Atharva Veda Sukta 11
Kanda 5Anuvaka 2Sukta 1111 Mantras

Sukta 11

Devata: Varuṇa (Asura), with secondary allusions to ‘Father’ and ‘Hari’ as recipients/figures in the precedent

Chandas: Associated with atiśakvarī/atyāṣṭi classifications.

AV 5.11 — паустический гимн «сампат-карман», направленный на успешное завершение обряда и устойчивое прибытие щедрот (rādhas) по милости Варуны. Процветание осмысляется как плод правильной речи (stotra), правильного дара (dakṣiṇā, особенно пёстрой коровы Пṛśнī) и проницательного надзора Варуны, благодаря которому жертвенное действие «приземляется» в мире должным образом.

Kind of charm

Paushtika (prosperity)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.11

Mantras

Mantra 1

संपत्कर्म। ६ पञ्चपदा अतिशक्वरी, ११ त्र्यवसाना षट्-पदा अत्यष्टिः। क॒थं म॒हे असु॑रायाब्रवीरि॒ह क॒थं पि॒त्रे हर॑ये त्वे॒षनृ॑म्णः । पृश्निं॑ वरुण॒ दक्षि॑णां ददा॒वान् पुन॑र्मघ॒ त्वं मन॑साचिकित्सीः

Как ты говорил здесь Великому Асуре? как — Отцу, Хари, исполненному яростной мощи? Варуна, даровав Пṛшни как дакшину (жреческую плату), ты, о вновь-щедрый, умом распознал путь (ход дела).

Mantra 2

न कामे॑न॒ पुन॑र्मघो भवामि॒ सं च॑क्षे॒ कं पृश्नि॑मे॒तामुपा॑जे । केन॒ नु त्वम॑थर्व॑न् काव्ये॑न॒ केन॑ जा॒तेना॑सि जा॒तवे॑दाः

Не одним лишь желанием, о вновь-щедрый, я достигаю: ясно я вижу Ка; к этой Пṛшни я приближаюсь. Чем же ты, о Атхарван, — каким поэтическим искусством (kāvya), каким рождением — являешься Джатаведасом?

Mantra 3

स॒त्यम॒हं ग॑भी॒रः काव्ये॑न स॒त्यं जा॒तेना॑स्मि जा॒तवे॑दाः । न मे॑ दा॒सो नार्यो॑ महि॒त्वा व्र॒तं मी॑माय॒ यद॒हं ध॑रि॒ष्ये

Истинен я; глубинён поэтическим искусством (kāvya); истинно по рождению я — Джатаведас. Ни Даса, ни Арья, по величию, не отмерил обета, который я буду хранить.

Mantra 4

न त्वद॒न्यः क॒वित॑रो॒ न मे॒धया॒ धीर॑तरो वरुण स्वधावन्। त्वं ता विश्वा॒ भुव॑नानि वेत्थ॒ स चि॒न्नु त्वज्जनो॑ मा॒यी बि॑भाय

Нет иного, кто был бы прозорливее тебя, и нет более стойкого разумом, о Варуна, владыка врождённой силы. Ты ведаешь все эти миры; и даже твой человек — творец майи, иллюзии, — трепещет.

Mantra 5

त्वं ह्य॑१ङ्ग व॑रुण स्वधाव॒न् विश्वा॒ वेत्थ॒ जनि॑म सुप्रणीते । किं रज॑स ए॒ना प॒रो अ॒न्यद॑स्त्ये॒ना किं परे॒णाव॑रममुर

Ибо ты, о Варуна, владыка врождённой силы, ведаешь все рождения, о прекрасно ведущий. Что иное есть за этой областью? И через это — что есть по ту сторону, ниже, за тем дальним?

Mantra 6

एकं॒ रज॑स ए॒ना प॒रो अ॒न्यद॑स्त्ये॒ना प॒र एके॑न दु॒र्णशं॑ चिद॒र्वाक्। तत् ते॑ वि॒द्वान् वरु॑ण॒ प्र ब्र॑वीम्य॒धोव॑चसः प॒णयो॑ भवन्तु नी॒चैर्दा॒सा उप॑ सर्पन्तु॒ भूमि॑म्

Одно пространство: за ним, по этому, есть другое; и за ним снова — по ещё одному — есть иное, труднодостижимое, хотя и по эту сторону. Зная это, о Варуна, я возвещаю тебе: пусть Пани будут с речью приниженной; низко пусть Дасы ползут к земле.

