Rig Veda 3.37.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 37, Mantra 6
Sukta 3.37
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वाजेषु सासहिर्भव त्वामीमहे शतक्रतो । इन्द्र वृत्राय हन्तवे ॥
vā́jeṣu sāsahír bhava tvā́m īmahe śatakrato | índra vṛtrā́ya hántave ||
In den Gewinnen der Kraft sei uns der Überwinder; dich erbitten wir, o Śatakratu, Indra, um Vṛtra zu erschlagen.
Word by Word
- वाजेषु
- in/among prizes (strengths, spoils)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वाज
- सासहिः
- victorious, overpoweringAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण) / सम्बोधनार्थ-विशेषणRoot सासहि (प्रातिपदिक; √सह ‘to overcome’ से) अथवा √सह (कृदन्त-आधार)
- भव
- be (become)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √भू
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद्
- ईमहे
- we invoke / we seekVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) —Root √यम् (आत्मनेपद; ‘to strive/seek, to invoke’ वैदिक प्रयोग)
- शतक्रतो
- O hundred-powered (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र
- वृत्राय
- for/against VṛtraNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन: ‘for Vṛtra’ = ‘against Vṛtra’ वैदिक दैवत्य-प्रयोग)Root वृत्र
- हन्तवे
- to slay (to strike down)Verbal noun (infinitive)अव्ययवत्; तुमर्थ (उद्देश्य) — ‘to slay’Role प्रयोजन (क्रियार्थ) / कर्म-सम्बन्धRoot √हन्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): वाजेषु | सासहिः | भव | त्वा | ईमहे | शतक्रतो | इन्द्र | वृत्राय | हन्तवे || 1) ‘त्वामीमहे’ = ‘त्वा’ + ‘ईमहे’ (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + ई → आ॑ई/ई; संहितायां दीर्घ-संयोग). 2) ‘सासहिर्भव’ = ‘सासहिः’ + ‘भव’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + भ → र्भ).
- पदान्त ‘इन्द्र’ के बाद विराम/पद-सीमा।
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the gains of strength be our overcomer; we seek you, hundred-powered Indra, to slay Vṛtra.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks Indra to become sasahiḥ—our surpassing victor—in all vājas (energies, achievements). The prayer is not only to remove obstruction once, but to be the continuous conquering force through every gain, so that Vṛtra cannot re-cover the light and movement after progress.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth must be defended at each new level of power; the same illumination that gives progress must also govern it, or the old obstruction returns in subtler forms.
Themes
victorious becoming, seeking Indra, overcoming obstruction, attainment of force
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.33, Rig Veda 3.34, Rig Veda 3.35, Rig Veda 3.36, Rig Veda 3.37, Rig Veda 3.38, Rig Veda 3.39, Rig Veda 3.40, Rig Veda 3.41, Rig Veda 3.42, Rig Veda 3.43, Rig Veda 3.44, Rig Veda 3.45, Rig Veda 3.46, Rig Veda 3.47, Rig Veda 3.48, Rig Veda 3.49, Rig Veda 3.50, Rig Veda 3.51, Rig Veda 3.52, Rig Veda 3.53
Family tradition
Discipline of repeated victory—turning every ‘gain’ into a step of ascent rather than a cause of pride or relapse.
Significance
Teaches perseverance: the divine victory must become a stable function in all works (kratu), not a single event.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śatakratu, Vṛtrahan, Sasahi (as function: overcomer)
- Related deities
- Agni (will that carries the offering), Maruts (energies that support battle), Soma (delight that empowers)
Cosmic role
Ensures that the released powers (vājas) are won and held against returning obstruction.
Inner power
Sustained victorious intelligence in action—guards gains, prevents relapse into old patterns.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation for victory and safeguarding gains in Soma rites
वाजे॑षु सास॒हिर्भ॑व॒ त्वामी॑महे शतक्रतो । इन्द्र॑ वृ॒त्राय॒ हन्त॑वे ॥
वाजे॑षु । स॒स॒हिः । भ॒व॒ । त्वाम् । ई॒म॒हे॒ । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । इन्द्र॑ । वृ॒त्राय॑ । हन्त॑वे ॥
vājeṣu | sasahiḥ | bhava | tvām | īmahe | śatakrato itiśata-krato | indra | vṛtrāya | hantave
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4 × ~11
Directive and practical; emphasizes ‘in vājas’—victory applied to life’s gains.
