Atharva Veda 20.69.2: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 7, Sukta 69, Mantra 2
Sukta 69
यस्य॑ सं॒स्थे न वृ॒ण्वते॒ हरी॑ स॒मत्सु॒ शत्र॑वः । तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॑य गायत
yásya saṃsthé ná vṛṇvate hárī samátsu śátravaḥ | tásmā índrāya gāyata ||
He whose two bays the foes win not in the encounter, in the battles,—to that Indra sing ye.
సమరాల్లో, యుద్ధాల్లో శత్రువులు జయించలేని రెండు ‘హరి’ (అశ్వాలు) కలిగిన ఆ ఇంద్రునికి మీరు గానం చేయండి.
The meaning
What it says
Indra’s two bay steeds cannot be ‘won’ by enemies in battle; therefore, sing to that Indra.
The inner meaning
When one’s guiding energies (harī) are not captured by fear, anger, or rival pressures, victory is secured; the mantra trains allegiance to the victorious center.
The truth in it
Mastery is keeping one’s driving forces from being commandeered by adversarial forces—inner or outer.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Kṣātrika (Martial success) / Apotropaic against rivals
Its aim
To prevent enemies from prevailing in conflict and to secure Indra’s victorious power for one’s side.
Word by Word
Pada patha
यस्य । संस्थे । न । वृण्वते । हरी । समत्सु । शत्रवः । तस्मै । इन्द्राय । गायत ।
- यस्य
- whosePronounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘whose’Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- संस्थे
- in (his) position/standin the standing/encounter; in the decisive confrontation (battle-array; Sayana: saṃsthāna/saṃgrāma-sthiti)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (सप्तमी) — ‘in/at the station/position’Root संस्था (प्रातिपदिक; सं-√स्था) अथवा ‘संस्थ’ (स्थान-सम्बन्धी)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role — (निषेध)Root न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- वृण्वते
- they choose / they selectchoose; win; obtain (enemies do not ‘get’/secure victory; Sayana: na labhante)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √वृ (वृणोति ‘choose, select’)
- हरी
- the two bay steeds (of Indra)the two bay steeds (Indra’s horses; also metonym for his power/vehicle of victory)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्विवचनम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (रूप-साम्य)Role कर्म (युग्म-वस्तु) — ‘the two bays’Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- समत्सु
- in battlesin battles; in conflicts (locative plural)Nounपुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरण — ‘in battles’Root समत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘battle/encounter’)
- शत्रवः
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ — ‘enemies’ (of वृण्वते)Root शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान — ‘to him’Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- to IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान — ‘to Indra’ (apposition to तस्मै)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गायत
- sing (you all)!sing ye! (imperative: praise as weaponized liturgy)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रिया (आज्ञा) — addressed to singersRoot √गै (गायति ‘sing’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यस्य | संस्थे | न | वृण्वते | हरी | समत्सु | शत्रवः | तस्मै | इन्द्राय | गायत ।
- 1) ‘तस्मा इन्द्राय’ इति संहितायां ‘तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॑य’—विसर्गाभाव/स्वर-चिह्नयुक्त-पाठः
- पदपाठे ‘तस्मै इन्द्राय’।
- 2) ‘समत्सु’ = समत् + सु (सप्तमी-बहुवचन-प्रत्ययः) ।
- 3) ‘हरी’ द्विवचनरूपम् (हरि-शब्दः), संहितायां दीर्घस्वर-चिह्नयुक्तः।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Ṛgvedic source attribution (Indra martial stuti); AV 20 compilation context
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Stotra meter (depends on RV source)
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sayana takes ‘harī’ as Indra’s two horses, emblematic of irresistible might; enemies cannot ‘vṛṇvate’—cannot seize, choose, or appropriate—Indra’s victorious power in the κρίσις of battle (‘saṃsthe’). The refrain ‘tasmai indrāya gāyata’ functions as a repeated liturgical strike: praise that disarms rivals.
Ṛgvedic source (martial Indra-stuti); specific seer per RV hymn tradition; preserved in AVŚ 20 anthology
Kṣātrika praise: verbal weaponry that asserts Indra’s invincibility and transfers that confidence to the patron’s side
A classic Atharvanic use of RV martial stuti as apotropaic speech: declaring the enemy’s incapacity functions as prophylaxis.
