Rig Veda 4.16.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 16, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.16
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
कविर्न निण्यं विदथानि साधन्वृषा यत्सेकं विपिपानो अर्चात् । दिव इत्था जीजनत्सप्त कारूनह्ना चिच्चक्रुर्वयुना गृणन्तः ॥
kavír na niṇyáṃ vidáthāni sā́dhan vṛ́ṣā yát sékaṃ vipipānó árcāt | divá itthā́ jī́janat saptá kārū́n áhnā cit cakruḥ vayunā́ gṛṇántaḥ ||
كَشَاعِرٍ رَائٍ (كَفِي) يَعْرِفُ الخَفِيَّ، أَتَمَّ مَجَالِسَ المَعْرِفَةِ (فِدَثَا)؛ وَالثَّوْرُ، إِذْ شَرِبَ السَّكْبَ، أَنْشَدَ. وَهَكَذَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَلَّدَ السَّبْعَةَ الشُّعَرَاءَ؛ وَفِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ صَنَعُوا سُنَنَ الفَهْمِ (فَيُونَا)، وَهُمْ يُسَبِّحُونَ.
Word by Word
- कविः
- the sage/poet (seer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableनिपात (उपमा/सादृश्ये)Root न (निपात)
- निन्यम्
- the hidden/secret (thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot निन्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नी ‘to lead’ से ‘अन्तर्नीत/गूढ’ अर्थ)
- विदथानि
- ritual assemblies/ceremonial distributionsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- साधन्
- accomplishes/achievesVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √साध् (धातु; ‘to accomplish, make succeed’)
- वृषा
- the bull (i.e., the mighty one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वृषन्/वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which/that (what)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)Role कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सेकम्
- a pouring/sprinkling; libationNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सेक (प्रातिपदिक; √सिच् ‘to pour, sprinkle’)
- विपिपानः
- drinking deeply; having drunk (abundantly)Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदभावRole कर्तृRoot √पा (धातु; ‘to drink’) + वि- (उपसर्ग), क्त्वा-न/शानच्-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अर्चात्
- praised/sangVerbलुङ् (आगमयुक्त अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अर्च् (धातु; ‘to praise, sing’)
- दिवः
- of heaven/of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्था
- thus/in this mannerIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषणRoot इत्था (अव्यय)
- जीजनत्
- begetting/bringing forthParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘producing/begetting’Role कर्तृRoot √जन् (धातु; ‘to beget, produce’) (गहन/इंटेन्सिव/रेडुप्लिकेटेड स्टेम जीजन-)
- सप्त
- sevenNumeralअव्ययवत् संख्या; (यहाँ कर्मपद-विशेषण) बहुवचनार्थRoot सप्त (संख्या)
- कारून्
- singers/poets (artisan-bards)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अह्ना
- by day/with the dayNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- indeed/evenIndeclinableअवधारण/अपि-अर्थक निपातRoot चित् (निपात)
- चक्रुः
- they have done/madeVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √कृ (धातु; ‘to do, make’)
- वयुना
- by skill/insight; by (ritual) artNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot वयुन (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृणन्तः
- praising/singingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ)Role कर्तृRoot √गृ (धातु; ‘to sing, praise’) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): कविर्न → कविः न
- साधन्वृषा → साधन् वृषा
- यत्सेकं → यत् सेकं
- जीजनत्सप्त → जीजनत् सप्त
- कारूनह्ना → कारून् अह्ना
- चिच्चक्रुः → चित् चक्रुः
- चक्रुर्वयुना → चक्रुः वयुना
- गृणन्तः (स्वतंत्र पद)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like a seer accomplishing hidden things, he accomplished the rites/sessions; the Bull, drinking the outpouring, sang. Thus from heaven he generated the seven poets; and in a single day they fashioned the works of understanding, praising.
Inner meaning
Indra is portrayed as the master-seer-power who brings to completion the ‘hidden workings’ (niṇya)—the subtle operations by which consciousness is transformed. The ‘Bull’ is the forceful luminous power; drinking the outpouring is receiving Soma—delight-essence—so that speech becomes song (arcat). From the ‘heaven’ (divaḥ: luminous mind-plane) he brings forth the ‘seven poets’—the full set of inspired faculties (seven rays/voices) that articulate truth in the being. ‘In a single day’ indicates a decisive illumination-event: when the rays awaken together, the vayunā (workings of discernment/arrangements) are rapidly fashioned under praise (affirmation).
Universal truth
Higher consciousness does not only give ideas; it generates new faculties of inspired perception and expression. When delight and illumination are received, hidden inner processes become effective and understanding is organized swiftly.
Themes
Birth of inspired poets, Heavenly inspiration, Soma and creative speech
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.16.4, Rig Veda 4.16.5
Significance
The seer describes an inner genesis: from the luminous plane arise the ‘seven’ inspired powers. This is a hallmark of Vedic psychology—knowledge is a birth (jījanat) of faculties, not mere information.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣā (Bull), Kavi-like (seer-power)
- Related deities
- Soma, Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (lord of mantra/word), Maruts (impulsions of force)
Cosmic role
Brings down heavenly light; awakens the seven inspired voices; organizes understanding (vayunā).
Inner power
Illumination that creates capacities—vision, inspired speech, ordered discernment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña praise of Indra’s inspiration (general)
क॒विर्न नि॒ण्यं वि॒दथा॑नि॒ साध॒न्वृषा॒ यत्सेकं॑ विपिपा॒नो अर्चा॑त् । दि॒व इ॒त्था जी॑जनत्स॒प्त का॒रूनह्ना॑ चिच्चक्रुर्व॒युना॑ गृ॒णन्त॑: ॥
क॒विः । न । नि॒ण्यम् । वि॒दथा॑नि । साध॑न् । वृषा॑ । यत् । सेक॑म् । वि॒ऽपि॒पा॒नः । अर्चा॑त् । दि॒वः । इ॒त्था । जी॒ज॒न॒त् । स॒प्त । का॒रून् । अह्ना॑ । चि॒त् । च॒क्रुः॒ । व॒युना॑ । गृ॒णन्तः॑ ॥
kaviḥ | na | niṇyam | vidathāni | sādhan | vṛṣā | yat | sekam | vi-pipānaḥ | arcāt | divaḥ | itthā | jījanat | sapta | kārūn | ahnā | cit | cakruḥ | vayunā | gṛṇantaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Expansive narrative triṣṭubh; alternates contemplative ‘seer’ tone with energetic ‘generation’ tone.
Opens a sense of revelation; supports emergence of inspired speech and ordered insight after chanting.
- कविः (kaviḥ)
- Literal: seer-poet. Symbolic: the illumined consciousness that knows by vision
- निṇ्यम् (niṇyam)
- Literal: hidden, secret. Symbolic: subtle inner operations; subconscient knots and their secret laws
- विदथानि (vidathāni)
- Literal: rites/assemblies/knowings. Symbolic: sessions of inner knowledge and sacrifice where powers meet
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: forceful luminous power; virile energy of illumination
- सेकम् (sekam)
- Literal: outpouring, sprinkling. Symbolic: flow of Soma/bliss or inspiration into the being
- विपिपानः (vipipānaḥ)
- Literal: drinking deeply. Symbolic: full reception/assimilation of delight and power
- सप्त कारून् (sapta kārūn)
- Literal: seven poets/singers. Symbolic: seven rays/faculties of inspired speech and knowledge
- वयुना (vayunā)
- Literal: workings, skill, arrangements. Symbolic: right discriminations and ordered functioning of consciousness
Indra-Soma praise emphasizing creative inspiration and the birth of seer-utterance; used to affirm that the god-force generates inspired speech and right discernment in the rite.
During Indra-śastra/stotra sequences emphasizing inspiration and victory
Recitation alongside Soma offering; praise to awaken inspired powers
Before study/creative work: chant to invoke ‘seven poets’—multiple faculties (intuition, discrimination, expression) working together.
niṇya ‘hidden’ from √nī/ni ‘to lead down/in’ → ‘inward, secret’. vidatha: Vedic term for ritual/assembly; also ‘occasion of knowing’ (linked to √vid ‘to know’). vipipānaḥ: vi + reduplicated √pā ‘drink’ → ‘drank fully’. jījanat: intensive/causative of √jan ‘beget’. vayuna: from √vī/√vyu ‘separate, discern, weave’ semantic field → ‘ordered discernment, methodic knowledge’.
vayunā (differentiating knowledge; right ordering of mind), kavi (seer-consciousness), saptá (sevenfold principle: rays/poets/planes—symbol of completeness)
Vayunā indicates the right arrangement of faculties according to ṛta—knowledge becomes organized order.
Kavi-vision implies satya-seeing: truth known by direct perception.
Birth of the seven powers from heaven; inspiration as a creative generation within the human.
Integral-Vedāntic trajectory: descent of light generates new parts of nature (faculties) and reorganizes them.
day (ahna)
Bull = strong illumined force; stream = influx of bliss/inspiration; heaven = higher mind-plane; day = a decisive cycle of awakening.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the Bull drinks the Soma outpouring and generates ‘seven poets’ from heaven—an origin myth of inspired speech and ordered knowledge. Innerly, when the force of consciousness drinks delight/essence, it births the complete (sevenfold) powers of expression and discernment (vayunā) that can articulate and establish the right working (ṛta) in life.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan ‘beget’ continues PIE *ǵenh₁- (cf. Latin gignere, English kin via Germanic developments). √vid ‘know’ reflects PIE *weyd- (English wit, Latin videre ‘see’). The seer-poet (kavi) as a technical term parallels IE poet-seer functions (Greek aoidos/mantis as functional analogues, though not cognate).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi portrays Indra not only as a receiver of Soma but as a generator of the very capacities the rishi embodies: poetic inspiration and discriminating knowledge. Praise and offering awaken the god-force; the god-force reciprocally creates and empowers the community of seers (sapta kārūn) and their right methods (vayunā).
Invite the birth of multiple coordinated faculties of insight; receive delight (Soma) and let it become inspired expression.
Viśuddha (inspired speech) supported by Ājñā (vision)
Gentle ujjāyī for 3–5 minutes, then chant; after chanting sit in silence and allow spontaneous insight-phrases to arise without forcing.
Revelatory, creatively ordered.
After chanting, ask inwardly: ‘What is the hidden working (niṇya) behind my current obstacle?’ Wait for a simple organizing perception (vayunā) rather than many thoughts.
Udatta often on key revelatory terms (kaviḥ, vṛṣā, sapta); exact pattern depends on śākhā.
Do not rush the first pāda (kavir na niṇyaṃ…); give a slight lift on ‘vṛṣā’ and ‘sapta’; keep ‘ahna cic cakrur’ crisp to convey swiftness.
niṇyam: retroflex ṇ; short i; nasalized feel, vṛṣā: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ, jījanat: long ī; soft j
Clear, resonant, slightly wonder-struck; allow fuller resonance on ‘divaḥ’.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
