Rig Veda 10.30.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 30, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.30
- Devata
- Āpaḥ addressing Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यो वो वृताभ्यो अकृणोदु लोकं यो वो मह्या अभिशस्तेरमुञ्चत् । तस्मा इन्द्राय मधुमन्तमूर्मिं देवमादनं प्र हिणोतनापः ॥
yó vo vṛtā́bhyo ákṛṇod ū́ṃ lokáṃ yó vo mahyā́ abhíśaster ámuñcat | tásmā indrā́ya mádhumantam ū́rmiṃ devá-mādanaṃ prá hiṇotanāpaḥ ||
Der euch aus den verschlossenen Zuständen einen Raum schuf, der euch aus der großen Bedrängnis entließ — für jenen Indra sendet die honigsüße Woge, die göttliche Trankgabe: o Wasser, setzt sie in Bewegung!
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- to/for you (you all)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वृताभ्यः
- from the obstructions/enclosuresNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः (वेदे बहुधा), पञ्चमी, बहुवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot वृत (ppp. of √वृ ‘to cover/obstruct’; as noun ‘obstruction, enclosure’)
- अकृणोत्
- made, fashionedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √कृ (करोति)
- उ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपातः (उत्साह/एव/हि-भावः)Root उ (निपात)
- लोकम्
- a space/world, free placeNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- to/for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- मह्याः
- from the great one (often: from the great river/earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot मही (स्त्री. ‘महान्/विस्तीर्णा’; ‘earth/river’ sense in RV)
- अभिशस्तेः
- from the oppression/curseNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (अत्र पञ्चमी-अर्थे ‘from’)Role ApādānaRoot अभिशस्ति (स्त्री. ‘imprecation, oppression, accusation’)
- अमुञ्चत्
- released, set freeVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √मुच् (मुञ्चति ‘to release’)
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्राय
- to IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमन्तम्
- honeyed, sweetAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मधुमन्त् (विशेषण ‘honeyed, sweet, rich in mead’)
- ऊर्मिम्
- wave, surgeNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot ऊर्मि (पुं. ‘wave, billow’)
- देवम्
- the god (Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- आदनम्
- a taking/receiving (offering)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot आदन (नपुं. ‘taking, receiving’; action-noun from ā-√दा/√दā ‘to take’)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (प्र- ‘forth, forward’)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (emphasis/causal ‘for, indeed’)Root हि (निपात)
- हिणोतन
- send forth, impelVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √हि (वेद. ‘to impel, set in motion, send’; caus./intensive nuance in RV)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot आप् (स्त्री. ‘waters’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): यो→यः
- वो→वः (enclitic)
- वृ॒ताभ्यो॒→वृताभ्यः
- अकृ॑णोदु→अकृणोत् + उ (u as particle)
- लोकं→लोकम्
- मह्या→मह्याः
- अभिशस्ते॒रमु॑ञ्चत्→अभिशस्तेः + अमुञ्चत्
- तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॑य→तस्मै + इन्द्राय
- मधु॑मन्तमू॒र्मिं→मधुमन्तम् + ऊर्मिम्
- दे॑व॒माद॑नं→देवम् + आदनम्
- हि॑णोतनापः→हिणोतन + आपः. Accents retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms are unaccented here for morphological clarity
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Waters are invoked to set in motion a “honeyed wave” (ūrmi) as an offering for Indra—the liberator who made open space out of confined conditions and released them from a great oppression.
Inner meaning
The inner Waters (āpah: flowing currents of consciousness) are urged to release a wave of delight and energizing clarity for Indra, the illumined Mind. Indra is praised as the force that breaks the ‘shut-in’ subconscient states (vṛtāḥ) and frees the being from a massive pressure (mahī abhiśasti)—the weight of ignorance, depression, or hostile suggestion. The ‘honeyed wave’ is the upsurge of soma-like bliss and luminous vitality that supports the mind’s victory over inner obstruction.
Universal truth
When consciousness is hemmed in by inner resistance, the liberating intelligence arises by opening space and releasing pressure; then the life-currents can flow as sweetness and strength, carrying the psyche forward.
Themes
Indra as liberator, waters offer madhu-wave, opening the world/space, victory over obstruction
The seer
Significance
The seer-voice here is characteristic of late Rigvedic water-hymns: a contemplative invocation where the inner sacrifice is advanced by calling the conscious-flow (Āpaḥ) to support Indra’s liberating illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Āpaḥ (Waters), offering-force directed toward Indra
- Epithets
- madhumantam ūrmiṃ (honeyed wave), devamādanam (divine rapture)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Apām Napāt
Cosmic role
Waters as the life-sustaining and world-linking currents that carry offerings; Indra as opener of the worlds and slayer of obstruction.
