Rig Veda 6.21.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.21
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
तमु स्तुष इन्द्रं यो विदानो गिर्वाहसं गीर्भिर्यज्ञवृद्धम् । यस्य दिवमति मह्ना पृथिव्याः पुरुमायस्य रिरिचे महित्वम् ॥
tamu stuṣe indraṃ yo vidāno girvāhasaṃ gīrbhir yajña-vṛddham | yasya divam ati mahnā pṛthivyāḥ puru-māyasya ririce mahi-tvam ||
Ihn preise ich — Indra, im Schauen erkannt, den Träger der inspirierten Lieder, durch das Opfer erstarkt. Seine Größe, vielfach an Macht, ist durch Kraft über Himmel und über Erde hinaus übergeströmt.
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed / andIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root उ (निपात)
- स्तुषे
- I praiseVerbलट्/वर्तमान-कालः, उत्तम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root √स्तु (स्तुतौ)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विदानः
- knowing, wiseAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (कर्तरि वर्तमान/परिपूर्णार्थक-प्रयोगः: ‘जानन्/विद्वान्’)Role कर्तृRoot √विद् (ज्ञाने) → विद्वस्/विदान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- गिर्वाहसम्
- the hymn-bearer (receiver of songs)Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot गिर्वाहस् (प्रातिपदिक; गिर्+वाह ‘स्तुतिवाहक/स्तोत्र-वाहक’)
- गीर्भिः
- with hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञवृद्धम्
- increased by sacrifice / who grows through worshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यज्ञ-वृद्ध (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- यस्य
- whosePronounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवम्
- heaven, skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot दिव्/द्यौः (प्रातिपदिक)
- अति
- beyond, overIndeclinableअव्ययम् (अतिक्रमणार्थे)Root अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मह्ना
- by greatness, by mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot मघन्/मह्न् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘महत्त्व/महिमा’)
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुमायस्य
- of the many-skilled / of manifold powerAdjective (genitive) / Epithetपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot पुरु-माय (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘बहु-माया/बहु-शक्ति’)
- रिरिचे
- has surpassed / has overflowedVerbलिट्/परिपूर्ण-भूतः (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √रिच् (विरेचने/रिक्ते)
- महित्वम्
- greatness, majestyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot महित्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘महत्ता’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): तमु → तम् + उ
- गीर्भिर्यज्ञवृद्धम् → गीर्भिः + यज्ञवृद्धम्. Remaining words are already in padapāṭha-like form. Syntactic note: ‘यस्य … महित्वम् रिरिचे’ = ‘whose majesty has surpassed (heaven) by greatness (and) (surpassed) the earth’
- ‘दिवम्’ is explicit object with implied parallel for ‘पृथिव्याः’ (genitive relation ‘of earth’ with sense ‘earth (too)’ in comparison)
The meaning
Outer meaning
I praise Indra, known to the knower, the bearer of songs, increased by sacrifice; his greatness, manifold in power, overflows beyond heaven and earth.
Inner meaning
Indra is not a distant deity but ‘known in the seeing’—recognized by inner experience (vidāna). He carries the inspired utterances (gīrvāhas) and grows in us by yajña: every sincere offering enlarges the illumined mind-force. His mahitva (greatness) exceeds the usual limits of our mental ‘heaven’ and physical ‘earth’—the consciousness can widen beyond both when Indra’s power is established.
Universal truth
Spiritual power increases by conscious self-offering; as it grows, it breaks the apparent ceilings of mind and matter and reveals a vaster being.
Themes
Magnification of Indra, Mantric potency (girvāhas), Transcendence beyond heaven-and-earth
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.21.1, RV 6.21.3, RV 6.23 (Bṛhaspati themes in the same mandala milieu)
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya inspiration: emphasis on dhī, mantra, and yajña as means of inner enlargement; Indra as ally of the seer’s speech.
Significance
The seer presents a criterion of authenticity: Indra is ‘known’ by inner seeing and confirmed by the growth of illumination through practice (yajña).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Gīrvāhas, Yajñavṛddha, Purumāya
- Related deities
- Agni (as priest/fire of sacrifice), Soma (as delight offering), Bṛhaspati (as lord of inspired word)
Cosmic role
Sustains the sacrificer by accepting Soma and hymns; expands the luminous heaven of mind; surpasses the fixed measures of cosmos in his might.
