Rig Veda 3.51.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 51, Mantra 1
Sukta 3.51
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
चर्षणीधृतं मघवानमुक्थ्यमिन्द्रं गिरो बृहतीरभ्यनूषत । वावृधानं पुरुहूतं सुवृक्तिभिरमर्त्यं जरमाणं दिवेदिवे ॥
carṣaṇīdhṛ́taṃ maghavā́nam ukthyàm índraṃ gíro bṛhatī́r abhyànūṣata | vāvṛdhānám puruhūtáṃ suvṛ́ktibhir ámartyaṃ jarámāṇaṃ divédive ||
Die großen Lieder erschollen zu Indra, dem Freigebigen, von den Völkern getragen, des Gesangs würdig. Den immer weiter Wachsenden, den Vielgerufenen, mit wohlgefügten Worten—den Unsterblichen—preist man Tag um Tag als die dauernde Kraft unseres Voranschreitens.
Word by Word
- चर्षणीधृतम्
- the supporter of the peoples (men)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (स्तुत्य-देवता ‘इन्द्रम्’ का विशेषण)Root चर्षणी-धृत (प्रातिपदिक; धृत < √धृ ‘धारणे’)
- मघवानम्
- the bountiful oneNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उक्थ्यम्
- worthy of hymns / to be praised with recitationAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; उक्थ ‘स्तुति’ से)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अनूषत् का)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अनूषत् का)Root गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहतीः
- lofty, greatAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (गिरः का विशेषण)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)अव्ययRole (उपसर्ग) क्रियाविशेषण—‘की ओर/पर’Root अभि
- अनूषत
- they praised / they sangVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वच्/√उष्? (वैदिक: अनूष् ‘स्तुतौ’), धातु: √नूष्/√उष् (स्तुतौ)
- वावृधानम्
- ever-growing, strengthenedParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root वावृधान (कृदन्त; √वृध् ‘वर्धने’)
- पुरुहूतम्
- much-invokedAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root पुरुहूत (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु + हूत < √ह्वे/√हू ‘आह्वाने’)
- सुवृक्तिभिः
- with well-fashioned hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (अनूषत्—‘किससे?’)Root सुवृक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सु + वृक्ति ‘स्तुति/रचना’)
- अमर्त्यम्
- immortalAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root अमर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + मर्त्य)
- जरमाणम्
- ageing/long-enduring (venerable)Participle (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् का विशेषण)Root जरमाण (कृदन्त; √जॄ/√जर् ‘क्षये/जीर्णे’—वैदिक प्रयोग: ‘वृद्ध/प्रौढ’ अथवा ‘स्तुत’ संदर्भ में)
- दिवे-दिवे
- day by dayNoun (reduplicated phrase)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिRole अधिकरण (काल—‘कब?’)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिवस/दिव)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: चर्षणीधृतम् | मघवानम् | उक्थ्यम् | इन्द्रम् | गिरः | बृहतीः | अभि | अनूषत । वावृधानम् | पुरुहूतम् | सुवृक्तिभिः | अमर्त्यम् | जरमाणम् | दिवे-दिवे । Sandhi: (1) गिरो बृहतीरभ्यनूषत = गिरः + बृहतीः + अभि + अनूषत (विसर्ग-लोप: गिरः→गिरो; ईः + अ→ईर; अभि + अनूषत→अभ्यनूषत). (2) सुवृक्तिभिरमर्त्यम् = सुवृक्तिभिः + अमर्त्यम् (विसर्ग→र् before vowel). (3) दिवे दिवे is a fixed पुनरुक्ति
- often written दिवेदिवे
The meaning
Outer meaning
Great hymns rise to Indra—bounteous, upheld by the peoples, worthy of praise; he grows by well-made words, immortal, praised day by day.
Inner meaning
The ‘great hymns’ (giraḥ bṛhatīḥ) are expansive mantric movements that lift the consciousness toward Indra, the illumined mind. ‘Upheld by the peoples’ (carṣaṇīdhṛtam) signifies that this power is supported by the many parts of the being when they consent to the higher will. Indra ‘grows’ (vāvṛdhānam) by right-formulated speech (suvṛkti): true mantra increases the effective presence of illumination in us. ‘Day by day’ marks progressive realization—an enduring inner companion as we advance.
Universal truth
What we repeatedly affirm with truthful speech and intention becomes stronger in consciousness; sustained, well-shaped practice makes illumination a stable, living power.
Themes
praise and invocation, mantra-craft (suvṛkti), increase of divine force (vāvṛdhāna), daily practice
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kuśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.51, RV 3.53, RV 3.62
Family tradition
A tradition of enlarging consciousness through bṛhat (vast) speech and heroic aspiration toward svar.
