Rig Veda 1.175.1: Mandala 1, Sukta 175, Mantra 1
Sukta 1.175
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मत्स्यपायि ते महः पात्रस्येव हरिवो मत्सरो मदः । वृषा ते वृष्ण इन्दुर्वाजी सहस्रसातमः ॥
matsyapā́yi te máhaḥ pā́trasyeva harivo matsaró mádaḥ | vṛ́ṣā te vṛ́ṣṇa índur vājī sahasra-sā́tamaḥ ||
يا إندرا ذا الخيول الشقراء، لقد شربتَ النشوةَ العظمى كما يُشرب من إناءٍ فائض. ولكَ أنتَ، أيها الثور، يصير هذا العصرُ—إندو/سوما القويّ الظافر—قوّةً ذاتَ ألفِ غنيمة، اندفاعَ السوما الذي يضاعف القدرة لفتحِ الباطن.
Word by Word
- मत्स्यपायि
- fish-drinker (epithet; one who drinks like a fish / drinks fish-like)Noun (compound) / Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे)Root मत्स्य- (प्रातिपदिक) + पा (धातु, पिबति) → पायि (कृदन्त/नामधातु-रूप)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’ = तव)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of/for you’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महः
- of the great (one); greatAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (महः = महतः)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the great’)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पात्रस्य
- of the vessel / cupNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root पात्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान-निर्देशकRoot इव (निपात)
- हरिवः
- O Harivaḥ (Indra, having tawny horses)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot हरिवत्/हरिवस्- (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम् ‘having tawny steeds’)
- मत्सरः
- exhilaration; excitement; intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/भाव (as subject-noun in apposition)Root मत्सर- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- rapture; intoxication (soma-joy)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/भाव (appositional)Root मद- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषा
- the bull; the strong oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (subject/apposition to इन्दुः)Root वृषन्/वृषा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (तव)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृष्णः
- of the bull; of the strong oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the bull/strong one’)Root वृषन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्दुः
- the Soma drop; SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (subject)Root इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजी
- prize-winning; swift; bringing bootyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्दोः विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे)Root वाजिन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रसातमः
- most winning of thousands; best at winning thousandsAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्दोः/वाजिनः विशेषणम्)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे)Root सहस्र- + सातम (सात- ‘winning’ < √सन्/सा ‘to gain, win’ as prātipadika) (समास)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): मत्स्यपायि | ते | महः | पात्रस्य | इव | हरिवः | मत्सरः | मदः || वृषा | ते | वृष्णः | इन्दुः | वाजी | सहस्रसातमः || 1) ‘पात्र॑स्येव’ = ‘पात्रस्य + इव’ (स्वर-सन्धि/स्वर-समास; अ + इ → ए)
- 2) ‘इन्दु॑र्वा॒जी’ = ‘इन्दुः + वाजी’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: उः + व → उर्व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, lord of tawny steeds, has drunk a great exhilaration as from a full vessel; for the Bull (Indra), the Soma-pressing becomes a force that wins a thousand prizes.
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind-Power (Indra) is filled with the vast rapture-force (mada) born of Soma (ānanda). When the inner offering is made, that bliss becomes an irresistible victorious impulsion (vājī) that multiplies capacities for the soul’s conquest—breaking limitations and opening a larger consciousness.
Universal truth
When the higher mind is nourished by inner delight and aspiration, the will becomes victorious: joy is not merely emotion but a power that multiplies strength and accomplishes difficult inner transformations.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Indra’s empowerment, Inner battle: force against obstruction, Victory and abundance (sahasra-sāti)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.175.1-5, RV 7.1-101 (Vasiṣṭha maṇḍala, broad association)
Family tradition
Brahmarṣi of the Vasiṣṭha line; hymns often stress inner rightness (ṛta), divine help, and victorious illumination.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision frequently presents the gods as inner powers organizing the sacrifice of consciousness; Indra-Soma here becomes the psychology of empowered illumination and victorious progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Soma-empowered)
- Epithets
- हरिवः (hari-vaḥ), वृषा (vṛṣā), वाजी (vājī), सहस्रसातमः (sahasrasātamaḥ)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Releases the Light and the Waters, breaks the coverer, establishes wide space for life and thought.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that, filled with ānanda (Soma), becomes an invincible will for inner conquest.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña (Indra-Soma praise in Soma pressing context)
मत्स्यपा॑यि ते॒ मह॒: पात्र॑स्येव हरिवो मत्स॒रो मद॑: । वृषा॑ ते॒ वृष्ण॒ इन्दु॑र्वा॒जी स॑हस्र॒सात॑मः ॥
मत्सि॑ । अपा॑यि । ते॒ । महः॑ । पात्र॑स्यऽइव । ह॒रि॒ऽवः । म॒त्स॒रः । मदः॑ । वृषा॑ । ते॒ । वृष्णे॑ । इन्दुः॑ । वा॒जी । स॒ह॒स्र॒ऽसात॑मः ॥
matsi | apāyi | te | mahaḥ | pātrasya-iva | hari-vaḥ | matsaraḥ | madaḥ | vṛṣā | te | vṛṣṇe | induḥ | vājī | sahasra-sātamaḥ
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh norm; minor Vedic variations possible)
Strong, forward-driving cadence suited to heroic will and victory-hymns.
