Sukta 95
Rishi: RV-derived Indra-Soma hymn tradition (exact r̥ṣi to be fixed by RV parallel for this verse).
Devata: Indra; Soma (Indu) as co-agent
Chandas: Jagatī (typical of extended Indra-Soma narrative lines; to be confirmed against RV parallel)
AV 20.95 ialah himne pemberdayaan tempur Indra–Soma, di mana Soma (Indu), dicampur dengan barli, membangkitkan Indra untuk melaksanakan “perbuatan agung” dan mara bersama bala tentera yang besar. Himne ini mengingatkan kemenangan mitos Indra (membebaskan sungai-sungai, membunuh Ahi) dan menukarkan penaklukan kosmik itu menjadi perlindungan segera di medan perang—terutama melumpuhkan panahan musuh dengan memutuskan tali busur.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
त्रिक॑द्रुकेषु महि॒षो यवा॑शिरं तुवि॒शुष्म॑स्तृ॒पत् सोम॑मपिब॒द् विष्णु॑ना सु॒तं यथाव॑शत्। स ईं॑ ममाद॒ महि॒ कर्म॒ कर्त॑वे म॒हामु॒रुं सैनं॑ सश्चद् दे॒वो दे॒वं स॒त्यमिन्द्रं॑ स॒त्य इन्दुः॑
Di Trikadruka, Sang Banteng, yang berdaya dahsyat, meminum Soma bercampur barli—diperas bersama Viṣṇu—hingga ia puas, menurut kehendaknya. Lalu ia bersukacita untuk melakukan kerja agung; sang dewa mara bersama bala yang besar dan luas: Indu (Soma) yang benar kepada dewa Indra yang benar.
Mantra 2
प्रो ष्व॑स्मै पुरोर॒थमिन्द्रा॑य शू॒षम॑र्चत । अ॒भीके॑ चिदु लोक॒कृत् सं॒गे स॒मत्सु॑ वृत्र॒हास्माकं॑ बोधि चोदि॒ता नभ॑न्तामन्य॒केषां॑ ज्या॒का अधि॒ धन्व॑सु
Majulah, ya—lagukanlah kekuatan bagi Indra, sang pemimpin kereta. Bahkan dalam serangan yang rapat, sang pembentuk tatanan dunia, dalam pertemuan, dalam pertempuran, sang pembunuh Vṛtra—ingatlah kami, pendorong kami. Biarlah tali busur pihak lain putus pada busur mereka.
Mantra 3
त्वं सिन्धूं॒रवा॑सृजोऽध॒राचो॒ अह॒न्नहि॑म्। अ॒श॒त्रुरि॑न्द्र जज्ञिषे॒ विश्वं॑ पुष्यसि॒ वार्यं॒ तं त्वा॒ परि॑ ष्वजामहे॒ नभ॑न्तामन्य॒केषां॑ ज्या॒का अधि॒ धन्व॑सु
Engkau membuat sungai-sungai mengalir ke bawah; Engkau membunuh Ular (Ahi). Tiada tandingan, wahai Indra, Engkau dilahirkan; Engkau menyuburkan segala harta pilihan. Maka kami memeluk-Mu sekelilingnya: biarlah tali busur orang lain putus pada busur mereka.
Mantra 4
वि षु विश्वा॒ अरा॑तयो॒ऽर्यो न॑शन्त नो॒ धियः॑ । अस्ता॑सि॒ शत्र॑वे व॒धं यो न॑ इन्द्र॒ जिघां॑सति॒ या ते॑ रा॒तिर्द॒दिर्वसु॒ नभ॑न्तामन्य॒केषां॑ ज्या॒का अधि॒ धन्व॑सु
Jauhkanlah—ya, segala permusuhan yang jahat—biarlah binasa dari fikiran suci kami, dari kaum Arya. Engkau ialah Sang Pemanah: bagi musuh ada pukulan yang mematikan; bagi dia, wahai Indra, yang hendak membunuh kami. Kurnia-Mu itu, wahai pemberi kebaikan, biarlah membuat tali busur orang lain putus pada busur mereka.
Inside Sukta 95
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Indra is pictured at Trikadruka drinking Soma mixed with barley, pressed ‘with Viṣṇu,’ until satisfied—setting the mythic scene of empowerment.
- What it asks
May Indra’s obstruction-breaking and wealth-fostering power be present with us now; may hostile forces be driven off and enemies’ bowstrings snap on their bows.
- Where its power lies
Because Indra has already released the rivers and slain Ahi, his rivalless birth and proven might guarantee the same victory-pattern for the patron’s host.
