Sukta 17
Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angirasa attribution for kṣetra-hymns (varies by anukramaṇī).
Devata: Sītā (Furrow), with Maruts and Viśve Devāḥ as sanctioning powers
Chandas: Triṣṭubh (by cadence and length; common in agrarian invocations)
یہ کھیت-منتر ہل چلانے اور نالی (سیتا) کو پاک کرتا ہے تاکہ کھیت غذائیت، بارش کی نمائی اور مستحکم اضافے کا برتن بن جائے۔ مسح اور "تصدیق" کی تصویر کشی (وشو دیو، مروت) کے ذریعے یہ زرعی کام کو ایک ایسے مذہبی رسم میں بدل دیتا ہے جو دودھ جیسی فراوانی، گھی سے بھرپور طاقت اور خوشحال فصل دیتا ہے۔
Kind of charm
Mantras
Mantra 1
कृषिः। ३ पथ्यापङ्क्तिः, ७ विराट् पुर उष्णिक्, ८ निचृत्। सीरा॑ युञ्जन्ति क॒वयो॑ यु॒गा वि त॑न्वते॒ पृथ॑क्। धीरा॑ दे॒वेषु॑ सुम्न॒यौ
کاشت۔ ہنر مند ہل جوتتے ہیں، جوگ اپنے اپنے پھیلاتے ہیں۔ ثابت قدم، دیوتاؤں میں اپنا کام کرتے ہیں، انعام کی تلاش میں۔
Mantra 2
यु॒नक्त॒ सीरा॒ वि यु॒गा त॑नोत कृ॒ते योनौ॑ वपते॒ह बीज॑म्। वि॒राजः॒ श्नुष्टिः॒ सभ॑रा असन्नो॒ नेदी॑य॒ इत् सृ॒ण्यः प॒क्वमा य॑वन्
ہل جوتے جائیں، جوگ پھیلائے جائیں، تیار کیے گئے کھیت میں بیج بوایا جائے۔ ویراج کی افزائش، بار آور، ہماری ہو - اور درانتیاں پکے اناج کے ساتھ قریب آئیں۔
Mantra 3
लाङ्ग॑लं पवी॒रव॑त् सु॒शीमं॑ सोम॒सत्स॑रु । उदिद् व॑पतु॒ गामविं॑ प्र॒स्थाव॑द् रथ॒वाह॑नं॒ पीब॑रीं च प्रफ॒र्व्यऽम्
ہل، جس کا پوائنٹا لوہے کا ہے، اچھی طرح جڑا ہوا، سوم کی رفتار والا - یہ یقیناً گائے جیتنے والا ہو، اچھی طرح قائم، رتھ کھینچنے والا؛ اور مٹی کو پھولے ہوئے امیر اور اچھی نالیوں والا بنائے۔
Mantra 4
इन्द्रः॒ सीतां॒ नि गृ॑ह्णातु॒ तां पू॒षाभि र॑क्षतु । सा नः॒ पय॑स्वती दुहा॒मुत्त॑रामुत्तरां॒ समा॑म्
اِندر ہل کی لکیر کو مضبوطی سے تھام لے؛ اور پوشن اس کی چاروں طرف حفاظت کرے۔ وہ دودھ جیسی رس سے بھرپور ہمارے لیے سال بہ سال ہمیشہ بڑھتی ہوئی پیداوار دودھ نکالے۔
Mantra 5
शु॒नं सु॑फा॒ला वि तु॑दन्तु॒ भूमिं॑ शु॒नं की॒नाशा॒ अनु॑ यन्तु वा॒हान्। शुना॑सीरा ह॒विषा॒ तोश॑माना सुपिप्प॒ला ओष॑धीः कर्तम॒स्मै
مبارک ہو کہ اچھے ہل کے پھال زمین کو چیر کر پھاڑیں؛ مبارک ہو کہ کسان ٹیموں کے پیچھے چلتے رہیں۔ اے شوناسیراو، نذر پر خوش ہو کر اس آدمی کے لیے پھل سے بھرپور پودے بناؤ۔
Mantra 6
शु॒नं वा॒हाः शु॒नं नरः॑ शु॒नं कृ॑षतु॒ लाङ्ग॑लम्। शु॒नं व॑र॒त्रा ब॑ध्य॒न्तां शु॒नमष्ट्रा॒मुदि॑ङ्गय
مبارک ہوں ٹیمیں، مبارک ہوں آدمی؛ اور مبارک ہو کہ ہل اپنا ہل چلائے۔ مبارک ہو کہ پٹے باندھے جائیں؛ مبارک ہو کہ تو آنکڑا چلائے۔
Mantra 7
शुना॑सीरे॒ह स्म॑ मे जुषेथाम्। यद् दि॒वि च॒क्रथुः॒ पय॒स्तेने॒मामुप॑ सिञ्चतम्
اے شوناسیراو، میری نذر سے یہاں خوش ہوؤ۔ جو دودھ جیسا غذا آسمان میں تم نے بنایا، اس سے ہمارے اوپر اس کھیت کو سینچو۔
Mantra 8
सीते॒ वन्दा॑महे त्वा॒र्वाची॑ सुभगे भव । यथा॑ नः सु॒मना॒ असो॒ यथा॑ नः सुफ॒ला भुवः॑
اے سیتا، ہم تجھ کو سجدہ کرتے ہیں: یہاں پھر؛ تو خوش نصیب ہو۔ تاکہ تو ہمارے لیے خوش خو ہو؛ تاکہ تو ہمارے لیے اچھے پھل والی بن جائے۔
Mantra 9
घृ॒तेन॒ सीता॒ मधु॑ना॒ सम॑क्ता॒ विश्वै॑र्दे॒वैरनु॑मता म॒रुद्भिः॑ । सा नः॑ सीते॒ पय॑सा॒भ्याव॑वृ॒त्स्वोर्ज॑स्वती घृ॒तव॒त् पिन्व॑माना
گھی اور شہد سے سیتا تو مریم ہے، تمام دیوتاؤں کی منظور اور مروتوں کی سند کے ساتھ۔ سیتا ہماری طرف پلٹ، دودھ سے ہمیں گھیر لے، طاقت سے بھرپور، گھی سے لدی، ہمیں بڑھا دے۔
Inside Sukta 17
How it unfolds
- How it opens
The hymn opens by sacralizing the agricultural act—addressing the plough/implement-power and the furrow as worthy of praise and effectiveness in the work of opening the earth.
