Sukta 4
Rishi: Atharvan/Āṅgirasa (hymn-cycle attribution typical for AV 4th kāṇḍa charms)
Devata: Vanaspati/Osadhi-rasa (plant-essence), with Soma as paradigmatic correlate
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant charm-meter; pāda-structure consistent with AV usage)
AV 4.4 é um hino terapêutico orientado ao vajīkaraṇa (restauração da potência viril), que concentra a «seiva/essência» primordial (rasa) das águas e das plantas em vigor masculino corporificado. Ao legitimar miticamente a eficácia da erva (um Gandharva a desenterra para Varuṇa) e alinhá-la a uma essência semelhante à de Soma, o sukta instala no destinatário força taurina e virilidade restaurada.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
वाजीकरण यां त्वा॑ गन्ध॒र्वो अख॑न॒द् वरु॑णाय मृ॒तभ्र॑जे । तां त्वा॑ व॒यं ख॑नाम॒स्योष॑धिं शेप॒हर्ष॑णीम्
Ó doadora de virilidade (vājīkaraṇa), a ti, que o Gandharva desenterrou para Varuṇa, refulgente de essência potente — esta erva nós agora desenterramos: a ti, a que desperta o membro.
Mantra 2
उदु॒षा उदु॒ सूर्य॒ उदि॒दं मा॑म॒कं वचः॑ । उदे॑जतु प्र॒जाप॑ति॒र्वृषा॒ शुष्मे॑ण वा॒जिना॑
Que se erga a Aurora, que se erga o Sol; que se erga também esta minha palavra. Que se mova Prajāpati — o Touro — com vigor, com força de garanhão.
Mantra 3
यथा॑ स्म ते वि॒रोह॑तो॒ऽभित॑प्तमि॒वान॑ति । तत॑स्ते॒ शुष्म॑वत्तरमि॒यं कृ॑णो॒त्वोष॑धिः
Como, em verdade, quando ela brota para ti, ofega como se estivesse toda aquecida — assim, daí, que esta erva te faça um vigor ainda mais vigoroso.
Mantra 4
उच्छुष्मौष॑धीनां॒ सार॑ ऋष॒भाणा॑म्। सं पुं॒सामि॑न्द्र॒ वृष्ण्य॑म॒स्मिन्धे॑हि तनूवशिन्
O vigor erguido das ervas, a essência dos touros — tu, ó Indra, senhor do corpo, coloca por inteiro neste a força varonil, taurina, dos homens.
Mantra 5
अ॒पां रसः॑ प्रथम॒जोऽथो॒ वन॒स्पती॑नाम्। उ॒त सोम॑स्य॒ भ्राता॑स्यु॒तार्शम॑सि॒ वृष्ण्य॑म्
Tu és a seiva das águas, o primogénito; sim, a própria essência das plantas soberanas. Além disso, és irmão de Soma; além disso, és a força viril, a potência taurina, a energia vṛṣṇyā.
Mantra 6
अ॒द्याग्ने॑ अ॒द्य स॑वितर॒द्य दे॑वि सरस्वति । अ॑द्यास्य ब्र॑ह्मणस्पते॒ धनु॑रि॒वा ता॑नया॒ पसः॑
Hoje, ó Agni; hoje, ó Savitar; hoje, ó deusa Sarasvatī; hoje, ó Senhor da Oração (Brahmaṇaspati), estende para este o laço, como se retesa um arco.
Mantra 7
आहं त॑नोमि ते॒ पसो॒ अधि॒ ज्यामि॑व॒ धन्व॑नि । क्रम॒स्वर्श॑ इव रो॒हित॒मन॑वग्लायता॒ सदा॑
Eis: estendo para ti o laço, sobre ti, como a corda do arco no arco. Avança, como o viril; como a força rubra — sem jamais afrouxar, para sempre.
Mantra 8
अश्व॑स्याश्वत॒रस्या॒जस्य॒ पेत्व॑स्य च । अथ॑ ऋष॒भस्य॒ ये वाजा॒स्तान॒स्मिन्धे॑हि तनूवशिन्
As forças do Cavalo, da Mula, do Bode e do Carneiro; e depois os prêmios do Touro — esses, ó senhor do corpo, implanta-os dentro deste.
