Atharva Veda Sukta 10
Kanda 8Anuvaka 1Sukta 1012 Mantras

Sukta 10

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn-level attribution varies; often treated as Atharvan/Bṛghu-Aṅgiras milieu rather than a single ṛṣi)

Devata: Sāman-forms personified (Bṛhat, Rathantara, Yajñāyajñiya, Vāmadevya) as efficacious ritual powers; implicitly Vāc/Bráhman

Chandas: Mixed/prose-like enumerative style; functionally treated as mantraic anuṣṭubh-equivalent in domestic application (edition-dependent)

AV 8.10 ujmuje dobrobyt i brahmavarcasę (promienną moc mowy) poprzez kosmogoniczne bandhu: Virāj jako pierwszą rozległą podstawę, z której powstają żywicielne formy-śpiewy (Sāmany) jako żywe moce. Poprzez wyliczenie autorytatywnych par Sāmanów i ich cielesnych obrazów (wymię, łydki, piersi), hymn „doji” rytualny sukces, pożywienie, siłę, sławę i skuteczne wypowiedzi, w sferę ofiarodawcy.

Kind of charm

Paushtika (prosperity)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 8.10

Mantras

Mantra 1

विराट्। वि॒राड् वा इ॒दमग्र॑ आसी॒त् तस्या॑ जा॒तायाः॒ सर्व॑मबिभेदि॒यमे॒वेदं भ॑वि॒ष्यतीति॑

Viradź. Zaprawdę, Viradź była tym na początku. Gdy się narodziła, wszystkie istoty ogarnął lęk: 'Ta - ta właśnie - stanie się tym Wszystkim', tak myśleli.

Mantra 2

सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा गार्ह॑पत्ये॒ न्यऽक्रामत्।।२॥ गृ॒ह॒मे॒धी गृ॒हप॑तिर्भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥३।। सोद॑क्राम॒त् साह॑व॒नीये॒ न्यऽक्रामत्।।४।। यन्त्य॑स्य दे॒वा दे॒वहू॑तिं प्रि॒यो दे॒वानां॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥५॥ सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा द॑क्षिणा॒ग्नौ न्यऽक्रामत्।।६।। य॒ज्ञर्तो॑ दक्षि॒णीयो॒ वास॑तयो भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥७॥ सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा स॒भायां॒ न्यऽक्रामत्।।८।। यन्त्य॑स्य स॒भां सभ्यो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥९॥ सोदक्राम॒त् सा समि॑तौ॒ न्यऽक्रामत्।।१०।। यन्त्य॑स्य॒ समि॑तिं सामि॒त्यो भ॑वति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥११॥ सोद॑क्राम॒त सामन्त्र॑णे॒ न्यऽक्रामत्।।१२।।(६) यन्त्य॑स्या॒मन्त्र॑णमामन्त्र॒णीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥१३॥(७) (2) १-१०) १ त्रिपदा साम्नी अनुष्टुप्, २ उष्णिग्गर्भा चतुष्पदोपरिष्टाद्विराड्बृहती, ३ एकपदा याजुषी गायत्री, ४ एकपदा साम्नी पङ्क्तिः ५ विराड् गायत्री, ६ आर्च्यनुष्टुप्, ७ साम्नी पङ्क्तिः, ८ आसुरी गायत्री, ९ साम्नी अनुष्टुप्, १० साम्नी बृहती। सोद॑क्राम॒त् सान्तरि॑क्षे चतु॒र्धा विक्रा॑न्तातिष्ठत्

Ona wystąpiła; w ogniu Gārhapatya zasiadła. Człowiek staje się kwitnącym gospodarzem, panem domu, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w Āhavanīya zasiadła. Bogowie przychodzą na jego wezwanie boskie; staje się miły Bogom, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w ogniu południowym zasiadła. Staje się tym, którego ofiara jest zgodna z Porządkiem, godnym zapłaty, pewnie ustanowionym, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w sali zgromadzeń zasiadła. Ludzie przychodzą na jego zgromadzenie; staje się członkiem zgromadzenia, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w Samiti zasiadła. Ludzie przychodzą na jego zbiórkę; staje się członkiem Samiti, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w Wezwaniu zasiadła. Ludzie przychodzą na jego wezwanie; staje się tym, którego trzeba zapraszać, kto tak wie. Ona wystąpiła; w powietrzu, czterokrotnie, rozstąpiwszy się szeroko, trwała niewzruszenie.

