Sukta 62
Rishi: Ṛgvedic provenance (adopted into AV20).
Devata: Indra
Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (RV-style).
अथर्ववेदे स्वीकृतं ऋग्वेदीय-शैलीयुक्तम् इन्द्रस्तुतिरूपं सूक्तम् (अ.व. २०.६२) वाजे—प्रतियोगितायां जयलाभे, पुरस्कारप्राप्तौ, आह्वायक-गणस्य रक्षणे च—इन्द्रस्य श्रीमदनुग्रहं साधयितुं प्रवर्तते। अस्मिन् सूक्ते इन्द्रः अनुपमः, लोकधर्म-स्थापकः, ज्योतिःप्रदाता, अभिभविता च इति स्तूयते; ततः सा पराक्रम-श्रेष्ठता व्यवहारिक-विजये नियोज्यते—वृत्राणां बाधानां निवारणं, कीर्त्या सह अग्रे गमनं च।
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
व॒यमु॒ त्वाम॑पूर्व्य स्थू॒रं न कच्चि॒द् भर॑न्तोऽव॒स्यवः॑ । वाजे॑ चि॒त्रं ह॑वामहे
वयम् उ त्वामपूर्व्य स्थूरं न कच्चिद् भरन्तोऽवस्यवः। वाजे चित्रं हवामहे।
Mantra 2
उप॑ त्वा॒ कर्म॑न्नू॒तये॑ स नो॒ युवो॒ग्रश्च॑क्राम॒ यो धृ॒षत्। त्वामिद्ध्य॑वि॒तारं॑ ववृ॒महे॒ सखा॑य इन्द्र सान॒सिम्
उप त्वा कर्मन्नूतये स नो युवोग्रश्चक्राम यो धृषत्। त्वामिद्ध्यवितारं ववृमहे सखाय इन्द्र सानसिम्।
Mantra 3
यो न॑ इ॒दमि॑दं पु॒रा प्र वस्य॑ आनि॒नाय॒ तमु॑ व स्तुषे । सखा॑य॒ इन्द्र॑मू॒तये॑
यः न इदमिदं पुरा प्र वस्य आ निनाय, तमु वः स्तुषे। सखाय इन्द्रम् ऊतये॥
Mantra 4
हर्य॑श्वं॒ सत्प॑तिं चर्षणी॒सहं॒ स हि ष्मा॒ यो अम॑न्दत । आ तु नः॒ स व॑यति॒ गव्य॒मश्व्यं॑ स्तो॒तृभ्यो॑ म॒घवा॑ श॒तम्
हर्यश्वं सत्पतिं चर्षणीसहं स हि ष्मा यो अमन्दत। आ तु नः स वयति गव्यमश्व्यं स्तोतृभ्यो मघवा शतम्॥
Mantra 5
इन्द्रा॑य॒ साम॑ गायत॒ विप्रा॑य बृह॒ते बृ॒हत्। ध॒र्म॒कृते॑ विप॒श्चिते॑ पन॒स्यवे॑
इन्द्राय साम गायत विप्राय बृहते बृहत्। धर्मकृते विपश्चिते पनस्यवे॥
Mantra 6
त्वमि॑न्द्राभि॒भूर॑सि॒ त्वं सूर्य॑मरोचयः । वि॒श्वक॑र्मा वि॒श्वदे॑वो म॒हाँ अ॑सि
त्वम् इन्द्र अभिभूरसि; त्वं सूर्यम् अरोचयः। विश्वकर्मा विश्वदेवो महान् असि।
Mantra 7
वि॒भ्राजं॒ ज्योति॑षा॒ स्व॑१रग॑च्छो रोच॒नं दि॒वः । दे॒वास्त॑ इन्द्र स॒ख्याय॑ येमिरे
विभ्राजं ज्योतिषा स्वर्गम् अगच्छः, रोचनं दिवः। देवास् ते इन्द्र सख्याय येमिरे।
Mantra 8
तम्व॒भि प्र गा॑यत पुरुहू॒तं पु॑रुष्टु॒तम्। इन्द्रं॑ गी॒र्भिस्त॑वि॒षमा वि॑वासत
तं प्रति प्र गायत, अभि प्र गायत—पुरुहूतं पुरुष्टुतम् इन्द्रम्। गीर्भिः तविषमिन्द्रं विवासयत, तमिह आ वहत।
Mantra 9
यस्य॑ द्वि॒बर्ह॑सो बृ॒हत् सहो॑ दा॒धार॒ रोद॑सी । गि॒रींरज्रां॑ अ॒पः स्वऽर्वृषत्व॒ना
यस्य द्विबर्हसो बृहत् सहो रोदसी दाधार; स वृषत्वना गिरीं रज्रां अपः स्वः च बभञ्ज।
Mantra 10
स रा॑जसि पुरुष्टुतं॒ एको॑ वृ॒त्राणि॑ जिघ्नसे । इन्द्र॒ जैत्रा॑ श्रव॒स्याऽ च॒ यन्त॑वे
स राजसि पुरुष्टुतम् एको वृत्राणि जिघ्नसे; इन्द्र जैत्रः श्रवस्यश्च नः यन्तवे भव।
Inside Sukta 62
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn begins with the invoking group approaching Indra with offerings, calling him ‘Unrivalled’ and ‘Stout,’ and asking for splendid help in vāja (20.62.1).
