Atharva Veda 20.21.6: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 6

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ते त्वा॒ मदा॑ अमद॒न् तानि॒ वृष्ण्या॒ ते सोमा॑सो वृत्र॒हत्ये॑षु सत्पते । यत् का॒रवे॒ दश॑ वृ॒त्राण्य॑प्र॒ति ब॒र्हिष्म॑ते॒ नि स॒हस्रा॑णि ब॒र्हयः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 20.21.6

IAST Transliteration

té tvā mádā amadan tā́ni vṛ́ṣṇyā té sómāso vṛtra-hátyeṣu satpate | yát kāráve dáśa vṛtrā́ṇy apráti bárhiṣmate ní sahásrāṇi bárhayaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Those raptures have exhilarated thee—those virile (powers), those Soma-pressings—in the slayings of Vṛtra, O lord of the true. When, for the singer, thou didst (overthrow) ten Vṛtras, irresistible; (when) for him of the sacred grass, thousands of barhis-stalks (were laid down).

Translation

Kegirangan-kegirangan itu telah menyemangatkanmu—kekuatan-kekuatan jantan itu, perahan-perahan Soma itu—dalam pembunuhan Vṛtra, wahai tuan kebenaran. Ketika, demi penyanyi, engkau (menumbangkan) sepuluh Vṛtra, tiada tertandingi; (ketika) bagi dia yang memiliki rumput suci, ribuan batang barhis (dibentangkan).

The meaning

What it says

Indra is exhilarated by Soma-raptures and virile powers; in Vṛtra-slayings he overthrows many obstacles for the singer/patron, who lays abundant barhis (sacred grass) to claim Indra’s aid.

The inner meaning

A psyche fortified by disciplined ‘intoxication’ (focused zeal) can break repeating inner blockages (‘many Vṛtras’). The ‘barhis’ is the prepared inner ground—attention, reverence, and steady ritual order—on which power descends.

The truth in it

Power is not random: it is invited by preparation, reciprocity, and right alignment. When vitality is ritually and ethically harnessed, it becomes obstacle-clearing force rather than mere excitement.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Saṃgrāmika (Victory) / Paustika (Patronage reciprocity)

Its aim

To invoke Indra’s Soma-born battle-power for overcoming multiple obstacles and to affirm the patron’s ritual entitlement to Indra’s aid.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

ते । त्वा॒ । मदा॑ः । अ॒म॒द॒न् । तानि॑ । वृष्ण्या॒ । ते । सोमा॑सः । वृ॒त्र॒हत्ये॑षु । स॒त्प॒ते॒ । यत् । का॒रवे॑ । दश॑ । वृ॒त्राणि॑ । अ॒प्र॒ति । ब॒र्हिष्म॑ते । नि । स॒हस्रा॑णि । ब॒र्हयः॑ ।

ते

theythose; the aforesaid (Soma-draughts/powers)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

त्वा

youthee (Indra), direct object of exhilarationPronounद्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

मदाः

intoxicating draughts / exhilarationsintoxicating draughts/raptures; Soma-exhilarations as powerNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)

अमदन्

intoxicated / exhilaratedhave exhilarated, made drunk (in the sacred sense: empowered)Verbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot मद् (धातु)

तानि

those (things)those (same draughts), resumptivePronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वृष्ण्याः

bull-like, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (सोमासः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृष्णि-सम्बन्धिन्/वीर्यवत्’)

ते

theythy; belonging to theePronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

सोमासः

Soma-juicesSomas, pressings; ritual drink as divine energizerNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)

वृत्रहत्येषु

in the Vṛtra-slayings (battles)in the slayings of Vṛtra; in dragon-smiting battlesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot वृत्रहत्य (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र-हत्य ‘slaying of Vṛtra’)

सत्पते

O true lord / good masterO lord of the good/true (sat-pati); patron and protector of the righteousNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot सत्पति (प्रातिपदिक)

यत्

when / since / thatwhen/that; introducing a notable featIndeclinable (relative)सम्बन्धबोधकं अव्ययम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

कारवे

to the singer/poetfor the singer/poet (kāru); for the praising priestNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक)

दश

tenten; a conventional large count, intensifierNumeralअव्ययवत् (संख्याशब्दः)Role विशेषणRoot दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

वृत्राणि

Vṛtras / obstructersVṛtras, obstructers; multiple obstacles/enemiesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

अप्रति

irresistibly / without oppositionirresistible, unmatched; without counterIndeclinableनिपातःRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot अ-प्रति (उपसर्ग/निपात; ‘without resistance’)

बर्हिष्मते

to the one possessing sacred grass / to the altar-possessorto him who has the sacred grass (barhis); the sacrificer/ritualistAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot बर्हिष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक)

नि

down, forth (as preverb)down, away; decisive overthrowIndeclinableउपसर्गः (अवधारण/अवरोह-अर्थे)Role क्रियायोगRoot नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)

सहस्राणि

thousandsthousands; hyperbolic multitudeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)

बर्हयः

sacrificial grasses / strewn grassesbarhis-stalks/sacred grasses; metonym for rites/offeringsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot बर्हि/बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sacred grass, litter’)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): ते | त्वा | मदाः | अमदन् | तानि | वृष्ण्याः | ते | सोमासः | वृत्रहत्येषु | सत्पते | यत् | कारवे | दश | वृत्राणि | अप्रति | बर्हिष्मते | नि | सहस्राणि | बर्हयः ।
• 1) ‘ते त्वा’ इति संहितायां दीर्घस्वर/स्वरितचिह्नयुक्तं पाठभेदः
• पदे ‘ते | त्वा’।
• 2) ‘वृष्ण्या ते’ इत्यत्र ‘वृष्ण्याः’ (प्रथमा बहु) + ‘ते’ (प्रथमा बहु) संहितायां स्वरचिह्नैः।
• 3) ‘वृत्रहत्येषु’ = वृत्रहत्य + सु (सप्तमी बहु) यणादेश/वृद्ध्यादि सहितः रूपम्।
• 4) ‘बर्हिष्मते नि’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-सम्बन्धः न
• पदे स्पष्टम्।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

RV-derived Indra cycle seer (AV 20 anthology).

Devata

Indra (Soma as enabling power).

Chandas

Triṣṭubh.

Rasa

Vira and Adbhuta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions