Rig Veda 4.25.5: Mandala 4, Sukta 25, Mantra 5
Sukta 4.25
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
न तं जिनन्ति बहवो न दभ्रा उर्वस्मा अदितिः शर्म यंसत् । प्रियः सुकृत्प्रिय इन्द्रे मनायुः प्रियः सुप्रावीः प्रियो अस्य सोमी ॥
ná táṃ jinanti bahávo ná dabh्रā urv ásmā áditiḥ śárma yaṃsat | priyáḥ su-kṛ́t priyá índre manāyúḥ priyáḥ supra-avī́ḥ priyó asya somī́ ||
لا يغلبه كثيرون ولا قليلون؛ إذ إن أديتي تمنحه سلامًا فسيحًا. حبيبٌ هو—صانعُ الخير؛ حبيبٌ لإندرا في فكره واندفاعه؛ حبيبٌ بما له من حماياتٍ قوية؛ وحبيبٌ لديه حاملُ السُّوما.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- जिनन्ति
- conquerVerbलट्; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot जि (जये)
- बहवः
- many (people)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot बहु
- न
- norIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- दभ्राः
- few (people)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot दभ्र
- उर्वस्मै
- to Urva (Urvaśa/Urva-), i.e., to himNoun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot उर्व (प्रा. ‘उर्व’/‘उर्वस्’ as a name/epithet)
- अदितिः
- AditiNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot अदिति
- शर्म
- shelter, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शर्मन्
- यंसत्
- granted / bestowsVerbलङ् (injunctive/aoristic usage in Vedic); प्रथमा-एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot यम् (यच्छति/यमयति; ‘to grant, bestow’)
- प्रियः
- dear, belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रिय
- सुकृत्
- the well-doerNoun/Adjective (agentive)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; कृदन्त: कृत्-प्रत्यय (क्विप् प्रकार), ‘one who does good’Role KartāRoot सु-कृत् (कृ ‘to do’ with सु-)
- प्रियः
- dearAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रिय
- इन्द्रे
- in/with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इन्द्र
- मनायुः
- the one of devoted mind / intentNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot मनायुः (प्रा. ‘मनस्/मन्’ + आयु/आयुस्; Vedic compound)
- प्रियः
- dearAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रिय
- सुप्रावीः
- the good-helper / good-furthererNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot सु-प्रावी (प्रावी < √प्रू/प्रव् ‘to further/aid’; Vedic noun)
- प्रियः
- dearAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot प्रिय
- अस्य
- of himPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root इदम्
- सोमी
- the Soma-possessor / Soma-manNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot सोमिन् (from सोम)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi/compounds: (1) सु॒कृत्प्रि॒यः → सुकृत् + प्रियः (final -t of सुकृत् before pr-)
- (2) उ॒र्व॑स्मा॒ अदि॑ति॒: → उर्वस्मै + अदितिः (pada break; dative + nominative)
- (3) प्रि॒यो अ॑स्य → प्रियः + अस्य (visarga before vowel; written as ओ)
- Accent marks retained as in saṃhitā but analysis is pada-based
The meaning
Outer meaning
Neither many nor few can overcome him; Aditi grants him a wide peace. He is dear—doer of good; dear to Indra in his mind-impulse; dear as one of strong protections; dear to him is the Soma-bearer.
Inner meaning
The realized or rightly aligned seeker becomes unconquerable—not by ego-force but because he stands in wideness (uru) granted by Aditi: the infinite consciousness that neutralizes both massed attacks (bahavaḥ) and subtle ones (dabhrāḥ). His nature becomes priya (dear, consonant) to the divine powers because it is sukṛt: habitually aligned to the good/right action. Manāyuḥ becomes Indra-friendly—thought and impulse synchronized with illumination. Suprāvīḥ indicates strong safeguarding movements within (right discernments, protections). ‘Somī’ (Soma-bearer) is dear to him: he cherishes ananda as a constant companion, not a fleeting pleasure.
Universal truth
True strength is wideness and right alignment: when consciousness opens into the infinite and actions become naturally good, both gross and subtle resistances lose power; divine friendship becomes spontaneous and joy becomes a stable support.
Themes
protection, wideness, Indra-favor, ethical-psychological alignment
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.18 (Indra’s power and overcoming), RV 4.21 (Indra and the wideness motif)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s line stresses wideness (uru), Aditi’s unbinding, and Indra’s friendship as marks of inner victory.
Significance
The seer defines invincibility psychologically: not domination, but a wideness and peace that resist both major and minor assaults of the lower nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (primary), with Aditi as granting wideness; Soma as sustaining delight
- Epithets
- Indra: Maghavan, Vṛtrahan, Aditi: Anavadyā (blameless—later epithet), Unbound Mother (conceptual), Soma: Amṛta (immortal essence—conceptual)
- Related deities
- Ādityas, Agni, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Indra empowers victorious illumination; Aditi opens the boundless field where victory is secure; Soma nourishes immortality and joy.
Inner power
Indra: decisive clarity; Aditi: spacious liberation; Soma: bliss that cements perseverance and love of the path.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise with protective invocation of Aditi
न तं जि॑नन्ति ब॒हवो॒ न द॒भ्रा उ॒र्व॑स्मा॒ अदि॑ति॒: शर्म॑ यंसत् । प्रि॒यः सु॒कृत्प्रि॒य इन्द्रे॑ मना॒युः प्रि॒यः सु॑प्रा॒वीः प्रि॒यो अ॑स्य सो॒मी ॥
न । तम् । जि॒न॒न्ति॒ । ब॒हवः॑ । न । द॒भ्राः । उ॒रु । अ॒स्मै॒ । अदि॑तिः । शर्म॑ । यं॒स॒त् । प्रि॒यः । सु॒ऽकृत् । प्रि॒यः । इन्द्रे॑ । म॒ना॒युः । प्रि॒यः । सु॒प्र॒ऽअ॒वीः । प्रि॒यः । अ॒स्य॒ । सो॒मी ॥
na | tam | jinanti | bahavaḥ | na | dabhrāḥ | uru | asmai | aditiḥ | śarma | yaṃsat | priyaḥ | su-kṛt | priyaḥ | indre | manāyuḥ | priyaḥ | supra-avīḥ | priyaḥ | asya | somī
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4 × 11
Firm, protective cadence; repetition of ‘priyaḥ’ creates a mantra-like refrain effect.
