Sukta 23
Rishi: Rigvedic provenance (Indra-soma liturgical tradition); in AV 20 typically attributed to the RV seers of the source hymn (needs padapāṭha-anukramaṇī confirmation).
Devata: Indra (contextual), with Soma-pressing apparatus as ritual agents
Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagati-type RV liturgical cadence (exact meter requires syllable count by pada; AV 20 often preserves RV meters)
AV 20.23 é um hino śrauta-litúrgico a Indra e Soma (de proveniência rigvédica), destinado a inaugurar e estabilizar o serviço matinal do Soma por meio da correta sequência ritual: convite, preparação do assento e do barhis, e ativação das pedras de prensagem. Sua força reside em alinhar a fala (stotra), a ação (prensagem/oferendas) e a recepção divina: convoca Indra a beber o Soma, a conceder rādhas (largueza) e a proteger o sacerdote que louva da nindā (censura/opróbrio) que se segue a um rito malogrado.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
आ तू न॑ इन्द्र म॒द्र्यऽग्घुवा॒नः सोम॑पीतये । हरि॑भ्यां याह्यद्रिवः
Vem, pois, a nós, ó Indra, jubiloso, invocado para beber o soma; com teus dois corcéis fulvos vem para cá, ó brandidor da pedra.
Mantra 2
स॒त्तो होता॑ न ऋ॒त्विय॑स्तिस्ति॒रे ब॒र्हिरा॑नु॒षक्। अयु॑ज्रन् प्रा॒तरद्र॑यः
Sentado, o Hotar, como os sacerdotes no tempo devido, estendeu em ordem o Barhis; e, pela manhã, as pedras de prensar foram jungidas ao seu labor.
Mantra 3
इ॒मा ब्रह्म॑ ब्रह्मवाहः क्रि॒यन्त॒ आ ब॒र्हिः सी॑द । वी॒हि शू॑र पुरो॒लाश॑म्
Estes cânticos sagrados, ó portador da Palavra santa (brahmavāhaḥ), estão sendo preparados: senta-te sobre o barhis; vem, ó Herói, ao bolo sacrificial puroḷāśa.
Mantra 4
रा॒र॒न्धि सव॑नेषु ण ए॒षु स्तोमे॑षु वृत्रहन्। उ॒क्थेष्वि॑न्द्र गिर्वणः
Concede-nos, nestas prensagens (savana), nestes louvores, ó matador de Vṛtra; sim, nestes uktha (uktha), ó Indra, amante do canto (girvaṇas).
Mantra 5
म॒तयः॑ सोम॒पामु॒रुं रि॒हन्ति॒ शव॑स॒स्पति॑म्। इन्द्रं॑ व॒त्सं न मा॒तरः॑
Os pensamentos inspirados, bebedores de soma, afagam o Vasto, o Senhor do poder: Indra, como as mães lambem o seu bezerro.
Mantra 6
स म॑न्दस्वा॒ ह्यन्ध॑सो॒ राध॑से त॒न्वा म॒हे। न स्तो॒तारं॑ नि॒दे क॑रः
Regozija-te, em verdade, com a bebida de Soma, pela dádiva, na tua própria força, para o nosso grande bem; não faças do que te louva um alvo de censura.
Mantra 7
व॒यमि॑न्द्र त्वा॒यवो॑ ह॒विष्म॑न्तो जरामहे । उ॒त त्वम॑स्म॒युर्व॑सो
Nós, ó Indra, os teus, munidos de oferenda (havis), te engrandecemos e te invocamos; e tu também, ó generoso, sê-nos favorável.
Mantra 8
मारे अ॒स्मद् वि मु॑मुचो॒ हरि॑प्रिया॒र्वाङ् या॑हि । इन्द्र॑ स्वधावो॒ मत्स्वे॒ह
Ó matador, de nós solta por inteiro (o mal); amante dos corcéis fulvos, vem para cá. Indra, senhor da força inata, bebe aqui, em meio às embriaguezes do Soma.
Mantra 9
अ॒र्वाञ्चं॑ त्वा सु॒खे रथे॒ वह॑तामिन्द्र के॒शिना॑ । घृ॒तस्नू॑ ब॒र्हिरा॒सदे॑
Que para cá os (corcéis) de longa crina te conduzam, Indra, no teu carro suave, para te assentares sobre o Barhis sagrado, a pingar ghee.
Inside Sukta 23
How it unfolds
- How it opens
An explicit invitation to Indra—called to come swiftly for Soma-drinking, riding with the harīs, addressed as adrivaḥ (stone-wielder).
