Rig Veda 5.32.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 32, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.32
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्यस्य चिन्महतो निर्मृगस्य वधर्जघान तविषीभिरिन्द्रः । य एक इदप्रतिर्मन्यमान आदस्मादन्यो अजनिष्ट तव्यान् ॥
tyásya cin maható nirmṛgásya vádhar jaghāna táviṣībhir índraḥ | yá éka íd apratír mányamāna ā́d asmā́d anyó ajaniṣṭa távyān ||
بقواه المتدفّقة ضربَ إندرا فقضى على قوّة القتل لذلك «الوحشيّ» العظيم الذي كان يجوب طليقًا. فإنّ من ظنّ نفسه وحيدًا لا ندّ له—نهضَ منه (أو من بعده) آخرُ أشدُّ بأسًا وأعظمُ قدرة.
Word by Word
- तस्य
- of that (one)Pronounषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/limiting particle)Root चित् (निपात)
- महतः
- of the greatAdjectiveषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (यहाँ ‘निर्मृगस्य’ के साथ पुं.)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive qualifier)Root महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- निर्मृगस्य
- of the ‘Nirmṛga’ (name/epithet of a foe/monster)Nounषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive: whose slayer/weapon)Root निर्मृग (प्रातिपदिक; निḥ+मृग)
- वधः
- the slayer; the killing-blow/weaponNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (agent of ‘जघान’)Root वध (प्रातिपदिक)
- जघान
- slew, struck downVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- तविषीभिः
- with (his) powers/forcesNounतृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्गRole करणRoot तविषी (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (agent of ‘जघान’)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (relative subject)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- alone, singleAdjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (यः के विशेषण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot एक (संख्या/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- just, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root इद्/इत् (निपात; ‘इद्’ का रूप)
- अप्रतिः
- without rival, unmatchedAdjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (यः के विशेषण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot अ-प्रति (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
- मन्यमानः
- thinking, deeming (himself)Participleवर्तमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकार), आत्मनेपद-भाव, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (यः के साथ)Root मन् (धातु) → मन्यमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- आत्
- from (that), thenceIndeclinableअव्यय (ablatival particle ‘from, then from’)Role अपादान-सूचकRoot आत् (अव्यय; अपादानार्थक)
- अस्मात्
- from this (one)Pronounपञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक (सर्वनाम)Role अपादानRoot अयम्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्यः
- anotherPronoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (of ‘अजनिष्ट’)Root अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजनिष्ट
- was born, aroseVerbलुङ् (अorist; passive/ātmanepada usage in Vedic), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot जन् (धातु)
- तव्यान्
- stronger, mightierAdjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (अन्यः के विशेषण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot तवस्/तवीयस् (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक; ‘strong’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): त्यस्य॑ → तस्य
- चिन्मह॒तो → चित् + महतः
- निर्मृ॒गस्य॒ → निर्मृगस्य
- वध॑र्जघान॒ → वधः + जघान
- तवि॑षीभि॒रिन्द्र॑: → तविषीभिः + इन्द्रः
- य एक॒ इद॑प्र॒तिर्मन्य॑मान॒ → यः + एकः + इत् + अप्रतिः + मन्यमानः
- आद॑स्माद॒न्यो → आत् + अस्मात् + अन्यः
- अ॑जनिष्ट॒ तव्या॑न् → अजनिष्ट + तव्यान्. (स्वरचिह्न मूल पाठानुसार; पदरूप यहाँ सामान्यीकृत।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra with his powers struck down the slaying-force of that great wild creature that ranged free. He who thought himself alone and without rival—after him there arose another, mightier.
Inner meaning
The ‘great wild one’ (nir-mṛga) is the untamed force in nature-consciousness—an anarchic power of desire, fear, or subconscious violence that roams ungoverned. Its ‘slaying-force’ (vadhar) is the impulse that destroys clarity and harmony. Indra’s taviṣī—luminous energies—strike down this destructive momentum. The second half reveals a law of spiritual evolution: the egoic force that imagines itself sole and unrivaled is not final; from its very crisis arises a ‘mightier other’—a higher consciousness that surpasses the lower claim to sovereignty.
Universal truth
When the unruled forces of the psyche are mastered, the false sense of absolute selfhood collapses; this collapse makes room for a greater power of being to emerge and govern life.
Themes
Indra’s supremacy, defeat of hostile force, psychological conquest
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.32.1, RV 5.32.2
Family tradition
Atri’s hymn sequence often moves from cosmic victory to inner psychological law
Significance
Atri articulates a key yogic insight: ego’s apparent finality is broken by the advent of a higher power once destructive impulses are conquered.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- taviṣī-vān (possessing victorious powers; implied), vṛtrahan (thematic), ugra
- Related deities
- Rudra (wild forces; contrast), Bṛhaspati (higher word that establishes order), Agni (disciplining will)
Cosmic role
Subduer of chaotic, destructive powers; ensures a higher order can manifest.
