Rig Veda 4.32.1: Mandala 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 1
Sukta 4.32
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
आ तू न इन्द्र वृत्रहन्नस्माकमर्धमा गहि । महान्महीभिरूतिभिः ॥
ā́ tū́ na indra vṛtrahan asmā́kam ardhám ā́ gahi | mahā́n mahī́bhir ūtíbhiḥ ||
আহা, হে ইন্দ্ৰ, বৃত্ৰহন্—আমালৈ আহা; আমাৰ ভাগ-অংশলৈ আগবাঢ়ি আহা। মহৎ, তোমাৰ মহাশক্তিশালী ঊতি-সহায়সমূহেৰে আহি আমাক স্থিৰ কৰি ৰাখা।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towards (as a preverb: ‘come hither’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (पूर्वपद-प्रयोगः)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- तु
- indeed; now; but (emphatic particle)Indeclinableवाक्य-निपातः (अनुयोग/विरोध/अनुनय-बलवर्धन)Root तु (निपात) / tu (particle)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (enclitic gen. pl.)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive/genitival)Root अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक) / asmad (pronoun stem)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) / indra
- वृत्रहन्
- O Vṛtra-slayerNoun/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + हन्) / vṛtrahan (Vṛtra-slayer)
- अस्माकम्
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (possessive/genitival)Root अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक) / asmad
- अर्धम्
- side; part; shareNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (goal/object of motion: ‘to our side/part’)Root अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) / ardha
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (गम्-धातोः सह)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- गहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; वैदिक-रूपम् ‘गहि’ (= गच्छ)Role क्रियाRoot √गम् (गच्छति) / gam
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक) / mahat
- महीभिः
- with great (powers/might); with greatnessNoun (abstract/instrumental plural)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करण (means/attendant circumstance)Root मही (प्रातिपदिक) / mahī
- ऊतिभिः
- with helps; with succours; with protectionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करण (means: ‘with aids/helpings’)Root ऊति (प्रातिपदिक) / ūti
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | तु | नः | इन्द्र | वृत्रहन् | अस्माकम् | अर्धम् | आ | गहि | महान् | महीभिः | ऊतिभिः । सन्धि/वैदिक-विशेषाः: (1) ‘आ तू न॑’ = ‘आ’ + ‘तु’ + ‘नः’ (नः एन्क्लिटिक-षष्ठी). (2) ‘वृत्रहन्न॒स्माकम्’ = ‘वृत्रहन्’ + ‘अस्माकम्’ (न् + अ → न्न अ; लेखने ‘न्न’). (3) ‘अर्धमा गहि’ = ‘अर्धम्’ + ‘आ’ + ‘गहि’ (म् + आ → मा; ‘अर्धमा’). (4) ‘गहि’ वैदिक लोट्-रूपम् √गम्, अर्थे ‘गच्छ’ (आगच्छ). (5) ‘महान्महीभिः’ = ‘महान्’ + ‘महीभिः’ (न् + म → न्म). उच्चारण-चिह्ना (॑, ॒) पाठ-स्वराः
- पद-रूपाणि अपरिवर्तितानि।
The meaning
Outer meaning
An invocation: Come to us, Indra slayer of Vṛtra; come to our share/portion, great with mighty helps.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls Indra as Vṛtrahan—the power that breaks the ‘coverer’ in the psyche: habitual darkness, fear, denial, and subconscient resistance. ‘Come to our portion’ means enter the field of our offering and take your rightful place in our consciousness. Indra comes ‘great with mighty succours’: not a small mental aid but a large descent of force that can actually shift the balance against obstruction.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a decisive power that confronts resistance; when we offer a true ‘portion’ (space, consent, aspiration), higher help can enter and act effectively.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Invocation/arrival, Mighty helps (ūti), Participation in the sacrifice
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 4.32 (hymn context), RV 4.31 (adjacent)
Significance
A foundational Indra-call for yoga: invite the Vṛtra-slaying illumination to enter one’s ‘portion’—the prepared inner space—so resistance can be broken.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan, Mahān, Maghavan (implied bestower)
- Related deities
- Maruts (storm-forces aiding Indra), Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods; releases the waters and light by defeating the coverer.
Inner power
Victorious illumined intelligence that confronts and breaks subconscious obstruction; brings courage and decisive action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma-yajña; opening invitation verse (common structural role).
