Rig Veda 4.32.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.32
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
भृमिश्चिद्घासि तूतुजिरा चित्र चित्रिणीष्वा । चित्रं कृणोष्यूतये ॥
bhṛ́miś cid ghā́si tū́tujiḥ | ā́ citra citríṇīṣv ā́ | citráṃ kṛṇoṣy ūtáye ||
ঘূৰ্ণনৰ মাজতো তুমি তীব্ৰ-প্ৰেৰিত চালক; হে চিত্ৰ (অদ্ভুত) জন, চিত্ৰিণী কৰ্মসমূহৰ মাজত তুমি আমাৰ ঊতিৰ বাবে এক চিত্ৰ-অদ্ভুত কাৰ্য সাধন কৰ।
Word by Word
- भृमिः
- the whirling one / a spinning (weapon), a whirlerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चित कर्ता)Root भृमि (प्रातिपदिक) < √भ्रम् (भ्रमणे) व्युत्पत्तिः
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अर्थे: ‘even/indeed’)Root चित् (अव्यय/निपात)
- घ
- indeed, surely (emphatic particle)Indeclinableनिपात (उपपादक/बलवर्धक)Root घ (अव्यय/निपात)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)
- तूतुजिरा
- impetuous, driving/urging onAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (भृमिः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root तूतुजिर (प्रातिपदिक; तीव्र/वेगवत्—‘impetuous’), (परम्परया √तुद्/√तुज् ‘to strike/impel’ से व्युत्पत्तिः)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक निपातRoot च (अव्यय)
- चित्र
- O wondrous one (O Indra)Noun (vocative) / Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य सम्भाषणम्)Role सम्बोधनRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रिणीषु
- among the bright/variegated (ones)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot चित्रिणी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘variegated/bright ones’)
- आ
- forth, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आ- ‘towards, forth’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चित्रम्
- a wondrous thing / something splendidNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणोषि
- you make, you doVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √कृ (करणे)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘help, aid’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: भृमिः चित् घ असि | तूतुजिरा च | चित्र चित्रिणीषु आ | चित्रम् कृणोषि ऊतये || 1) चिद्घ → चित् + घ (निपात-संयोग)
- 2) घासि → घ + असि (घ-निपातः ‘असि’ इत्यनेन संधीयते)
- 3) चित्रिणीष्वा → चित्रिणीषु + आ (उकारान्त ‘-षु’ परे ‘आ’ इत्यत्र संहितायां ‘ष्वा’)
- 4) कृणोष्यूतये → कृणोषि + ऊतये (इकारान्त क्रियापदस्य परे ऊ- आरम्भे ‘य्’ आगमः: -इ + ऊ- → -यू-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even amid a whirl or tumult, you are the impetuous mover; O wondrous One, among wondrous workings you create a wonder for our help.
Inner meaning
In the inner turbulence of nature (thought, desire, fear), Indra is the swift divine Mind-force that can still act with luminous initiative. Where our consciousness is caught in “whirls” (confused movements), Indra’s citra-śakti (many-colored power of insight) produces an unexpected opening—an inner ‘miracle’ of right perception and timely aid (ūti).
Universal truth
When consciousness turns to the higher Intelligence, even disorder becomes a field for transformation; the awakened mind can convert confusion into a new pattern of help and harmony.
Themes
Marvel (citra), Impetus (tuj), Aid (ūti), Mastery over turbulence
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.32 (Indra hymn, largely Triṣṭubh)
Family tradition
Hymn context later points to Gotama lineage; this verse’s rishi is not explicitly secured in the provided data.
Significance
The seer-voice here is that of an aspirant-community experiencing inner turbulence and discovering Indra as the power that turns complexity into saving clarity.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- citra (wondrous/variegated), tūtuji (impetuous mover)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions; lord of luminous force who releases the waters/cows (truth-energies) and restores the right movement of the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and victorious will in the mind—capacity to cut through confusion and produce decisive inner aid.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-related praise cycles (general usage)
भृमि॑श्चिद्घासि॒ तूतु॑जि॒रा चि॑त्र चि॒त्रिणी॒ष्वा । चि॒त्रं कृ॑णोष्यू॒तये॑ ॥
भृमिः॑ । चि॒त् । घ॒ । अ॒सि॒ । तूतु॑जिः । आ । चि॒त्र॒ । चि॒त्रिणी॑षु । आ । चि॒त्रम् । कृ॒णो॒षि॒ । ऊ॒तये॑ ॥
bhṛmiḥ | cit | gha | asi | tūtujiḥ | ā | citra | citriṇīṣu | ā | citram | kṛṇoṣi | ūtaye
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh norm; minor Vedic variations possible)
Driving, forward-thrusting cadence suited to forceful invocation.
