Sukta 26
Sukta 7.26
Vasiṣṭha
Indra (with Soma as essential medium)
Triṣṭubh (probable)
يحثّ هذا النشيد الوجيز لفاسيشثا إندرا على أن يستجيب فقط حين يُعصر السُّوما على الوجه الصحيح وحين تُصاغ كلمةُ الثناء (برهمن/أُكثا) صياغةً قَويمة، مؤكِّداً أن صحةَ الطقس والكلامَ المُلهَم معاً «يُبهجان» الإله. ويستحضر قدرةَ إندرا المتجددة أبداً على تحطيم «جبهات» العداء وإزالة العوائق، ويختتم بطلب قوةٍ مضاعفةٍ ألفاً، وغنى الظفر، ورفاهٍ دائمٍ للمتعبّدين.
Mantras
Mantra 1
न सोम इन्द्रमसुतो ममाद नाब्रह्माणो मघवानं सुतासः । तस्मा उक्थं जनये यज्जुजोषन्नृवन्नवीयः शृणवद्यथा नः ॥
ليس السُّوما غيرُ المعصور يُفرِحُ إندرا، ولا تُرضي السخيَّ سُتاسٌ بلا «بْرَهْمَن»—بلا الكلمةِ المُنشِئة. فلذلك أُولِّدُ له أُكثَةً (ترنيمةً)، لكي، إذ يَسْتَلِذُّ بها، يسمعَ نداءَنا الأحدث، قويّاً بطاقةِ الرجال.
Mantra 2
उक्थौक्थे सोम इन्द्रं ममाद नीथेनीथे मघवानं सुतासः । यदीं सबाधः पितरं न पुत्राः समानदक्षा अवसे हवन्ते ॥
بترنيمةٍ إثرَ ترنيمةٍ تُفرِحُ السُّوما إندرا؛ وبشعيرةٍ إثرَ شعيرةٍ تُبهِجُ السُّتاسُ المعصورةُ السخيَّ—حين يلتصقون متقاربين، كالأبناءِ لأبيهم، متساوين في الإرادةِ والقدرة، فيدعونه للعون.
Mantra 3
चकार ता कृणवन्नूनमन्या यानि ब्रुवन्ति वेधसः सुतेषु । जनीरिव पतिरेकः समानो नि मामृजे पुर इन्द्रः सु सर्वाः ॥
لقد صنع تلك الأفعال؛ وهو يصنع حتى الآن سائر الأفعال التي يذكرها الرُّؤاةُ المُلهَمون في السُّوما المعصور. وكزوجٍ واحدٍ بين زوجات، ذلك الربّ الواحدُ بعينه—إندرا—قد محا وهدَم جميع الواجهاتِ المُحْكِمةِ المُطَوِّقة.
Mantra 4
एवा तमाहुरुत शृण्व इन्द्र एको विभक्ता तरणिर्मघानाम् । मिथस्तुर ऊतयो यस्य पूर्वीरस्मे भद्राणि सश्चत प्रियाणि ॥
هكذا يتحدثون عنه—وهكذا نسمع—إندرا، الواحد، المُقَسِّم، الغالبُ على الوفورات. فلتلتحق بنا معوناته التي تتجاوز القوى المتقابلة، القديمةُ الكثيرة، حاملةً إلينا الخيرَ والمحبوب.
Mantra 5
एवा वसिष्ठ इन्द्रमूतये नॄन्कृष्टीनां वृषभं सुते गृणाति । सहस्रिण उप नो माहि वाजान्यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
هكذا يُنشد فَسِشْثَهُ إندرا للعون—ثورَ الشعوب—في السُّوما المعصور. قرِّب إلينا وفوراتِ القوةِ ذاتَ الألف؛ وأنتم احرسونا دائمًا بأحوالِ السلامة والهناء.
Inside Sukta 26
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
A ritual-theological insistence: unpressed Soma and wordless libations do not satisfy Indra; the god responds to pressed Soma joined to well-fashioned brahman.