Indra
Breaker of hostile forces; ensures mobility and tactical advantage (symbolized by the steeds).
Direct protection in conflict—prevents opponents from ‘seizing’ one’s momentum and resources.
4 × ~11
Often recited as a sharp, declarative charm; caesurae can be used to ‘cut’ the opponent’s claim.
Clipped and forceful; strong negation (‘na vṛṇvate’) drives the spell-like effect.
Instills fearlessness; projects dominance and steadiness.
Prior to a contest or dispute, the officiant marks a protective boundary (mentally or with a simple circumambulation).
Recite the mantra facing the direction of the perceived adversary, focusing on the negation ‘na vṛṇvate’ as the operative constraint upon foes.
Optionally repeat three times to ‘bind’ the adversary’s success, then proceed with the main rite/undertaking.
Kauśika Sūtra: battle/protection applications commonly use Indra-verses as protective recitations; AV 20 stotra verses serve as modular chants; a one-to-one sutra citation for this exact stanza is not consistently preserved in Kauśika transmission.
Atharvan as apotropaic specialist: deploys the verse as a ‘rival-subduing’ stuti, ensuring correct accent and repetition for binding effect.
Recite before entering a dispute, court matter, competitive meeting, or when facing intimidation; can be spoken over a protective thread or weapon-tool (staff) as a domestic analogue.
Before confrontation; also at dawn on the day of contest.
Householder or family priest; group recitation is especially apt (echoing ‘gāyata’).
Use as a short rallying recitation for a team before a high-stakes event.
Harī (Indra’s two steeds; emblem of victory and divine mobility)
The ‘steeds’ stand for transferable momentum—what must not be ‘captured’ by adversaries (panic, distraction, sabotage).
Cognitive reframing for conflict situations; strengthening self-efficacy and reducing threat appraisal.
Rivals/enemies in contest, litigation, or open conflict
To prevent enemies from prevailing and to secure victory-power by aligning with Indra’s unconquerable mobility.
Declarative apotropaic: stating the enemy’s inability functions as binding/warding; communal singing (‘gāyata’) amplifies efficacy.
Defeat, loss of initiative, being outmaneuvered
- हरी (harī)
- paired powers: initiative and endurance; breath and will; speed and stability
- समत्सु (samatsu)
- life-conflicts: competition, crisis, moral struggle
- शत्रवः (śatravaḥ)
- obstacles, rivals, destructive habits, intrusive thoughts
- संस्थे (saṃsthe)
- one’s stance/ground—psychological posture that determines resilience
Unstealable momentum: keep prāṇa and will ‘unseized’ by reactive states.
manipura
Short, steady ujjāyī for 9 cycles; exhale firmly on ‘na vṛṇvate’.
Centered ferocity (tejas under control).
Stand firm (saṃstha) with feet grounded; chant once, then hold a silent ‘victory posture’ for a few breaths.
Strong udātta on key nouns; punch the negation ‘na’; end with an uplift on ‘gāyata’.
yasya | saṃsthe | na | vṛṇvate | harī || samatsu | śatravaḥ || tasmāi | indrāya | gāyata |
Firm, percussive articulation; avoid dragging vowels except at cadence.
For protective use, speak once facing the direction of perceived threat, then once inwardly (mental) to ‘seal’.
3 times
Facing rivalry, intimidation, competitive pressure, or hostile negotiation.
Immediately before engagement; also when morale drops mid-conflict.
Increased courage, steadier stance, and a traditional apotropaic ‘ward’ against being outmaneuvered.
Do not use to escalate violence; aim for protection and just victory.
No explicit plant appears; the operative ‘substance’ is Indra’s harī as a mythic-ritual technology of victory. In Atharvanic logic, such mythic vehicles function like substances: they are invoked, ‘brought near,’ and made effective through speech.
It presumes endemic rivalry (‘śatravaḥ’) and the need for ritual means to manage conflict outcomes. The priestly voice becomes a strategic asset, aligning divine power with a patron’s side.
The dual harī and the battle-locatives (samatsu) are RV-standard martial diction. The refrain structure is likewise stotra-formulaic, indicating preservation rather than innovation.
Gopatha’s emphasis on mantra as constraint and empowerment supports reading the negation (‘na vṛṇvate’) as a verbal fetter placed upon enemies. Efficacy is grounded in correct utterance and intentional deployment.
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