Rig Veda 3.48.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 48, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.48
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
शुनं हुवेम मघवानमिन्द्रमस्मिन्भरे नृतमं वाजसातौ । शृण्वन्तमुग्रमूतये समत्सु घ्नन्तं वृत्राणि संजितं धनानाम् ॥
śunáṃ huvema maghávānam índram asmín bháre nṛ́tamaṃ vā́jasātau | śṛṇvántam ugrám ūtáye samátsu ghnántaṃ vṛtrā́ṇi saṃjítam dhánānām ||
Zum Heil rufen wir den freigebigen Indra in dieser Last des Kampfes, den besten der Männer im Gewinn der vāja. Er höre uns — der Grimmige zur Hilfe in den Schlachten, der die Vṛtras erschlägt, der Sieger, der die Reichtümer sammelt.
Word by Word
- शु॒नम्
- favorably, auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Role Karaṇa (रीत्या/प्रकारेण)Root शुन (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव/निपात) अथवा शु॒नम् (अव्यय)
- हुवेम
- may we call/invokeVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः वैदिक प्रयोग), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) ‘आह्वाने’
- मघवानम्
- the bountiful one (Maghavan)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भरे
- in the battle, in the conflictNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot भर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘संघर्ष/युद्ध/संभार’
- नृतमम्
- most manly/most heroicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root नृतम (प्रातिपदिक; नृ + तमप्)
- वाजसातौ
- in the winning of the prize (in contest for booty)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वाजसाति (प्रातिपदिक; वाज + साति ‘प्राप्ति/विजय’)
- शृण्वन्तम्
- listening, hearkeningParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root √श्रु (शृणोति) ‘श्रवणे’ → शृण्वत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- उग्रम्
- fierce, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘सहायता/रक्षा’
- समत्सु
- in battlesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समत्सु (प्रातिपदिक; सम् + अत्सु/अत्सु ‘युद्ध’)
- घ्नन्तम्
- slayingParticipleवर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root √हन् (हन्ति) ‘हिंसायाम्’ → घ्नत्/घ्नन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- वृत्राणि
- Vṛtras/obstacles (demonic foes)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (घ्नन्तम् इत्यस्य)Root वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- संजितम्
- victorious, having conqueredParticiple/Adjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root सम् + √जि (जयति) ‘जये’ → संजित (भूतकृदन्त)
- धनानाम्
- of riches, of treasuresNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः; संजितम् इत्यस्य)Root धन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): शुनम् | हुवेम | मघवानम् | इन्द्रम् | अस्मिन् | भरे | नृतमम् | वाजसातौ || शृण्वन्तम् | उग्रम् | ऊतये | समत्सु | घ्नन्तम् | वृत्राणि | संजितम् | धनानाम् । प्रमुख सन्धयः: (1) अस्मिन् + भरे → अस्मिन्भरे (न् + भ = न्भ)
- (2) उग्रम् + ऊतये → उग्रमूतये (म् + ऊ = मूतये; अनुस्वार/मकार-परिवर्तन वैदिक लेखनानुसार)
- (3) संजितम् + धनानाम् → संजितं धनानाम् (म् + ध → ं ध; परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We call Indra for happiness in this struggle, the best of men for winning; hearing us, fierce in aid in battles, he smites the Vṛtras and conquers riches.
Inner meaning
In the present inner ‘bearing’ (bhara)—the pressure of transformation—we invoke the bountiful illumined Mind (Maghavān Indra). He is nṛtama: the most capable leader in man, the power that wins vāja (plenitude/force). When our aspiration is heard, Indra becomes intense for our protection in inner conflicts, strikes down the coverers (vṛtrāṇi: psychological resistances), and gathers dhana (riches of being: powers, wideness, joy, knowledge) for the soul’s life.
Universal truth
Call the highest intelligence and courage in you during struggle; when aligned with aspiration, it destroys inner obstruction and converts conflict into lasting gain.
Themes
invocation for aid, victory in battles, smiting obstructions, spiritual wealth
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.48.1-4, RV 3.49.1-3, RV 3.62.10
Family tradition
A seer of conquest and widening: his hymns repeatedly convert struggle into illumination and increase.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s Indra is not merely martial but the inner champion who answers aspiration and makes the human a fit vessel for plenitude (vāja).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavān, nṛtama, ugra, vṛtrahan (implied: smiter of Vṛtra), dhana-saṃjit
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Victorious power that releases blocked energies and establishes wideness and prosperity in the worlds.
