Sukta 33
Rishi: Ṛgvedic provenance (Indra-stotra); in AV 20, verses are largely adopted from the Ṛgveda; specific r̥ṣi attribution follows the RV source-hymn tradition rather than Atharvanic family lists.
Devata: Indra
Chandas: Triṣṭubh (probable, matching RV-style cadence; AV 20 commonly preserves RV meters)
Ang maikling Indra-stotra na ito (na hawig sa diction at metro ang Rigvedic) ay nagbibigay-lakas sa handog ng Soma upang si Indra ay uminom, lumago sa kapangyarihan, at palawigin ang kanyang mapagprotektang tulong sa sambahayan ng naghahandog. Sa pamamagitan ng pag-uugnay sa kasayahan ni Indra (mada) sa maayos at katotohanang-nakakaalam na mananamba sa tahanan ni Manu, ito ay naglalayong magkaroon ng kasaganaan, sigla, at supling, habang nagiging kalasag din laban sa mga banta sa pamamagitan ng mapagtagumpay na kapangyarihan ni Indra.
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
अ॒प्सु धू॒तस्य॑ हरिवः॒ पिबे॒ह नृभिः॑ सु॒तस्य॑ ज॒ठरं॑ पृणस्व । मि॒मि॒क्षुर्यमद्र॑य इन्द्र॒ तुभ्यं॒ तेभि॑र्वर्धस्व॒ मद॑मुक्थवाहः
Uminom ka dito, O ikaw na may kayumangging mga kabayo, ng Soma na nilinis sa tubig; ng piniga ng mga tao ay punan mo ang iyong tiyan. Ang pinaghalo ng mga bato para sa iyo, O Indra, sa pamamagitan ng mga ito ay lumago ka, ikaw na tagapagdala ng kalasingan at ng himno.
Mantra 2
प्रोग्रां पी॒तिं वृष्ण॑ इयर्मि स॒त्यां प्र॒यै सु॒तस्य॑ हर्यश्व॒ तुभ्य॑म्। इन्द्र॒ धेना॑भिरि॒ह मा॑दयस्व धी॒भिर्विश्वा॑भिः॒ शच्या॑ गृणा॒नः
Isinasagawa ko ang mabangis, ang tunay na inumin para sa Toro, para sa iyong pagsulong, O Indra na may kayumangging mga kabayo, ng pinigang Soma. O Indra, sa dumadaloy na mga baka nito ay magalak ka rito, habang pinupuri sa bawat pag-iisip, na may mabisang kapangyarihan.
Mantra 3
ऊ॒ती श॑चीव॒स्तव॑ वी॒र्येण॒ वयो॒ दधा॑ना उ॒शिज॑ ऋत॒ज्ञाः । प्र॒जाव॑दिन्द्र॒ मनु॑षो दुरो॒णे त॒स्थुर्गृ॒णन्तः॑ सध॒माद्या॑सः
Sa iyong tumutulong na tulong, oh Panginoon ng kasanayan, at sa iyong kabayanihan, na nagdadala ng lakas ng buhay, ang mga masugid na nag-aalay, na nakakakilala sa Kaayusan, ay tumayo sa loob ng bahay ni Manu, oh Indra, na mayaman sa supling, na nagpupuri sa iyo, na mga kasama sa banal na katuwaan.
Inside Sukta 33
How it unfolds
- How it opens
Indra is invited as Harivaḥ (lord of tawny steeds) to drink the Soma purified in waters and pressed by men.
- What it asks
May Indra accept the powerful, truthful draught, rejoice in the soma-streams, and increase in might through hymn and intoxication.
- Where its power lies
The rite frames Soma (pressed, mixed by stones) plus efficacious praise (śacī, uktha, dhī) as a reliable mechanism that truly strengthens Indra and thus secures results.
- How it closes
Worshippers, knowers of ṛta, stand in Manu’s house ‘rich in offspring,’ praising Indra together in common exhilaration (sadhamādya).
