Sukta 98
Rishi: Requires hymn colophon consultation.
Devata: Indra (primary); associated divine groups: Vasus, Maruts, Viśve Devāḥ.
Chandas: Predominantly triṣṭubh-like cadence, though Atharvanic liturgical lines may be irregular.
Este sukta de um único mantra é uma fórmula śrauta de «envio/despacho»: consagra o barhis e o havis ao ungi-los com ghee e, em seguida, envia ritualmente a oblação a Indra. Ao nomear Indra juntamente com os Vasus, os Maruts e os Viśve Devāḥ, o texto enquadra a oferta como escoltada pelo divino e socialmente validada na assembleia cósmica, garantindo sua aceitação no assento da divindade. O poder do hino está na sua sequência performativa: unção → união com os grupos divinos → direcionamento da oblação ao destinatário correto sob o chamado selador svāhā.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Inside Sukta 98
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Begins with the explicit identification of the ritual object: “haviḥ” (the oblation), immediately tying speech to the act.
- What it asks
That the ghee-anointed, properly united oblation “go unto Indra,” accompanied by the Vasus, Maruts, and Viśve Devāḥ.
- Where its power lies
Efficacy is implied through correct ritual linking (saṃ…saṃ…saṃ) and the repeated ‘anointing/union’ language, presenting the offering as already consecrated and socially ratified among gods.
- How it closes
Ends with the directive “indraṃ gacchatu haviḥ” and the performative seal “svāhā,” completing the dispatch.
Famous verses
indraṃ gacchatu haviḥ svāhā
Kind of hymn
Bhaisajya-adjacent? (No); primarily Yajñāṅga / Śrauta liturgical (homa dispatch and divine hospitality)
What it is for
Successful consecration and dispatch of the oblation so it is received by Indra, reinforced by the Vasus, Maruts, and Viśve Devāḥ.
Who it is for
Hotṛ/Adhvaryu and ritual assistants performing homa/offerings; householders using śrauta-derived hospitality formulas in simplified rites.
Also used as
- Shantika (rite-correctness and obstacle-avoidance by proper procedure)
- Paustika-adjacent (indirectly, via successful offering leading to prosperity)
The deity
Indra is invoked here as the primary receiver of the oblation and as the central figure of the divine assembly; the Vasus, Maruts, and Viśve Devāḥ function as corroborating hosts and escorts who authorize and accompany the offering in a śrauta idiom.
Powers of the deity
- Receives and legitimizes the oblation as chief guest (atithi) of the rite
- Grants success to the sacrifice through proper acceptance of havis
- Unites with divine cohorts (Vasus/Maruts/Viśve Devāḥ) to stabilize and strengthen ritual efficacy
- Removes ritual failure by ensuring correct direction and destination of the offering
Why the deity is called
To ensure the ghee-anointed barhis and havis are properly consecrated and that the oblation ‘goes to’ Indra with the consent and accompaniment of the principal divine groups.
The seer
- Requires hymn colophon consultationAtharvan. Liturgical deployment of mantras for yajña-procedure (havis dispatch, divine hospitality, and correct recipient-address) rather than medicinal or aggressive charms
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 7.98 (single-mantra dispatch formula)
Preparing for the rite
- Prepare the havis (appropriate oblation) and ghṛta (ghee).
- Lay out and arrange the barhis (sacrificial grass) at the offering place.
- Mentally fix the recipient (Indra) and the accompanying divine groups (Vasus, Maruts, Viśve Devāḥ) as the ritual ‘assembly’.
- Maintain ritual purity and correct orientation of implements according to the rite in use.
The rite
- Anoint (or ritually conceive as anointed) the barhis with ghee in conjunction with the oblation.
- Recite the mantra as the offering is presented/dispatched, explicitly uniting the act ‘with Indra…with the Vasus…with the Maruts…with the All-Gods’.
- Conclude with svāhā as the sealing utterance while releasing/placing the offering into the fire (or otherwise dispatching it per the ritual context).
What it needs
- havis (oblation)
- barhis (sacrificial grass)
- ghṛta (ghee)
- agni/fire (as the dispatch medium in homa contexts)
When
During the offering sequence (homa) at the moment of dispatching the oblation to Indra; suitable wherever an Indra-offering is made.
The main substance
ghṛta (ghee) applied to barhis and associated with the havis
How it is prepared
Arrange barhis; prepare havis; anoint barhis with ghṛta (or ritually declare it anointed) and dispatch the offering with the mantra, sealing with svāhā.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used as a liturgical offering formula to consecrate the barhis and oblation with ghee and to ritually send the havis to Indra, sealed with svāhā.
They function as the divine assembly and escort: their inclusion frames the offering as properly accompanied and authorized, increasing ritual correctness and acceptance.
No. It is not a bhaiṣajya (medical) charm; it is primarily a yajña-auxiliary mantra centered on havis, barhis, and ghṛta within an offering context.
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