Rig Veda 1.4.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.4
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
परेहि विग्रमस्तृतमिन्द्रं पृच्छा विपश्चितम् । यस्ते सखिभ्य आ वरम् ॥
paréhi vigrám astṛ́tam índraṁ pṛcchā vipaścítam | yás te sákhibhya ā́ váram ||
আগবাঢ়ি যোৱা, সীমা অতিক্ৰম কৰি অগ্ৰসৰ হোৱা; অচল পৰাক্ৰম-চৰণে স্থিত, দীপ্ত জ্ঞানী ইন্দ্ৰক সুধা। যিজনে তোমাৰ সখাসকললৈ শ্ৰেষ্ঠ বৰ—সমৃদ্ধিৰ দ্বাৰ—আনে।
Word by Word
- परेहि
- go forth/come along (go around/approach)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परि-उपसर्गयुक्तःRole (क्रिया) —Root परि + इ (धातु) / इ (गत्यर्थक) with preverb परि
- विग्रमः
- O wide-strider / O of far stridesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (परेहि इत्यस्य कर्ता—सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयुक्तः) / संबोधन-प्रायःRoot वि + क्रम (धातु) → विग्रम (प्रातिपदिक) (विक्रम/विग्रम ‘stride, step’)
- स्तृततमम्
- most excellent/most surpassingAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (इन्द्रम् विशेषयन्)Root स्तृ (धातु ‘स्तरणे/विस्तारे’) → स्तृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (सुपरलेटिव)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (पृच्छा इत्यस्य)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृच्छ
- ask, inquireVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया) —Root प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु ‘प्रश्ने’)
- विपश्चितम्
- the wise/discerning oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role Karma (इन्द्रम् विशेषयन्)Root वि + पश्य (धातु) → विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक ‘wise, discerning’)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (आ…वरम् इत्यस्य सम्बन्धि-कर्तृ)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’ = ‘thy/your’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सखिभ्यः
- to (your) friendsNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role Sampradāna (वरस्य प्राप्तये—‘to the friends’)Root सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातः (आगमन/सम्प्राप्त्यर्थे)Role (क्रिया-विशेषक) —Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वरम्
- a boon, choice giftNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (आ…—प्राप्तव्यः ‘boon’)Root वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदेच्छेदः: परेहि | विग्रमः | स्तृततमम् | इन्द्रम् | पृच्छ | विपश्चितम् | यः | ते | सखिभ्यः | आ | वरम् || 1) परेहि = परि + एहि (इ-धातोः लोट् 2एक) ‘परि’ उपसर्गेण सह। 2) सखिभ्य॒ आ = सखिभ्यः + आ (विसर्गलोपः पदान्ते, स्वरसंहितायाम्)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Go forth beyond; ask (seek) Indra, the unbroken stride of power, the wise knower, who brings to your friends the best boon.
Inner meaning
The mantra urges the soul’s movement beyond limitation (parehi) and toward the discovery of Indra: the ‘wide-striding’ force (vigram) that is not torn or defeated (astṛtam). ‘Ask’ (pṛccha) indicates an inner inquiry—turning to the luminous intelligence (vipaścitam). Indra grants the supreme ‘varam’ to the comrades (sakhibhyaḥ): the allied powers in us—will, mind, life, and heart—so they advance together in plenitude.
Universal truth
Progress demands an active surpassing of old boundaries and a sincere inquiry into higher wisdom; illumination then coordinates all parts of the being and opens the best possibility.
Themes
inner advance (progress beyond limitation), invocation of Indra as conquering force, boon as chosen spiritual attainment, knowledge-guidance through inquiry
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Vaiśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.4.2, RV 1.4.3, RV 1.4.5
Family tradition
The Vaiśvāmitra voice often exhorts heroic advance (ārya gati) supported by Indra’s illumination.
Significance
A call to active spiritual heroism: not only prayer but movement—surpassing, seeking, and questioning until the higher power is found.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vipaścít (luminous knower), urukrama (wide-strider—conceptual parallel), astṛta (unbroken), maghavān (giver of boons—implied)
- Related deities
- Maruts (comradeship of forces), Bṛhaspati (word of illumination), Agni
Cosmic role
Breaks confinements; establishes wideness; distributes the best gains to the allied gods.
Inner power
The expansive, conquering intelligence that leads the seeker beyond habitual limits and organizes the inner comrades into a victorious harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-invocation within Soma rites; also fits as an exhortatory verse in praise sequences.
परे॑हि॒ विग्र॒मस्तृ॑त॒मिन्द्रं॑ पृच्छा विप॒श्चित॑म् । यस्ते॒ सखि॑भ्य॒ आ वर॑म् ॥
परा॑ । इ॒हि॒ । विग्र॑म् । अस्तृ॑तम् । इन्द्र॑म् । पृ॒च्छ॒ । वि॒पः॒ऽचित॑म् । यः । ते॒ । सखि॑ऽभ्यः । आ । वर॑म् ॥
parā | ihi | vigram | astṛtam | indram | pṛccha | vipaḥ-citam | yaḥ | te | sakhi-bhyaḥ | ā | varam
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3×8
March-like and directive; imperatives create a forward thrust.