Energizes resolve; gives a sense of swift movement through inner disorder toward a clear, saving turn.
- भृमिः (bhṛmiḥ)
- Literal: whirl, rotation, turbulence. Symbolic: inner agitation; revolving movements of mind-vital nature that obscure clear seeing
- तूतुजिः (tūtujiḥ)
- Literal: impetuous, rushing mover. Symbolic: swift descending force of illumined mind; decisive spiritual impetus
- चित्र (citra)
- Literal: bright, variegated, wonderful. Symbolic: many-sided illumination; manifold powers of insight and effective action
- चित्रिणीषु (citriṇīṣu)
- Literal: among the many-colored/varied (workings). Symbolic: within complex life-situations and mixed inner movements, the divine can still act
- ऊतये (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help, succour. Symbolic: grace as effective assistance—protective, guiding, and empowering intervention
Praise of Indra’s wondrous efficacy; used as stuti to intensify invocation and secure aid.
During Soma pressing recitations and Indra invocations for victory and protection (general, not exclusive).
Stotra/śastra praise to invite Indra’s aid; supportive of offering and calling down strength.
Use when the mind feels scattered: chant to invoke clarity, decisive action, and timely help in complex situations.
tūtuji-: intensive/reduplicated from √tuj ‘push, impel’; citra/citriṇī-: from √cit? (or citra as ‘bright/variegated, marvelous’), a key RV aesthetic-theological term for the god’s miraculous efficacy; bhṛmi-: ‘whirl, turning’ (linked to √bh ‘turn, wander’).
Transformation of turbulence into help (divine mastery over bhṛmi), Marvel/power (citra) as sign of higher consciousness acting in life
Indra’s ‘wonder’ restores right movement (ṛta) within the whirl of disorder.
The ‘citra’ action reveals hidden truth-threads within complexity.
Transformation of chaotic motion into ordered, luminous functioning—creation as re-ordering by the higher Mind.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness and descent of higher illumination.
The ‘whirl’ is the rotating vital-mental unrest; ‘citra’ is prismatic illumination that reorganizes experience into helpful guidance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the wondrous transformer: in the very ‘whirl’ of existence he is the forward-driving power who turns chaotic movement into effective succour—miracle as spiritual mastery.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Reduplication/intensification (tūtujiḥ) is a common IE morphological strategy to mark repeated/strong action. The aesthetic-theological epithet ‘citra’ parallels IE traditions where ‘bright/wondrous’ marks divine potency.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer praises Indra’s capacity to act precisely where human nature feels turbulent; the god’s marvel is requested ‘for help’—praise becomes a means of aligning the human field with the divine efficacy.
Invoke Indra as the clear, swift intelligence that can act within confusion.
ājñā (brow)
Moderate, steady inhalation with a slightly emphasized exhale on ‘ūtaye’ to feel ‘help descending’.
From rajasic whirl to sattwic clarity with a flash of intuitive certainty.
When overwhelmed, pause; chant once slowly, then again with firmer tone; watch for a precise next step or insight rather than general reassurance.
Default Vedic accenting per pada text; emphasize udātta on key lifts (e.g., bhṛmíḥ / tū́tujiḥ / cítram) with smooth svarita falls where marked in tradition.
Keep each pāda as one breath-unit if possible; slight pause at the | (caesura). Let ‘citra’ be bright and clear in tone.
bhṛmiḥ: vocalic ṛ (as in ‘bri’ with rolled r), final ḥ lightly aspirated, tūtujiḥ: long ū; j as in ‘judge’, citriṇīṣu: retroflex ṇ; long ī; ṣ as retroflex ‘sh’
Bright, forward, confident (invocatory).
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