- How it closes
A repeated, concrete battlefield seal: ‘let the bowstrings of the others snap upon their bows,’ coupled with the expulsion of arātis from our dhī (sacred intent).
Famous verses
nabha̍ntāmanya̱keṣā̍ṃ jyā̱kā adhi dhanva̍su (refrain appears later; core motif set up here via ‘great host’)
nabha̍ntāmanya̱keṣā̍ṃ jyā̱kā adhi dhanva̍su
vi ṣu viśvā arā̍tayo… / nabha̍ntāmanya̱keṣā̍ṃ jyā̱kā adhi dhanva̍su
Kind of hymn
Saṃgrāmika (Martial empowerment) / Paustika (strength through Soma)
What it is for
Empower the patron’s host through Indra’s Soma-roused might, remove obstructions to success, and neutralize enemy weaponry (especially archery) while securing prosperity.
Who it is for
A leader/patron preparing for conflict, a priest-officiant supporting a war-band, or any household/lineage seeking Indraic protection against armed aggression and hostile plots.
Also used as
- Paustika
- Abhicarika (apotropaic counter-attack against hostile forces)
The deity
Indra is the paradigmatic victorious power—breaker of obstruction, leader of hosts, and protector of the Arya—while Soma/Indu is the consecrated intoxicant that “makes the god glad” and catalyzes heroic action.
Powers of the deity
- Drinking and assimilating Soma to awaken irresistible vigor (tuviśuṣma)
- Slaying the serpent/obstruction (Ahi) and releasing life-giving waters
- Granting victory and prosperity (vārya) to the patron
- Turning back malice and hostile intent (arātayaḥ)
- Weapon-disabling protection: causing enemies’ bowstrings to snap
Why the deity is called
To yoke Soma’s energizing force to Indra’s invincible martial agency so the sacrificer’s side gains courage, momentum, prosperity, and concrete battlefield advantage over armed opponents.
The seer
- Rigvedic Indra–Soma hymn tradition (RV seer to be fixed by exact RV parallel; commonly transmitted under the RV Anukramaṇī rather than a distinct AV r̥ṣi)Angiras. Indraic saṃgrāmika stotras for victory, obstruction-removal, and apotropaic countering of hostile forces; paustika strengthening through Soma/Indu consecration.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (Rigvedic-derived Indra corpus, adjacent Indra hymns)
- RV parallels in Indra–Soma cycles (exact RV locus to be identified for each mantra)
Preparing for the rite
- Establish a clean recitation space; orient the performer and patron toward Indra (traditionally east).
- If available, prepare a Soma-substitute or consecrated pressed drink; include a barley admixture (yavāśira) as indicated by the hymn.
- Arrange water as a prosperity-flow symbol (sindhu motif) and place bows/strings (or symbolic cord) to represent hostile weaponry to be neutralized.
- Mental saṃkalpa: victory, protection of one’s people, and the breaking of hostile intent.
The rite
- Recite the sukta as an Indra-stotra, emphasizing the Trikadruka/Soma line to ‘rouse’ Indra.
- At the refrain-like petition, gesture outward as if casting away hostility; optionally snap a thin reed/cord to enact ‘bowstrings snapping’.
- Conclude with a protective circumambulation of the patron/standard or the assembled troop, sealing the hymn’s apotropaic force.
What it needs
- Soma or Soma-substitute (pressed/filtered drink)
- Barley admixture (yavāśira)
- Water (for ‘rivers released’ prosperity symbolism)
- Cord/thread or a small bowstring surrogate (for the weapon-disabling enactment)
When
Before departure to battle/contest; also suitable at dawn on the day of engagement or prior to a martial muster.
The main substance
Soma/Indu (or Soma-substitute) with barley admixture (yavāśira)
Amulets
- Protective cord/thread used as a ‘bowstring’ surrogate (to be snapped or symbolically loosened)
- Optional Indra-talisman/standard (dhvaja) or weapon-marked token
How it is prepared
Press/prepare the consecrated drink; mix in barley (yavāśira) and set aside a portion for offering/sipping; keep water nearby as a prosperity symbol; prepare a small cord to enact the ‘snapping’ petition at the refrain.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used for martial empowerment and protection: to rouse Indra through Soma-force, secure success and prosperity, and specifically neutralize enemy archery by the motif of bowstrings snapping.
Because the hymn’s logic is that Soma—prepared in a potent, tradition-approved way—makes Indra glad and powerful, turning divine exhilaration into human victory and strength.
In Atharvanic practice it functions both ways: as a symbolic apotropaic command against hostile weaponry and, ritually, it can be enacted by snapping a small cord to ‘materialize’ the mantra’s intent.
Ask anything about Sukta 95 of the Atharva Veda
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