Rudrashtadhyayi: Adhyaya 3 - Apratiratha Sukta
कवच - अप्रतिरथसूक्तम्
The third adhyaya of the Rudrashtadhyayi, traditionally called Kavach (armour). Its rishi is Apratiratha and its devata is Indra - a battle hymn calling on Indra, Brihaspati, Varuna and the Maruts for victory, protection and the warding-off of enemies, used as spiritual armour before and during Rudrabhisheka.
Sanskrit
हरिः॒ ॐ आ॒शुः शिशा॑नो वृष॒भो न भी॒मोऽघ॑नाघ॒नः क्षोभ॑णश्चर्षणी॒नाम्। सं॒क्रन्द॑नो निमि॒षऽए॑कवी॒रः श॒तꣳ सेना॑ऽअजयत्सा॒कमिन्द्रः॑ ॥१॥
Transliteration
hariḥ oṃ āśuḥ śiśāno vṛṣabho na bhīmo 'ghanāghanaḥ kṣobhaṇaś carṣaṇīnām | saṃkrandano nimiṣa ekavīraḥ śataṃ senā ajayat sākam indraḥ ||1||
Translation
Swift, sharpening himself, fearsome like a bull, striking without being struck, who stirs up the peoples; the ever-roaring, ever-wakeful sole hero - Indra alone has conquered a hundred armies together.
Deep Meaning
The Apratiratha Sukta ("he against whom there is no opposing chariot") opens by describing Indra entirely through battle-images: swift as a sharpened weapon, fierce as a bull, never caught off guard. The claim that he single-handedly defeats a hundred armies sets the tone for the whole adhyaya as spiritual armour against overwhelming odds.
Sanskrit
सं॒क्रन्द॑नेना॒निमि॑षेण॒ जिष्णु॑ना॒ यत्त्वा॒कारे॑ण दु॒श्च्यव॑नेन॒ धृष्णु॑ना। तदिन्द्रे॑ण॒ जय॑त॒ तत्स॑हध्वं॒ क्षुधो॒नर॑ऽइ॒षुह॑स्तेन॒ वृष्णा॑ ॥२॥
Transliteration
saṃkrandanenānimiṣeṇa jiṣṇunā yat tvākāreṇa duścyavanena dhṛṣṇunā | tad indreṇa jayata tat sahadhvaṃ kṣudho nara iṣuhastena vṛṣṇā ||2||
Translation
With that roaring, ever-wakeful, victorious, unshakeable, bold Indra - with him may you conquer, with him may you hold firm, the bull with arrows in hand, for men pressed by want.
Deep Meaning
Having named Indra's qualities, the mantra now turns them toward the listener directly: conquer with him, endure with him. The image of the bull with arrows in hand recurs through this adhyaya as the central picture of readiness in battle.
Sanskrit
सऽइषु॑हस्तैः॒ समि॑षुभिर्व॒शी स॒ निष॑ङ्गी॒ अयु॑धऽइ॒न्द्रो ग॒णेन॑। स॒ꣳसृ॒ष्टजि॑त्सोम॒पा बा॑हुश॒र्ध्युग्र॑धन्वा॒ प्रति॑हिताभिर॒स्ता ॥३॥
Transliteration
sa iṣuhastaiḥ sam iṣubhir vaśī sa niṣaṅgī ayudha indro gaṇena | saṃsṛṣṭajit somapā bāhuśardhy ugradhanvā pratihitābhir astā ||3||
Translation
He, the controller, together with arrow-bearing archers; he, quiver-bearing, armed Indra, with his troop; victorious when forces clash, drinker of Soma, strong of arm, fierce-bowed, striking with well-aimed shafts.
Deep Meaning
Indra is pictured here not alone but leading a troop (gana) of armed companions - a reminder that the protection this sukta asks for is collective, not solitary. The Soma-drinking detail ties this battle-hymn back to the sacrificial context the whole book is recited within.
Sanskrit
बृह॑स्पते॒ परि॑ दीया॒ रथे॑न रक्षो॒हामित्रा॑ँ अप॒बाध॑मानः। प्र॒भं॒जन्त्सेना॑ प्रमृणो॒ युधा॒जयन्न॒स्माक॑मेधि सू॒रिरथा॑नाम् ॥४॥
Transliteration
bṛhaspate pari dīyā rathena rakṣohāmitrāṃ apabādhamānaḥ | prabhañjan senā pramṛṇo yudhā jayann asmākam edhi sūrirathānām ||4||
Translation
O Brihaspati, range about by chariot, slaying demons, driving off our foes; shattering their armies, crushing them, conquering in battle - be the wise protector of our chariots.
