Rig Veda 10.116.9: Mandala 10, Sukta 116, Mantra 9
Sukta 10.116
- Devata
- Indra-Agni
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
प्रेन्द्राग्निभ्यां सुवचस्यामियर्मि सिन्धाविव प्रेरयं नावमर्कैः । अया इव परि चरन्ति देवा ये अस्मभ्यं धनदा उद्भिदश्च ॥
préndrāgníbhyāṃ suvacasyā́m iyarmi síndhāv iva prérayaṃ nā́vam arkáiḥ | ayā́ iva pári caranti devā́ ye asmábhyaṃ dhanadā́ udbhídaś ca ||
ইন্দ্র ও অগ্নির উদ্দেশে আমি আমার বাক্যকে শুভ ও সুস্পষ্ট গতিতে প্রবাহিত করি; আমার স্তোত্রে তাকে নদীতে নৌকার মতো প্রেরণ করি। যে দেবগণ আমাদের চারদিকে পথপ্রদর্শক স্রোতের ন্যায় পরিভ্রমণ করেন—যাঁরা ধনদাতা এবং রুদ্ধ স্থান ভেদ করে উন্মোচনকারী (উদ্ভিদ্)—তাঁরাই আমাদের কল্যাণে প্রবৃত্ত হোন।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (prefix)Root प्र (upasarga)
- इन्द्रा-अग्निभ्याम्
- with Indra and AgniNoun (dvandva)masculine; instrumental dualRole KaraṇaRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika) + अग्नि (prātipadika)
- सुवचस्यामि
- I am of good utterance / I speak wellAdjective (predicative)(as used) 1st person singular present (Vedic usage: nominal predicate with implied ‘asmi’); indeclinable in form here as a finite predicationRole Kartā (speaker’s self-predication)Root सु-वचस्य (prātipadika) ← वचस् (speech) + सु-
- इयर्मि
- I set in motion / I send forthVerbpresent indicative; 1st person singular; parasmaipadaRole KartāRoot ईर्/इर् (धातु: īr ‘to set in motion, raise, send forth’)
- सिन्धौ
- in the river / in the streamNounmasculine; locative singularRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सिन्धु (prātipadika)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot इव
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasarga (prefix)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ईरयम्
- I impelled / I set goingVerbimperfect (injunctive/preterite in Vedic usage); 1st person singular; parasmaipadaRole KartāRoot ईरय् (causative of √ईर्/इर्)
- नावम्
- a boatNounfeminine; accusative singularRole KarmaRoot नौ/नाव् (prātipadika ‘boat’)
- अर्कैः
- with hymns / with praisesNounmasculine; instrumental pluralRole KaraṇaRoot अर्क (prātipadika)
- अया
- in this way / by this courseNoun/Adverbial (Vedic)feminine; instrumental singular (used adverbially: ‘in this manner/way’)Role Karaṇa (adverbial instrument)Root अय (prātipadika; ‘going, course’ / also ‘this way’ in Vedic usage)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableparticle of comparisonRoot इव
- परि
- around, aboutIndeclinablepreverb/adverbRoot परि (upasarga)
- चरन्ति
- they move / they go aboutVerbpresent indicative; 3rd person plural; parasmaipadaRole KartāRoot चर् (धातु)
- देवाः
- the godsNounmasculine; nominative pluralRole KartāRoot देव (prātipadika)
- ये
- whoPronounmasculine; nominative pluralRole Kartā (of relative clause)Root यद् (relative pronoun)
- अस्मभ्यम्
- to usPronoundative pluralRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- धनदाः
- wealth-giversAdjective (substantivized)masculine; nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to देवाः)Root धन-द (prātipadika; ‘wealth-giving’) ← धन + √दा (to give)
- उद्भिदः
- openers/breakers-through (removers of obstacles)Adjective (substantivized)masculine; nominative pluralRole Kartā (apposition to देवाः)Root उद्-भिद् (prātipadika; ‘breaking forth/uprooting, opening’) ← उद् + √भिद् (to split)
- च
- andIndeclinableconjunctionRoot च
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: प्रेन्द्राग्निभ्याम् → प्र + इन्द्रा-अग्निभ्याम् (vowel coalescence e+a→e; internal dvandva ‘इन्द्रा-अग्नि’ in instr. dual)
- सुवचस्यामि॑यर्मि → सुवचस्यामि + इयर्मि (hiatus resolved in saṃhitā by vowel contact)
- सिन्धा॑विव → सिन्धौ + इव (au+i → āv in saṃhitā)
- प्रेर॑यं → प्र + ईरयम् (preverb + verb; saṃhitā shows contraction)
The meaning
Outer meaning
To Indra and Agni I set my speech in a clear auspicious movement; with hymns I launch it like a boat on a river. The gods move around like guiding currents—those who give riches and break open the closed places—may they act for us.
