Sukta 16
Rishi: Atharvanic compiler tradition (commonly assigned by Anukramaṇī)
Devata: Savitar and Bṛhaspati; ‘All the Gods’ as confirming assembly
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical verification)
ഈ ഏകമന്ത്ര പൗഷ്ടിക സൂക്തം സവിതാവിനെയും ബൃഹസ്പതിയെയും പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ച്, ഉപകാരഭോക്താവിന്റെ ജീവശക്തിയും മനസ്സിന്റെ വ്യക്തതയും സമൂഹത്തിൽ പ്രകാശിക്കുന്ന ‘സൗഭാഗ്യം’ (saubhāgya)യും വർധിപ്പിക്കണമെന്നു അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നു. അവൻ പൂർണ്ണമായി ‘വിജയത്തിനായി സജ്ജനായവൻ’ ആയി നിലകൊള്ളട്ടെ, തടസ്സങ്ങളെ അതിക്രമിക്കട്ടെ, കൂടാതെ എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരുടെയും സമ്മതവും അനുഗ്രഹവും—സ്ഥിരീകരിക്കുന്ന ദൈവസഭയായി—ലഭിച്ച് സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്യപ്പെടട്ടെ എന്നും പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുന്നു.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Inside Sukta 16
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Direct address to Savitar and Bṛhaspati, with Savitar repeated for emphasis and immediacy.
- What it asks
‘Increase him; illumine him unto great good fortune’—a combined petition for growth, clarity, and auspicious destiny.
- Where its power lies
Even if already ‘well-whetted’ and ‘well-overpassing’ (ready and capable), the mantra asks to be ‘wholly set’ to success—implying total efficacy and completion.
- How it closes
A communal divine ratification: ‘Let all the gods rejoice in him and follow him with favor,’ sealing the boon with universal assent.
Famous verses
mahate saubhagāya
saṃ śiśādhi
viśva enaṃ anu madantu devāḥ
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Saubhagya (Good-fortune)
What it is for
To increase the beneficiary’s prosperity and auspicious standing, brighten their life-force and reputation, ensure success and obstacle-crossing capacity, and obtain universal divine endorsement.
Who it is for
Householders and patrons seeking prosperity, students/initiates seeking brilliance and success, leaders or petitioners beginning a venture where public and divine approval is desired.
Also used as
- Saubhagya (good-fortune)
- Shantika (stabilizing auspiciousness/averting impediments)
The deity
Savitar is the impelling, vivifying solar power that ‘sets in motion’ growth, brilliance, and auspicious destiny; Bṛhaspati is brahmanic lordship—prayer-force, wise counsel, and victorious leadership. ‘All the Gods’ function as the wider divine sanction that validates and stabilizes the requested fortune.
Powers of the deity
- Increase and prosperity-bestowal (vardhana)
- Illumination: clarity, fame, auspicious radiance (jyotis/tejas)
- Guidance and right resolve for success (sumati)
- Overpassing obstacles and winning passage (saṃtāra)
- Consecration/setting-to-success through mantra-force (śiśādhi)
- Granting broad divine approval and social acceptance (viśve devāḥ anu madantu)
Why the deity is called
They are invoked to enlarge the beneficiary’s fortune and capability, to ‘light’ them into prominence, to make them effective and successful in action, and to secure unanimous divine favor that removes resistance.
The seer
- Atharvanic compiler tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution unspecified)Atharvan. Paustika–Saubhāgya charms for increase (vardhana), illumination/renown (jyotis–yaśas), and securing divine approval for success in undertakings
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 7.15 (adjacent Paustika context, traditional grouping)
- AV 7.17 (adjacent prosperity/good-fortune context, traditional grouping)
Preparing for the rite
- Select the beneficiary and state the saṅkalpa: ‘for vardhana (increase), jyotis (illumination), and mahad-saubhāgya (great good fortune).’
- Perform basic purification: washing hands/face; sit facing east or toward light (sun/fire/lamp).
- Arrange a clean seat and a visible ‘light’ source (sunlight, lamp, or fire) as the hymn’s concrete auspicious support.
The rite
- Recite AV 7.16.1 over the beneficiary (or over water/ghṛta), emphasizing the verbs vārddhayai/jyotayai/śiśādhi.
- Optionally anoint the forehead or crown with blessed water/ghṛta while repeating ‘várdhaya enam… jyótaya enam…’.
- Conclude with a brief assent-prayer for ‘viśve devāḥ’—that all divine powers ‘follow with favor’ and make the success publicly stable.
What it needs
- Light source (lamp/fire/sun-facing) as ‘jyotis’ support
- Water for sprinkling (ācamana/prokṣaṇa)
- Optional ghṛta (ghee) for anointing
- Optional darbha/kuśa grass for ritual cleanliness
When
Daytime, preferably at sunrise or during bright daylight; also suitable before beginning an undertaking (journey, study, audience, trade).
The main substance
Jyotis (ritual light: lamp/fire/sun-facing) as the material support of ‘illumination’ and renown
Amulets
- A consecrated thread/cord (maṅgala-sūtra style) or small charm tied after recitation (optional, tradition-dependent)
How it is prepared
Keep a clean lamp or fire lit; recite the mantra over water or ghee, then sprinkle/anoint the beneficiary while maintaining the intention of ‘illumination into great good fortune.’
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to increase a person’s prosperity and auspicious standing, to ‘illumine’ them with clarity and renown, and to secure success with broad divine approval.
Savitar supplies life-giving impulse and auspicious brilliance, while Bṛhaspati supplies brahmanic authority—wise counsel, mantra-force, and victorious leadership—so the blessing becomes both radiant and firmly established.
Yes. Light a lamp (or face morning sunlight), state your intention for success and good fortune, recite the mantra once or three times, and conclude by asking that ‘all the gods’ support the outcome.
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