Builds uplift and momentum; supports a felt surge of confidence and expansive force in meditation.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, Vedic king of gods. Symbolic: Divine Mind/illumining intelligence that leads the inner battle against obscurity
- हरिवः (harivo)
- Literal: having tawny steeds. Symbolic: Mind-force yoked to luminous vital energies that carry the consciousness forward
- मद (mada) / मत्सर (matsara)
- Literal: exhilaration, intoxication. Symbolic: Spiritual ecstasy/rapture that empowers the will and breaks inertia
- पात्र (pātra)
- Literal: vessel, cup. Symbolic: The purified instrument (mind-life-body) capable of holding a greater force
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: Soma drop, bright juice. Symbolic: Soma as concentrated delight/illumined essence descending into consciousness
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: Fertile, forceful potency of the divine will in action
- वाजी (vājī)
- Literal: prize-winner, racer. Symbolic: Victorious impulsion/energy of accomplishment
- सहस्रसातम (sahasrasātama)
- Literal: most thousand-winning. Symbolic: Power that yields manifold gains—many openings, many lights, many victories
Soma pressing context (general Indra-Soma usage in Soma-yajña; suitable for Indra-stotras in Agniṣṭoma/Ukthya sequences depending on śrauta arrangement)
During Soma pressing/offerings to Indra; also as general Indra-invocation for strength and victory.
Recitation to invite Indra to drink Soma and empower the rite; offering of Soma with praise.
Use as a mantra of energizing aspiration: invoke illumined mind before demanding work, sādhanā, or when breaking inner resistance.
Key terms: (1) mádaḥ ‘inspired intoxication, might’ from √mad ‘to rejoice, be exhilarated, be impelled’; psychologically, the uplifted force that breaks inertia. (2) índu ‘bright drop’ (Soma) from √ind/√id ‘to swell, be strong/bright’ (traditional: ‘drop’), indicating a luminous essence. (3) vṛ́ṣā/vṛ́ṣṇe from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, shower; be virile/strong’; inner sense: the power that pours force and fecundates consciousness. (4) vājī from vāja ‘strength, prize, plenitude’ (PIE *wegʷh- ‘to be strong/active’ often compared with ‘vigour’ set), hence ‘bearer of victorious energy’. (5) sahasra-sātamaḥ superlative of ‘winning’ (√san ‘to gain, win’) with sahasra ‘thousand’—not arithmetic but multiplicity/abundance of attainments.
R̥ta as victorious ordering power through Indra’s force, Bṛhat/Vastness (mahaḥ) as expansion of consciousness, Ananda (Soma-joy) as fuel for inner conquest
Indra’s empowered action restores right order by increasing force and opening the way for truth.
True power arises when delight and will are united; the ‘thousand-winning’ indicates truth’s abundance.
Increase (vardhana) of power through Soma—consciousness grows by receiving the higher essence.
Proto-Vedāntic and integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): gods as powers of consciousness.
Soma = delight descending; vessel = inner receptacle; bull = forceful potency; horses = dynamic life-energies carrying the mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-empowerment of Indra: the god’s victorious capacity is intensified by the luminous draught (índu), yielding ‘thousand-winning’ force. In the inner-shell reading, Soma is the joy/essence that, when received into the human vessel, magnifies Indra-like will to overcome obstructions and establish r̥ta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad ‘rejoice/be exhilarated’ aligns with the Indo-European semantic field of heightened vitality (cf. exhilaration/rapture terms across IE; not a direct single cognate claim). √san ‘to win’ (sā́tamaḥ) belongs to an old acquisition/victory lexicon comparable to IE ‘gain’ roots. vṛṣ- ‘rain/virile’ preserves the archaic metaphor of ‘pouring’ power (storm/seed), a common IE poetic equation: rain/seed/strength.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet acknowledges a reciprocal economy: the seer offers the Soma-force (praise/pressing as inner and outer oblation), and Indra receives it as empowering rapture (mádaḥ), returning ‘sahasra-sāti’—abundant victories and plenitude of force to the sacrificer/seeker. The ‘vessel’ image implies the human system as the cup that must be filled and lifted by the god’s might.
Receive and hold a higher delight that strengthens the will; let joy become force.
ājñā (illumined mind) and anāhata (uplifting joy)
Moderate, steady inhalation imagining ‘Soma’ rising to the brow; exhale offering the force into action.
Energized clarity—joyful power without restlessness.
Before chanting, recall one inner victory you seek (habit, fear, doubt). Chant with the sense of ‘drinking’ a vastness; then sit 2–3 minutes in stillness, letting the force consolidate.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā recitation; follow pada text for accents (e.g., marked svarita/udātta in saṃhitā).
Keep udātta as a clear rise; svarita as a fall from the rise; avoid flattening on compounds like sahasrasātamaḥ.
(madaḥ): final visarga lightly aspirated, (vṛṣā): retroflex ṣ, long ā, (harivo): light ‘ha’, roll ‘r’, (induḥ): short i, clear dental d
Bright, steady, invigorating; avoid harshness—let ‘exhilaration’ be felt as controlled power.
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