Mantra 3

(८) तां दे॑वमनु॒ष्याऽ अब्रुवन्नि॒यमे॒व तद् वे॑द॒ यदु॒भय॑ उप॒जीवे॑मे॒मामुप॑ ह्वयामहा॒ इति॑

Jej Bogowie i ludzie rzekli: 'Ten nakaz istotnie on zna - dzięki któremu my obaj możemy żyć: wezwijmy tę jedną', tak powiedzieli.

Mantra 4

(९) तामुपा॑ह्वयन्त

Oni ją wezwali.

Mantra 5

(१०) ऊर्ज॒ एहि॒ स्वध॒ एहि॒ सूनृ॑त॒ एहीरा॑व॒त्येहीति॑

Przybądź, o Płodności; przybądź, o Svadhā; przybądź, o Łaskawa Prawdo; przybądź, o Irāvatī, tak (wzywali).

Mantra 6

(११) तस्या॒ इन्द्रो॑ व॒त्स आसी॑द् गाय॒त्र्यऽभि॒धान्य॒भ्रमूधः॑

Z niej Indra był cielęciem; Gāyatrī jej imionami wzywania; jej wymię było chmurą.

Mantra 7

(१२) बृ॒हच्च॑ रथन्त॒रं च॒ द्वौ स्तना॒वास्तां॑ यज्ञाय॒ज्ञियं॑ च वामदे॒व्यं च॒ द्वौ

Bryhat i Rantara, te dwa były jak dwie piersi; i Jadżńajadżnija i Wamadewja, te również były dwoma.

Mantra 8

(१३) ओष॑धीरे॒व र॑थन्त॒रेण॑ दे॒वा अ॑दुह्र॒न् व्यचो॑ बृह॒ता

Jak się doi zioła, tak z Rantara Bogowie wydoili Wjac, z Bryhat.

Mantra 9

(१४) अ॒पो वा॑मदे॒व्येन॑ य॒ज्ञं य॑ज्ञाय॒ज्ञिये॑न

Wody służyły Ofierze z Wamadewja, z Jadżńajadżnija.

Mantra 10

(१५) ओष॑धीरे॒वास्मै॑ रथन्त॒रं दु॑हे॒ व्यचो॑ बृ॒हत्

Jak (doji się) zioła, dla niego doji on Rathantarę, Vyac (z tego), (i) Bṛhat.

Mantra 11

(१६) अ॒पो वा॑मदे॒व्यं य॒ज्ञं य॑ज्ञाय॒ज्ञियं॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑

Wody, Vāmadevya; Ofiara, Yajñāyajñiya: kto tak poznaje (to).