आ तू न॑ इन्द्र वृत्रहन्न॒स्माक॑म॒र्धमा ग॑हि । म॒हान्म॒हीभि॑रू॒तिभि॑: ॥
आ । तु । नः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽह॒न् । अ॒स्माक॑म् । अ॒र्धम् । आ । ग॒हि॒ । म॒हान् । म॒हीभिः॑ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ ॥
ā | tu | naḥ | indra | vṛtra-han | asmākam | ardham | ā | gahi | mahān | mahībhiḥ | ūti-bhiḥ
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4×11 (approx.)
Commanding and invitational; strong opening imperative typical of Indra hymns.
Energizes aspiration and evokes a sense of immediate divine arrival; good for cutting through lethargy.
- आ गहि (ā gahi)
- Literal: come here. Symbolic: descent/entry of higher power into the active field of life
- वृत्रहन् (vṛtrahan)
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: breaker of the coverer—destroyer of inner obstruction and darkness
- अर्धम् (ardham)
- Literal: share, portion. Symbolic: the offered space in consciousness; our capacity and consent
- महान् (mahān)
- Literal: great. Symbolic: vastness and potency of the divine intervention
- महीभिः ऊतिभिः (mahībhiḥ ūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: with mighty helps. Symbolic: strong, effective supports: illumination, courage, protection, right force
Indra’s invitation to the Soma offering (āvāhana-like call): ‘come to our share’—a standard Soma-rite prayer for presence and empowerment.
At the beginning of an Indra section to invite presence and participation (āhvāna).
Āvāhana-like calling; setting the deity in the ‘portion’ of offering.
Use at the start of meditation or before confronting a difficult habit/pattern; as an invocation for help against inner darkness.
vṛtrahan: vṛtra (from √vṛ ‘cover, obstruct’) + √han ‘smite’; ardhá-: ‘share/portion’ (also ‘side’), here ‘our rightful allotment’; gahi: √gam ‘go/come’ imperative; ūti: protective aid.
Overcoming obstruction (Vṛtra as psychological covering), Right share in r̥ta (ardham as rightful portion)
Vṛtra is anti-ṛta (constriction); Indra restores ṛta by opening the flows.
Truth as victorious illumination that exposes and dissolves the cover.
Release: creation advances when blocked energies are freed and made to flow.
Aurobindonian psychological exegesis: Vṛtra as subconscient resistance; Indra as illumined mind-force.
monsoon/storm imagery (symbolic)
A storm of illumination breaking the cloud of obscurity, releasing pent-up energies into conscious flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-slaying mythologem explicitly frames Indra as breaker of the inner ‘covering’ that blocks light and right movement. The requested action is not battle-description but Indra’s arrival with mighty aids to the seeker’s portion.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The epithet ‘slayer of X’ (agent compound) is a classic IE heroic formula. The deictic-invitational particles (ā, tu) plus imperative (gahi) reflect an inherited ritual speech-act: summoning the god to the offering.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer claims a rightful ‘share’ and calls Indra to participate: human offering/aspiration opens a place; the god’s response is presence and empowering help. Reciprocity is enacted as invitation and descent.
Direct invocation of the Vṛtra-slaying power to enter the heart-mind and break a specific obstruction.
maṇipūra (courage to confront) and ājñā (illumined cutting through)
Forceful but controlled exhale (kapālabhāti-lite: 30 strokes) then settle into slow breath while repeating the mantra mentally.
From tamas/blockedness to energized clarity and readiness.
Name the ‘Vṛtra’ (one resistance) silently; offer your ‘ardha’ (consent and space); chant once aloud, then 9 times mentally, feeling Indra’s entry as a bright, strong presence.
Strong imperative delivery; keep udatta prominence on ‘’ and ‘’; let ‘’ carry a lifted emphasis; cadence firm at ‘’.
Make ‘ā tū na’ a clear call; slight pause after ‘vṛtrahan’; then flow through ‘asmākam ardham ā gahi’.
(vṛtrahan): clear ‘vṛ’ with vocalic ṛ; dental t; final n light, (ardham): retroflex ḍh not present—here ‘dh’ is aspirated dental; keep ‘r’ crisp, (mahībhiḥ): long ī; bh aspirated
Commanding, confident, bright; like a call across distance.
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