Sukta 116
Rishi: RV provenance (Indra-stuti tradition; AV 20 is a collection of RV hymns/verses in Saunaka)
Devata: Indra (Vṛtrahan)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh/Triṣṭubh-type RV cadence (as transmitted in AV 20; meter should be verified against RV parallel).
Este breve Indra-stuti, derivado do Rigveda e incluído no Atharvaveda 20, suplica a Indra uma morada segura, a estabilidade da comunidade e a remoção da vulnerabilidade que surge quando se está «fora» de sua proteção. Em seguida, o hino passa ao louvor como oferenda eficaz (stoma), capaz de abrir a «poderosa generosidade» de Indra, prometendo prosperidade e o progresso sem impedimentos do rito por meio de um culto devidamente alinhado.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
मा भू॑म॒ निष्ट्या॑ इ॒वेन्द्र॒ त्वदर॑णा इव । वना॑नि॒ न प्र॑जहि॒तान्य॑द्रिवो दु॒रोषा॑सो अमन्महि
Não sejamos, ó Indra, como sem-teto, como desamparados longe de ti; não como florestas deixadas e abandonadas — ó portador da pedra (adrivo) — não nos julgamos mal abrigados.
Mantra 2
अम॑न्म॒हीद॑ना॒शवो॑ऽनु॒ग्रास॑श्च वृत्रहन्। सु॒कृत्सु ते॑ मह॒ता शू॑र॒ राध॒सानु॒ स्तोमं॑ मुदीमहि
Sim, inconquistado e gracioso, ó Vṛtrahan, matador de Vṛtra: entre os justos, ó Herói, com a tua poderosa dádiva, no tempo devido, alegramo-nos com um hino de louvor.
Inside Sukta 116
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens with a protective plea: not to become like the homeless or helpless apart from Indra, nor like forsaken forests—an image of abandonment versus ordered habitation.
- What it asks
Grant secure dwelling and protection, and then, among the righteous, bestow mighty bounty as the worshippers proceed with praise.
- Where its power lies
The stoma itself is treated as efficacious—praise that ‘gladdens’ the worshippers and draws Indra’s timely, powerful gifts and obstacle-removal.
- How it closes
It concludes by reaffirming joyful praise ‘in due course’ (anu) as the means by which Indra’s great bounty is accessed and stabilized.
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Indra-stuti (Soma-liturgical)
What it is for
Stability of home and community, protection from being “ill-housed” or forsaken, and the attraction of Indra’s bounty and obstacle-removal through stoma (praise) as a verbal oblation.
Who it is for
Householders, community leaders, and ritualists seeking protection of dwelling/settlement and prosperity; reciters incorporating RV praise into AV 20 liturgical usage.
Also used as
- Shantika
- Indra-stuti (Soma-liturgical)
- Grāma-kṣema (settlement security)
The deity
Indra is invoked as the Vṛtra-slayer and stone-bearer: the archetypal breaker of obstacles, giver of shelter and social order, and the recipient of Soma-era praise that yields tangible bounty.
Powers of the deity
- Vṛtra-slaying: removal of obstruction and danger
- Protector of settlement (grāma-kṣema): securing stable dwelling and safety
- Bestower of wealth (rādhas): prosperity, increase, and success
- Strengthening the righteous (sukṛt): favor toward those aligned with right action
- Ritual patronage: enabling the smooth course of hymn and offering
Why the deity is called
To prevent abandonment and insecure habitation, and to obtain Indra’s timely, mighty bounty through efficacious praise within a Soma/praise framework.
The seer
- RV provenance (Indra-stuti tradition; communal RV voice as transmitted in AV 20 Saunaka)Angiras. Soma-liturgical praise (stuti) that secures Indra’s protection, victory, and prosperity; warding insecurity (an-āraṇa) through right praise and alliance with Indra.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (RV-collection) Indra-stutis broadly; RV-parallel verses for Indra in the Saunaka AV 20 anthology (exact RV hymn attribution to be verified against the RV parallel).
Preparing for the rite
- Choose a clean, quiet space in or at the threshold of the dwelling (gṛha/doorway) to emphasize ‘secure housing’ intent.
- Perform ācamana and simple purification (hands/face), and settle the mind in Indra-smṛti (recollection of Indra as protector).
- If in a Soma-style setting, prepare a seat and a small offering focus (fire or offering place), even if only symbolic in domestic use.
The rite
- Recite 20.116.1 as a protective petition for dwelling-security, ideally facing east or toward the household’s main entrance.
- Recite 20.116.2 as stuti: praise that ‘gladdens’ and invites Indra’s rādhas (bounty), maintaining a confident, affirmative tone.
- Optionally conclude with a brief personal saṅkalpa: ‘May our dwelling be secure; may obstacles be broken; may prosperity increase.’
What it needs
- Stoma (praise) as the primary ‘verbal oblation’
- Optional: clean water for ācamana
- Optional: simple offering (ghee or soma-substitute such as milk) if performed with fire
When
At dawn or during a household-protection observance; also suitable before travel/relocation decisions or at the establishment of a new dwelling.
The main substance
Stoma (efficacious praise as verbal oblation)
How it is prepared
No plant or amulet is required; the ‘preparation’ is chiefly purity and intention. If desired, pair recitation with a small domestic offering (water/ghee/milk) to mirror Soma-era gifting logic.
Frequently Asked Questions
To secure stable dwelling and protection (not being “ill-housed” or forsaken) and to obtain Indra’s prosperity-giving bounty through praise.
No. The hymn’s main ‘substance’ is stoma—spoken praise. Optional water for purification or a small domestic offering can be added, but they are not required.
They function as symbols of abandonment and insecurity. The hymn contrasts that condition with Indra-backed settlement order, asking for protected habitation and communal safety.
Ask anything about Sukta 116 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.