Deep Meaning
Brihaspati, guru of the gods, is called on alongside Indra - not just as a strategist but as an active, chariot-borne protector who physically shatters opposing armies. This closes the first block of the sukta, with the next four mantras (5-8) continuing the same petition.
Sanskrit
ब॒ल॒वि॒ज्ञाय॒ स्थवि॑रꣳ प्र॒वीरꣳ॑ स॒हस्वा॑न्वा॒जी सह॑मान॒ऽउ॒ग्रः॑। अ॒भि॒वीरो॑ऽअ॒भि॒स॒त्त्वा॒सहो॒जा जैत्रा॑मिन्द्र॒ रथ॑मातिष्ठ गो॒वित् ॥५॥
Transliteration
balavijñāya sthaviraṃ pravīraṃ sahasvān vājī sahamāna ugraḥ | abhivīro 'bhisattvāsahojā jaitrām indra ratham ātiṣṭha govit ||5||
Translation
Knowing your own strength, ancient and pre-eminent hero, enduring, swift, powerful, fierce; surpassing in valour, born of overwhelming might - O Indra, mount your victorious chariot, knower of what is to be found.
Deep Meaning
A direct address asking Indra to actively take up his position for battle. (Note: this page's typesetting is unusually dense, similar to the Shatarudriya-tail pages elsewhere in this book - transcribed carefully, but flagged for a second close look at the exact accent-mark placement before treating it as fully scan-certain.)
Sanskrit
गो॒त्र॒भिद्व॒ज्र॒बा॒हुर्जय॑न्त॒मज्म॑म्प्र॒मृण॑न्त॒मोज॑सा। इ॒मꣳ सं॑जा॒ताऽअ॑नुवीरयध्वमि॒न्द्रꣳ सखा॑योऽअनुस॒ꣳरभ॑ध्वम् ॥६॥
Transliteration
gotrabhid vajrabāhur jayantam ajmam pramṛṇantam ojasā | imaṃ saṃjātā anuvīrayadhvam indraṃ sakhāyo 'nusaṃrabhadhvam ||6||
Translation
Breaker of enemy clans, vajra-armed, conquering in the contest, crushing by sheer might - inspire this Indra to valour, you who share his origin; O friends, hold fast to him together.
Deep Meaning
The mantra turns to those who stand alongside Indra, asking them - described as sharing his origin, as his companions - to actively encourage and hold close to him, rather than simply watching him fight alone. Same density caveat as mantra 5 applies here.
Sanskrit
अ॒भि॒गोत्रा॑णि स॒हसा॒ गाह॑मानो॒ द्यु॒भिरꣳ॑ श॒तम॑न्युरि॒न्द्रः। दु॒श्च्यव॑नः पृतनाषा॒ड्युध्व्यो॑ऽस्माक॒ꣳ सेना॑ऽअवतु प्रयु॒त्सु ॥७॥
Transliteration
abhigotrāṇi sahasā gāhamāno dyubhiraṃ śatamanyur indraḥ | duścyavanaḥ pṛtanāṣāḍ yudhvyo 'smākaṃ senā avatu prayutsu ||7||
Translation
Plunging forcefully into enemy clans, of a hundredfold wrath by day, unshakeable, overcoming armies, warlike - may Indra protect our forces when they engage in battle.
Deep Meaning
A direct petition for protection specifically "when engaged" - that is, not before or after battle but in the thick of it, when protection is needed most.
Sanskrit
इ॒न्द्र॑ऽआसाꣳ ने॒ता बृह॒स्पति॑र्द॒क्षि॒णा य॒ज्ञः पुर॑ऽएतु॒ सोमः॑। दे॒व॒सेना॑नामभिभञ्ज॒तीना॒ꣳ ज॑य॒न्तीना॒म्मरु॑तो य॒न्त्वग्रम् ॥८॥
Transliteration
indra āsāṃ netā bṛhaspatir dakṣiṇā yajñaḥ pura etu somaḥ | devasenānām abhibhañjatīnāṃ jayantīnām maruto yantv agram ||8||
Translation
Let Indra be their leader, with Brihaspati; let Dakshina, the yajna, and Soma go before; let the Maruts go at the very head of the divine armies - the ones that shatter and conquer.
Deep Meaning
This mantra closes the first block of petitions (5-8) by assembling a full marching order for the "divine army": Indra and Brihaspati leading, the sacrifice and its rewards going before them, and the storm-gods at the very front. The sukta then shifts register in mantra 9 onward toward a wider circle of protecting deities.
