Rig Veda Sukta 39
Mandala 3Sukta 399 Mantras

Sukta 39

Sukta 3.39

Rishi

Viśvāmitra Gāthina (traditional attribution for RV 3)

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

يقدّم هذا النشيد التريشتوبهي إلى إندرا «ترنيمةَ الفكر» الملهمة (مَتي/ستومة) الصاعدة من القلب إلى السيّد، ملتمسًا منه أن يتعرّف ويوقظ قوّتَه هو في داخل المُضحّي. ويستحضر فعلَ إندرا الحقّاني: العثور على الشمس الخفيّة مع النافاغفاس والداشاغفاس—نورٌ مُستعاد من الظلمة—ثمّ يتحوّل إلى تضرّعٍ حاضرٍ لطلب العون في الصراع، والنصر على المعيقين، ونيل الغنى والعافية.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 3.39

Mantras

Mantra 1

इन्द्रं मतिर्हृद आ वच्यमानाच्छा पतिं स्तोमतष्टा जिगाति । या जागृविर्विदथे शस्यमानेन्द्र यत्ते जायते विद्धि तस्य ॥

إِلَى إِندْرَا تَمْضِي فِكْرَةُ التَّسْبِيحِ المَصُوغَةُ، المُنْطَلِقَةُ مِنَ القَلْبِ، مُسْتَقِيمَةً—نَحْوَ السَّيِّدِ. هِيَ، اليَقِظَةُ المُنِيرَةُ فِي مَجْلِسِ الطَّلَبِ (vidatha) حِينَ تُتْلَى، تُعْلَنُ: يَا إِندْرَا، مَا يَتَوَلَّدُ فِيكَ (جَوَابًا وَقُوَّةً)، فَاعْلَمْهُ تَجَلِّيَكَ الخَاصَّ فِينَا.

Mantra 2

दिवश्चिदा पूर्व्या जायमाना वि जागृविर्विदथे शस्यमाना । भद्रा वस्त्राण्यर्जुना वसाना सेयमस्मे सनजा पित्र्या धीः ॥

حَتَّى مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تُولَدُ—قَدِيمَةٌ وَمَعَ ذٰلِكَ دَائِمًا جَدِيدَةٌ؛ يَقِظَةً تَتَّسِعُ فِي مَجْلِسِ الطَّلَبِ (vidatha) حِينَ تُنْطَقُ. لَابِسَةً ثِيَابًا مَيْمُونَةً مُشْرِقَةً بَهِيَّةً، هٰذِهِ البَصِيرَةُ (dhī) المَوْلُودَةُ مِنَ الأَسْلَافِ—القَدِيمَةُ فِي الآبَاءِ—تَصِيرُ لَنَا هُنَا.

Mantra 3

यमा चिदत्र यमसूरसूत जिह्वाया अग्रं पतदा ह्यस्थात् । वपूंषि जाता मिथुना सचेते तमोहना तपुषो बुध्न एता ॥

حتى هنا—حيث وُلدت القوّةُ التوأميّةُ الكابحة—انبثق طرفُ اللسانِ الأوّلُ وقامَ ثابتًا. والأشكالُ المولودةُ كقوّةٍ مزدوجةٍ تتلاقى اتحادًا متبادلاً؛ أولئك هم قاتلو الظلمة، راسخون في القاع العميق لـ«تَپَس» (Tapas: حرارة الإرادة المركّزة).

Mantra 4

नकिरेषां निन्दिता मर्त्येषु ये अस्माकं पितरो गोषु योधाः । इन्द्र एषां दृंहिता माहिनावानुद्गोत्राणि ससृजे दंसनावान् ॥

لا يستطيع أحدٌ من البشر أن يعيبَ أولئك—آباءَنا—الذين كانوا محاربين في النور (الأبقار). إنَّ إندرا، العظيمَ المهابة، شدَّ أزرَهم وثبَّتهم؛ وبقوّة فعله النافذ أطلق صعودًا القطعانَ المستترة (الأشعّةَ المحبوسة) من حظائرها.