Inner power
Mastery over the untamed vital/subconscient; replacement of ego-sovereignty by luminous governance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory recitation; mythic exemplum to secure protection and right order in the sacrifice
त्यस्य॑ चिन्मह॒तो निर्मृ॒गस्य॒ वध॑र्जघान॒ तवि॑षीभि॒रिन्द्र॑: । य एक॒ इद॑प्र॒तिर्मन्य॑मान॒ आद॑स्माद॒न्यो अ॑जनिष्ट॒ तव्या॑न् ॥
त्यस्य॑ । चि॒त् । म॒ह॒तः । निः । मृ॒गस्य॑ । वधः॑ । ज॒घा॒न॒ । तवि॑षीभिः । इन्द्रः॑ । यः । एकः॑ । इत् । अ॒प्र॒तिः । मन्य॑मानः । आत् । अ॒स्मा॒त् । अ॒न्यः । अ॒ज॒नि॒ष्ट॒ । तव्या॑न् ॥
tyasya | cit | mahataḥ | niḥ | mṛgasya | vadhaḥ | jaghāna | taviṣībhiḥ | indraḥ | yaḥ | ekaḥ | it | apratiḥ | manyamānaḥ | āt | asmāt | anyaḥ | ajaniṣṭa | tavyān
44
4 × ~11 syllables
First half: удар-like strike; second half: reflective turn revealing evolutionary law
Creates cathartic mastery followed by contemplative uplift—feeling of surpassing the ego’s claim.
- nir-mṛga
- Literal: wild creature ranging free. Symbolic: untamed subconscient/vital force acting without inner law
- vadhar
- Literal: slaying-weapon/force. Symbolic: destructive impulse that kills aspiration and clarity
- taviṣībhiḥ
- Literal: by impetuous powers. Symbolic: energies of illumination and victorious will
- ekaḥ… apratiḥ manyamānaḥ
- Literal: thinking himself the one, without rival. Symbolic: ego-consciousness claiming sole authority; separative mind
- anyo… tavyān
- Literal: another, mightier. Symbolic: emergence of higher Self/greater consciousness surpassing ego
Soma praise reinforcing Indra’s supremacy over rival powers; supports the sacrificer’s call for unconquerable strength against inner and outer hostility.
When affirming Indra’s supremacy over hostile/chaotic forces
Praise of Indra’s victory to stabilize the rite and the sacrificer’s intent
For taming intrusive impulses and ego-rigidity: chant, then sit quietly to observe the ‘mightier other’—a higher poise—emerging after the impulse subsides.
nirmṛga- (niḥ + mṛga) ‘ranging forth like a wild beast’; mṛga from √mṛg ‘to seek, roam’ → ‘rover’. vadha- ‘slaying/weapon’ from √vadh ‘to strike, kill’. aprati- ‘without counter’ (a- + prati). manyamāna from √man ‘to think’ (middle participle). ajaniṣṭa from √jan ‘to be born, arise’ (aor./injunctive in RV usage). tavyān comparative of tu/tav- ‘strong’ (semantic field of force).
overcoming egoic claim of sole power (eka aprati manyamāna), emergence of higher force (tavyān) as a principle of ascent
Wild roaming force is a rupture of ṛta; Indra restores lawful governance in consciousness.
The ‘mightier other’ indicates Satya’s supremacy over egoic false finality.
Evolution by overcoming: from chaotic forces to ordered mind, then beyond ego-mind to higher consciousness.
Aurobindo’s evolutionary psychology: ego is transitional; higher being emerges through conflict and conquest of lower nature.
The roaming beast = restless vital/subconscient; the rising ‘other’ = higher consciousness taking the throne after ego’s defeat.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The overthrow of a mighty hostile power that ‘ranges free’ and claims unrivalled status; Indra negates its destructive efficacy (vadha). Mythically it continues the conquest of demonic forces; psychologically it depicts the downfall of an egoic or titanic assertion of absolute autonomy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan (ajaniṣṭa) reflects PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘to beget, give birth’ (cf. Greek génos, Latin gignere). √man (manyamāna) reflects PIE *men- ‘to think’ (cf. English mind). Comparative tavyān shows inherited IE comparative formation and the semantic centrality of ‘force’ gradation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer relies on Indra’s taviṣī not merely to destroy but to cancel the adversary’s ‘vadha’—its capacity to wound the aspirant. The hymn situates Indra as the higher-born power that arises against the pretender, mirroring the seeker’s need for a greater consciousness to replace egoic self-certainty.
Observe the ‘wild one’ impulse without identification; invoke Indra to strike its destructive momentum; then rest as the ‘other’—wider awareness.
mūlādhāra (subconscient/vital wildness) to ājñā (governing insight)
Long exhale with soft ujjāyī to calm the roaming force; brief pause to sense the new, higher poise
From energized mastery to quiet wideness
When an impulse surges, label it ‘nir-mṛga’ (untamed). Do not act. Bring a firm, clear decision (Indra) to cut the destructive trajectory (vadhar). After it passes, notice the emergence of a calmer, wider authority—act from that.
Accents often peak on indraḥ and apratiḥ; keep manyamānaḥ clearly articulated; allow a slight contemplative drop at ‘anyo ajaniṣṭa’
First half energetic; second half slightly slower to reveal the turning insight
Retroflex ṛ in mṛgasya; do not reduce to ‘mrigasya’, Keep consonant cluster in apratiḥ (a-pra-tiḥ) distinct, Long ā in ajaniṣṭa and tavyān
First half forceful; second half reflective and spacious
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