Sukta 40
Sukta 5.40
Atri (Ātreya) (Mandala 5 context; RV 5.40 also Atri-associated)
Indra (Soma-pati, Vṛtrahantama)
Gayatri (probable refrain-like compact form; exact meter not guaranteed from provided data)
ຄຳສັດຕະສັນຂອງພຣະຄີນນີ້ອັດທຸນະອິນທຣະເປັນພຣະຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າໂສມະ ແລະ ຜູ້ປາບຊົນວຣຣະຕາຍສູງສຸດ ໃຫ້ເສດສະເດັດມາຍັງໂສມະທີ່ຄັດ ແລະ ປະທານພຣະກຳລັງແຮງແຫ່ງຊັນຊະນະແກ່ຜູ້ບູຊາ. ຈາກນັ້ນໄດ້ເລົ່ານິທານອັດຣິທີ່ມີຊື່ສຽງ: ອະສູຣະສະວາຣະພານຸ ໄດ້ປິດບັງສູຣິຍະໃນຄວາມມືດ, ໂລກທັງປວງຕົກເຂົ້າໃນຄວາມສັບຈະຮົກ, ແລະ ອັດຣິທັງຫຼາຍ ໂດຍຜ່ານຄວາມເຫັນແຈ້ງ ແລະ ພຣະຄາຖາ ໄດ້ຊອກຫາດວງຕາເວັນທີ່ຊອບຊ້ອນ ຟື້ນຟູແສງສະຫວ່າງ ແລະ ຄວາມເປັນລະບຽບຂອງໂລກ.
Mantras
Mantra 1
आ याह्यद्रिभिः सुतं सोमं सोमपते पिब । वृषन्निन्द्र वृषभिर्वृत्रहन्तम ॥
ຈົ່ງມາຫາສົມາທີ່ຄົ້ນດ້ວຍຫີນ, ຈົ່ງດື່ມໂອ ພຣະຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າຂອງສົມາ. ໂອ ອິນທຣະຜູ້ເປັນຂຸນ, ຈົ່ງມາດ້ວຍພະລັງຂອງຂຸນ, ຜູ້ທຳລາຍວຣິຕຣະຜູ້ມີພະລັງຫຼາຍ, ເພື່ອພະລັງຈະຕື່ນຂຶ້ນແລະໄຊຊະນະໃນພວກເຮົາ.
Mantra 2
वृषा ग्रावा वृषा मदो वृषा सोमो अयं सुतः । वृषन्निन्द्र वृषभिर्वृत्रहन्तम ॥
ຫີນຄົ້ນເປັນຂຸນ, ຄວາມເມດົນເປັນຂຸນ, ສົມາທີ່ຄົ້ນນີ້ເປັນຂຸນ, ສະນັ້ນ ໂອ ອິນທຣະຜູ້ເປັນຂຸນ, ຈົ່ງມາດ້ວຍພະລັງຂອງຂຸນ, ຜູ້ທຳລາຍວຣິຕຣະຜູ້ມີພະລັງຫຼາຍ, ເພື່ອຄວາມສຸກທີ່ເພີ່ມພະລັງຈະໄຊຊະນະໃນພວກເຮົາ.
Mantra 3
वृषा त्वा वृषणं हुवे वज्रिञ्चित्राभिरूतिभिः । वृषन्निन्द्र वृषभिर्वृत्रहन्तम ॥
ໃນຖານະຂຸນ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮຽກຮ້ອງເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ຜູ້ຖືວັດທະຍາ, ດ້ວຍການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອຫຼາຍສີ, ໂອ ອິນທຣະຜູ້ເປັນຂຸນ, ຈົ່ງມາດ້ວຍພະລັງຂອງຂຸນ, ຜູ້ທຳລາຍວຣິຕຣະຜູ້ມີພະລັງຫຼາຍ, ຈົ່ງນຳເອົາພະລັງແຫ່ງຊັຊຊະນະເຂົ້າໃນຕົວເຮົາ.