Sanskrit
इ॒न्द्रस्य॑ वृष्णो॒ वरु॑णस्य॒ राज्ञोऽआ॒दि॒त्यानां॑ म॒रुतां॒ शर्म॑ उ॒ग्रम्। म॒हामन॑साम्भुवन॒च्च्यवा॑नां॒ घोषो॑ दे॒वाना॒ꣳ जय॑ता॒मुद॑स्थात् ॥९॥
Transliteration
indrasya vṛṣṇo varuṇasya rājño ādityānāṃ marutāṃ śarma ugram | mahāmanasām bhuvanacyavānāṃ ghoṣo devānāṃ jayatām udasthāt ||9||
Translation
The fierce protection of bull-like Indra, of King Varuna, of the Adityas and the Maruts, of the great-minded ones who shake the very worlds - the roar of the conquering gods has risen up.
Deep Meaning
A wider circle of gods now joins Indra: Varuna the king, the Adityas, the Maruts - each lending their own kind of "fierce protection." The rising roar signals the moment when divine power becomes actively present for the one reciting.
Sanskrit
उ॒द्धर्ष॑य मघवन्ना॒युधा॒न्युत्सत्वना॑ꣳ मामका॒नाम्मनाँ॑सि। उद्वृ॑त्रहन्वा॒जिनो॒ वाजि॑नान्यु॒द्रथा॑ना॒ञ्जय॑तां ए॑तु॒ घोषः॑ ॥१०॥
Transliteration
uddharṣaya maghavann āyudhāny ut satvanāṃ māmakānām manāṃsi | ud vṛtrahan vājino vājināny ud rathānāñ jayatāṃ etu ghoṣaḥ ||10||
Translation
Rouse up our weapons, O Maghavan; rouse the minds of my own warriors. Rouse the swiftness of our steeds, O slayer of Vritra; let the roar of our conquering chariots rise up.
Deep Meaning
A fourfold invocation of rousing - weapons, minds, horses, chariots - each asked to be stirred into readiness, addressing Indra both by his epithet Maghavan (the bountiful one) and as Vritrahan, the slayer of the serpent Vritra.
Sanskrit
अ॒स्माक॒मिन्द्रः॒ सम्ऋ॑तेषु ध्व॒जेष्व॒स्माक॑ꣳ य्वाऽइ॒षव॑ऽआज॑यन्तु। अ॒स्माकं॑ वी॒राऽउत्त॑रे भवन्त्व॒स्मा꣯ꣳ उ दे॒वाऽअव॑ता ह॒वेषु॑ ॥११॥
Transliteration
asmākam indraḥ sam ṛteṣu dhvajeṣv asmākaṃ yvā iṣava ājayantu | asmākaṃ vīrā uttare bhavantv asmāṃ u devā avatā haveṣu ||11||
Translation
May Indra be ours amid the clashing banners; may our young men and our arrows be victorious. May our heroes prove superior, and may the gods protect us when we call.
Deep Meaning
A direct, communal petition - every element of "ours" (banners, warriors, arrows, heroes) is named in turn and placed under divine protection, closing with a plea to be heard specifically "when we call."
Sanskrit
अ॒मीषा॒ꣳ चि॒त्तं प्र॑तिलो॒भय॑न्ती गृहाणा॒ङ्गान्यप्वे॒ परे॑हि। अ॒भि॒प्रेहि॒ निर्द॑ह हृ॒त्सु शोके॑र॒न्धेना॒मित्रा॒स्तम॑सा सचन्ताम् ॥१२॥
Transliteration
amīṣāṃ cittaṃ pratilobhayantī gṛhāṇāṅgāny apve parehi | abhiprehi nirdaha hṛtsu śoker andhenāmitrās tamasā sacantām ||12||
Translation
Confusing the minds of those enemies, seize their limbs, O weapon, go forth. Advance against them, burn them with grief at heart; let our enemies, blinded, be wrapped in darkness.
Deep Meaning
A fierce mantra addressed to a weapon or missile personified as an active agent, asked to confuse, seize and burn the opposing side - read in this devotional context as a prayer for obstacles and ill-will to be overwhelmed and disoriented, not a literal call to violence.