Inner meaning
Indra (illumined mind) and Agni (divine will/fire) are invoked together: clarity plus executing force. The rishi ‘sets speech in good utterance’—mantra as rightly formed vibration. The hymn is launched like a boat on the stream (sindhu): consciousness must be carried on a current of inspiration, not forced by dry effort. The gods ‘move around’ like living currents (ayā iva): supportive powers in the subtle environment. They are dhanadāḥ (givers of inner riches—capacities, wideness, joy) and udbhidaḥ (openers of what is shut—breakers of inner blockages).
Universal truth
Right speech and aspiration, aligned with clear intelligence and sincere will, becomes a vessel that the currents of higher powers can carry; then closed places in life and mind open and the true wealth of being grows.
Themes
Indra-Agni, Mantra-vehicle, Wealth-as-plenitude, Obstacle-breaking
The seer
Significance
A mantra about mantra: the seer emphasizes the craft of ‘suvacasyā’—right speech as yogic technology—launching aspiration into the stream where divine currents can carry it.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Agni (dual)
- Epithets
- wealth-givers (dhanadāḥ—applied to the devāḥ), openers (udbhidaḥ)
- Related deities
- Soma, Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī (speech/flow motif)
Cosmic role
Indra opens by illumination; Agni opens by burning away obstruction; together they protect, energize, and lead the sacrifice.
Inner power
Coordinated clarity and will: insight that sees the way + flame-force that executes and purifies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Agni dual invocation within soma/agnicayana-related recitations (general)
प्रेन्द्रा॒ग्निभ्यां॑ सुवच॒स्यामि॑यर्मि॒ सिन्धा॑विव॒ प्रेर॑यं॒ नाव॑म॒र्कैः । अया॑ इव॒ परि॑ चरन्ति दे॒वा ये अ॒स्मभ्यं॑ धन॒दा उ॒द्भिद॑श्च ॥
प्र । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्निऽभ्या॑म् । सु॒ऽव॒च॒स्याम् । इ॒य॒र्मि॒ । सिन्धौ॑ऽइव । प्र । ई॒र॒य॒म् । नाव॑म् । अ॒र्कैः । अयाः॑ऽइव । परि॑ । च॒र॒न्ति॒ । दे॒वाः । ये । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । ध॒न॒ऽदाः । उ॒त्ऽभिदः॑ । च॒ ॥
pra | indrāgni-bhyām | su-vacasyām | iyarmi | sindhau-iva | pra | īrayam | nāvam | arkaiḥ | ayāḥ-iva | pari | caranti | devāḥ | ye | asmabhyam | dhana-dāḥ | ut-bhidaḥ | ca
44
4 × ~11
Flowing yet firm; imagery of river/boat gives a continuous forward sweep.
Creates a sense of being carried by a greater rhythm; helpful for practitioners stuck in effortful dryness.