Mantra 4
ऋजीषी वज्री वृषभस्तुराषाट् छुष्मी राजा वृत्रहा सोमपावा । युक्त्वा हरिभ्यामुप यासदर्वाङ्माध्यंदिने सवने मत्सदिन्द्रः ॥
ອິນທຣະ, ຜູ້ຖືວັດທະຍາທີ່ເຂັ້ມແຂງ, ຂຸນແຫ່ງພະລັງ, ຜູ້ຊະນະທີ່ບໍ່ສາມາດຕ້ານທານໄດ້, ກະສັດຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ແລະຜູ້ທຳລາຍຜູ້ຂັດຂວາງ, ຜູ້ດື່ມແລະຜູ້ຊຳລະສົມາ, ໄດ້ຄີດພະລັງງານສອງສີທອງ, ແລ້ວມາໃກ້, ຫັນມາຫາພວກເຮົາ, ໃນພິທີຄົ້ນກາງວັນ ພຣະອົງປະທັບໃນຄວາມເມດົນ.
Mantra 5
यत्त्वा सूर्य स्वर्भानुस्तमसाविध्यदासुरः । अक्षेत्रविद्यथा मुग्धो भुवनान्यदीधयुः ॥
ເມື່ອສວາຣະພານຸ ອັສູຣິກ ຕີເຈົ້າ ໂອ ພະອາທິຕຍະ, ດ້ວຍຄວາມມືດ, ໂລກຕ່າງໆກໍສັບສົນ, ຄືກັບຜູ້ບໍ່ຮູ້ທົ່ງນາຈະຫຼົງທາງ ແລະບໍ່ສາມາດຈັດແສງສະຫວ່າງໃຫ້ຖືກຕ້ອງ.
Mantra 6
स्वर्भानोरध यदिन्द्र माया अवो दिवो वर्तमाना अवाहन् । गूळ्हं सूर्यं तमसापव्रतेन तुरीयेण ब्रह्मणाविन्ददत्रिः ॥
ຈົນເມື່ອກົນລະຍຸດຂອງສວາຣະພານຸ ເຄື່ອນທີ່ຢູ່ໃຕ້ສະຫວັນ ໂອ ອິນທຣະ, ແລະກົ່ມມັນລົງ, ອາຕຣິ ໂດຍພະລັງອັນທີສີ່ຂອງພະຄຳ ໄດ້ຊອກຫາພະອາທິຕຍະ ທີ່ເຊື່ອນຢູ່ໃນຄວາມມືດ ທີ່ຫັນໜີຈາກກົດໝາຍທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງ.
Mantra 7
मा मामिमं तव सन्तमत्र इरस्या द्रुग्धो भियसा नि गारीत् । त्वं मित्रो असि सत्यराधास्तौ मेहावतं वरुणश्च राजा ॥
ຈົ່ງຢ່າໃຫ້ຜູ້ນີ້ ຜູ້ເປັນຂອງເຈົ້າ ໂອ ອາຕຣິ, ຖືກທຳລາຍດ້ວຍຄວາມຢ້ານຍ້ອນອັນຕະລາຍຂອງຄວາມອິດສາ. ເຈົ້າເປັນມິຕຣະ ຜູ້ສຳເລັດຄວາມຈິງ, ຈົ່ງປົກປ້ອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້ ໂດຍທັງສອງເຈົ້າ, ມິຕຣະ ແລະ ພະຣາຊາ ວະຣຸນ.
Mantra 8
ग्राव्णो ब्रह्मा युयुजानः सपर्यन्कीरिणा देवान्नमसोपशिक्षन् । अत्रिः सूर्यस्य दिवि चक्षुराधात्स्वर्भानोरप माया अघुक्षत् ॥
ພຣະພາມະນະ ໄດ້ຕັ້ງຫີນຄົ້ນໃຫ້ເຮັດວຽກ, ເຄົາຮັບບູຊາ, ສັ່ງສອນພະເຈົ້າດ້ວຍການນະມັດສະການ ແລະ ຄຳສັງກີຕະ, ອາຕຣິ ໄດ້ສ້າງຕາຂອງພະອາທິຕຍະໃນສະຫວັນ ແລະ ໄດ້ຄົ້ນເອົາກົນລະຍຸດຂອງສວາຣະພານຸ ອອກໄປ.