- What it asks
That Indra rejoice in the Soma-draught, attend the correctly ordered rite, and grant rādhas (bounty) and great good to the sacrificer and priests.
- Where its power lies
Ritual order itself is presented as efficacious: the barhis is strewn in sequence and the adri are ‘yoked’ at morning—thereby compelling/ensuring proper divine reception and success.
- How it closes
A sealing request that the praiser not become a target of reproach (nindā), implying the rite’s completion without fault and the community’s acknowledgment of success.
Famous verses
हरिभ्यां याह्यद्रिवःतिस्तिरे बर्हिरानुषक्न स्तोतारं निदे करःKind of hymn
Shrauta-liturgical (Indra/Soma); in AV 20 largely Rigvedic borrowings used for solemn rites rather than domestic healing
What it is for
Successful inauguration of the morning Soma-service: Indra’s arrival and soma-joy leading to bounty, protection, and social-ritual vindication of the stotṛ and sacrificer.
Who it is for
Śrauta officiants and patrons (Hotṛ/stotṛ lineages and yajamāna) performing the prātar-savana within the Soma sacrifice; reciters using AV 20 as a Rigvedic liturgical supplement.
Also used as
- Śrauta-liturgical (Soma-yajña)
- Āhvāna (invitation)
- Śāntika (averting nindā/reproach through rite-correctness)
The deity
Indra is the paradigmatic soma-drinking, strength-giving deity of the Śrauta sacrifice—arriving on the harīs, accepting the pressed Soma, and converting ritual correctness into protection and prosperity for the patrons and priests.
Powers of the deity
- Responds to invitation (āhvāna) and arrives swiftly with the harīs
- Rejoices in Soma (andhas) and becomes empowered for benefaction
- Grants rādhas (wealth, bounty, success) to patrons and officiants
- Guards the stotṛ/ritualist from nindā (public reproach) and failure-signs
- Sanctions and “animates” the rite through acceptance of properly ordered offerings
Why the deity is called
To bring Indra to the morning Soma-drinking, delight him with the draught, secure gifts and success, and ensure the praiser is not blamed—framing ritual order (barhis laid, adri yoked) as the condition for divine attendance.
The seer
- Rigvedic source-seer(s) of the Indra–Soma liturgical cycle (exact anukramaṇī attribution to be confirmed for AV 20.23)Angiras. Stotra- and yājñika-mantra composition for Indra/Soma rites: āhvāna (invitation), soma-pāna encouragement, and protection of the stotṛ’s ritual reputation (nindā-nivāraṇa) through correct performance.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (general): Rigvedic Indra–Soma borrowings used in Śrauta contexts (exact RV concordance for 20.23 to be confirmed)
- RV Indra–Soma morning-pressing hymns (prātar-savana corpus; specific RV hymn number requires padapāṭha/anukramaṇī cross-check)
Preparing for the rite
- Establish the prātar-savana setting: seat the Hotṛ and arrange the ritual ground.
- Spread and align the barhis (sacrificial grass) in proper order as the divine seat-path.
- Prepare the Soma-pressing implements: cleanse and position the adri (pressing stones) and related vessels; ready the andhas (Soma-juice) for offering.
- Maintain recitation purity and coordinated roles among priests (Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, etc.).
The rite
- Recite the āhvāna verses to summon Indra for soma-pāna (Soma-drinking).
- Synchronize recitation with visible rite-actions: barhis laid, pressing stones ‘yoked’/set to work, Soma drawn and presented.
- Offer praise that explicitly asks for rādhas (bounty) and for protection of the stotṛ from nindā.
- Conclude with reaffirmation of Indra’s satisfaction in Soma and the rite’s successful establishment.
What it needs
- Soma (andhas; expressed juice)
- Adri (Soma-pressing stones)
- Barhis (sacrificial grass)
- Soma vessels/implements as per Śrauta procedure (implicit)
When
Prātar-savana (morning pressing/service), at the start of Soma preparation and invitation to Indra.
The main substance
Soma (andhas; pressed Soma-juice)
How it is prepared
Press Soma with the adri in the morning service; strain/collect the juice per Śrauta protocol and present it with recitation after the barhis is properly laid.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used in a Śrauta Soma context to invite Indra to the morning pressing, align the rite’s actions (barhis spread, stones set to work), and secure success and bounty.
Because the hymn is tied to the actual mechanics of Soma worship: barhis is the divine seat/ritual ground-cover, and adri are the stones that press Soma—signs that the rite is correctly underway.
It asks that the ritualist not be blamed or shamed if something goes wrong; in liturgical terms it seeks faultlessness, public acceptance of the rite, and protection of the priest’s standing.
Ask anything about Sukta 23 of the Atharva Veda
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