rigvedaindravictorybattle

අප්රතිරථ සූක්තම්

Apratiratha Suktam in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ vedic·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning, before facing a great challenge or contest; during yajnas for victory and protection·📜 Rigveda 10.103

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Rigveda 10.103 · Rishi Apratiratha Aindra (and Vihavya), of the line of Indra · Vedic period (c. 1500–1200 BCE)

This hymn belongs to the tenth Mandala of the Rigveda and is traditionally ascribed to the seer Apratiratha, 'the one without a rival in battle'. It is a war-song par excellence, exhorting warriors to fight under the banner of Indra, the invincible champion, supported by Brihaspati and the Maruts. In later tradition it is grouped among the hymns recited for victory, protection and the routing of enemies, and is associated with martial and royal rites.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that armies that marched to the recitation of this hymn, placing Indra at their head and the Maruts in the vanguard, were filled with irresistible courage and put their foes to flight; it is therefore invoked to turn back hostile forces and to grant victory against great odds.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ඕං ආශුඃ ශිශානෝ වෘෂභෝ න භීමෝ ඝනාඝනඃ ක්ෂෝභණශ්චර්ෂණීනාම්. සංක්රන්දනෝ(අ)නිමිෂ ඒකවීරඃ ශතං සේනා අජයත්සාකමින්ද්රඃ..

Om Āśuḥ śiśāno vṛṣabho na bhīmo ghanāghanaḥ kṣobhaṇaś carṣaṇīnām Saṁkrandano 'nimiṣa ekavīraḥ śataṁ senā ajayat sākam indraḥ

Meaning:Swift and keen as a whetted weapon, terrible as a bull, the smiter who strikes again and again, the agitator of peoples; the roarer, ever-wakeful, the one peerless hero — Indra conquered a hundred armies all at once.

Verse 2

සංක්රන්දනේනානිමිෂේණ ජිෂ්ණුනා යුත්කාරේණ දුශ්ච්යවනේන ධෘෂ්ණුනා. තදින්ද්රේණ ජයත තත්සහධ්වං යුධෝ නර ඉෂුහස්තේන වෘෂ්ණා..

Saṁkrandanenānimiṣeṇa jiṣṇunā yutkāreṇa duścyavanena dhṛṣṇunā Tad indreṇa jayata tat sahadhvaṁ yudho nara iṣuhastena vṛṣṇā

Meaning:With the roaring, unwinking, ever-victorious, irresistible and bold one — through that Indra conquer, overpower (the foe), O warriors, with the arrow-handed mighty god.

Verse 3

ස ඉෂුහස්තෛඃ ස නිෂඞ්ගිභිර්වශී සංස්රෂ්ටා ස යුධ ඉන්ද්රෝ ගණේන. සංසෘෂ්ටජිත්සෝමපා බාහුශර්ධ්යුග්රධන්වා ප්රතිහිතාභිරස්තා..

Sa iṣuhastaiḥ sa niṣaṅgibhir vaśī saṁsraṣṭā sa yudha indro gaṇena Saṁsṛṣṭajit somapā bāhuśardhy ugradhanvā pratihitābhir astā

Meaning:He, arrow in hand, with his quiver-bearers, the master; he who joins the battle, Indra with his host; the conqueror in close fight, the Soma-drinker, strong of arm, of the fierce bow, who shoots with well-aimed shafts.

Verse 4

බෘහස්පතේ පරි දීයා රථේන රක්ෂෝහාමිත්රාං අපබාධමානඃ. ප්රභඤ්ජන්සේනාඃ ප්රමෘණෝ යුධා ජයන්නස්මාකමේධ්යවිතා රථානාම්..

Bṛhaspate pari dīyā rathena rakṣohāmitrāṁ apabādhamānaḥ Prabhañjan senāḥ pramṛṇo yudhā jayann asmākam edhy avitā rathānām

Meaning:O Brihaspati, fly around us in your chariot, slaying the demons and driving away our foes; shattering their armies, crushing them in battle, victorious — be the protector of our chariots.

Verse 5

ඉන්ද්ර ආසාං නේතා බෘහස්පතිර්දක්ෂිණා යජ්ඤඃ පුර ඒතු සෝමඃ. දේවසේනානාමභිභඤ්ජතීනාං ජයන්තීනාං මරුතෝ යන්ත්වග්රම්..

Indra āsāṁ netā bṛhaspatir dakṣiṇā yajñaḥ pura etu somaḥ Devasenānām abhibhañjatīnāṁ jayantīnāṁ maruto yantv agram

Meaning:Indra be the leader of these (our forces); may Brihaspati, the sacrificial gift, the yajna and Soma go before us; and may the Maruts march at the front of the divine armies that shatter the foe and win the victory.