Mantra 9
यं वै सूर्यं स्वर्भानुस्तमसाविध्यदासुरः । अत्रयस्तमन्वविन्दन्नह्यन्ये अशक्नुवन् ॥
ພະອາທິຕຍະ ຜູ້ທີ່ສວາຣະພານຸ ອັສູຣິກ ຕີດ້ວຍຄວາມມືດ, ພວກອາຕຣິ ໄດ້ຕິດຕາມ ແລະ ຊອກຫາພຣະອົງ, ບໍ່ມີຜູ້ອື່ນມີພະລັງສາມາດເຮັດໄດ້.
Inside Sukta 40
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A direct, urgent invitation: Indra is called to the freshly pressed Soma to drink and awaken victorious force in the worshippers.
- Development
The hymn expands from ritual invocation to cosmic drama—darkness strikes the Sun, and the worlds become disoriented like one who has lost the field-path.
- Climax
The Atris ‘follow and find’ the hidden Sun—none others can—signaling the decisive turning from obscuration to recovered light.
- Where it settles
Order is re-established through seer-power aligned with Indra’s victory; the hymn’s purpose returns to empowerment, protection, and renewed brightness for the community.
The deity: Indra with an embedded Sūrya-restoration episode
- In the VedaIndra is hailed as the bull-like hero who drinks Soma, delights in strength, and breaks obstructing powers; he is repeatedly invoked to come to the pressing and make the sacrificer victorious. In the hymn’s narrative layer, the restoration of Sūrya from Svàrbhānu’s darkness is celebrated through Atri-seer power, aligning Indra’s victory motif with the return of light.
- Cosmic functionHe upholds ṛta by shattering obstruction (Vṛtra/covering darkness), releasing light and vital flow, and ensuring the regular return of brightness and order in the worlds.
- Inner significanceIndra signifies awakened will and luminous courage that defeats inner ‘coverings’—fear, confusion, inertia—so the mind’s sun (clarity) reappears and right orientation is restored.
The seer
- Atri (Ātreya); traditionally Atri Bhāuma for RV 5.40Ātreya (Atri-gotra) · One of the primeval ṛṣis (saptaṛṣi), famed in the Rig Veda for mantra-power that restores cosmic order—especially the tradition of ‘finding’ the Sun during the Svàrbhānu darkness (eclipse motif).
Famous verses
ā yāhy adribhiḥ sutaṃ somaṃ somapate piba
svarbhānus tamasāvidhyat
atrayas tam anv avindan
Attributes of the deity
- Soma-drinker (Soma-pati)
- Vṛtra-slayer (Vṛtrahantama)
- Bull-like vigor (vṛṣan)
- Bestower of victory and strength
- Restorer of light/order through overcoming obscuration
- Swiftly invoked guest of the sacrifice
Also by this seer
- Atri/Ātreya hymns in Rig Veda Mandala 5 (a major family book associated with the Atris)
- Later Vedic-Itihāsa-Purāṇic memory of Atri as a foundational seer and progenitor of the Ātreya line
- Atri traditions connected with solar restoration and protective/clarifying prayers in ritual recitation lineages
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the altar and seat the deity through preliminary invocations (āhvāna).
- Press Soma with stones (adri), strain and ready it for offering.
- Invite Indra explicitly as Soma-pati to come and drink (as in 5.40.1).
- Offer Soma with accompanying mantras; request vṛṣan-strength and victory over obstacles.
- Recite the Svàrbhānu–Sūrya episode as a charm of restoration: from bewilderment to recovered light (5.40.5, 5.40.9).
- Conclude with thanksgiving and reaffirmation of restored order and protection for the sacrificer/community.
Offerings
- Soma juice (primary)
- Ghee/clarified butter (supporting oblation)
- Optional: grains/cakes used alongside Soma rites in broader sequences
Frequently Asked Questions
It begins as a Soma-invocation to Indra for strength and victory, and it also preserves a famous story where darkness covers the Sun and the Atris restore the lost light.
Svàrbhānu is described as an Asuric being who strikes the Sun with darkness, causing confusion in the worlds—often understood as a Vedic eclipse motif or a symbol of cosmic obstruction.
The hymn says the Atris ‘followed and found’ the hidden Sun when others could not, presenting the seer-family’s mantra-power as capable of restoring clarity, order, and light.
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