Rig Veda 1.4.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.4
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
उत नः सुभगाँ अरिर्वोचेयुर्दस्म कृष्टयः । स्यामेदिन्द्रस्य शर्मणि ॥
utá naḥ subhágā̃n arír vocéyur dasma kṛ́ṣṭayaḥ | syā́ma éd índrasya śármaṇi ||
وليقلِ الأقوامُ عنا إننا حَمَلةُ السعادةِ المضيئة، يا صانعَ العجائب؛ ولْنَكُنْ حقّاً في حِمى سَكينةِ إندرا الحامية.
Word by Word
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अथवा-भाव) अव्ययRoot उत (निपात)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural) — ‘of us/our’ (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root अस्मद्
- सुभगाः
- the fortunate/auspicious onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of ‘वोचेयुः’)Root सु-भग (प्रातिपदिक: सुभग)
- अरिः
- the patron/benefactor (lit. ‘giver’; also ‘friend’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (co-ordinate subject with ‘सुभगाः’)Root अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वोचेयुः
- may they speak/sayVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वच्
- दस्म
- O wondrous one (epithet)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot दस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृष्टयः
- the peoples/communitiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (co-ordinate subject with ‘सुभगाः अरिः’)Root कृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 1 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस्
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation to ‘शर्मणि’)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्मणि
- in (his) protection/shelterNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (locative)Root शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: उत | नः | सुभगाः | अरिः | वोचेयुः | दस्म | कृष्टयः | स्याम | इत् | इन्द्रस्य | शर्मणि । संहिता-पाठ में ‘स्यामेत्’ = ‘स्याम’ + ‘इत्’ (निपात ‘इत्’ ‘indeed/just’), जहाँ ‘स्याम + इत्’ में स्वर-संधि से ‘ए’ (आ + इ → ए) तथा ‘त्’ परसवर्ण/संयोग बना।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer that the communities (kṛṣṭayaḥ) will speak of the worshippers as fortunate and that they may dwell in Indra’s sheltering peace (śarman).
Inner meaning
The seeker asks that the inner nature and one’s life-energies “speak” (voceyuḥ) of a luminous fortune (subhagān ariḥ)—a condition where right force and right joy accompany the Yoga. To “abide in Indra’s śarman” is to live within the protective wideness of the illumined Mind, where thoughts are guarded from the Coverer’s attacks and the being rests in confident clarity.
Universal truth
When consciousness aligns with higher intelligence, one’s whole life begins to testify to an inner good-fortune; protection is not mere external safety but the stable peace born of luminous discernment.
Themes
Protection, Inner victory and stability, Social/collective affirmation of the seeker, Indra as guardian of the ordered consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Vaiśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.1, RV 1.2, RV 1.3, RV 1.4, RV 1.5, RV 1.6, RV 1.7, RV 1.8, RV 1.9, RV 1.10, RV 1.11
Family tradition
Early Mandala 1 seer-family; hymns often present Indra as the awakener of luminous mind and victorious force, aligning with an inner-sacrifice psychology.
Significance
Madhucchandas ("honey-meter") symbolizes a sweetness of inspired speech (vāṇī) and a direct, practical path: invoke the illumined Power (Indra) so the whole nature becomes victorious and harmonious.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- dasma (wonder-worker), protector in śarman (sheltering peace), leader of the victorious mind-force
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Upholder of the luminous order by breaking obstructions and establishing the free flow of light, force, and joy in the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and courageous will in the mind that protects, clarifies, and leads the being to victory over confusion and resistance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma-yajña sequences; also general Indra-invocation within early morning recitation.
उ॒त न॑: सु॒भगाँ॑ अ॒रिर्वो॒चेयु॑र्दस्म कृ॒ष्टय॑: । स्यामेदिन्द्र॑स्य॒ शर्म॑णि ॥
उ॒त । नः॒ । सु॒भगा॑न् । अ॒रिः । वो॒चेयुः॑ । द॒स्म॒ । कृ॒ष्टयः॑ । स्याम॑ । इत् । इन्द्र॑स्य । शर्म॑णि ॥
uta | naḥ | subhagān | ariḥ | voceyuḥ | dasma | kṛṣṭayaḥ | syāma | it | indrasya | śarmaṇi
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3 pādas × 8 syllables
Compact, forward-driving, with a clear cadence suited to invocation and affirmation.
Creates a quick alignment of attention; stabilizes the mind in a bright, protective focus (Indra’s śarman).
