Sukta 122
Rishi: RV-derived
Devata: Indra
Chandas: Gāyatrī (short tri-pāda style; as preserved here)
Himne Indra yang ringkas ini, diambil daripada korpus Indra dalam Rigveda, digunakan dalam niat paustika Atharvaveda: untuk memperoleh kemakmuran yang melimpah—hadiah, makanan, dan kegembiraan bersama—melalui persahabatan Indra. Ia juga berfungsi sebagai jampi pemecah halangan, berulang kali memuji Indra sebagai yang “membuka palang penjagaan”, agar jalan, upacara, dan usaha sang penaung bergerak maju tanpa rintangan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
रे॒वती॑र्नः सध॒माद॒ इन्द्रे॑ सन्तु तु॒विवा॑जाः । क्षु॒मन्तो॒ याभि॒र्मदे॑म
Wahai Indra, jadilah bagi kami persekutuan yang menggembirakan—yang melimpah kurnia, kaya kemenangan, kaya pemeliharaan—dengannya kami bersukacita.
Mantra 2
आ घ त्वावा॒न् त्मना॒प्त स्तो॒तृभ्यो॑ धृष्णविया॒नः । ऋ॒णोरक्षं॒ न च॒क्र्योः
Ke mari, ya—sebagai yang menang oleh diri sendiri dan menguasai diri—engkau meluru dengan berani demi para pemuji; engkau telah membuka palang pengawal, sebagaimana seseorang melepaskan roda-roda kereta.
Mantra 3
आ यद् दुवः॑ शतक्रत॒वा कामं॑ जरितॄ॒णाम्। ऋ॒णोरक्षं॒ न शची॑भिः
Apabila, wahai Śatakratu, ibadat menarikmu ke mari menurut hajat para penyanyi, maka dengan kuasa-mu yang perkasa engkau membuka halangan pengawal itu.
Inside Sukta 122
How it unfolds
- How it opens
It begins by asking that the ‘fellowship-rejoicings’ in Indra be bounteous—rich in prize and nourishment—so the people may be glad.
- What it asks
Indra is summoned as the self-possessed, bold helper of praisers, to come for the singers’ desire and make prosperity tangible.
- Where its power lies
Indra’s hallmark act is repeated: he ‘unbars the warding bar’—like freeing a chariot’s wheels—asserting unstoppable forward motion once he is invoked.
- How it closes
The hymn closes by tying efficacy to worship and Indra’s śacīs (powers): when praise draws him near, he opens the hindrance and fulfils the wish.
Famous verses
revātīr naḥ sadhamāda indre
ṛṇorakṣaṃ na cakryoḥ
ā yad duvaḥ śatakratavā kāmaṃ jaritṝṇām
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity)
What it is for
To obtain abundant prosperities (prize and nourishment), joyful fellowship around Indra, and the unbarring of impediments that block success, movement, or ritual efficacy.
Who it is for
Householders and patrons seeking increase (food, wealth, winning), as well as ritualists who want Indra’s help to clear hindrances during offerings or communal rites.
Also used as
- Apotropaic (obstacle-removal)
- Saubhāgya/Vijaya (good fortune and winning)
The deity
Indra is the paradigmatic Vedic victor and patron of gain: the power that brings vāja (prize, winning), kṣu (nourishing plenty), and fearless forward movement by breaking restraints and hostile warding forces.
Powers of the deity
- Bestows vāja (victory-prize, success in contest)
- Grants kṣu (nourishment, thriving abundance)
- Breaks obstacles and ‘warding bars’ (rakṣa/raxaḥ as hindrance imagery)
- Responds quickly to praise and service (stotra, duvas)
- Secures safe progress and opens pathways (chariot-wheel release metaphor)
Why the deity is called
He is invoked to make the community’s rejoicing in divine fellowship bounteous, and to remove whatever “bars” prosperity—so wishes, offerings, and effort yield visible increase.
The seer
- RV-derived (Rigvedic Indra-hymn seer; Angiras/Bharadvāja stream by RV locus)Angiras. Indra-stuti employed for prosperity and victory: attracting divine fellowship (sadhamāda), opening blocked paths, and converting praise/offerings (duvas) into tangible gains (vāja, kṣu).
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 Indra-anukramaṇī set (RV-derived Indra hymns within Kāṇḍa 20)
- Related RV-derived Indra praise verses featuring ‘ṛṇorakṣaṃ’ (unbarring the hindrance) motifs
Preparing for the rite
- Clean the ritual space; seat the reciter facing east or north.
- Prepare a simple offering/food portion (anna, milk, ghee, or grain) as a marker of kṣu (nourishing prosperity).
- Set an intention: increase of household plenty and removal of impediments to a specific goal (journey, work, contest, rite).
The rite
- Recite the three mantras in sequence, keeping the first as the ‘prosperity-fellowship’ invocation and the latter two as ‘obstacle-unbarring’ petitions.
- Optionally accompany recitation with a small offering into fire (if maintained) or a respectful presentation of food to the household/guests, aligning ‘sadhamāda’ (communal rejoicing) with actual sharing.
- Conclude with a brief silent resolve that the ‘bar’ is opened and the path is clear (chariot-wheel imagery internalized as release of blockage).
What it needs
- Food or nourishment token (grain, cooked food, milk, ghee)
- Optional water for sipping/sprinkling as a purificatory adjunct
- Optional fire offering materials (ghee, samidh)
When
Morning or before undertaking a venture (journey, negotiation, contest), and also suitable at communal meals or prosperity-oriented observances.
The main substance
Food/nourishment token (kṣu-marker: grain/milk/ghee)
How it is prepared
Keep a small, clean portion of food (or ghee/milk). Offer a part (fire/altar) or share as a prosperity-act after recitation, aligning the mantra’s ‘kṣu’ with embodied abundance.
Frequently Asked Questions
For prosperity: gaining prize-like success (vāja) and nourishing plenty (kṣu), and for removing obstacles that block progress or results.
It is a vivid metaphor for releasing what is stuck—Indra breaks the ‘bar’ that restrains movement, so goals, journeys, and undertakings proceed smoothly.
No. A simple nourishment token (grain, milk, ghee, or food) fits the hymn’s prosperity theme; the core practice is recitation with intention and (optionally) a small offering or sharing of food.
Ask anything about Sukta 122 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