Energizes the will to move and seek; breaks passivity; sharpens inquiry.
- परेहि (parehi)
- Literal: go beyond, go forth. Symbolic: surpass mental/vital limits; step into wider consciousness
- विग्रम् (vigram)
- Literal: wide stride/step. Symbolic: expansive movement of illumined force; world-enlarging action
- अस्तृतम् (astṛtam)
- Literal: not torn, unbroken, unscathed. Symbolic: invincible continuity of divine force against resistance
- विपश्चितम् (vipaścitam)
- Literal: clear-seeing, wise. Symbolic: luminous intelligence; intuitive discrimination
- सखिभ्यः (sakhibhyaḥ)
- Literal: to the friends/comrades. Symbolic: inner allies—faculties aligned to the yoga
- वरम् (varam)
- Literal: choice boon. Symbolic: decisive opening (wideness, light, right power) enabling advance
Indra-invocation in Soma rites (general Indra-stotra context; applicable within Soma pressing sequences such as Agniṣṭoma where Indra is invited to aid and grant 'vara')
When urging Indra’s approach and favor, especially for victory and bestowal.
Stuti with directive imperatives; inviting Indra’s boon for the sacrificer’s ‘friends’ (assistants).
Use as a ‘breakthrough’ mantra when stuck: to move beyond inertia, ask for higher guidance, and re-align inner forces.
Key roots: √gam 'go' → (vi-gra(m)) 'wide stride/advance' (Indra as expansive force). √prach 'ask' → pṛccha (imperative), indicating the discipline of inquiry. √vṛ 'choose' → vara 'the best/selected boon', suggesting a discriminating grace rather than random gain. vipaścit: vi- 'distinctly' + paś/cit (seeing/knowing), denoting luminous discernment. astṛtam: privative a- + participial form; sense 'not overcome/not shaken', emphasizing Indra’s invincible stability in the battle with obstruction.
Ṛta (right order as the law of victorious advance), Satyam (truth as luminous discernment in vipaścit), Bṛhat (the Vast implied by vi- 'expansive' movement)
The ‘wide stride’ is ṛta in action—right expansion that defeats constriction.
Vipaścit is the seeing of satya that chooses the ‘vara’ (best) path.
Expansion from narrowness to wideness as a basic Vedic creation motif.
Yoga of ascent: surpassing (ati-krama) into vaster planes through illumined mind.
Journey = inner progress; wide stride = expansion of consciousness; comrades = coordinated faculties; boon = opening of the path.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the 'seeking of Indra for the boon that enables victory': Indra as the invincible power of the wide stride is approached through inquiry, so that he may bring the chosen gift to the allied 'friends' (inner faculties). The outer scene of calling the storm-god becomes the inner act of turning to the conquering force that breaks obstruction and restores the forward movement of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The imperative ihi 'go' continues Indo-European command forms from the verbal system (Skt √i 'go', PIE *h₁ey- 'to go'). pṛccha from √prach 'ask' aligns with PIE *prek̂- 'to ask' (cf. Latin precor 'I pray/ask'). vara 'chosen/best' from √vṛ 'choose' reflects PIE *wel-/*wer- notions of choosing/turning (broad cognate field), supporting the semantic of selection/discrimination rather than mere material gain.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stance is not mere praise but a pedagogic command to the seeker: 'go beyond, inquire.' Indra is approached as vipaścit—wisdom-power—so the exchange is reciprocal: the human aspiration offers attention, movement, and questioning; Indra responds by bringing ā varaṁ, the precisely needed grace, to the 'friends'—the supporting powers in the sādhanā—thus aligning the human instrument with Ṛta (right victorious order).
Practice ‘surpassing’: step beyond a limiting thought; inquire inwardly for the luminous next action.
maṇipūra (forward force) / ājñā (wise seeing)
3 rounds of bhastrikā (gentle) to mobilize, then steady breathing while chanting once per exhale.
Dynamic concentration; heroic calm.
Before chanting, name the limitation to be surpassed; chant 12 times; after each, take one small ‘wide stride’ in thought—choose the larger, truer frame.
Keep imperatives (parehi, pṛccha) crisp; observe udatta peaks; avoid dragging consonant clusters.
Slight stress on vigram and vipaścitam as semantic centers; keep yas te sakhibhya ā varam as a smooth concluding flow.
: roll lightly, keep short e/i, : hard g; avoid ‘vijram’, : retroflex ṭ; clear tṛ, : retroflex ṛ; ‘ccha’ aspirated, : split vi-paś-ci-tam; ś as palatal
Firm, directive, forward-moving.
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