Strengthens determination to maintain progress; gives a ‘protector’ feeling around achievements.
- वाजेषु (vājeṣu)
- Literal: in strengths/gains/prizes. Symbolic: all attainments of force—vital, mental, spiritual capacities
- ससहिः (sasahiḥ)
- Literal: overcomer, one who conquers. Symbolic: the power that surpasses resistance repeatedly; steady victorious habit of consciousness
- ईमहे (īmahe)
- Literal: we seek/invoke. Symbolic: continuous turning and aspiration
- शतक्रतु (śatakratu)
- Literal: hundred-powered. Symbolic: many-effective operations of illumined will-mind
- वृत्राय हन्तवे (vṛtrāya hantave)
- Literal: to slay Vṛtra. Symbolic: to break the covering inertia/ignorance each time it forms
Soma rite invocatory refrain-like verse: seeking Indra’s victorious presence for attainment (vāja) and removal of obstruction (Vṛtra)
When seeking success in contest/effort; ritually around victory-oriented praises; psychologically after receiving a ‘gain’ to stabilize it.
Recitation as request for overcoming; offering with intention of protection of results.
After a breakthrough (new habit, insight), repeat to consolidate and prevent backsliding.
sāsahí- from √sah ‘to overcome, be able’ with intensive/reduplicated nuance ‘one who repeatedly conquers’. vā́ja as ‘forceful plenitude’ (see 3.37.5). Imperative bhava (√bhū ‘become’) requests manifestation. The repeated vṛtrāya hantave anchors the hymn’s central inner combat: removal of covering forces.
śakti/force as spiritual attainment (vāja), overcoming inertia/covering (Vṛtra as psychological resistance)
Ṛta must be maintained dynamically; victory is ongoing right action, not static purity.
Truth must be embodied in works (kratu); otherwise Vṛtra reasserts.
Sustained ascent: each new force must be integrated into ordered life.
Integral Yoga: transformation includes ‘keeping’ the descent/illumination in all parts and actions.
unspecified
unspecified
Every new energy awakened must be protected from the old inertia; vigilance in growth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the ever-overcoming champion (sāsahi) invoked to manifest in the very arena of attainments (vājeṣu). The mythic combat becomes a discipline: victory is not episodic but a mode of being requested—Indra ‘be’ the conquering power in all forceful acquisitions.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sah ‘overcome’ continues Indo-Iranian sah-/haz- fields; PIE association often given as *segh- ‘prevail/endure’. √bhū ‘become’ reflects PIE *bʰuH- ‘be, grow’ (cf. Eng. be, Lat. fuī). The grammar (imperative + seeking verb) encodes a performative theology: speech aims to cause presence.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi does not merely praise; he commands-invites (bhava) and seeks (īmahe) the god’s active embodiment as victory. The exchange is: aspiration and invocation offered; overpowering force against inner covering returned.
Guarding and integrating new strength without ego-inflation; making victory continuous.
Maṇipūra (steady will) with grounding in Mūlādhāra (stability).
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 while repeating; feel ‘sasahiḥ’ as a protective sheath.
Steady, vigilant, resilient.
After practice, review the day’s ‘vājas’ (energies) and offer them to Indra; resolve one safeguard against relapse.
Follow udatta marks; keep the imperative ‘bhava’ clean and unsoftened; Triṣṭubh beat steady.
Slight lift on marked syllables; keep ‘vājeṣu’ as a clear opening; pause naturally at pāda ends.
vājeṣu: long ā; soft j, sasahiḥ: double ‘sa’ distinct; final ḥ light, tvām īmahe: long ī; avoid merging vowels too much, vṛtrāya: vocalic ṛ; crisp ṭr
Firm, protective, steady resonance.
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