Inner power
Decisive illumination that responds to the call, protects in inner battle, and converts resistance into gain.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra in Soma rites and victory prayers
शु॒नं हु॑वेम म॒घवा॑न॒मिन्द्र॑म॒स्मिन्भरे॒ नृत॑मं॒ वाज॑सातौ । शृ॒ण्वन्त॑मु॒ग्रमू॒तये॑ स॒मत्सु॒ घ्नन्तं॑ वृ॒त्राणि॑ सं॒जितं॒ धना॑नाम् ॥
शु॒नम् । हु॒वे॒म॒ । म॒घवा॑नम् । इन्द्र॑म् । अ॒स्मिन् । भरे॑ । नृऽत॑मम् । वाज॑ऽसातौ । शृ॒ण्वन्त॑म् । उ॒ग्रम् । ऊ॒तये॑ । स॒मत्ऽसु॑ । घ्नन्त॑म् । वृ॒त्राणि॑ । स॒म्ऽजित॑म् । धना॑नाम् ॥
śunam | huvema | maghavānam | indram | asmin | bhare | nṛ-tamam | vāja-sātau | śṛṇvantam | ugram | ūtaye | samat-su | ghnantam | vṛtrāṇi | sam-jitam | dhanānām
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4×11 with strong caesura; compact imperative-invocation style.
Invocatory and rallying; energizing cadence suitable for battle imagery.
Creates a sense of being heard and supported; sharpens will and confidence to confront inner obstacles.
- śunam
- Literal: happiness, welfare. Symbolic: state of well-being grounded in inner alignment
- huvema
- Literal: we call/invoke. Symbolic: aspiration and conscious invocation
- maghavān
- Literal: bountiful. Symbolic: giver of inner riches—powers of consciousness
- bhare
- Literal: in the bearing/contest. Symbolic: the pressure of sādhanā and life-challenge
- nṛtama
- Literal: best of men. Symbolic: the highest leader-power in the human mentality
- vājasātau
- Literal: in the winning of vāja. Symbolic: attainment of plenitude: force, light, joy
- samatsu
- Literal: in battles. Symbolic: inner conflicts with desire, fear, inertia
- vṛtrāṇi
- Literal: Vṛtras/obstructors. Symbolic: coverings of ignorance, subconscient resistance
- dhanānām saṃjit
- Literal: winner/gatherer of riches. Symbolic: integration of liberated powers into the being
General Indra-invocation for victory and welfare; suitable in Soma offerings and in martial/contest settings within ritual symbolism.
When seeking aid in contest—ritual or symbolic ‘battle’—and for the winning of vāja.
Recite with offering/oblation; mentally offer struggle itself into the fire of aspiration and call Indra’s aid.
A ‘battle-mantra’ for stressful transitions: chant before difficult work, conflict resolution, or breaking addictive patterns—reframe as inner samat (battle) and invoke clarity.
vā́ja from √vaj ‘to be strong, drive’ → strength/plenitude; hence vāja-sāti ‘winning of plenitude’. samat ‘battle’ from sam + √mad/√mā? (Vedic term for encounter/contest; used idiomatically). dhanā from √dhan ‘to run/flow’ also ‘wealth’ → that which streams in as abundance when obstruction is broken.
vāja as plenitude of force, multiplicity of obstructions (vṛtrāṇi), hearing-response dynamic (śṛṇvantam) as grace
Indra’s smiting of vṛtra restores the right movement of energies (r̥ta) in the being.
True hearing (śṛṇvantam) implies a responsive universe when aspiration is sincere.
Conflict becomes a means of manifestation: obstruction is converted into wealth of being.
Integral psychological interpretation (deities as powers; riches as states of consciousness).
Battles are inner confrontations; ‘riches’ are recovered energies and luminous capacities freed from obstruction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as battle-hearer and obstruction-slayer who wins riches: the archetype of the responsive divine champion who, when invoked, breaks multiple coverings and secures vāja (plenitude of force) and dhana (richness of being).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nṛ́- ‘man’ (PIE *h₂nḗr) in nṛtama ‘most manly/best of men’ is a classic IE heroic register. The comparative-superlative style of epithets (nṛtama) is a shared Indo-European poetic habit.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes śravaṇa (hearing): Indra’s aid is triggered by a living call, not a mechanical rite. The requested ‘wealth’ is the gathered spiritual abundance that follows the removal of inner resistances.
Invoke Indra as the clear, courageous intelligence that hears the soul’s call and cuts through resistance.
maṇipūra (courage/will) with support from ājñā (discernment)
Brisk 3-part breathing for 12 cycles (inhale belly-ribs-chest), then steady exhale; on exhale mentally repeat ‘vṛtrāṇi ghnantam’.
Dynamic, alert, protected; readiness for decisive action.
Name the specific ‘vṛtra’ (habit/fear) silently. Invoke Indra for ‘śunam’ (stable well-being). After chanting, take one concrete action aligned with truth.
Standard Vedic udatta/anudatta/svarita flow; keep clear accent on índram, ugrám, vṛtrā́ṇi.
Let each pāda end cleanly; do not rush ‘vājasātau’; keep compound clarity in ‘saṃjitaṃ dhanānām’.
‘śunaṃ’ with ś (palatal) and short aṃ, ‘maghavānam’ keep gh voiced aspirate, ‘vṛtrāṇi’ retroflex ṛ; long ā, ‘saṃjitam’ nasal ‘ṃ’ before j as homorganic (sañjitam-like) in smooth chanting
Invocatory, bright, slightly martial; avoid harshness—aim for confident clarity.
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