Sukta 6
Rishi: Ṛgvedic attribution (borrowed into AV 20): typically Indra-hymn seers; exact r̥ṣi for this pada requires RV parallel identification.
Devata: Indra (with Viśve Devāḥ as associated collective)
Chandas: Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-class (requires RV parallel confirmation for exact meter).
AV 20.6 é uma invocação a Indra, extraída de um hino rigvédico mais antigo a Indra e reaproveitada na coleção do Atharvaveda para assegurar o avanço e a conclusão sem falhas do sacrifício. Ela convoca Indra de todas as direções, fortalece-o com soma e louvor e, assim, remove obstáculos, estabiliza a proteção comunitária e canaliza o «dyumna» (glória duradoura) para o patrono e a assembleia ritual.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
इन्द्र॑ त्वा वृष॒भं व॒यं सु॒ते सोमे॑ हवामहे । स पा॑हि मध्वो॒ अन्ध॑सः
Indra, a ti — o Touro — invocamos no prensar do Soma. Tu, sendo assim, protege(-nos) pela doce essência da planta.
Mantra 2
इन्द्र॑ क्रतु॒विदं॑ सु॒तं सोमं॑ हर्य पुरुष्टुत । पिबा वृ॑षस्व॒ तातृ॑पिम्
Indra, conhecedor do desígnio (krátu), bebe o Soma espremido; ó Fulvo, muito louvado. Bebe e cresce em vigor até plena saciedade.
Mantra 3
इन्द्र॒ प्र णो॑ धि॒तावा॑नं य॒ज्ञं विश्वे॑भिर्दे॒वेभिः॑। ति॒र स्त॑वान विश्पते
Indra, faz avançar para nós o sacrifício, bem ordenado, com todos os Deuses; transpondo todo impedimento pelo teu louvor, ó Senhor do povo.
Mantra 4
इन्द्र॒ सोमाः॑ सु॒ता इ॒मे तव॒ प्र य॑न्ति सत्पते । क्षयं॑ च॒न्द्रास॒ इन्द॑वः
Indra, estas gotas de Soma, espremidas para ti, avançam para ti, ó Senhor dos bons; os Indu luminosos trazem uma morada firme.
Mantra 5
द॒धि॒ष्वा ज॒ठरे॑ सु॒तं सोम॑मिन्द्र॒ वरे॑ण्यम्। तव॑ द्यु॒क्षास॒ इन्द॑वः
Põe no teu ventre o Soma espremido, ó Indra, a bebida escolhida; tuas são as gotas de fulgor celeste (indavaḥ).
Mantra 6
गिर्व॑णः पा॒हि नः॑ सु॒तं मधो॒र्धारा॑भिरज्यसे । इन्द्र॒ त्वादा॑त॒मिद् यशः॑
Ó tu que te deleitas nos hinos (Indra), protege-nos: és aspergido por correntes da bebida doce espremida. Indra, a glória é, de fato, um dom teu.
Mantra 7
अ॒भि द्यु॒म्नानि॑ व॒निन॒ इन्द्रं॑ सचन्ते॒ अक्षि॑ता । पी॒त्वी सोम॑स्य वावृधे
Para Indra, o imperecível, acorrem esplendores incansáveis, vencedores do prêmio. Tendo bebido Soma, ele cresceu em poder.
Mantra 8
अ॒र्वा॒वतो॑ न॒ आ ग॑हि परा॒वत॑श्च वृत्रहन्। इ॒मा जु॑षस्व नो॒ गिरः॑
Da região próxima vem aqui até nós, e da longínqua, ó Vṛtrahan; acolhe com benevolência estes cânticos que proferimos.
Mantra 9
यद॑न्त॒रा प॑रा॒वत॑मर्वा॒वतं॑ च हू॒यसे॑ । इन्द्रे॒ह तत॒ आ ग॑हि
Quando és invocado da região longínqua e da próxima, e do espaço entre ambas, então, ó Indra, vem aqui, vem aqui.
Inside Sukta 6
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Indra is addressed as viśpati (lord of the folk), called to take charge of the rite together with the Viśve Devāḥ.
- What it asks
Set our sacrifice forward in good order; come here when invoked from every direction; let your Soma-grown might carry us beyond hindrance.