Significance
This verse captures the Aurobindonian key: mantra is not ornament but a force that increases the god’s action in the human instrument.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavān, Ukthya, Puruhūta, Amartya
- Related deities
- Agni (mouth of sacrifice), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Soma (delight fueling Indra)
Cosmic role
Receiver of hymns and breaker of limits; he grows through the sacrifice and empowers the ascent to higher worlds.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence that becomes more operative as speech, thought, and will become true and well-shaped.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise (śastra/stotra style) in Soma rites; daily recitation by a practitioner seeking steadiness of illumination
च॒र्ष॒णी॒धृतं॑ म॒घवा॑नमु॒क्थ्य१॒॑मिन्द्रं॒ गिरो॑ बृह॒तीर॒भ्य॑नूषत । वा॒वृ॒धा॒नं पु॑रुहू॒तं सु॑वृ॒क्तिभि॒रम॑र्त्यं॒ जर॑माणं दि॒वेदि॑वे ॥
च॒र्ष॒णि॒ऽधृत॑म् । म॒घऽवा॑नम् । उ॒क्थ्य॑म् । इन्द्र॑म् । गिरः॑ । बृ॒ह॒तीः । अ॒भि । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । व॒वृ॒ध॒नम् । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒तम् । सु॒वृ॒क्तिऽभिः॑ । अम॑र्त्यम् । जर॑माणम् । दि॒वेऽदि॑वे ॥
carṣaṇi-dhṛtam | magha-vānam | ukthyam | indram | giraḥ | bṛhatīḥ | abhi | anūṣata | vavṛdhanam | puru-hūtam | suvṛkti-bhiḥ | amartyam | jaramāṇam | dive--dive
44
4 × ~11
Expansive and stately; ‘bṛhatīr’ feel—wide breath lines.
Stabilizes devotion and confidence; encourages daily continuity and steady uplift.
- गिरः बृहतीः (giraḥ bṛhatīḥ)
- Literal: great/lofty hymns. Symbolic: expansive mantra-thoughts that widen mind
- चर्षणीधृतम् (carṣaṇīdhṛtam)
- Literal: held by the peoples/men. Symbolic: supported by all parts of the nature when unified
- उक्थ्यम् (ukthyam)
- Literal: worthy of recitation. Symbolic: that which answers to true invocation—responsive power
- पुरुहूतम् (puruhūtam)
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: ever-accessible higher force through repeated call
- सुवृक्तिभिः (suvṛktibhiḥ)
- Literal: with well-turned words. Symbolic: mantra that is accurate, luminous, rightly formed
- अमर्त्यम् (amartyam)
- Literal: immortal. Symbolic: deathless consciousness-power beyond ego-time
- दिवेदिवे (dive-dive)
- Literal: day by day. Symbolic: steady continuity of sādhanā and growth
Daily praise within Soma/Indra cycle; emphasizes mantra-craft (suvṛkti) as sustaining link
At points of Indra-stuti; also suited to daily morning or evening repetition (dive-dive).
Recite with attention to well-formed utterance (suvṛkti), treating speech as offering.
A ‘daily Indra’ mantra: use to build consistency, strengthen clarity, and unify scattered parts of the personality behind one higher aim.
carṣaṇī 'peoples' (human communities) + dhṛta from √dhṛ 'held' → 'supported by the peoples' (also: supports the peoples). ukthya from uktha 'hymn' (√vac/√ukṣ?; uktha as liturgical chant) meaning 'praiseworthy by chant'. bṛhatīḥ 'great' echoes bṛhat (vast), central to Satyam Ṛtam Bṛhat. vāvṛdhāna from √vṛdh 'grow'. puru-hūta from puru 'many' + √hū 'call'.
Bṛhat (vastness) via bṛhatī giras, collective human support of divine force (carṣaṇīdhṛta), immortality as timeless power in the work
Right speech aligns with r̥ta; then Indra’s force can act without distortion.
Indra as amartya signifies truth-consciousness beyond decay; daily praise is a progressive approach to satya.
Speech as creative: hymns ‘raise’ and ‘increase’ divine action in manifestation.
Mantra-śakti oriented Vedic yoga (anticipating Upaniṣadic emphasis on inner realization).
daily (dive-dive)
Daily cycle = steady practice; growth = increasing presence of illumined mind; ‘peoples’ = many faculties unified.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the 'ever-growing Indra' sustained by continual invocation: divine force increases through the right-formed word and repeated calling, a poetics of augmentation rather than a one-time miracle.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh 'grow' is a common Indo-European semantic. The formula puru-hūta (many-called) reflects an inherited cultic pattern where the deity’s presence is intensified by repeated vocal invocation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi and community (carṣaṇī) uphold Indra by mantra (giras, suvṛkti); Indra in turn is the immortal power that grows in them, enabling the daily advance of consciousness. The reciprocity is explicitly linguistic: right speech sustains right force.
Mantra as ‘well-turned word’: cultivate truthful speech and thought so illumination can grow in the system.
viśuddha (speech) supporting ājñā (illumined mind)
Slow, even breathing; chant one pada per exhale, pause briefly between padas.
Quietly uplifted, steady, devotional clarity.
Before chanting, set an intention to speak inwardly with precision. After chanting, sit 2–3 minutes noticing a ‘larger mind’ above the forehead, inviting Indra to ‘grow’ there through silence.
Maintain Vedic accents; keep ‘índram’ and key epithets clearly lifted; avoid flattening compound accents.
Let the line ‘dive-dive’ land gently—no punch; it’s continuity rather than battle.
carṣaṇīdhṛtam: retroflex ṣ; long ī; cluster dhṛ- with vocalic ṛ., ukthyam: aspirate ‘th’ clearly., jaramāṇam: soft ‘j’, long ā in -mā-.
Clear, resonant, unhurried.
7
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.
