Rig Veda 2.18.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.18
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Bhayankara
हरी नु कं रथ इन्द्रस्य योजमायै सूक्तेन वचसा नवेन । मो षु त्वामत्र बहवो हि विप्रा नि रीरमन्यजमानासो अन्ये ॥
harī́ nú kaṃ́ rathá índrasya yojam ā́yai sū́ktena vácasā návena | mó ṣú tvām átra bahávo hí viprā́ ní rīraman anyáyajamānāso anyé ||
إنّي لأقرنُ حقًّا فرسيْ إندرا الأشقرين إلى عربته لمجيئه، بكلمةٍ جديدةٍ محكمة الصوغ. فلا يَصْرِفَنَّكَ هنا كثرةُ الرُّؤاة—مُقَرِّبون آخرون، آخرون—يَجْتَذِبونك إلى نداءاتهم.
Word by Word
- हरी
- the two bay-horses (of Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (योजमायै इत्यस्य कर्तारौ) / विषय (स्तुत्यर्थे)Root हरि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot नु (निपात)
- कम्
- what? / which? (interrogative)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् ‘कम्’ = ‘किम्’)Role कर्म (योजमायै—‘what/which [to yoke]’)Root क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रथे
- on/at the chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot रथ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- योजमायै
- for yoking (to be yoked)Verbal noun (action noun)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (योजनायै = ‘for yoking’)Root युज् (धातु) → योज- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, भाव/क्रिया-नाम)
- सूक्तेन
- with a well-spoken hymnNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot सूक्त- (सु+उक्त, प्रातिपदिक)
- वचसा
- with speech/utteranceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot वचस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवेन
- new, freshAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (वचसा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role करण (विशेषण-भावेन)Root नव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध-निपात)
- षु
- indeed, just (emphatic)Indeclinableनिपात (उपपादक/प्रबलक)Root षु (निपात)
- त्वाम्
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अत्र
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot अत्र (अव्यय)
- बहवः
- manyAdjective (substantive use)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विप्राः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot बहु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (कारण/निश्चयार्थ)Root हि (निपात)
- विप्राः
- inspired seers/priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot विप्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- रीरमन्
- they have gladdened / made (you) rejoiceVerbलिट्/परिप्रास-प्रयोगवत् वैदिक-रूपम्; 3 पुरुष, बहुवचन (परस्मैपद-प्रयोगः अपेक्षितः) — ‘they have caused to delight/they have gladdened’Role क्रिया (कर्तृ = विप्राः)Root रम् (धातु) [Vedic intensive/causative formation: रीरम्-]
- अन्यजमानासः
- sacrificing for others / with other patronsAdjective/Noun (bahuvrīhi-like compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (विप्राः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण-भावेन)Root अन्य- + यजमान- (प्रातिपदिक; यज् → यजमान ‘sacrificing’)
- अन्ये
- othersPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (पूर्वपदे ‘विप्राः’ इत्यस्य सह-सम्बन्धः)Root अन्य- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): हरी | नु | कम् | रथे | इन्द्रस्य | योजमायै | सूक्तेन | वचसा | नवेन || मा | षु | त्वाम् | अत्र | बहवः | हि | विप्राः | नि | रीरमन् | अन्यजमानासः | अन्ये । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) रथ॒ इन्द्र॑स्य → रथे इन्द्रस्य (ए/इ संधि; पदपाठानुसार सप्तमी ‘रथे’)
- (2) योजमा॒यै सू॒क्तेन॒ → योजमायै सूक्तेन (स्वर-सहित संहिता)
- (3) मो षु → मा षु (निषेध ‘मा’ + निपात ‘षु’)
- (4) नि री॑रमन् → नि + रीरमन् (उपसर्ग-योग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
I yoke the two tawny steeds to Indra’s chariot for his coming, with a new well-shaped hymn-word. Let not many seers here turn you away—other sacrificers drawing you elsewhere.
Inner meaning
The rishi ‘yokes the tawny steeds’—he gathers and disciplines the two dynamic life-forces (harī) that carry Indra, the illumined mind, into the field of practice. The ‘new word’ is a fresh formation of vāc: a precise mantra-thought that can actually summon the higher power. The warning about ‘many seers’ and ‘other sacrificers’ is psychological: scattered suggestions, competing desires, borrowed voices, and rival impulses can divert the descending illumination. The seeker asks Indra to come to this inner sacrifice and not be pulled away by the noise of the lower nature or external attractions.
Universal truth
Realization requires both a fresh, sincere call (authentic speech/intention) and concentrated direction of energy. Dispersion—too many calls, too many motives—dilutes the descent of clarity.
Themes
invocation technique, mantric craftsmanship, guarding the call, focus of aspiration
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12, RV 2.18
Family tradition
Bhṛgu seers specialize in effective invocation—vāc that ‘makes present’ the deity; strong emphasis on disciplined approach to the godhead.
Significance
He models the inner discipline: harness energies, offer a living mantra, guard against dispersion—key moves in Aurobindonian ‘psychic’ practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- lord of the harī, vṛtrahan (implied: slayer of the coverer)
- Related deities
- Maruts (impulses/forces that can aid Indra), Agni (will that calls), Soma (bliss that fuels Indra)
Cosmic role
Brings the light of heaven into the human; breaks resistances and establishes victorious clarity.