Famous verses
apsu dhūtasya … pibeha
ugrāṃ pītiṃ … satyām
manuṣo duroṇe … sadhamādyāsaḥ
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Rakṣoghna (Protective)
What it is for
To secure Indra’s approach and favor through Soma, resulting in increased strength, successful rite, household protection, vitality, and progeny.
Who it is for
Householders and ritual patrons performing Soma-linked worship; Atharvavedic users adopting RV stotras for domestic prosperity and protection.
Also used as
- Rakṣoghna
- Saumya (Soma-empowerment)
- Stotra (praise-hymn)
The deity
Indra is the martial, kingly force of Vedic religion—victor in battle, breaker of obstacles, and chief recipient of Soma—whose exhilarated strength safeguards order (ṛta) and the human dwelling.
Powers of the deity
- Drinks Soma and becomes amplified in vīrya (heroic might)
- Grants protection and victory; repels hostile forces (rakṣas, enemies)
- Bestows vitality (vayas), prosperity, and progeny
- Responds to hymns (uktha) and efficacious praise (śacī)
- Establishes the worshippers securely in the domestic space (dūrōṇa)
Why the deity is called
He is invoked to accept the purified, pressed Soma, to be gladdened and strengthened thereby, and to turn that heightened power into protection and flourishing—especially vitality and offspring—for the patron’s household.
The seer
- Ṛgvedic provenance (Indra-stotra; r̥ṣi per RV source)Angiras. Saumya-Indra praise and empowerment: hymns that intensify Soma, summon Indra’s approach, and convert divine exhilaration into human victory, protection, and household prosperity.
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 20.33 (RV-derived Indra-Soma triṣṭubh stotra)
- AV 20 (multiple RV-derived Indra stotras; specific parallels depend on the RV source hymn)
Preparing for the rite
- Establish a clean domestic ritual space (dūrōṇa), ideally near the household fire.
- Prepare/visualize Soma as ‘cleansed in waters’ (apsu dhūta) and ‘pressed by men’; if Soma is unavailable, use a ritually acceptable substitute drink in water as a symbolic soma-draught.
- Seat the reciter facing east; compose intention for protection, vitality, and progeny.
The rite
- Recite 20.33.1 while offering/mentally offering the purified draught to Indra (inviting him to drink and ‘fill the belly’).
- Recite 20.33.2 while presenting the ‘true, fierce draught’ for Indra’s advance, affirming that the soma-streams (dhenu-metaphor) gladden him.
- Recite 20.33.3 to ‘seal’ the rite by placing the worshippers within Manu’s dwelling—rich in offspring—praising Indra in shared sacred gladness (sadhamādya).
What it needs
- Water (for ‘apsu’ purification)
- Soma or symbolic substitute drink
- Pressing-stones (adrayaḥ) or a symbolic stone/pressing implement
- Offering vessel/cup
- Domestic ritual locus (house-space, threshold, or hearth area)
When
Preferably at dawn or during a Soma-associated session; domestically, perform in the morning before household activity for protection and prosperity.
The main substance
Soma (or symbolic soma-draught in water)
How it is prepared
Purify the offering by mixing/straining into water (apsu), press or symbolically ‘press’ with stones/implement (adrayaḥ), and present in a cup as the draught to be offered with recitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to invoke Indra through a Soma-offering (or its ritual substitute) so that his strengthened power brings protection, vitality, prosperity, and offspring to the household.
In Vedic ritual logic, Soma is the energizing draught that increases Indra’s vīrya (heroic might). The hymn treats correct Soma preparation and praise as the means that reliably draw Indra’s help.
Yes, it is often adapted devotionally: one prepares clean water and a symbolic offering drink, recites the three verses with intention for protection and prosperity, and treats the home (dūrōṇa) as the ritual locus.
Ask anything about Sukta 33 of the Atharva Veda
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
