Atharva Veda Sukta 22
Kanda 4Anuvaka 3Sukta 227 Mantras

Sukta 22

Rishi: Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa milieu (hymn-type typical of Angirasic royal charms; precise anukramaṇī attribution varies)

Devata: Indra

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical verification)

Mantras

Mantra 1

अमित्रक्षयणम्। इ॒ममि॑न्द्र वर्धय क्ष॒त्रियं॑ म इ॒मं वि॒शामे॑क वृ॒षं कृ॑णु॒ त्वम्। निर॒मित्रा॑नक्ष्णुह्यस्य॒ सर्वां॒स्तान् र॑न्धयास्मा अहमुत्त॒रेषु॑

For the wasting of foes. This Kshatriya of mine, O Indra, do thou increase; this man make thou the one bull of the peoples. Smite forth his enemies—every one of them—bring those under to him; I set him in the upper place in the further contests.

Mantra 2

एमं भ॑ज॒ ग्रामे॒ अश्वे॑षु॒ गोषु॒ निष्टं भ॑ज॒ यो अ॒मित्रो॑ अ॒स्य। वर्ष्म॑ क्ष॒त्राणा॑म॒यम॑स्तु॒ राजेन्द्र॒ शत्रुं॑ रन्धय॒ सर्व॑म॒स्मै

Allot to him in the village, among horses, among cows, the choicest portion; whoso is his foe—this man let him be the eminence of powers, O King. O Indra, subject the enemy, subject them all, unto him.

Mantra 3

अ॒यम॑स्तु धन॑पति॒र्धना॑नाम॒यं वि॒शां वि॒श्पति॑रस्तु॒ राजा॑ । अ॒स्मिन्नि॑न्द्र॒ महि॒ वर्चां॑सि धेह्यव॒र्चसं॑ कृणुहि॒ शत्रु॑मस्य

Let this man be lord of riches among riches; let this man be clan-lord of the peoples, be king. In him, O Indra, do thou deposit great splendours; make thou his enemy without splendour.

Mantra 4

अ॒स्मै द्यावा॑पृथिवी॒ भूरि॑ वा॒मं दु॑हाथां घर्म॒दुघे॑ इव धे॒नू। अ॒यं राजा॒ प्रि॒य इन्द्र॑स्य भूयात् प्रि॒यो गवा॒मोष॑धीनां पशू॒नाम्

For him let Heaven and Earth, like two warm-milking kine, pour forth abundant good. Let this King be dear to Indra; dear to cattle, to the healing plants, and to the beasts of the field.

Mantra 5

यु॒नज्मि॑ त उत्त॒राव॑न्त॒मिन्द्रं॒ येन॒ जय॑न्ति॒ न प॑रा॒जय॑न्ते । यस्त्वा॒ कर॑देकवृ॒षं जना॑नामु॒त राज्ञा॑मुत्तमं मा॑न॒वाना॑म्

I yoke to thee Indra the Overmastering, by whom men conquer and are not conquered; who made thee the sole Bull of the peoples, yea, the highest of kings, the foremost among men.

Mantra 6

उत्त॑र॒स्त्वमध॑रे ते स॒पत्ना॒ ये के च॑ राज॒न् प्रति॑शत्रवस्ते । ए॒क॒वृ॒ष इन्द्र॑सखा जिगी॒वां छ॑त्रूय॒तामा भ॑रा॒ भोज॑नानि

Superior art thou; beneath thee are thy rivals—whoever, O King, are thine opposing foes. Sole Bull, Indra’s friend, victorious: bring hither the provisions of them that would play the enemy.

Mantra 7

सिं॒हप्र॑तीको॒ विशो॑ अद्धि॒ सर्वा॑ व्या॒घ्रप्र॑ती॒कोऽव॑ बाधस्व॒ शत्रू॑न्। ए॒क॒वृ॒ष इन्द्र॑सखा जिगी॒वां छ॑त्रूय॒तामा खि॑दा॒ भोज॑नानि

Lion-visaged, devour all the peoples; tiger-visaged, beat down the foes. Sole Bull, Indra’s friend, victorious: drain hither the provisions of them that would play the enemy.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used to strengthen a ruler’s authority, defeat or bind opponents, and stabilize rule by invoking Indra’s conquering power along with prosperity and legitimacy.

The “sole bull” metaphor declares singular dominance: one leader stands foremost among the people, with rivals reduced to subordination under Indra’s backing.

Both. Alongside enemy-subjugation, it asks Heaven-and-Earth to ‘milk’ abundance and seeks goodwill from cattle, plants, and livestock—economic foundations of a stable reign.

Ask anything about Sukta 22 of the Atharva Veda

Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.

Not sure where to start?

A free Google sign-in 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.

Continue reading in the Vedapath app

Open in App