Mantra 5

सखा ह यत्र सखिभिर्नवग्वैरभिज्ञ्वा सत्वभिर्गा अनुग्मन् । सत्यं तदिन्द्रो दशभिर्दशग्वैः सूर्यं विवेद तमसि क्षियन्तम् ॥

كصديقٍ، هناك مع الأصدقاء—النَّڤاگڤا (Navagva)—وقد عرفوا السبيل بقوى الكينونة، اتّبعوا الأشعّة (الأبقار). ذلك هو الحقّ: إنَّ إندرا مع العشرة—الدَّشاگڤا (Dashagva)—وجد سُوريا، الشمس، ساكنًا في الظلمة.

Mantra 6

इन्द्रो मधु सम्भृतमुस्रियायां पद्वद्विवेद शफवन्नमे गोः । गुहा हितं गुह्यं गूळ्हमप्सु हस्ते दधे दक्षिणे दक्षिणावान् ॥

وجدَ إندرا العسلَ المُجتَمَعَ في «البقرة» المتلألئة؛ وجده كعارفٍ بالأثر، عند موضعِ حافرها، في القوّة الخامّة للشعاع. كان مُخفًى في الكهف، سرًّا مستورًا في المياه، فوضعه في يده اليمنى—هو الغنيُّ بقوّة العطاء اليمنى (دكشِنا dakṣiṇā).

Mantra 7

ज्योतिर्वृणीत तमसो विजानन्नारे स्याम दुरितादभीके । इमा गिरः सोमपाः सोमवृद्ध जुषस्वेन्द्र पुरुतमस्य कारोः ॥

مختارينَ النورَ، مميّزينَه عن الظلمة، لِنَكُنْ بعيدينَ عن الشدّة، وإنْ دَنَتْ مُلِحّة. هذه الأقوال—يا شاربَ السُّوما، يا من يزيده السُّوما—تقبّلْها يا إندرا، من صانعِ الأعمالِ الكثيرة (ذو السعي الواسع المتنوّع).

Mantra 8

ज्योतिर्यज्ञाय रोदसी अनु ष्यादारे स्याम दुरितस्य भूरेः । भूरि चिद्धि तुजतो मर्त्यस्य सुपारासो वसवो बर्हणावत् ॥

لِيَتْبَعِ النورُ اليَجْنَا (yajña)، ولْتُصاحِبْه السماءُ والأرض؛ ولْنَكُنْ بعيدينَ عن الشدّة الغزيرة. فكثيرةٌ حقًّا ضغوطُ الفاني إذا هوجِم؛ أمّا أنتم، يا فاسوس (Vasus)، فحَسَنو العبور، تحملونَ قوّةَ الرفعِ والتوسيع.

Mantra 9

शुनं हुवेम मघवानमिन्द्रमस्मिन्भरे नृतमं वाजसातौ । शृण्वन्तमुग्रमूतये समत्सु घ्नन्तं वृत्राणि संजितं धनानाम् ॥

لأجل العافية ندعو إندرا، الواهبَ السخيّ، في هذا الحمل من الصراع—أشدَّهم رجولةً في نيل الوفرة. سامعًا لنا، عاتيًا لنصرتنا في المعارك، قاتلًا للموانع (فِرِترا Vṛtra)، ظافرًا بكنوز الغنى (العطايا الروحية).

Inside Sukta 39

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    The hymn opens with the heart-born inspired thought, fashioned into praise, going straight to Indra as Lord, asking him to recognize the power awakening through the rite.

  2. Development

    It develops Indra’s identity as helper and truth-worker, recalling the companionship of the Navagvas/Daśagvas and the pursuit of the ‘cows’ (rays), culminating in the discovery of the Sun hidden in darkness.

  3. Climax

    The revelation that Indra ‘found the Sun in the darkness’—a paradigmatic victory of truth and light over concealment—becomes the warrant for present assistance.

