhaga is the divine distributor who allots each being a rightful share—wealth, food, success, and enjoyment. Dadhikrāvan (the swift, shining racer) functions as a comparison that intensifies speed, purity, and straight progress on the ‘bright track’ of the rite.
Powers of the deity
- Opens the day and clears obstacles at beginnings (Uṣas)
- Allots and delivers one’s rightful portion of wealth and enjoyment (Bhaga)
- Makes prosperity socially universal—accessible to needy, strong, and king alike (Bhaga as impartial distributor)
- Leads from the front (puraetā), ensuring safe passage and success in undertakings (Bhaga)
- Accelerates arrival of benefits like prize-winning horses drawing a chariot (Uṣas/Bhaga imagery)
- Purifies and brightens the ritual path, aligning human action with cosmic order (ṛta)
Why the deity is called
To secure an auspicious dawn-opening for the rite and to attract Bhaga as the tangible ‘share’ of fortune—so wealth, food, and success come quickly, and Bhaga precedes the patron as a protective leader in present enterprises.
The seer
- Atharvanic seer(s) of the Uṣas–Bhaga prosperity cycle (anukramaṇī varies)Atharvan. Paustika and saubhāgya charms: securing one’s ‘share’ (bhaga), auspicious beginnings at dawn, leadership/protection for journeys and enterprises, and stabilizing household prosperity through daily invocation.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 3.15 (prosperity/saubhāgya cluster, allied diction)
- AV 3.17 (adjacent paustika materials in the same hymn-unit tradition)
- RV 7.41 (Bhaga hymn, stylistic source-parallel often echoed in Atharvanic Bhaga litanies)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place facing east before sunrise; kindle or prepare the domestic fire if customary.
- Perform basic purity acts: washing hands/face; optional sipping of water (ācamana) and mental resolve (saṅkalpa) for ‘bhaga-prāpti’ (attainment of one’s share).
- Arrange a simple offering setup: water vessel, a small portion of food (grain/ghee) or symbolic ‘share’ to be enjoyed after recitation.
- If undertaking a journey/enterprise, place footwear/vehicle token or a small travel emblem to the east as a ‘path’ symbol.
The rite
- Recite the 7 mantras at dawn, maintaining the sense of ‘bringing Bhaga hither’ (arvācīnam).
- At key lines (e.g., ‘a̱rvā̱cī̱naṃ … bhaga̍ṃ me̱ … ā va̍hantu’), gesture inward or toward the heart/house threshold as the receiving locus.
- Offer a small oblation (ghee or grain) or pour a libation of water at the conclusion, then partake of a measured portion of food as the enacted ‘share’ (bhakṣ- motif).
- For leadership/protection intent, conclude with a brief forward step or touching the doorway/threshold, enacting Bhaga as puraetā (going-before).
What it needs
- Water (for purity/libation)
- Simple food portion (grain, milk, or ghee) as the ‘share’ to be enjoyed
- Optional: a small token representing the venture (coin, tool, travel strap)
When
At dawn (prātar), ideally in the first light before or at sunrise; repeated daily for sustained prosperity or performed immediately before a new undertaking.
The main substance
Dawn-time (Uṣas) as the operative ‘temporal substance’ enabling arrival of Bhaga
Amulets
- Optional venture-token (coin/tool/travel strap) kept as a ‘Bhaga-reminder’ and carried when beginning work
How it is prepared
No fixed herbal preparation is required; enact the ‘share’ by setting aside a small portion of food or ghee before recitation, offering a bit, then consuming the remainder as the received bhaga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bhaga is an Āditya who distributes each person’s rightful portion—wealth, food, enjoyment, and success. The hymn treats prosperity as an allotted share that can be invoked at dawn.
Dawn is the threshold that ‘opens the path’ for the day and for the rite. By aligning the recitation with first light, the hymn makes fortune arrive at the beginning, when outcomes are being set in motion.
Recite it facing east at dawn, keep a small portion of food or ghee as the symbolic ‘share,’ offer a little, and then partake of the rest. If starting a venture, ask Bhaga to go before you (puraetā) and then begin the work immediately after recitation.
Ask anything about Sukta 16 of the Atharva Veda
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