Inside Sukta 4
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by naming the herb as a direct agent of vajīkaraṇa and by grounding its discovery in a mythic precedent (Gandharva → Varuṇa).
- What it asks
That the concentrated essence of herbs—akin to Soma and born of Waters—enter the recipient and awaken virile potency and bodily mastery.
- Where its power lies
The rasa is proclaimed first-born and foundational (apāṃ rasaḥ prathamajaḥ), the very essence of plants and Soma’s brother—therefore inherently efficacious.
- How it closes
A final ‘installation’ gesture: Indra, as body-master (tanūvaśin), is asked to set vṛṣṇya wholly within this person, sealing the transfer of power.
Famous verses
oṣadhiṃ śepa-harṣaṇīm
indro vṛṣṇyam asmindhehi
apāṃ rasaḥ prathama-jaḥ
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya (Healing) / Paustika (Vigour-bestowing)
What it is for
To obtain, empower, and administer an oṣadhi whose essence awakens sexual potency and general vitality, establishing vṛṣṇya (bull-like vigor) in the recipient.
Who it is for
Atharvanic practitioner/householder healer performing a fertility/virility rite for an adult male (or for conception-oriented household wellbeing).
Also used as
- Paustika
- Vajīkaraṇa
The deity
Personified plant-essence: the generative sap born from Waters and concentrated in herbs/trees, imagined as Soma’s kin and as the carrier of virile, restorative power.
Powers of the deity
- Condenses the ‘rasa’ of waters and plants into a transferable potency
- Restores strength, fertility, and sexual vigor (vṛṣṇya)
- Acts as a soma-like rejuvenator and tonic
- Animates the body from within (installing vigor in the limbs)
- Mythically guaranteed potency via Gandharva/Varuṇa sanction
Why the deity is called
Invoked to authenticate and activate an aphrodisiac herb and to implant its concentrated vigor into the patient, producing soma-like renewal and bull-like virility.
The seer
- Atharvan/Āṅgirasa (hymn-cycle attribution)Atharvan–Āṅgirasa. Bhaiṣajya and paustika charms—especially oṣadhi-based rites that restore vitality, fertility, and bodily power through plant-essence (rasa) and consecrated substances.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 4.1
- AV 4.2
- AV 4.3
- AV 4.5
Preparing for the rite
- Select a potent oṣadhi (aphrodisiac herb) and a clean water source (āp).
- Prepare a simple herbal extract/juice (rasa) or decoction; keep a portion of water for consecration.
- Choose a quiet, ritually clean space; seat the recipient facing east (customary for strengthening rites).
The rite
- Recite the sukta while digging/uprooting the herb (khan- motif), treating the act as ritually authorized procurement.
- Consecrate the herb/extract with recitation, identifying it as ‘apāṃ rasaḥ’ and ‘vanaspatīnām rasaḥ’.
- Administer the prepared rasa (drink/anoint) and verbally ‘install’ vṛṣṇya in the recipient (Indra as tanūvaśin).
What it needs
- Oṣadhi (aphrodisiac herb; unnamed in the sukta)
- Water (āp)
- Herbal juice/extract (rasa)
- Optional digging tool/spade for ritual excavation
When
Preferably in the morning or at a waxing-moon time associated with increase (puṣṭi), before food for tonic administration.
The main substance
Oṣadhi-rasa (herbal sap/extract) consecrated with water (āp)
Herbs
- Unspecified vajīkaraṇa oṣadhi (aphrodisiac herb)
- Vanaspati-derived plant essence (general medicinal plant sap)
How it is prepared
Dig/uproot the herb with mantra; wash and pound/press to obtain rasa, or boil gently to make a decoction; mix with clean water and administer while reciting the installation verses.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily a healing-and-strengthening charm aimed at restoring male sexual potency and overall vigor by consecrating and administering an herb’s ‘sap’ (rasa).
Because it treats potency as a single essence: born from Waters (āp), concentrated in Plants (oṣadhi/vanaspati), and exemplified by Soma as the paradigmatic life-giving plant power.
Both function together: the herbs/plant-essence are the substance of power, while Indra (as tanūvaśin, ‘body-master’) is invoked to ‘install’ that power firmly into the person.
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