Sanskrit
अव॑सृष्टा॒ परा॑ पत॒ शर॑व्ये॒ ब्रह्म॑सꣳशिते। गच्छा॒मित्रा॒न्प्रप॑द्यस्व॒ मामी॑षां का꣯ऽ च॒नोच्छि॑षः ॥१३॥
Transliteration
avasṛṣṭā parā pata śaravye brahmasaṃśite | gacchāmitrān prapadyasva māmīṣāṃ kā cana ucchiṣaḥ ||13||
Translation
Released, fly far, O arrow sharpened by sacred utterance. Go to the enemies, strike true; let not even one of them be left remaining.
Deep Meaning
The weapon is now described as sharpened specifically by brahma - by sacred word itself, not only by craft. This is the verse that gives the whole adhyaya its name, kavach (armour): the armour here is as much the power of the mantra as any literal shield.
Sanskrit
प्रेता॑ जयत न॒रऽइन्द्रो॑ वः॒ शर्म॑ वच्छतु। उ॒ग्रा वः॒ सन्तु॒ बाह॑वो॑ऽनाधृष्या॑ यथास॑थ ॥१४॥
Transliteration
pretā jayata nara indro vaḥ śarma vacchatu | ugrā vaḥ santu bāhavo 'nādhṛṣyā yathāsatha ||14||
Translation
Go forth, O men, and conquer; may Indra grant you protection. May your arms be fierce, so that you remain unassailable.
Deep Meaning
A brief, direct exhortation to those about to act - go forward, and may your own strength, backed by Indra's protection, keep you beyond any enemy's reach.
Sanskrit
अ॒सौ यस्ता॒म्रो अ॑रु॒ण उ॒त ब॑भ्रुः॒ सुम॑ङ्गलः। ये चैनꣳ॑ रु॒द्राऽअ॒भितो॑ दि॒क्षु श्रि॒ताः स॑हस्र॒शोऽवैषाꣳ॒ हेडऽ॑ईमहे ॥१५॥
Transliteration
asau yas tāmro aruṇa uta babhruḥ sumaṅgalaḥ | ye cainaṃ rudrā abhito dikṣu śritāḥ sahasraśo 'vaiṣāṃ heḍa īmahe ||15||
Translation
That one who is copper-red, ruddy, also tawny-brown, most auspicious - and those Rudras, sheltering all about him in every direction, a thousandfold - we seek to turn away their wrath.
Deep Meaning
Rudra now enters this adhyaya directly by name for the first time, described in colour-terms (copper, ruddy, tawny) that recur throughout the book's Rudra-imagery, surrounded by countless Rudra-forms in every direction. The prayer asks specifically that their anger be turned aside - the first explicit link in this adhyaya between the Vedic battle-imagery and the Rudra this entire book is addressed to.
Sanskrit
यत्र॑ बा॒णाः सं॑प॒तन्ति॑ कुमा॒रा वि॒शिखा॑ऽइव। तन्न॒ऽइन्द्रा॒बृह॒स्पती॒ अदि॑तिः॒ शर्म॑ यच्छतु वि॒श्वाहा॒ शमि॑यच्छतु ॥१६॥
Transliteration
yatra bāṇāḥ saṃpatanti kumārā viśikhā iva | tan na indrābṛhaspatī aditiḥ śarma yacchatu viśvāhā śam iyacchatu ||16||
Translation
Where arrows fly together like young ones without their crests - there may Indra-and-Brihaspati, and Aditi, grant us protection; may she grant us peace, every day.
Deep Meaning
Returning to the battlefield image one last time before the closing mantra, this verse widens its plea beyond momentary safety to continuous, daily peace, invoking Aditi (the boundless mother of the gods) alongside Indra and Brihaspati.
Sanskrit
मर्म॑णि ते॒ वर्म॑णाच्छादयामि॒ सोम॑स्त्वा॒ राजा॒मृते॒नानु॑वस्तां। उ॒रोर्वरी॑यो॒ वरु॑ण॒स्ते कृ॑णोतु॒ जय॑न्तं त्वानु॑ दे॒वा म॑दन्तु ॥१७॥
Transliteration
marmaṇi te varmaṇācchādayāmi somas tvā rājāmṛtenānuvastāṃ | uror varīyo varuṇas te kṛṇotu jayantaṃ tvānu devā madantu ||17||
Translation
I cover your vital points with armour; may King Soma clothe you with immortality. May Varuna make wide room for you, wider still; and as you conquer, may the gods rejoice, following after you.
Deep Meaning
The closing mantra of Adhyaya 3 returns from battle-imagery to a tender, personal address - literally clothing the listener in protection, immortality and open space, before stepping back to let the gods themselves celebrate the victory. This closes the Kavach, the "armour" limb of the six-limb recitation.