Instills confidence and belonging—an affect of being ‘held’ in wideness; the ‘priyaḥ’ refrain softens into devotion.
- बहवः / दभ्राः (bahavaḥ / dabhrāḥ)
- Literal: many / few. Symbolic: gross resistances and subtle resistances; outer pressures and inner doubts
- जिनन्ति (jinanti)
- Literal: conquer, overcome. Symbolic: overwhelm the consciousness; make it fall back into ignorance
- उरु (uru)
- Literal: wide, vast. Symbolic: inner wideness that dissolves fear and constriction
- अदितिः (aditiḥ)
- Literal: Aditi. Symbolic: infinite, unbinding consciousness granting spacious peace
- शर्म (śarma)
- Literal: peace, shelter. Symbolic: stable psychic refuge amid life’s movements
- प्रियः (priyaḥ)
- Literal: dear, beloved. Symbolic: in harmony with the divine; pleasing because aligned
- सुकृत् (sukṛt)
- Literal: doer of good. Symbolic: one whose works follow ṛta spontaneously
- मना॒युः (manāyuḥ)
- Literal: mind-impulse. Symbolic: directed mental energy aligned with illumination
- सुप्रावीः (suprāvīḥ)
- Literal: having strong protections. Symbolic: inner guardians: discernment, sincerity, and right force
- सोमी (somī)
- Literal: Soma-possessing/bearing. Symbolic: carrier of ananda; one who lives with inner delight
Soma offering and praise; protective formula for the sacrificer aligned with Indra
In rites seeking protection, victory, and well-being; also as an assurance after offerings.
Recitation after Soma offering to affirm divine favor and protection.
Use as a resilience mantra during stress: recollect wideness (uru), invoke Aditi’s peace, reaffirm alignment to good action (sukṛt) and joy (Soma).
√ji ‘conquer’ frames the verse as an inner battle. adití- (a- ‘not’ + √dā/√dī? traditional: ‘unbinding/undivided’) functions as the Infinite that releases from constriction; hence urú ‘wide’. su-kṛ́t: su- ‘good’ + √kṛ ‘to do/make’ indicates right formation of works in ṛta. supra-avī́ḥ from √av ‘to protect, favor’ (PIE *h₂ew- ‘to help’ proposed): marks a state of being well-supported by protective powers. somī́ ‘Soma-ed/possessing Soma’ suggests participation in the rasa (delight/essence) that pleases Indra.
Aditi (infinity, freedom from division), Ṛta through su-kṛt (right doing), victory over hostile forces (inner conquest)
Sukṛt implies works in accord with ṛta; such alignment naturally draws Indra’s friendship.
Wideness supports truth by removing the distortions of fear and constriction.
From bound limitation to infinite field (Aditi) where the soul stands unconquered.
Integral yoga orientation: wideness + right works + delight → stable victory over resistance.
unspecified
unspecified
Sky/vastness = expanded consciousness; Soma = sustaining joy; ‘many/few’ = varying intensities of inner resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The inviolability of the ṛta-aligned hero: once Aditi (Infinity) grants ‘wide śarman’, hostile multiplicities (many/few—outer and inner adversaries) cannot conquer. Mythically, it echoes the protected one under divine law whom the Dasyu-like forces cannot bind.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nár-/manas vocabulary belongs to old IE anthropological lexicon; √ji ‘conquer’ continues PIE *gʷeyh₃-/*gʷih₃-? (cognacy debated), but the semantic field of victory is strongly inherited. The repetitive priyáḥ is a Vedic stylistic device (anaphora) typical of Indo-European praise poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The human becomes ‘priya’ (accepted) by embodying su-kṛt (right formation of action) and manāyú (thought-will). Indra’s favor is not arbitrary: it is attracted by harmony of consciousness, while Aditi supplies the wideness that sustains this harmony against pressure.
Enter wideness: feel space around and within; affirm alignment to good (sukṛt) and offer mind-impulse (manāyu) to illumined guidance (Indra).
Anāhata (peace/wideness) with Sahasrāra (infinite Aditi).
Open-awareness breathing: inhale feeling expansion in all directions, exhale releasing constriction; 12 cycles, then repeat ‘uru… śarma’ inwardly.
From threatened contraction → stable wideness → affectionate trust in the divine working.
When resistance arises, do not fight in narrowness. Expand first (Aditi), return to right action (sukṛt), then invoke Indra’s clear decision; let joy (Soma) be carried as a steady support.
Tri-svara; the repeated ‘priyaḥ’ benefits from consistent accenting—keep each occurrence clear and evenly weighted, following svara marks.
Let ‘uru… aditiḥ śarma yaṃsat’ broaden in tone; keep ‘na taṃ jinanti’ firm and clipped for strength.
jinanti: soft ‘j’, dental ‘n’, dabhrāḥ: aspirated ‘bh’, long āḥ, aditiḥ: short i; final visarga light, yaṃsat: nasal ‘ṃ’ before s; ‘sat’ crisp, sukṛt: retroflex ṛ, suprāvīḥ: long ā; vīḥ with long ī and visarga, somī: long ī
Calm, deep, reassuring; avoid aggression—strength through wideness.
5
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