Mantra 12

(१७) (3) (१-८) १ चतुष्दा विराडनुष्टुप्, २ आर्ची त्रिष्टुप्, ३,५,७ चतुष्पदा प्राजापत्या पङ्क्तिः, ४,६,८ आर्ची बृहती। सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा वन॒स्पती॒नाग॑च्छत् तां वन॒स्पत॑योऽघ्नत॒ सा सं॑वत्स॒रे सम॑भवत्।।१।। तस्मा॒द् वन॒स्पती॑नां संवत्स॒रे वृ॒क्णमपि॑ रोहति वृ॒श्चते॒ऽस्याप्रि॑यो॒ भ्रातृ॑व्यो॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥२॥ (१८) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा पि॒तॄनाग॑च्छ॒त् तां पि॒तरो॑ऽघ्नत॒ सा मा॒सि सम॑भवत्।।३।। तस्मा॑त् पि॒तृभ्यो॑ मा॒स्युप॑मास्यं ददति॒ प्र पि॑तृ॒याणं॒ पन्थां॑ जानाति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥४॥(१९) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा दे॒वानाग॑च्छ॒त् तां दे॒वा अ॑घ्नत॒ सार्ध॑मा॒से सम॑भवत्।।५।। तस्मा॑द् दे॒वेभ्यो॑ऽर्धमा॒से वष॑ट्कुर्वन्ति॒ प्र दे॑व॒यानं॒ पन्थां॑ जानाति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥६॥(२०) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा म॑नु॒ष्या॒३नाग॑च्छ॒त् तां म॑नु॒ष्याऽ अघ्नत॒ सा स॒द्यः सम॑भवत्।।७।। तस्मा॑न्मनु॒ष्ये॒ऽभ्य उभय॒द्युरुप॑ हर॒न्त्युपा॑स्य गृ॒हे ह॑रन्ति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ॥८॥(२१) (4-5) (१-१६, १-१६) २२-२३, २६,२९(प्र०) चतुष्पदा साम्नी जगती, २२-२४, २८-२९(द्वि०) साम्नी बृहती, २२,२६ (तृ०) साम्नी उष्णिक्, २२-२३,२६,२९ (च०) आर्च्यनुष्टुप्, २३ (तृ०) आर्ची गायत्री, २४-२५, २८ (प्र०) चतुष्पदा उष्णिक्, २४ (तृ०) प्राजापत्यानुष्टुप्, २४-२५, २७ आर्ची त्रिष्टुप्, २५-२६ (द्वि०) साम्नी उष्णिक्, २५, २७-२८ (तृ०) विराड् गायत्री २७ (प्र०)चतुष्पदा प्राजापत्या जगती, २७ (द्वि०) साम्नी बृहती त्रिष्टुप्, २८ (च०) त्रिपदा ब्राह्मी भुरिग्गायत्री, २९ (तृ०) साम्नी अनुष्टुप्। सोद॑क्राम॒त् सासु॑रा॒नाग॑च्छ॒त् तामसु॑रा॒ उपा॑ह्वयन्त॒ माय॒ एहीति॑ ।। १।। तस्या॑ वि॒रोच॑नः॒ प्राह्रा॑दिर्व॒त्स आसी॑दयस्पा॒त्रं पात्र॑म्।।२।। तां द्विमू॑र्धा॒र्त्व्योऽधो॒क् तां मा॒यामे॒वाधो॑क्।।३।। तां मा॒यामसु॑रा॒ उप॑ जीवन्त्युपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ।।४॥(२२) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा पि॒तॄ॒नाग॑च्छत् तां पि॒तर॒ उपा॑ह्वयन्त॒ स्वध॒ एहीति॑ ।।५।। तस्या॑ य॒मो राजा॑ व॒त्स आसी॑द् रजतपा॒त्रं पात्र॑म्।।६।। तामन्त॑को मार्त्य॒वोऽधो॒क् तां स्व॒धामे॒वाधो॑क्।।७।। तां स्व॒धां पि॒तर॒ उप॑ जीवन्त्युपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑।।८॥(२३) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा म॑नु॒ष्या॒३नाग॑च्छ॒त् तां म॑नु॒ष्या॒३ उपा॑ह्वय॒न्तेरा॑व॒त्येहीति॑ ।।९।। तस्या॒ मनु॑र्वैवस्व॒तो व॒त्स आसी॑त् पृथि॒वी पात्र॑म् ।।१०।। तां पृथी॑ वै॒न्योऽधो॒क् तां कृ॒षिं च॑ स॒स्यं चा॑धोक् ।।११।। ते कृ॒षिं च॑ स॒स्यं च॑ मनु॒ष्या॒३उप॑ जीवन्ति कृ॒ष्टरा॑धिरुपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ।।१२॥(२४) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा स॑प्तऋ॒षीनाग॑च्छ॒त् तां स॑प्तऋ॒षय॒ उपा॑ह्वयन्त॒ ब्रह्म॑ण्व॒त्येहीति॑ ।।१३।। तस्याः॒ सोमो॒ राजा॑ व॒त्स आसी॒च्छन्दः॒ पात्र॑म् ।।१४।। तां बृह॒स्पति॑राङ्गिर॒सोऽधो॒क् तां ब्रह्म॑ च॒ तप॑श्चाधोक् ।।१५।। तद् ब्रह्म॑ च॒ तप॑श्च सप्तऋ॒षय॒ उप॑ जीवन्ति ब्रह्मवर्च॒स्युऽपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ।१६॥(२५) (5) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा दे॒वानाग॑च्छ॒त् तां दे॒वा उपा॑ह्वय॒न्तोर्ज॒ एहीति॑ ।।१।। तस्या॒ इन्द्रो॑ व॒त्स आसी॑च्चम॒सः पात्र॑म् ।।२।। तां दे॒वः स॑वि॒ताधो॒क् तामू॒र्जामे॒वाधो॑क् ।।३।। तामू॒र्जां दे॒वा उप॑ जीवन्त्युपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ।।४॥(२६) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सा ग॑न्धर्वाप्स॒रस॒ आग॑च्छत् तां ग॑न्धर्वाप्स॒रस॒ उपा॑ह्वयन्त॒ पुण्य॑गन्ध॒ एहीति॑ ।।५।। तस्या॑श्चि॒त्रर॑थः सौर्यवर्च॒सो व॒त्स आसी॑त् पुष्करप॒र्णं पात्र॑म् ।।६।। तां वसु॑रुचिः सौर्यवर्च॒सोऽधो॒क् तां पुण्य॑मे॒व ग॒न्धम॑धोक् ।।७।। तं पुण्यं॑ ग॒न्धं ग॑न्धर्वाप्स॒रस॒ उप॑ जीवन्ति॒ पुण्य॑गन्धिरुपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑ ।।८॥(२७) सोद॑क्राम॒त् सेत॑रज॒नानाग॑च्छत् तामि॑तरज॒ना उपा॑ह्वयन्त॒ तिरो॑ध॒ एहीति॑।।९।। तस्याः॒ कुबे॑रो वैश्रव॒णो व॒त्स आसी॑दामपा॒त्रं पात्र॑म् ।।१०।। तां र॑ज॒तना॑भिः काबेर॒कोऽधो॒क् तां ति॑रो॒धामे॒वाधो॑क् ।।११। तां ति॑रो॒धामि॑तरज॒ना उप॑ जीवन्ति॒ ति॒रो ध॑त्ते॒ सर्वं॑ पा॒प्मान॑मुपजीव॒नीयो॑ भवति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑

Ona wystąpiła; przyszła do Panów Lasu. Panowie Lasu uderzyli ją; w ciągu roku osiągnęła pełnię bytu.

Inside Sukta 10

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    Begins with Virāj as the primordial reality ‘in the beginning,’ establishing a cosmogonic precedent that steadies the rite.

  2. What it asks

    That the performer gain the nourishing plenitude and authoritative efficacy carried by the great Sāmans—prosperity as ‘milk’ and speech as power.

  3. Where its power lies

    By mapping deities, meters, cloud-udder, calves, and Sāman-pairs onto a single living body of prosperity, the hymn claims that correct speech-compounds compel real-world increase.

  4. How it closes

    Closes by fixing the Sāman-pairs as the stable ‘breasts’ of nourishment—an image that seals abundance and ritual success into the sacrificer’s domain.

Famous verses

virāḍ vā idam agre āsīt
Verse 8.10.1Sets the hymn’s foundation: Virāj as primordial expansion, making the rite cosmically legitimate and fear-dispelling through first-beginning precedent.Read verse 8.10.1 →
bṛhacca rathantaraṃ ca dvau stanāv āstām
Verse 8.10.7Iconic paustika image: the great Sāmans appear as ‘two breasts’ in paired form, signaling a dependable, renewable source of ritual ‘milk’ (strength and efficacy).Read verse 8.10.7 →

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity/augmentation) with Brahmavarcasa (sacral speech-power) coloring

What it is for

Augmentation of prosperity, nourishment, and ritual efficacy—especially the performer’s command of potent speech and successful completion of rites.