- इन्द्राग्निभ्याम् (indrāgnibhyām)
- Literal: to Indra and Agni. Symbolic: Union of illumination (mind) and will (fire) in practice
- सुवचस्याम् (suvacasyām)
- Literal: good utterance, fair speech. Symbolic: Rightly tuned mantra; truthful expression aligning inner and outer
- इयर्मि (iyarmi)
- Literal: I set in motion, I raise. Symbolic: Uplift of consciousness; initiating the movement of aspiration
- सिन्धौ इव (sindhāv iva)
- Literal: like on a river. Symbolic: On the stream of consciousness/being; surrender to a greater flow
- नावम् (nāvam)
- Literal: boat. Symbolic: Mantra/practice as a vessel carrying the seeker across
- अर्कैः (arkaiḥ)
- Literal: with hymns. Symbolic: With luminous formulations—sunlike words of power
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- Literal: gods. Symbolic: Powers of consciousness supporting transformation
- धनदाः (dhanadāḥ)
- Literal: wealth-givers. Symbolic: Givers of inner riches: strength, light, joy, wideness
- उद्भिदः (udbhidaḥ)
- Literal: breakers open. Symbolic: Openers of closed subconscious/blocked passages
Paired invocation suited to Soma rites and fire offerings; supports the ‘launching’ of stotra/śastra as effective speech
When invoking paired powers for protection and success of rite; also at beginnings of hymn/recitation as ‘launching’ speech.
Consecration of speech; offering hymns as vehicle; calling opening and wealth-giving powers.
Before speaking/teaching or starting a new project: chant to align speech with truth and to invite supportive currents that open obstacles.
√īr ‘to raise, set in motion’ (iyarmi, īrayam) conveys energizing speech as dynamic force. (arká) from √arc ‘to shine, praise’ suggests ‘luminous utterance’. from ud-√bhid ‘split, cleave’ frames the gods as openers of sealed passages (psychologically: breaking inertia/ignorance). (nāva) is the vehicle-image for mantra crossing the ‘river’ of life/consciousness.
Vāc/mantra as power, Opening of the closed (udbhid as liberation of blocked energies), Rita as right movement (suvacasyā)
The river-flow image suggests r̥ta as a carrying current; right speech rides it rather than resisting it.
Suvacasyā implies speech aligned with truth so it becomes effective (satya-vāk).
Speech as boat: vāc as creative vehicle; gods as currents opening the world.
Mantric cosmology: sound as force; deities as functional powers acting through aligned vibration.
River=current of being; boat=practice/mantra; currents=divine supports; fire=purifying will; sunlike hymn=illumined speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hymn as a launched vessel: sacred speech (arká) is a conveyance that carries the seeker toward the gods and brings back their powers. The ‘openers’ (udbhídaḥ) motif echoes the recurring Vedic action of breaking sealed spaces to release riches/light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhid ‘split’ corresponds to PIE *bʰeyd-/*bʰid- ‘cleave’ (cf. Eng bite in older sense of cutting; also Slavic cognates). √arc ‘shine’ resonates with PIE *h₂erǵ-? (uncertain) but Indo-Iranian preserves the semantic bridge between shining and praising. The concrete ‘boat/river’ simile reflects common Indo-European poetic technique of mapping speech to travel/vehicle.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi actively ‘raises’ and ‘launches’ speech toward Indra-Agni, implying that correct utterance is an offering that compels divine circulation around the human field. The expected return is dhana (plenitude) and udbhid (opening), i.e., divine assistance that makes inner passages free.
Consecrate speech and intention; feel mantra as a boat; surrender to the current of r̥ta while keeping clear aim.
Viśuddha (speech purity) + Ājñā (clarity) + Maṇipūra (Agni-will).
Gentle rhythmic breathing; chant on exhale imagining the ‘boat’ gliding forward; brief kumbhaka after each pāda to feel ‘current’ carrying you.
Flow-state with guided clarity.
Chant 3 or 11 times before japa/meditation. After chanting, remain silent and sense subtle supports around you; ask inwardly for one ‘closed place’ to open, then wait without strain.
Rigvedic three-tone; exact svara requires RV 10.116.9 svara-pāṭha.
Keep the river/boat imagery flowing: avoid hard stops mid-pāda; articulate consonant clusters in indrāgnibhyām, suvacasyām, prerayaṃ.
prendrāgnibhyām: sandhi ‘pra + indrā…’—keep ‘pr’ crisp and ‘drā’ long, suvacasyām: ‘c’ palatal; long ā at end, sindhāv iva: nasal ‘ndh’ cluster; keep ‘v’ soft, prerayaṃ: roll ‘r’ lightly; anusvāra as nasalization, udbhidaś ca: ‘dbh’ cluster; keep ‘ś’ palatal
Clear, flowing, slightly uplifted—like launching a vessel.
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