Verse 6

ඕං ශාන්තිඃ ශාන්තිඃ ශාන්තිඃ..

Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

Word-by-Word Meaning

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ආශුඃ ශිශානඃ🔊āśuḥ śiśānaḥSwift, and sharpening himself (as a weapon is whetted)

වෘෂභඃ න භීමඃ🔊vṛṣabho na bhīmoTerrible / formidable like a bull

ඝනාඝනඃ🔊ghanāghanaḥThe smiter who strikes again and again

ක්ෂෝභණඃ චර්ෂණීනාම්🔊kṣobhaṇaś carṣaṇīnāmThe agitator / shaker of (hostile) peoples

සංක්රන්දනඃ🔊saṁkrandanaḥHe who makes (the foe) cry out / roars in battle

අනිමිෂඃ ඒකවීරඃ🔊animiṣa ekavīraḥUnwinking (ever-vigilant), the one peerless hero

ශතං සේනාඃ අජයත් සාකම් ඉන්ද්රඃ🔊śataṁ senā ajayat sākam indraḥIndra conquered a hundred armies all at once

ජිෂ්ණුනා🔊jiṣṇunāWith the ever-victorious one

දුශ්ච්යවනේන ධෘෂ්ණුනා🔊duścyavanena dhṛṣṇunāWith the immovable (hard to dislodge) and bold one

තද් ඉන්ද්රේණ ජයත🔊tad indreṇa jayataThrough that Indra, conquer (your foes)

තත් සහධ්වම්🔊tat sahadhvaṁEndure and overpower (the enemy)

යුධෝ නරඃ ඉෂුහස්තේන🔊yudho nara iṣuhastenaO fighting men, with the arrow-handed (Indra)

වශී🔊vaśīThe controller, master of himself and others

සංස්රෂ්ටා සඃ යුධඃ🔊saṁsraṣṭā sa yudhaThe marshaller / joiner of battles

උග්රධන්වා🔊ugradhanvāHe of the mighty / fierce bow

බෘහස්පතේ පරි දීය රථේන🔊bṛhaspate pari dīyā rathenaO Brihaspati, fly around (us) with your chariot

රක්ෂෝහා අමිත්රාන් අපබාධමානඃ🔊rakṣohāmitrāṁ apabādhamānaḥSlayer of demons, driving away the foes

ප්රභඤ්ජන් සේනාඃ🔊prabhañjan senāḥShattering the (hostile) armies

අස්මාකම් ඒධි අවිතා රථානාම්🔊asmākam edhy avitā rathānāmBe the protector of our chariots (forces)

මරුතඃ යන්තු අග්රම්🔊maruto yantv agramMay the Maruts march at the front (of our victorious armies)

Benefits of Chanting Apratiratha Suktam

✦

Invokes Indra's invincible valour for victory in righteous battles and struggles

✦

Traditionally recited before war or any difficult contest for triumph over the enemy

✦

Bestows courage, fearlessness and the resolve to overcome overwhelming odds

✦

Calls upon Brihaspati and the Maruts for protection of one's own forces and allies

✦

Dispels fear and rallies strength in the face of adversaries and obstacles

✦

Used in Vedic homas for success, security and the defeat of hostile forces

How to Chant Apratiratha Suktam

Repetitions3times

Best TimeMorning, before facing a great challenge or contest; during yajnas for victory and protection

Recite with vigour and a heroic spirit, ideally with Vedic svara if learnt. Begin with 'Om' and chant the verses, dwelling on Indra as the unconquered champion. Visualise courage rising within and obstacles being scattered like routed armies. Conclude with the Shanti Paath. Suited for moments that demand bravery, leadership and decisive action.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Apratiratha Suktam written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is a Vedic battle hymn at Rigveda 10.103, attributed to the seer Apratiratha Aindra. 'Apratiratha' means 'one who has no rival in battle' — an epithet of Indra. The hymn invokes Indra, Brihaspati and the Maruts for victory and protection in war.

Apratiratha means 'the matchless warrior' or 'one against whom no opposing chariot (rival) can stand'. It describes Indra as the unconquerable hero who single-handedly overcomes a hundred armies.

It has been recited since Vedic times before going into battle, and more broadly to invoke courage, strength and victory before any great undertaking or contest, and in homas for protection from enemies.

Primarily Indra, the warrior-king of the gods, along with Brihaspati (the divine preceptor who shatters demons) and the Maruts (the storm-gods who march at the front of the victorious armies).