Rig Veda 1.30.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 30, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.30
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvān Dairghatamasa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऊर्ध्वस्तिष्ठा न ऊतयेऽस्मिन्वाजे शतक्रतो । समन्येषु ब्रवावहै ॥
ūrdhvás tiṣṭhā na ūtáye ’smín vā́je śatakrato | sam anyéṣu bravāvahai ||
Erhebe dich aufrecht zu unserer Hilfe, o Śatakratu, in dieser Fülle der Kraft; und auch in den anderen Wettkämpfen mögen wir gemeinsam sprechen — in Eintracht und Sieg.
Word by Word
- ऊर्ध्वः
- upright, up (stand up)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (आदेश्यः/कर्तृ-भावः) — ‘(त्वं) ऊर्ध्वः’Root ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₃erdʰ- ‘ऊँचा/ऊपर’
- तिष्ठ
- stand!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — आदेशःRoot स्था (धातु) ‘to stand’
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) ‘our’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ऊतयेः सम्बन्धःRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/हित) — ‘for (our) help’Root ऊति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, aid’
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) — ‘in this’Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजे
- in the contest; in the prize-winning (struggle)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa — ‘in the contest/prize (situation)’Root वाज (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) ‘prize, strength; contest’
- शतक्रतो
- O Śatakratu (Indra), of a hundred powersNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address) — इन्द्रस्यRoot शतक्रतु (बहुव्रीहि-समास; प्रातिपदिक) ‘having a hundred powers/stratagems’
- सम्
- together, jointlyIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘together/fully’Role (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग) — ब्रवावहै इत्यस्यRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अन्येषु
- among othersAdjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa — ‘among/with others’Root अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘other’
- ब्रवावहै
- let us two speak; may we two sayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश वैदिक प्रयोग), उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) — कर्ता: ‘वयम् (द्वौ)’ निहितःRoot ब्रू (धातु) ‘to speak, say’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ऊर्ध्वः तिष्ठ नः ऊतये | अस्मिन् वाजे शतक्रतो | सम् अन्येषु ब्रवावहै || 1) ऊर्ध्वस्-तिष्ठ → ऊर्ध्वः तिष्ठ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: स् + त् → ः)
- 2) ऊतयेऽस्मिन् → ऊतये अस्मिन् (अ + अ → ’ अवग्रह)
- 3) समन्येषु → सम् अन्येषु (म् + अ → म् अ; संधौ लेखने ‘समन्येषु’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Stand upright for our help, O Shatakratu, in this contest/plenitude of force; and in the other contests too may we speak together.
Inner meaning
Indra is asked to ‘stand upright’—to take his station in the seeker’s consciousness as a firm, ascending power. In this present vāja (effort toward plenitude/victory) and in future struggles, may our speech and will be in harmony with that illumined force. The mantra seeks a stable verticality (ūrdhva) in the being: alignment upward to the higher Mind so that action and expression become coordinated and victorious.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires a steady upward alignment and repeated renewal of help; harmony of speech and will with higher guidance brings victory across changing life-situations.
Themes
aid, victory-force, upright ascent, collective affirmation
The seer
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvān Dairghatamasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.30
Significance
The seer emphasizes continuity of sadhana: not a one-time victory but repeated contests. His prayer is for a stable Indra-presence that keeps the being upright and unified in speech and action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śatakratu, vīryavān (mighty), sakhā (ally)
- Related deities
- Maruts (forces that support Indra’s action), Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods in the battle for light; giver of victory in vāja.
Inner power
Uplifting force that straightens the being, dispels collapse/confusion, and coordinates the faculties toward luminous action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation for victory and protection in ritual ‘contests’ (vāja)
ऊ॒र्ध्वस्ति॑ष्ठा न ऊ॒तये॒ऽस्मिन्वाजे॑ शतक्रतो । सम॒न्येषु॑ ब्रवावहै ॥
ऊ॒र्ध्वः । ति॒ष्ठ॒ । नः॒ । ऊ॒तये॑ । अ॒स्मिन् । वाजे॑ । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । सम् । अ॒न्येषु॑ । ब्र॒वा॒व॒है॒ ॥
ūrdhvaḥ | tiṣṭha | naḥ | ūtaye | asmin | vāje | śatakrato itiśata-krato | sam | anyeṣu | bravāvahai
44
4 × 11 (typical)
Commanding and exhortative; strong upward cadence suited to ‘ūrdhva’.