- kṛṣṭayaḥ
- Literal: peoples, communities, human groups. Symbolic: the organized powers of the being (thoughts, impulses, life-movements) that form one’s ‘inner society’
- subhagān
- Literal: fortunate, auspicious, richly blessed. Symbolic: luminous felicity—rightness that draws grace and success in the inner work
- ariḥ
- Literal: (often) a benefactor/host; also can mean enemy in other contexts. Symbolic: the ‘bearer/possessor’ of the luminous good—one who carries the right force; (contextually here) a positive power that makes the being auspicious
- voceyuḥ
- Literal: may they speak, proclaim. Symbolic: may the movements of life express and confirm the inner realization
- dasma
- Literal: wonder-worker, marvelous doer. Symbolic: the divine Intelligence that accomplishes what the ego cannot—effective spiritual action
- śarman
- Literal: shelter, protection, peace, refuge. Symbolic: Indra’s guarding peace—secure wideness of illumined mind-consciousness
Indra-invocation within Soma liturgy (general: Indra-stotra usage in Soma sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma; precise viniyoga varies by śākhā tradition)
During praise to Indra in Soma pressing contexts; adaptable for daily japa as a protection-and-clarity verse.
Stuti (praise) and āśiṣ (blessing-prayer) for auspiciousness and protection.
Use as a daily resolve: ‘May my whole nature proclaim luminous good-fortune; may I abide in the protecting peace of higher intelligence.’
Key forms: (1) subhágān: su- 'good, well' + bhága 'share, portion; dispensed felicity' from √bhaj 'to apportion, distribute, partake' → inner sense: rightly apportioned divine fullness. (2) vocéyuḥ: optative 3pl of √vac 'to speak, utter' → wish that even the 'other/outer' voices affirm the seeker’s luminous condition. (3) dasmá: epithet from a formation associated with 'wondrous skill/ability in action' (traditional: 'marvellous'); functionally marks Indra as effective power in works. (4) kṛ́ṣṭayaḥ: 'peoples' (Vedic collective), often from a stem meaning 'cultivated/ordered folk'; in psychological reading: the many powers in the human field (thoughts, impulses) becoming harmonized. (5) śármaṇi: locative of śárman 'shelter, protection, comfort' (cf. √śṛ/śam 'to be calm/benefit, to make auspicious' in semantic neighborhood) → inner peace as protected state under Indra’s governance.
R̥ta (right order as protected harmony in the being), Śarma (inner refuge/peace as a stable condition of consciousness), Bhaga (divine allotment/felicity as spiritual fortune)
Indra’s protection implies establishment of ṛta in the mental field—right movement of thought and will.
Speech and life ‘speaking’ of auspiciousness hints at truth manifesting as lived expression.
From protected luminous mind, right formation of life becomes possible (order replacing disorder).
Vedantic-yogic (Aurobindonian psychological reading of the gods as powers of consciousness).
storm-force and victorious energy (Indra’s atmospheric symbolism, innerized as dynamic power)
dawn/morning (typical Indra hymns in early recitation)
unspecified
A dawning clarity where the mind becomes a safe dwelling for the soul, and life-movements become truthful witnesses of inner progress.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not a combat scene but the mythic motif of Indra as the giver of secure dwelling (śárman) after victory: the community (kṛṣṭayaḥ) recognizes the seeker as 'subhaga'—one who carries the divine allotment of felicity. Psychologically, it is the attainment of a protected inner station where the illumined force of Indra holds the being in peace, and even the outer nature ('the other') confirms the soul’s transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac 'to speak' (vocéyuḥ) aligns with PIE *wekw-/*wekʷ- 'to speak' (cf. Latin vox, English 'voice' via Germanic developments). √bhaj in bhága/subhágā̃n relates to PIE *bʰag- 'to share, apportion' (cf. Slavic bogŭ 'god' as 'dispenser', Iranian baga- 'god, allotter'). The optative mood (voceyuḥ, syāma) preserves an old Indo-European desiderative/volitive function—prayer as intentional becoming rather than mere description.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer approaches Indra not only for outer success but for an inner condition—śárman—as a stable, guarded consciousness. The reciprocity is implicit: the rishi offers aspiration and right utterance (mantra as ordered speech under R̥ta), and Indra responds by establishing protection and a recognized 'good portion' (subhaga). The verse frames spiritual attainment as socially and psychologically integrative: the many 'peoples' within and without come to name the seeker by the mark of divine felicity.
Abiding in ‘Indra’s śarman’: establish a protected inner space of lucid mind and confident peace.
ājñā (brow center)
Nadi-śodhana (gentle alternate-nostril) before chanting; then natural breath with soft kumbhaka after each pāda.
Quiet, watchful clarity; protected wideness.
Chant, then sit 3–5 minutes noticing which inner ‘peoples’ (thoughts, impulses) begin to harmonize; reaffirm: ‘Let my life speak the light.’
Use the Rigvedic three-tone system: udatta (raised), anudatta (lower), svarita (falling). Apply traditional accenting per śākhā where available; otherwise keep a gentle rise on principal udatta syllables (notably around dásma, índrasya).
Keep each pāda as a single breath-unit; slight emphasis on dásma and índrasya; let śármaṇi fall softly (resting cadence).
Maintain retroflex in kṛṣṭayaḥ (ṛ + ṣṭ), Indra: clear dental ‘d’ (in-dra), not ‘j’, śarmaṇi: śa (palatal), not sa; ṇ is retroflex nasal
Clear, steady, protective warmth; end with a softened release.
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