Lord Indra

śrī mahānyāsam - 7.4. apratirathaṃ

(Apratiratha Suktam in English (IAST))

From Taittiriya Samhita (Yajurveda)

The Apratiratha Suktam is a powerful Vedic hymn extracted from the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajurveda. Dedicated to Lord Indra, the king of devas and the embodiment of invincible divine power, it serves as a prayer for victory and protection in battle. Often recited within the context of Mahanayasa, this hymn invokes the fierce and unconquerable nature of Indra to grant the devotee courage, strength, and success in overcoming external obstacles and inner weaknesses. Its recitation is traditionally believed to destroy negativity, instill warrior-like discipline, and ensure triumph over all adversities.

(tai. saṃ. 4.6.4.1 - tai. saṃ. 4.6.4.5)
ā॒śu-śśiśā̭no vṛṣa॒bho na yu॒dhmo gha̭nāgha॒naḥ, kṣobha̭ṇa-ścar​ṣaṇī॒nām |
sa॒॒ṅkranda̭no-'nimi॒ṣa ḙka vī॒raśśa॒tagṃ senā̭ ajayathsā॒-kamindraḥ̭ |
sa॒ṅkranda̭nenā nimi॒ṣeṇa̭ ji॒ṣṇunā̭ yutkā॒reṇa̭ duścyava॒nena̭ dhṛ॒ṣṇunā᳚ |
tadindrḙṇa jayata॒ tathsa̭hadhvaṃ॒-yu~dho̭ nara॒ iṣṷ hastena॒ vṛṣṇā᳚ |
sa iṣṷhastai॒-ssa ni̭ṣa॒ṅgibhi̭ rva॒śī sagg​sra̭ṣṭā॒ sayudha॒ indro̭ ga॒ṇena̭ |
sa॒gṃ॒sṛ॒ṣṭa॒-jithso̭ma॒pā bā̭hu śa॒rdhyū᳚rdhva-dha̭nvā॒ prati̭hitā-bhi॒rastā᳚ |
bṛha̭spate॒ pari̭dīyā॒ rathḙna rakṣo॒hā-'mitrāgṃ̭ apa॒ bādha̭mānaḥ | 1
pra॒bha॒ñja-nthsenāḥ᳚ pramṛ॒ṇo yu॒dhā jaya̭nna॒smāka̭-meddhyavi॒tā rathā̭nām |
go॒tra॒bhida̭-ṅgo॒vidaṃ॒-va~jra̭bāhu॒-ñjaya̭nta॒majma̭ pramṛ॒ṇanta॒-moja̭sā |
i॒magṃ sa̭jātā॒ anṷvīra-yadhva॒mindragṃ̭ sakhā॒yo-'nu॒ sara̭bhadhvam |
ba॒la॒vi॒jñā॒ya-ssthavi̭raḥ॒ pravī̭ra॒-ssaha̭svān vā॒jī saha̭māna u॒graḥ |
a॒bhivī̭ro a॒bhisa̭tvā saho॒jā jaitra̭mindra॒ ratha॒māti̭ṣṭha go॒vit | 2
a॒bhi go॒trāṇi॒ saha̭sā॒ gāha̭māno-'dā॒yo vī॒ra śśa॒ta-ma̭nyu॒rindraḥ̭ |
du॒ścya॒va॒naḥ pṛ̭tanā॒ṣāḍa̭ yu॒ddhyo᳚-'smāka॒gṃ॒ senā̭ avatu॒ prayu॒thsu |
indra̭ āsā-nne॒tā bṛha॒spati॒ rdakṣi̭ṇā ya॒jñaḥ pu॒ra ḙtu॒ somaḥ̭ |
de॒va॒se॒nānā̭-mabhibha-ñjatī॒nā-ñjaya̭ntīnā-mma॒ruto̭ ya॒ntvagre᳚ |
indra̭sya॒ vṛṣṇo॒ varṷṇasya॒ rājña̭ ādi॒tyānā᳚-mma॒rutā॒gṃ॒ śardha̭ u॒gram |
ma॒hāma̭nasā-mbhuvanacya॒vānā॒-ṅghoṣo̭ de॒vānā॒-ñjaya̭tā॒ muda̭sthāt |
a॒smāka॒-mindraḥ॒-samṛ̭teṣu-dhva॒je-ṣva॒smākaṃ॒-yā~ iṣa̭va॒stā ja̭yantu | 3
a॒smākaṃ̭-vī~॒rā utta̭re bhavantva॒smānṷ devā avatā॒ havḙṣu | uddha̭r​ṣaya maghava॒nnā-yṷdhā॒-nyuthsatva̭nā-mmāma॒kānā॒-mmahāgṃ̭si |
udvṛ̭trahan vā॒jināṃ॒-vā~ji̭nā॒-nyudrathā̭nā॒-ñjaya̭tāmetu॒ ghoṣaḥ̭ |
upa॒preta॒ jaya̭tā nara-ssthi॒rā vaḥ̭ santu bā॒havaḥ̭ | indro̭ va॒-śśarma̭ yacchatvanā-dhṛ॒ṣyā yathā-'sa̭tha | ava̭sṛṣṭā॒ parā̭pata॒ śara̭vye॒ brahma̭ sagṃśitā | gacchā॒mitrā॒-npravi̭śa॒ maiṣā॒-ṅkañca॒nocchi̭ṣaḥ |
marmā̭ṇi te॒ varma̭bhiśchā-dayāmi॒ soma̭stvā॒ rājā॒-'mṛtḙnā॒-bhiva̭stām | u॒ro rvarī̭yo॒ vari̭vaste astu॒ jaya̭nta॒-ntvāmanṷ madantu de॒vāḥ | yatra̭ bā॒ṇā-ssa॒mpata̭nti kumā॒rā vi̭śi॒khā i̭va |
indro̭ na॒statra̭ vṛtra॒hā vi̭śvā॒hā śarma̭ yacchatu || 4 ||
o-nnamo bhagavatḙ rudrā॒ya || āśuśśiśāno-'pratiratha-ṅkavacāya hum |

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