Energizes posture and will; encourages spinal uplift and mental clarity, producing a ‘standing’ consciousness.
- ऊ॒र्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ)
- Literal: upright, upward. Symbolic: vertical ascent; alignment to higher consciousness
- ऊ॒तये॑ (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help, protection. Symbolic: saving grace/support of the illumined power
- वाजे॑ (vāje)
- Literal: prize, contest, strength. Symbolic: inner battle for plenitude; dynamic progress
- शतक्रतो (śatakrato)
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: multi-potent divine intelligence-force capable of many effective operations
- सम् ... ब्रवावहै (sam ... bravāvahai)
- Literal: may we speak together. Symbolic: harmonized expression—inner parts unified under light
Prayer for Indra’s upright presence and aid in vāja (victory/force) during competitive/agonistic ritual frames (Soma pressing; also generalized to life-struggles)
Before/within sequences seeking strength, success, protection; adaptable across rites
Recitation as a call for Indra’s presence and coordinated speech among priests/chanters
Use before difficult conversations or tasks: chant, then stand/sit upright and commit to aligned action and truthful speech.
ūrdhvá: from √ṛdh/urdh 'to rise' (Indo-European verticality symbolism). ūtí: 'help, protection' from √av/√ūt? Vedic noun for saving force. vājá: from √vaj 'be strong, impel' → not mere 'food/prize' but 'plenitude of force'. śatakratu: śata 'hundred' + krátu 'will, resolve, intelligent power' (√kṛ 'do' with mental-force nuance in Vedic). bravāvahai: optative 1pl of √brū 'to speak'.
kratu as intelligent will, vāja as force-plenitude for realization, collective harmony of utterance (saṃ brav-)
Upright alignment symbolizes placing oneself in right order; harmony in speech reflects ṛta in expression.
Speaking together under Indra implies truth-consensus of the illumined mind, not ego-argument.
Repeated victories build a stable ascending formation of consciousness.
Karmic-yogic Vedic line: right action supported by illumined mind.
Upright stance = ascent and stability; vāja = life’s field of effort where light must win repeatedly.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the 'upright pillar' of victorious ascent: the god is asked to stand up within the action as stabilizing and elevating power, enabling success in the present vāja and future struggles.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √brū 'speak' connects to PIE *mrewh₂-/ *bʰreh₂? (complex), but the inherited prominence of 'speech-act' as efficacious is Indo-European. krátu (will/intelligence) reflects the archaic IE linking of mental resolve with ritual efficacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks Indra’s stationed presence (tiṣṭha) as inner support (ūti). In return, the human collective promises unified articulation (saṃ bravāvahai): right speech aligned with the god’s many kratus.
Upright alignment practice: invoke Indra, feel a vertical current from base to crown; unify speech and intention.
suṣumṇā axis; emphasis on ājñā for guidance
Inhale imagining ascent (ūrdhva), exhale stabilizing (tiṣṭha).
Steady, upright vigilance; coordinated will.
Chant standing for 3 rounds; then sit and keep the same inner ‘standing’. Before speaking, recall ‘sam ... bravāvahai’: speak from alignment, not reaction.
Ṛgvedic accenting; give a clear lift on ‘ūrdhvaḥ’ and ‘śatakrato’.
Keep ‘’smin vāje’ connected; let ‘sam anyeṣu bravāvahai’ flow as a single intention of harmony.
ūrdhvaḥ: long ū; cluster rdhv, ūtaye: long ū; dental t, śatakrato: clear śa; retroflex ṭ not present—keep dental t, bravāvahai: vāvā long ā; final hai as diphthong
Erect, bright, rallying.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