Mantra 7

त्वं ह्य१ङ्ग व॑रुण॒ ब्रवी॑षि॒ पुन॑र्मघेष्वव॒द्यानि॒ भूरि॑ । मो षु प॒णींर॒भ्ये॒३ताव॑तो भू॒न्मा त्वा॑ वोचन्नरा॒धसं॒ जना॑सः

Ибо ты, о Варуна, воистину возвещаешь вновь многие пороки среди даров. Не тесни Пани дальше этого предела, чтобы люди не назвали тебя «неудачливым в даровании».

Mantra 8

मा मा॑ वोचन्नरा॒धसं॒ जना॑सः॒ पुन॑स्ते॒ पृश्निं॑ जरितर्ददामि । स्तो॒त्रं मे॒ विश्व॒मा या॑हि॒ शची॑भिर॒न्तर्विश्वा॑सु॒ मानु॑षीषु दि॒क्षु

Пусть люди, пусть люди не называют тебя «не-дарителем»: снова тебе, о певец, я даю пёструю корову. Приди к моей всецелой хвале со своими силами, во всех человеческих сторонах света, внутри них.

Mantra 9

आ ते॑ स्तोत्राण्युद्य॑तानि यन्त्व॒न्तर्विश्वा॑सु॒ मानु॑षीषु दि॒क्षु। दे॒हि नु मे॒ यन्मे॒ अद॑त्तो॒ असि॒ युज्यो॑ मे स॒प्तप॑दः॒ सखा॑सि

Да придут к тебе мои вознесённые хвалебные песни — во все человеческие стороны света, во все пределы мира. Ныне дай мне то, что ты мне дарован: со мною ты — союзник надлежащий; ты — друг семишаговый (saptapada).

Mantra 10

स॒मा नौ॒ बन्धु॑र्वरुण स॒मा जा वेदा॒हं तद् यन्ना॑वे॒षा स॒मा जा। ददा॑मि॒ तद् यत् ते अद॑त्तो॒ अस्मि॒ युज्य॑स्ते स॒प्तप॑दः॒ सखा॑स्मि

Равен наш союз, о Варуна; равно и наше родство: ты знаешь то, в чём я не преступил — равно наше родство. Я отдаю то, что твоё, ибо я дарован тебе: к тебе я надлежаще сопряжён; я — друг семишаговый (saptapada).

Mantra 11

दे॒वो दे॒वाय॑ गृण॒ते व॑यो॒धा विप्रो॒ विप्रा॑य स्तुव॒ते सु॑मे॒धाः । अजी॑जनो॒ हि व॑रुण स्वधाव॒न्नथ॑र्वाणं पि॒तरं॑ दे॒वब॑न्धुम्। तस्मा॑ उ॒ राधः॑ कृणुहि सुप्रश॒स्तं सखा॑ नो असि पर॒मं च॒ बन्धुः॑

Бог, дарующий жизненную силу, внимает Богу — вдохновенному жрецу, что воспевает, мудрому, что славит. Ибо ты, о Варуна, силою собственной породил Атхарвана, Отца, сродника богов. Потому сотвори ему щедрость, славную и добрую: ты — наш друг и высшая наша связь.

Inside Sukta 11

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    Begins by recalling/asking how one addressed the Great Asura (Varuṇa) and the precedent of powerful recipients (‘Father’, ‘Hari’), grounding the rite in authoritative memory and correct speech.

  2. What it asks

    That Varuṇa accept the renewed gift and praise, come with his powers into all human quarters, and grant rādhas (bounty) and vayas (vitality) as the rite’s successful outcome.

  3. Where its power lies

    Varuṇa is portrayed as the one who ‘discerns with mind’ the right course and who can prevent the social-ritual failure of being labeled ‘arādhas’—thereby making prosperity dependable.

  4. How it closes

    Closes by invoking Varuṇa’s generative link with Atharvan (‘Father’, devabandhu) and asking him to make bounty ‘well-renowned’, affirming Varuṇa as friend and supreme bond.