- What it asks
Grant prize-winning strength and protection; clear the way by smashing impediments and making the patron’s advance successful and publicly acknowledged.
- Where its power lies
Indra is declared the overcomer who makes the sun shine—universalized as ‘all-maker, all-god, the Great’—thereby guaranteeing that no rival force can withstand him (20.62.6).
- How it closes
It culminates in Indra alone smiting the vṛtras (obstructions) and being invoked as ‘victorious’ and ‘fame-bestowing’ for onward movement—sealing the hymn as a charter for triumph and renown (20.62.10).
Famous verses
vāje citraṃ havāmahe
eko vṛtrāṇi jighnase
Kind of hymn
Indra-stuti (competitive/paustika-royal coloration: success in vāja)
What it is for
Victory in competition and undertakings, acquisition of the prize/advantage, removal of obstacles, and the securing of renown and protection for the patron and their allies.
Who it is for
Householders/patrons preparing for contests, public undertakings, disputes, raids/processions, or any setting where ‘winning’ and unhindered advance are sought; also leaders seeking royal-style success and prestige.
Also used as
- Saṃgrāmika (victory/contest)
- Śāntika (restoring clarity, dispelling hostile darkness)
- Rakṣoghna (obstacle- and demon-smiting)
The deity
Indra is invoked as the peerless champion and sovereign of expansive realms: the breaker of obstructions (vṛtra), giver of vāja (prize, strength, advantage), and cosmic stabilizer who brings light and decisive victory.
Powers of the deity
- Overcoming enemies and rivals (abhibhū)
- Granting vāja: strength, prize-winning, competitive success
- Breaking obstructions (vṛtrāṇi) and clearing paths
- Bestowing fame (śravas) and victorious momentum (jaitra)
- Restoring light/clarity and order (sun made to shine)
- Protection of the invoking group and their undertaking
Why the deity is called
To obtain Indra’s ‘splendid aid’ for winning contests and advancing the patron’s cause—material gain, public success, and the crushing of hindrances that block progress.
The seer
- Ṛgvedic provenance (RV Indra-stotra seer per source tradition)Angiras. Stotra-based victory and prosperity invocations (vāja, royal success), strengthening the patron’s kṣatra through praise that ‘activates’ Indra’s conquering power.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20 (Rigvedic borrowings), especially Indra-stutis in the 20th kāṇḍa
- RV Indra-stotra parallels (source hymn tradition behind AV 20.62)
Preparing for the rite
- Purify the reciter with ācamana (sipping water) and a brief saṅkalpa for vāja/victory.
- Prepare simple havis (ghee/oblation or food offering) as implied by bharantaḥ (‘bearing gifts’).
- Seat the patron facing east (or toward the contest/goal), keeping weapons/insignia or prize-token nearby if culturally appropriate.
The rite
- Recite the sukta as a stotra to Indra, ideally with a concluding oblation on key verses (notably 20.62.1 and 20.62.10).
- On verses emphasizing conquest and obstacle-breaking, gesture forward (symbolic ‘advance’) and mentally name the specific hindrance to be removed.
- Conclude with a short Indra-abhisheka style sprinkling (water) or a final offering, dedicating the gained ‘vāja’ to Indra and the patron’s success.
What it needs
- Havis/offerings (ghee, milk, grains, or a simple food oblation)
- Water for purification/sprinkling
- Optional: a prize-token (vāja symbol), staff/standard, or ribbon/cord signifying victory
When
Before a contest/expedition/assembly; at dawn or before setting out is especially fitting (light-bringer theme).
The main substance
Havis (simple oblation such as ghee/food offering)
How it is prepared
Prepare a modest offering (ghee or food) and dedicate it to Indra; offer at the opening and/or closing verse while stating the vāja intention (victory, prize, successful advance).
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily a victory-and-prosperity (paustika) Indra hymn used to gain success in contests or undertakings—winning the prize (vāja), removing hindrances, and securing protection and renown.
The line frames Indra as the power that restores light, clarity, and order—symbolically dispelling hostile forces and confusion so the patron’s path and outcome become ‘bright’ and successful.
The hymn itself implies offerings (havis). A simple oblation such as ghee or food, plus water for purification, is sufficient; the focus is praise that calls Indra’s conquering power into the situation.
Ask anything about Sukta 62 of the Atharva Veda
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