Inner power
The descending illumined intelligence that organizes and empowers action once energies are yoked.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invitation (āvāhana) to Indra in Soma rites
हरी॒ नु कं॒ रथ॒ इन्द्र॑स्य योजमा॒यै सू॒क्तेन॒ वच॑सा॒ नवे॑न । मो षु त्वामत्र॑ ब॒हवो॒ हि विप्रा॒ नि री॑रम॒न्यज॑मानासो अ॒न्ये ॥
हरी॒ इति॑ । नु । क॒म् । रथे॑ । इन्द्र॑स्य । यो॒ज॒म् । आ॒ऽयै । सू॒क्तेन॑ । वच॑सा । नवे॑न । मो इति॑ । सु । त्वाम् । अत्र॑ । ब॒हवः॑ । हि । विप्राः॑ । नि । री॒र॒म॒न् । यज॑मानासः । अ॒न्ये ॥
harī iti | nu | kam | rathe | indrasya | yojam | āyai | sūktena | vacasā | navena | mo iti | su | tvām | atra | bahavaḥ | hi | viprāḥ | ni | rīraman | yajamānāsaḥ | anye
44
4 × ~11
Swift, energetic, with a ‘yoking’ momentum; suited to invocation and protection from diversion.
Creates focus and a sense of directional pull—like drawing the mind back to a single call.
- हरी (harī)
- Literal: two tawny steeds. Symbolic: dual dynamic energies (prāṇa/tejas; life-force and action-force) that carry illumination into embodiment
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: the embodied system (mind-life-body) as vehicle for the divine power
- योजम् (yojam)
- Literal: I yoke. Symbolic: discipline, harnessing of energies for a single aim
- सूक्त (sūkta)
- Literal: well-spoken hymn. Symbolic: true-forming word; mantra as shaped thought-force
- वचसा नवेन (vacasā navena)
- Literal: with a new word. Symbolic: renewed aspiration and living revelation, not mechanical repetition
- विπ्राः (viprāḥ)
- Literal: seers/poets. Symbolic: multiple inner voices/mental formations; can help or distract
- नि री॑रमन् (ni rīraman)
- Literal: may they not turn (you) away. Symbolic: prayer against diversion and dispersal of attention
Summons to Indra at Soma; protective framing to keep the invoked force steady with this sacrificer
At the call to Indra before offering Soma; also as a protective focus against competing intentions in the ritual ground.
Recitation while preparing/‘yoking’ the rite—metaphorically aligning implements and attention.
Before meditation, say internally: ‘I yoke my energies for the descent of clarity’; then reduce inputs (notifications, arguments, multitasking) that ‘divert Indra’.
sūkta ‘well-said’ (su- + ukta from √vac/√uc ‘speak’) emphasizes the crafted mantra as a real force. √yuj again: disciplined joining. The competitive motif (‘others may divert’) reflects the social-ritual ecology, but innerly it becomes the danger of scattered attention: many ‘viprāḥ’ (thought-waves) can pull the power away from the central aspiration.
mantra as effective power (vacas), concentration vs dispersal (diversion by many vipras), invocation as yoking of forces
Ṛta is maintained by single-pointed invocation rather than scattered calls.
The ‘new word’ is living satya—speech aligned to direct experience.
Vāc as formative power: right speech shapes the arrival of higher consciousness.
Mantra-śakti orientation; integral yoga emphasis on concentration and sincerity.
Steeds/chariot = mobilized energies and embodied vehicle; coming = descent of higher light into the system.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘yoking Indra’s steeds’ mythologem: the seer harnesses the carriers of force to bring the god. Innerly, the mantra yokes dynamic energies to the will of ascent; the warning against diversion encodes the need to prevent dispersal of consciousness by competing impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (*yeug-) and the chariot/steed complex are central IE poetic inheritance. The use of su- prefix (sūkta) for evaluative ‘well-’ is also typical of Indo-Iranian style. Parallelism and repetition (‘anye… anye’) is an archaic rhetorical device for rivalry/contrast.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as technician of approach: by ‘new speech’ he yokes the carriers of Indra and secures the descent of force into his rite/being. The relationship is active and strategic—invocation must be protected from dilution by other calls (outer) or by scattered inner movements (inner).
Harness prāṇa and attention to invite illumined mind; practice ‘one call’ rather than many competing motives.
ājñā (governance) supported by maṇipūra (yoking will)
4-4-4-4 box breathing for 8–12 rounds to ‘yoke’ energies; then silent listening for descent.
Ekāgratā (one-pointedness) with guarded openness.
Form a single, simple inner sentence (your ‘new word’) and repeat gently; when other ‘viprāḥ’ (thought-voices) arise, do not argue—return to the yoking and the call.
Rigvedic accenting as per śākhā tradition; keep udātta light and clear, svarita as a controlled fall.
Mark the caesura after each pāda; avoid rushing ‘harī nu kaṃ’—keep vowels long and distinct.
(harī): long ī, (indrasya): clear dental d, (yojam āyai): keep sandhi smooth; don’t insert extra vowel breaks, (mo ṣu): retroflex ṣ; short u, (viprāḥ): long ā; visarga audible but soft
Bright, summoning, with a protective firmness at the second half.
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