- What it asks
May the furrow be well-made and moisture-filled; may heavenly nourishment (payas) be sprinkled upon the field; may growth translate into food, cattle-wealth, and household increase.
- Where its power lies
By invoking universal divine consent (Viśve Devāḥ) and the Maruts’ rain-force, the hymn claims that the anointed furrow becomes ūrj-asvatī (rich in sustaining strength) and "swells" the sacrificer with increase.
- How it closes
It culminates in the anointing-and-return formula: Sītā, approved and sanctioned, is asked to turn toward us, encompass us with milk-like nourishment, and keep increasing—ghee-laden and strengthening.
Famous verses
lāṅgalaṃ pavīravat ("the plough, iron-pointed")
payastene mām upa siñcatam ("with that nourishment sprinkle this")
ghṛtena sītā madhunā samaktā ("Sītā anointed with ghee and honey")
Kind of hymn
Paustika (Prosperity) / Kshetriya (Agrarian fertility)
What it is for
Secure a well-cut, productive furrow; attract moisture and growth; ensure plentiful crops and household nourishment; place the agricultural act under divine approval.
Who it is for
Householders, farmers, village ritualists, and Atharvanic practitioners performing sowing/ploughing rites for communal or household prosperity.
Also used as
- Kshetriya (agrarian fertility)
- Shantika (harmonizing the field and work)
- Karmika (consecration of implements and action)
The deity
Sītā is the personified furrow—ordered, life-bearing earth opened by the plough—treated as a receptive channel for rain, sap, and grain. The Maruts function as the rain-and-storm force that quickens the field, while the Viśve Devāḥ provide universal approval and ritual legitimacy.
Powers of the deity
- Makes the furrow fertile and well-formed for sowing
- Draws and holds moisture (payas) as rain/sap/milk-like nourishment
- Transforms offerings (ghṛta, madhu) into growth and increase
- Removes impediments to yield and steadies prosperity
- Confers divine sanction on agricultural labor and implements
Why the deity is called
Invoked to turn the ploughed furrow into a divinely anointed source of increase—so the field surrounds the sacrificer with nourishment (milk/payās), strength (ūrj), and ghee-rich abundance under the Maruts’ rain-power and the Gods’ consent.
The seer
- Atharvan/Angiras (anukramaṇī-variant; kṣetra-sūkta tradition)Atharvan. Paustika and kṣetraprayoga charms: field-fertility, rain/moisture attraction, consecration of implements, and securing household nourishment through agrarian rites
Other hymns of this seer
- AV 3.17 (Kṣetra–Sītā hymn)
- Related kṣetra/paustika materials in AV Kanda 3 (field and prosperity charms; attribution varies by recension/anukramaṇī)
Preparing for the rite
- Select the field and mark the first furrow-line; clean and inspect plough and share.
- Prepare simple offerings: ghee (ghṛta), honey (madhu), and milk or a milk-like sprinkling liquid (payas/water mixed with milk).
- Establish a calm working space at the field-edge; optionally face east and begin with a brief mental salutation to Sītā and the rain-powers.
The rite
- Begin ploughing (or touch the plough and share) while reciting implement-consecration verses (e.g., 3.17.3).
- Sprinkle the furrow/soil with payas (or milk-water) during the Śunāsīrau petition (e.g., 3.17.7) to invite heaven-made nourishment.
- Anoint or symbolically dedicate the furrow with ghee and honey in speech (and optionally in a small offering) while reciting the Sītā climax verse (e.g., 3.17.9).
- Conclude by affirming increase and requesting encompassing nourishment for people and cattle.
What it needs
- ghṛta (ghee)
- madhu (honey)
- payas (milk; or water mixed with milk as sprinkling)
- havis (simple oblation, optional)
- plough (lāṅgala) and share/iron point (pavīra)
When
At the start of ploughing or at sowing time; ideally in the morning or before expected rains, when the first furrow is drawn.
The main substance
payas (milk or milk-water sprinkling as fertility-fluid)
How it is prepared
Mix a small amount of milk into clean water for sprinkling the first furrow; keep ghee and honey as a tiny offering/anointing symbol (spoken dedication or a minimal oblation) while ploughing begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sītā is the personified furrow—the life-bearing line opened by the plough. She represents the field’s capacity to receive moisture, hold seed, and yield food.
They are prosperity-substances: ghee and honey signify sweetness and strength, while payas is the fertility-fluid (milk/rain/sap) that moistens and nourishes the crop.
It is recited at the start of ploughing or sowing, often with sprinkling the first furrow using milk-water and dedicating a small offering, to seek rain, good furrows, and abundant harvests.
Ask anything about Sukta 17 of the Atharva Veda
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