Who it is for

Householders and ritual practitioners (including students/reciters) seeking prosperity, stable performance, and enhanced brahmavarcasa through sanctioned chant-power.

Also used as

  • Shantika
  • Brahmavarcasa
  • Srauta/Domestic rite support (Sāman-authorization)

The deity

Virāj functions as the primordial expansive principle (also linked with meter and ordered manifestation), while the great Sāmans are treated as embodied, efficacious chant-powers that nourish and authorize ritual speech. Together they represent the conversion of cosmic order into tangible plenitude—‘milk’ as food, vitality, and victorious sacred utterance.

Powers of the deity

  • Cosmogonic stabilization: aligning a rite with ‘the beginning’ (agra)
  • Bestowal of nourishment/abundance through cow- and milk-imagery
  • Brahmavarcasa: strengthening and beautifying speech, memory, and ritual authority
  • Ritual success: making chants effective, rites well-rooted, and offerings fruitful
  • Protection from disorder and fear by grounding in Virāj’s all-becoming expansion

Why the deity is called

To consecrate prosperity by rooting it in Virāj’s first manifestation and to secure access to the ‘milk’ of the Sāmans—authoritative chant-pairs that feed the sacrificer with strength, success, and sacral speech-power.

The seer

  • Atharvanic / Bṛghu-Aṅgiras milieu (hymn-level attribution varies)Atharvan. Paustika augmentations and brahmavarcasa rites using cosmogonic precedent (bandhu) and mantra-enumerations to stabilize and empower domestic and solemn ritual performance

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 8.9
  • AV 8.11
  • AV 6.96

Preparing for the rite

  • Choose a clean, quiet place; perform basic ācamana and establish mental intention for paustika/brahmavarcasa.
  • If available, place milk/curds/ghee as a prosperity-symbol before the reciter; orient to the east.
  • Recall/intonate the named Sāmans mentally or softly as a preface (where tradition permits).

The rite

  • Recite the hymn in full, keeping the enumerative correspondences clear (Virāj → nourishment → Sāman-pairs).
  • At key enumerations (e.g., the ‘breasts’ pair), gesture toward the offering substance (milk/ghee) as the hymn’s ‘nourishment’ carrier.
  • Conclude by silently ‘sealing’ the gain: dedicate the obtained prosperity and speech-power to orderly conduct and successful ritual.

What it needs

  • Milk (or a milk-product such as curds) as the hymn’s central bandhu-substance
  • Ghee for offering/lighting (optional)
  • Water for ācamana
  • Optional: a clean thread/cord or small cloth as a ‘speech-power’ token to be worn after recitation

When

Preferably morning (prātaḥ) or before a rite requiring strong recitation/chant; also suitable on auspicious tithis for paustika aims.

The main substance

Milk (kṣīra) / milk-products as the carrier of ‘nourishment’ symbolism

Amulets

  • Optional clean cord/thread or small cloth kept during recitation and worn afterward as a reminder-token of brahmavarcasa

How it is prepared

Keep milk/curds in a clean vessel; optionally mix a small amount of ghee. Place before the reciter during the hymn and partake/dedicate afterward according to household custom.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is primarily a paustika hymn: recited to increase prosperity, nourishment, and the performer’s brahmavarcasa—effective, radiant speech that supports ritual success.

These are bandhu images: prosperity is pictured as a cosmic cow whose ‘milk’ is both food and empowered speech. The paired Sāmans are treated as stable sources of that nourishment.

Not necessarily. The hymn itself names and personifies the Sāman-forms as powers; in domestic use one may recite the mantras with a prosperity-intention, optionally keeping milk/ghee present as a symbolic support.

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