  4. Where it settles

    The hymn closes with an urgent, practical invocation: may Indra hear, come fiercely to help in battles, slay the obstructers, and secure the conquerable riches for well-being.

The deity: Indra

  • In the VedaIndra is the Maghavan (bountiful giver), nṛtama (most manly/heroic), the slayer of Vṛtra and other obstructions, and the discoverer of light—one who hears the call of praise and comes to the soma-pressing and the battle alike.
  • Cosmic functionHe breaks the powers of confinement, releases the waters/light, and establishes the victory of ṛta (truth-order), enabling abundance and the reappearance of the Sun from darkness.
  • Inner significanceIndra symbolizes the awakened will and luminous force in the seeker that shatters inner inertia and doubt, recovers hidden clarity (the ‘Sun’), and turns inspired speech into effective power.

The seer

  • Viśvāmitra GāthinaGāthin (Viśvāmitra-gotra) · A royal-turned-seer celebrated for forging powerful Indra hymns and for the Viśvāmitra tradition that unites poetic inspiration (mati) with effective ritual speech (stoma) to win divine help and illumination.

Famous verses

इन्द्रं मतिर्हृद आ वच्यमानाच्छा पतिं स्तोमतष्टा जिगाति । या जागृविर्विदथे शस्यमानेन्द्र यत्ते जायते विद्धि तस्य ॥
Verse 3.39.1Sets the hymn’s core theology of inspired speech: the heart-born mati, shaped as stoma, reaches Indra, and the divine power ‘born’ in response is recognized as Indra’s manifestation within the worshipper.Read verse 3.39.1 →
sūryaṃ viveda tamasi kṣiyantam
Verse 3.39.5A central mythic-illumination verse: Indra with the Navagvas/Daśagvas follows the rays and discovers the Sun dwelling in darkness—an emblem of recovering truth and light.Read verse 3.39.5 →
ghnantaṃ vṛtrāṇi
Verse 3.39.9Concluding petition that applies the myth to the present: Indra is invoked for well-being, victory in struggle, the slaying of vṛtras (obstacles), and the winning of riches/plenitude.Read verse 3.39.9 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Maghavan (generous bestower)
  • Vṛtra-han (slayer of obstruction)
  • Nṛtama (supreme hero)
  • Listener to prayer and praise
  • Finder/releaser of the hidden Sun/light
  • Giver of vāja (strength, plenitude, victory)

Also by this seer

  • Primary seer for much of Rigveda Maṇḍala 3 (Viśvāmitra family hymns)
  • RV 3.62.10 (Gāyatrī/“Sāvitrī” mantra) traditionally associated with the Viśvāmitra lineage
  • Numerous Indra, Agni, and related hymns in RV 3 attributed to the Viśvāmitras

The rite, step by step

  • Prepare the altar and kindle Agni; establish a focused intention for protection, victory, and clarity.
  • Press/offer Soma (or its substitute in later practice) while reciting Indra praises; invite Indra as pati (Lord) of the hymn.
  • Recite the hymn with emphasis on inspired speech (mati) and truth (satya/ṛta), asking Indra to ‘know’ and awaken the power being born in the sacrificer.
  • Offer oblations and conclude with a direct petition for help in conflicts (samatsu), removal of obstacles (vṛtrāṇi), and attainment of riches (dhana).

Offerings

  • Soma libation (primary)
  • Ghee (ājya) oblations into Agni
  • Optional: milk/curd offerings in Indra context

Frequently Asked Questions

It teaches that sincere, well-shaped praise rising from the heart reaches Indra, who then awakens his power in the worshipper—breaking obstacles and bringing victory, abundance, and light.

They represent Indra’s companions in a truth-seeking quest where the ‘rays/cows’ are followed and the Sun is discovered hidden in darkness—an image for recovering lost light and clarity.

Traditionally it fits Indra-focused soma/fire rites for strength and success; in a simple recitation practice it is used to pray for courage, removal of inner blocks, and clear insight during difficult struggles.

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