Sukta 49
Rishi: As in RV parallel tradition: attributed to a Vedic seer of Indra-stuti cycles (RV 8/1 style); AV20 is largely RV-derived.
Devata: Indra
Chandas: Triṣṭubh (RV-style cadence; AV20 predominantly Triṣṭubh/Jagatī in such stotras)
AV 20.49 ialah pujian kepada Indra (Indra-stuti) yang bersumber daripada Rigveda, menyalurkan daya kemenangan Indra kepada kemakmuran yang nyata—terutama perolehan pantas “vāja” (kuasa/ganjaran kemenangan) dan kekayaan ternakan lembu. Himne ini memuji Indra sebagai bercahaya, pemurah, dan pengatasi bahaya, serta menempatkan ucapan terilham (vāc) dan puji-pujian (gīr) sebagai wahana yang memperoleh perkenan ilahi dan pertambahan rezeki kebendaan.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
यच्छ॒क्रा वाच॒मारु॑हन्न॒न्तरि॑क्षं सिषासथः । सं दे॒वा अ॑मद॒न् वृषा॑
Apabila kamu berdua yang perkasa menaiki Vāk (Ucapan), dan di antarikṣa (ruang antara) bertanding untuk menguasai, maka para Dewa pun bersukacita—Vṛṣa (Sang Banteng) menang.
Mantra 2
श॒क्रो वाच॒मधृ॑ष्टा॒योरु॑वाचो॒ अधृ॑ष्णुहि । मं॑हिष्ठ॒ आ म॑द॒र्दिवि॑
Śakra—dengan Vāk (Ucapan) yang tidak tersentuh dari keduanya, bersuara luas—jadilah engkau tidak tersentuh. Yang paling pemurah, bergembiralah di syurga.
Mantra 3
श॒क्रो वाच॒मधृ॑ष्णुहि॒ धाम॑धर्म॒न् विरा॑जति । विम॑दन् ब॒र्हिरा॒सर॑न्
Wahai Śakra, jadilah engkau tidak dapat digugat dengan Vāc (Ucapan Suci); ia bersinar, yang ketetapannya ialah dhāman (kedudukan/penetapan). Dengan bersukaria, mereka pun duduk di atas Barhis (hamparan rumput suci).
Mantra 4
तं वो॑ द॒स्ममृ॑ती॒षहं॒ वसो॑र्मन्दा॒नमन्ध॑सः । अ॒भि व॒त्सं न स्वस॑रेषु धे॒नव॒ इन्द्रं॑ गी॒र्भिर्न॑वामहे
Dia—untuk kamu—yang mengagumkan, penewas bahaya, bersukacita dalam kekayaan, teruja oleh perahan soma; seperti lembu perah di kandang sendiri mengerumuni anaknya, demikianlah dengan nyanyian puji kami memuliakan Indra.
Mantra 5
द्यु॒क्षं सु॒दानुं॒ तवि॑षीभि॒रावृ॑तं गि॒रिं न पु॑रु॒भोज॑सम्। क्षु॒मन्तं॒ वाजं॑ श॒तिनं॑ सह॒स्रिणं॑ म॒क्षू गोम॑न्तमीमहे
Kami memohon Tuhan yang bercahaya lagi pemurah, yang dilingkungi segala kekuatan, laksana gunung yang kaya dengan pelbagai kenikmatan;—kurnia yang menyuburkan, seratus kali ganda, seribu kali ganda, dengan segera, sarat dengan ternakan—itulah yang kami pohonkan.
Mantra 6
तत् त्वा॑ यामि सु॒वीर्यं॒ तद् ब्रह्म॑ पू॒र्वचि॑त्तये । येना॒ यति॑भ्यो॒ भृग॑वे॒ धने॑ हि॒ते येन॒ प्रस्क॑ण्व॒मावि॑थ
Kepada daya kepahlawananmu yang mulia itu aku datang; kepada sabda suci itu, bagi ingatan-bijaksana yang purba: yang dengannya bagi para Yati, bagi Bhṛgu, harta ditegakkan pada tempatnya; yang dengannya Engkau menolong Praskaṇva.
Mantra 7
येना॑ समु॒द्रमसृ॑जो म॒हीर॒पस्तदि॑न्द्र॒ वृष्णि॑ ते॒ शवः॑ । स॒द्यः सो अ॑स्य महि॒मा न सं॒नशे॒ यं क्षो॒णीर॑नुचक्र॒दे
Dengan kekuatan itulah engkau melepaskan air-air yang perkasa ke lautan—itulah, wahai Indra, Sang Banteng, kekuatan (śávaḥ)mu. Serta-merta, keagungan (mahimā)nya tidak lenyap—yang telah diikuti oleh hamparan bumi yang luas dalam putaran geraknya.
Inside Sukta 49
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins with a mythic-ritual scene of powerful beings mounting/appropriating vāc and striving for mastery in the mid-space, with the gods rejoicing at the victorious ‘Bull’ (Indra).