Famous verses

punaḥmagha tvaṃ manasā cikitsīḥ
Verse 5.11.1Sets the theological and ritual frame: Varuṇa as Great Asura, the remembered precedent of correct address and gifting, and the key idea that Varuṇa ‘discerns the course’—the basis for sampat (successful completion).Read verse 5.11.1 →
mā mā vocannarādhasaṃ janāsaḥ
Verse 5.11.8Core paustika pivot: prevents the reputational curse of being called ‘arādhas’ and explicitly renews the dakṣiṇā (Pṛśnī), while requesting Varuṇa’s presence and protection in all directions.Read verse 5.11.8 →
sakhā no asi paraṃ ca bandhuḥ
Verse 5.11.11Ritual legitimation and final boon: links Varuṇa to Atharvanic ancestry and asks for rādhas that is ‘supraśasta’ (well-renowned), sealing friendship and the highest bond.Read verse 5.11.11 →

Kind of hymn

Paustika / Sampat-karman (attainment-success rite; prosperity/ritual success)

What it is for

Successful performance and outcome of the sacrifice/rite, acquisition of bounty (rādhas) and vitality (vayas), and public recognition of the patron as a true giver under Varuṇa’s sanction.

Who it is for

Atharvanic priests performing prosperity/attainment rites for a patron (yajamāna), especially where dakṣiṇā and social reputation are integral to success.

Also used as

  • Sampat-karman (rite of attainment/success)
  • Śāntika (stabilizing favor and reputation)
  • Ritual legitimation (Atharvanic priestly authority)

The deity

Varuṇa here is the great Asura—guardian of ṛta (cosmic order) and the divine witness who ‘knows with mind’ the true course of action, ensuring that offerings and words bear fruit. Secondary allusions to ‘Father’ and ‘Hari’ appear as precedent figures in the hymn’s remembered exchange and as legitimating recipients within the ritual economy of gift and praise.

Powers of the deity

  • Upholds ṛta and moral-ritual order
  • Discerns truth and the proper course (manasā cikits)
  • Grants rādhas (bounty), vayas (vitality), and social repute
  • Removes the stigma of being ‘not a giver’ (arādhas)
  • Extends protection across the human quarters/directions

Why the deity is called

Invoked to authorize and complete a prosperity rite: to make the patron’s gift and praise effective, to secure renown as a bestower, and to cause wealth/vitality to arrive reliably under Varuṇa’s orderly governance.

The seer

  • Anukramaṇī-not-specified for AV 5.11 (Atharvanic priestly voice; Atharvan invoked as ancestral ‘Father’ in v.11)Atharvan. Paustika and sampat charms: securing ritual success, reputation as a giver (not ‘arādhas’), and prosperity through correct praise and dakṣiṇā.

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 5.11 (this hymn)
  • Related Varuṇa–paustika complexes in AV Book 5 (exact ṛṣi attributions depend on the recension/anukramaṇī consulted)

Preparing for the rite

  • Choose a clean ritual space; establish a calm, truthful intention (ṛta-aligned resolve).
  • Prepare the dakṣiṇā, ideally a valuable gift symbolized by a speckled cow (pṛśnī) or its acceptable substitute (wealth token).
  • Seat the reciter facing an auspicious direction; arrange the gift so it is ritually ‘present’ during recitation.

The rite

  • Recite the hymn as a stotra addressed to Varuṇa, explicitly linking praise with the act of gifting.
  • At the verses emphasizing gift/renown (e.g., v.8), formally ‘offer’ or declare the dakṣiṇā; reaffirm that the deity is not to be called arādhas (‘no bestower’).
  • Conclude by requesting rādhas and friendship/bond (v.11), sealing the rite’s success and protection in all directions.

What it needs

  • Dakṣiṇā (ritual fee/gift)
  • Pṛśnī (speckled cow) or symbolic substitute (cowrie/coin/cloth as wealth-token, per local practice)
  • Optional: water for purification and a seat/grass for the reciter (standard Atharvanic setup)

When

Auspicious daytime (preferably morning) during or immediately before the concluding gift/fee is transferred; also suitable when initiating a prosperity undertaking requiring ‘sampat’.

The main substance

Dakṣiṇā (with Pṛśnī—speckled cow—as the emblematic gift)

How it is prepared

Keep the dakṣiṇā ritually present during recitation; verbally dedicate it to Varuṇa and transfer it at the appropriate point (especially around the ‘punaḥ … pṛśnim … dadāmi’ motif), treating the gift as the material anchor of the hymn’s prosperity claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used to secure sampat—successful completion and beneficial outcome of a rite—along with bounty (rādhas), vitality (vayas), and stable divine favor from Varuṇa.

Pṛśnī symbolizes the dakṣiṇā (ritual fee/gift). The hymn teaches that prosperity and reputation are stabilized when praise is matched by a proper, renewed gift.

It is a request that people not call the patron/deity ‘non-bestowing’—i.e., that the rite not fail socially or materially. The verse reinforces generosity and ensures the outcome is publicly recognized as successful.

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