Inner power
Āpaḥ: psychic flow, purification, sweetness of experience; Indra: decisive illumination that creates inner space and releases from oppressive formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Water-invocation within Soma/Indra-oriented offerings (contextual)
यो वो॑ वृ॒ताभ्यो॒ अकृ॑णोदु लो॒कं यो वो॑ म॒ह्या अ॒भिश॑स्ते॒रमु॑ञ्चत् । तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॑य॒ मधु॑मन्तमू॒र्मिं दे॑व॒माद॑नं॒ प्र हि॑णोतनापः ॥
यः । वः॒ । वृ॒ताभ्यः॑ । अकृ॑णोत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । लो॒कम् । यः । वः॒ । म॒ह्याः । अ॒भिऽश॑स्तेः । अमु॑ञ्चत् । तस्मै॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । मधु॑ऽमन्तम् । ऊ॒र्मिम् । दे॒व॒ऽमाद॑नम् । प्र । हि॒णो॒त॒न॒ । आ॒पः ॥
yaḥ | vaḥ | vṛtābhyaḥ | akṛṇot | oṃ iti | lokam | yaḥ | vaḥ | mahyāḥ | abhi-śasteḥ | amuñcat | tasmai | indrāya | madhu-mantam | ūrmim | deva-mādanam | pra | hiṇotana | āpaḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (approx.)
Forceful, forward-driving cadence with a liberative turn in the second hemistich.
Creates a sense of opening and release; the closing imperative to the Waters (‘set it moving’) lands as an energetic push in consciousness.
- vṛtābhyaḥ
- Literal: from the shut-in/covered states. Symbolic: from subconscient closures, constricted formations of ignorance (Vṛtra-principle)
- lokaṃ
- Literal: space, world, room. Symbolic: inner wideness; a cleared field in consciousness for right action and perception
- abhiśasti
- Literal: oppression, curse, hostile pressure. Symbolic: mental-vital attack: doubt, fear, depression, compulsive negativity
- Indra
- Literal: the god Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind/illumination that breaks obstruction and releases the rays
- madhumantam ūrmiṃ
- Literal: honeyed wave. Symbolic: surge of blissful consciousness and luminous energy (soma-current)
- devamādanam
- Literal: divine intoxication/rapture. Symbolic: ecstatic uplift that empowers victory over darkness
- āpaḥ
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness, inspired flow, purifying and nourishing energies
Waters urged to send the honeyed wave to Indra, celebrating his freeing action; fits Soma/Indra strengthening sequences.
During libation/offerings where waters are invoked to carry or intensify the oblation (contextual usage).
Calling the Waters to ‘impel’ the offering-wave toward Indra.
Use as a meditation-mantra for breaking inner heaviness: recite before practice to invoke wideness and a sweet upsurge of energy.
vṛta ‘covered/shut’ from √vṛ ‘cover’ (Vṛtra as archetype of obstruction). loká ‘open space’ (semantic: room, world). amuñcat from √muc ‘release’ (PIE *meuk- ‘slip/free’). hiṇotana from √hi ‘impel’ (drive/set going).
release from obstruction (vṛta → loka), liberation from hostile pressure (abhiśasti)
Indra’s act of making ‘space’ is an R̥ta-action: restoring right movement and free passage of the currents.
Truth manifests as wideness and freedom from oppressive false formations.
Opening of space/worlds from confinement; emergence of free-flowing currents.
Proto-Vedāntic/psychological reading (Sri Aurobindo line): deities as powers of consciousness.
Waters = flowing awareness; wave = ascending surge; honey = ananda/sweetness of realized consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as opener of the closed (vṛta) and releaser from oppression—an echo of Vṛtra-splitting and freeing the waters/spaces. Psychologically: the force that breaks inner constriction creates an open field (loka) for the soul’s movement; the waters respond by offering a wave of delight to energise that liberator.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √muc ‘release’ has IE cognate patterns of freeing/unbinding; √vṛ ‘cover’ underlies the obstruction motif (vṛta/Vṛtra) that is central to Indo-Iranian mythic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The hymn recalls Indra’s benefaction (creating loka, releasing from abhiśasti) to justify a reciprocal offering: the waters are commanded to propel the honeyed wave to Indra—gratitude translated into a strengthening act.
Invoke inner wideness and a sweet upward current; offer the ‘wave’ of attention to the illumined mind (Indra).
Anāhata to Ājñā (heart-widening rising to clarity)
Gentle ujjāyī or slow nasal breathing; on exhale feel ‘release’ from pressure, on inhale feel ‘honeyed wave’ rising.
From tamasic congestion to sattvic clarity with ananda-toned energy.
Repeat while sensing a blocked area in mind/vital; imagine waters washing it open, then offer the resulting sweetness to the inner Indra (clear discernment).
Use Rigvedic accenting as marked in the Saṃhitā text; preserve udatta on accented syllables (e.g., vo, indāya, madhú).
Keep the accented syllable slightly higher and clearer; let following svarita glide down gently; avoid flattening the imperatives (pra hiṇotanāpaḥ).
vṛtābhyaḥ: clear ṛ (short vocalic r), not ‘ri’., abhiśaster: pronounce śa (palatal ‘sh’), and keep -ster as a light cluster., ūrmiṃ: lengthen ū; final ṃ as nasalization., hiṇotanāpaḥ: retroflex ṇ in hiṇo-; separate nā + āpaḥ cleanly.
Bright, invoking, with a slight upward lift on ‘madhumantam ūrmiṃ’.
9
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.