- What it asks
Petitions Indra for swift, amplified prosperity—nourishing vāja and cattle-abundance—framed as tangible, countable increase (hundredfold, thousandfold).
- Where its power lies
Indra is proclaimed as radiant and power-encompassed, a mountain of manifold enjoyments, and as the wondrous overcomer of harms who is invigorated by the pressed draught and drawn by hymns.
- How it closes
The hymn seals efficacy by returning to praise-as-action: like cows pressing to the calf, the community’s hymns gather around Indra, compelling protection and prosperity to ‘come quickly’ (makṣū).
Famous verses
vācām āruhan (mounted Speech) (sense) / saṃ devā amadan vṛṣā
abhí vatsaṃ na… dhenavaḥ (like cows around the calf)
kṣumantaṃ vājam… śatinaṃ sahasriṇam… makṣū gomatam
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Indra-stuti (praise for power and wealth)
What it is for
Rapid increase of wealth and nourishment (vāja), cattle-prosperity, and success in competitive situations, with Indra’s protection against misfortune and harm.
Who it is for
Householders seeking prosperity and herd-increase; leaders/contenders seeking victory (social, verbal, or martial); ritualists using RV-derived stotras in AV20 for benefit and protection.
Also used as
- Shantika (protective well-being)
- Bhaisajya-adjacent (harm-overcoming emphasis)
- Deva-stuti (praise as operative power)
The deity
Indra is the archetypal Vedic victor and giver of wealth—lord of force (taviṣ), breaker of obstacles, and patron of prize-winning power (vāja) and cattle-rich prosperity (gomat). In this hymn he is also linked with the mastery of vāc (effective inspired speech) that wins assent and triumph in the “mid-space” of contest.
Powers of the deity
- Grants vāja (winning power, prize, nourishment)
- Bestows cattle-wealth (go, gomat) and abundance
- Overcomes harms and hostile forces (ṛti-saha)
- Empowers vāc/mantra for victory in debate, contest, or battle
- Radiant might and protective strength (taviṣī, dyukṣa)
Why the deity is called
To quickly secure amplified prosperity (hundredfold/thousandfold), cattle-abundance, and victory-strength, while invoking Indra as the remover of harms and the confirmer of success through empowered speech.
The seer
- RV-style Indra-stuti seer (Anukramaṇī tradition for the RV parallel; AV20 inherits RV attributions)Angiras. Indra-stuti for victory and prosperity (vāja), strengthening mantra-speech (vāc) for success in contest, and protective praise that repels harms (ṛti) while drawing wealth and cattle-fertility.
Other hymns of this seer
- RV 8.1 (Indra-stuti cycle, stylistic parallel)
- Other RV 8.x Indra praise stanzas preserved in AV 20 (RV-derived stotras)
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet place near the household fire or a stable/threshold associated with prosperity.
- Perform simple ācamana (sipping/cleansing with water) and establish a focused intention: vāja and go-sampad (prize and cattle-wealth).
- If possible, prepare a small offering setting (lamp/fire) and a vessel of clean water; arrange dairy (milk/curd/ghee) as a prosperity token.
The rite
- Recite the 7 mantras with steady Triṣṭubh cadence, visualizing Indra as ‘dyukṣa’ (radiant) and ‘sudānu’ (bounteous).
- On verses emphasizing wealth (e.g., 20.49.5), mentally ‘count’ abundance as śatínam/sahasrínam (hundredfold/thousandfold) and direct it to cattle, food, and household stability.
- On the harm-overcoming praise (e.g., 20.49.4), gesture protective circling (pradakṣiṇā or a clockwise hand-motion) around the beneficiary or the household threshold.
- Conclude with a brief silent dedication: ‘May Indra confirm this vāja and gomat prosperity.’
What it needs
- Clean water (for purification and sealing intention)
- Ghee or milk/curd (prosperity marker; optional)
- A small offering fire/lamp (optional)
When
Preferably at dawn or early morning; also suitable before a contest/undertaking, or during prosperity rites connected to cattle and household increase.
The main substance
Water (for purification/sealing) and dairy (milk/ghee) as a prosperity token aligned with ‘gomat’ imagery
How it is prepared
Keep clean water in a small vessel for ācamana and concluding sprinkling; if using dairy, offer a small spoon of ghee (or a small milk offering) while reciting the wealth-requesting verse(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
It is chiefly a prosperity (paustika) hymn to Indra, used to obtain swift increase of wealth and nourishment (vāja), especially cattle-abundance, along with victory-strength.
Because effective, inspired speech is treated as a power that wins contests and secures divine agreement; the hymn frames praise and mantra as the means by which Indra’s victory and gifts are made present.
No specific herbs or amulets are intrinsic to this hymn. A simple purity setup with water and (optionally) a small dairy offering aligns well with its go/vāja prosperity imagery.
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