- Development
The poet produces a ‘newer call’ and links present worship to what seers proclaim in the Soma-pressings, emphasizing Indra’s dependable responsiveness.
- Climax
Indra’s singular lordship and power are highlighted as he ‘wipes away/breaks down’ all enclosing fronts—an image of decisive obstacle-removal and victory.
- Where it settles
Vasiṣṭha seals the praise in pressed Soma and asks for thousandfold vāja and continuous safeguarding in states of well-being (svasti).
The deity: Indra
- In the VedaIndra is praised as Maghavān (the bountiful giver), Vṛṣabha (bull-like power), and the singular lord who heeds the new call when Soma is pressed and the hymn is well-shaped. He is depicted as the breaker of forts/fronts (puraḥ), the remover of enclosing obstacles, and the one who grants vāja (victorious force, prize).
- Cosmic functionChampion of dynamic order: he releases energies, shatters obstruction, and secures victory and abundance for those aligned with ṛta through sacrifice and truth-speaking.
- Inner significanceThe awakened will and courageous clarity in the human being—strength that arises when vital energy (Soma) is refined and guided by disciplined, truthful speech (brahman), enabling inner obstacles to be broken.
The seer
- VasiṣṭhaVasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha-gotra); chief seer of the Vasiṣṭha clan · A foremost Rigvedic ṛṣi associated with the Vasiṣṭha family hymns of Maṇḍala 7, celebrated for crafting potent brahman (formative sacred speech) and for royal-priestly guidance and protection through mantra.
Famous verses
न सोम इन्द्रमसुतो ममाद नाब्रह्माणो मघवानं सुतासः । तस्मा उक्थं जनये यज्जुजोषन्नृवन्नवीयः शृणवद्यथा नः ॥चकार ता कृणवन्नूनमन्या यानि ब्रुवन्ति वेधसः सुतेषु । जनीरिव पतिरेकः समानो नि मामृजे पुर इन्द्रः सु सर्वाः ॥एवा वसिष्ठ इन्द्रमूतये नॄन्कृष्टीनां वृषभं सुते गृणाति । सहस्रिण उप नो माहि वाजान्यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥Attributes of the deity
- Maghavān (generous bestower)
- Vṛṣabha (bull-like might)
- Fort/obstacle breaker (puraṃdara motif)
- Listener to inspired praise (uktha/brahman)
- Giver of vāja (victory-force, prize)
- Protector granting svasti (well-being)
Also by this seer
- Primary authorial association with many hymns of Rig Veda Maṇḍala 7 (Vasiṣṭha-maṇḍala), including major Indra and Varuṇa praises
- Hymns to Varuṇa–Mitra and themes of ṛta (cosmic order) and moral restraint in Maṇḍala 7
- Later Vedic-Itihāsa memory as a paradigmatic Brahmarṣi and counselor figure (e.g., Vasiṣṭha tradition in Dharma/Itihāsa literature)
The rite, step by step
- Prepare the Soma (selection, cleansing) and press it (savana context)
- Offer pressed Soma with accompanying oblations while reciting the hymn as uktha (formative praise) to delight Indra
- Recall/declare Indra’s past and present deeds (stuti of his obstacle-breaking) to intensify the invocation
- Conclude with petitions for vāja (victory-power), abundance, and ongoing svasti (well-being/protection) for the community
Offerings
- Pressed Soma (suta/sute)
- Ghee/oblations as part of the Soma rite (contextual)
- The spoken hymn itself as brahman/uktha (the ‘word-offering’)
Frequently Asked Questions
Because in Vedic ritual Soma must be properly prepared and pressed; the hymn teaches that Indra responds to a correctly performed offering, not to an incomplete one.
Here “brahman” means the well-formed sacred utterance (hymn/uktha). The idea is that offering and praise must work together: the drink (Soma) and the word (mantra).
The poet asks Indra to bring “thousandfold” strength and prizes (vāja) and to protect the worshippers continually with svasti—states of safety and well-being.
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