- Where its power lies
Indra’s increase through Soma is presented as a guarantee that imperishable, prize-winning splendours cluster to him and become available to the worshipper.
- How it closes
A direct summons—‘Indra, come here’—serves as the sealing act, fixing divine presence and ensuring completion.
Famous verses
viśpate (O lord of the folk)
indreha tata ā gahi
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Yajñika (Sacrificial support)
What it is for
Successful, unhindered performance of sacrifice; rapid divine response; increase of strength, glory, and protective prosperity for the sacrificer and community.
Who it is for
Hotṛ/udgātṛ/adhvaryu teams and household patrons using AV 20 as a stotra-compendium; anyone seeking ritual success, protection, and prosperity through Indra.
Also used as
- Yajñika
- Shantika (obstacle-removal)
- Indra-stuti / Indra-vardhana
The deity
Indra is the sovereign of might and victory, the breaker of resistance, and the chief recipient of Soma who empowers the sacrifice; the Viśve Devāḥ represent the full divine assembly that makes the rite complete and universally sanctioned.
Powers of the deity
- Removes ritual and social obstacles (vighna-bhedana)
- Arrives swiftly when invoked from far/near/mid-space
- Grows in strength through Soma and stoma (praise)
- Grants dyumna (splendour), winning power, and protection to the patron
- Unifies the rite with the collective gods (Viśve Devāḥ)
Why the deity is called
To propel a well-ordered yajña forward with the support of all gods, to ensure Indra’s immediate presence, and to secure victory-like prosperity and communal safeguarding through his Soma-strengthened power.
The seer
- Ṛgvedic seer per RV parallel (to be identified for AV 20.6); typically an Indra-stotra ṛṣi from the RV Indra-maṇḍala traditionAngiras. Yajñika stotra-prayoga: Indra-praise for energizing the rite, clearing impediments, and transferring victory/glory (dyumna) to the sacrificer
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20.1–20.73 (general: many RV-borrowed Indra stotras in AV 20; exact overlap depends on RV parallel identification)
Preparing for the rite
- Establish the yajña-space (vedi/altar area) and seat the officiants with mental resolve (saṅkalpa) for ‘nirvighna’ performance.
- Prepare offerings as per one’s śrauta/gṛhya context; keep water for ācamana and a clean place for recitation.
- If Soma is ritually present, arrange pressing/serving sequence; otherwise treat ‘soma’ as the stotra’s invoked power (stoma-soma).
The rite
- Recite the sukta as an Indra-stotra before or during the Indra-related offering segment, aligning voice and breath to a steady triṣṭubh/jagatī cadence (where applicable).
- On verses emphasizing ‘prā’/forwarding the yajña (e.g., 20.6.3), visualize the rite moving past impediments; on the directional summons (20.6.9), gesture or mentally mark far/near/mid-space.
- Conclude with a short silent dedication: offering the gained dyumna to the patron, and the rite’s success to the divine assembly.
What it needs
- Yajña implements and offerings appropriate to context (ghee, grains, etc.)
- Soma (if in śrauta setting) or symbolic soma (stotra as soma)
- Water for purification (ācamanīya)
When
During an Indra-focused segment of a sacrifice; also suitable at the start of a rite to ‘set forward’ the yajña and remove delays.
The main substance
Soma (literal in śrauta usage; otherwise stoma/praise as the energizing ‘soma-like’ medium)
How it is prepared
If Soma is present, follow the established pressing/serving protocol; otherwise prepare through purity (water, clean seat) and concentrated stotra-recitation, treating the hymn itself as the empowering draught offered to Indra.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make a sacrifice proceed smoothly and successfully by invoking Indra (with all the gods) to remove hindrances, arrive promptly, and grant prosperity-like strength and glory.
Soma is the classic source of Indra’s increase in power; the hymn says that imperishable, prize-winning splendours gather to him after Soma, implying that such durable glory can flow to the patron through correct praise and offering.
Yes. Even without literal Soma, it functions as a yajñika stotra: purity, focused recitation, and the intent to ‘set the rite forward’ are treated as the operative offering that summons Indra and clears delay or obstruction.
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