Inner power
Experiential illumination that grows with practice; the capacity to widen consciousness beyond mental and physical constraints.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stuti during Soma offerings; praise after invocation
तमु॑ स्तुष॒ इन्द्रं॒ यो विदा॑नो॒ गिर्वा॑हसं गी॒र्भिर्य॒ज्ञवृ॑द्धम् । यस्य॒ दिव॒मति॑ म॒ह्ना पृ॑थि॒व्याः पु॑रुमा॒यस्य॑ रिरि॒चे म॑हि॒त्वम् ॥
तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । स्तु॒षे॒ । इन्द्र॑म् । यः । विदा॑नः । गिर्वा॑हसम् । गीः॒ऽभिः । य॒ज्ञऽवृ॑द्धम् । यस्य॑ । दिव॑म् । अति॑ । म॒ह्ना । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । पु॒रु॒ऽमा॒यस्य॑ । रि॒रि॒चे । म॒हि॒ऽत्वम् ॥
tam | oṃ iti | stuṣe | indram | yaḥ | vidānaḥ | girvāhasam | gīḥ-bhiḥ | yajña-vṛddham | yasya | divam | ati | mahnā | pṛthivyāḥ | puru-māyasya | ririce | mahi-tvam
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Majestic, declarative; suited to praise and statement of vastness (mahnā, mahitvam).
Builds confidence and wideness; the cadence naturally ‘overflows’ at line endings, mirroring ririce.
- विदानो (vidāno)
- Literal: knowing/knower, one who knows. Symbolic: inner witness who has tasted the god; experiential knowledge
- गिर्वाहसम् (gīrvāhasam)
- Literal: carrier of songs. Symbolic: power that bears mantra into effective illumination; supports inspired expression
- यज्ञवृद्धम् (yajñavṛddham)
- Literal: increased by sacrifice. Symbolic: divine force augmented in the being by repeated offerings (practice) and sincerity
- पुरुमायस्य (purumāyasya)
- Literal: of many powers/arts. Symbolic: manifold modes of illumination and action; flexible divine intelligence
- दिवम्/पृथिव्याः (divam/pṛthivyāḥ)
- Literal: heaven/earth. Symbolic: mind-plane and physical/vital foundation; limits to be exceeded
- रिरिचे (ririce)
- Literal: has overflowed. Symbolic: superabundant consciousness spilling beyond boundaries
Indra-stotra in Soma worship; praise that magnifies Indra’s presence (inner and outer) by yajña.
During Soma pressing/chanting cycles; also as a hymn of affirmation of Indra’s greatness.
Recitation with oblation and stoma; reinforcing the deity’s presence through praise.
Affirmation mantra for practitioners: ‘illumination grows by my offering’; useful after meditation to seal the experience of wideness.
√stu ‘praise’ → stuṣe (1sg middle). vidāna ‘knowing’ from √vid ‘know’ (PIE *weyd-). gir-vāhas ‘song-bearing’ (√vah ‘carry’, PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey’). yajña-vṛddha ‘grown by yajña’ (√vṛdh ‘increase’, PIE *werdʰ-). mahán/mahnā from √mah ‘be great’. māyā here as power of measurement/formation (√mā ‘measure’, PIE *meh₁-), not illusionism; puru-māyā = many effective formations.
R̥ta via yajña (right action increasing divine force), Bṛhat/Vastness (greatness surpassing dyāvāpṛthivī)
Yajña is the human participation in ṛta; Indra grows where the right exchange between human and divine is maintained.
True knowledge is ‘known in seeing’—satya verified inwardly, not merely believed.
Overflow beyond heaven/earth hints at supra-cosmic wideness; the gods as powers exceeding formed measures.
Vedic experientialism leading toward Upaniṣadic ‘greater than heaven/earth’ wideness (bṛhat).
Heaven = luminous mind; earth = embodied base; Indra’s overflow = consciousness exceeding both in a higher wideness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s 'overflowing greatness' beyond heaven and earth: a vastness-motif where the deity exceeds the cosmic frame. Psychologically, the invoked Power outgrows the limits of mental (dyu) and physical (pṛthivī) consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid (vidāna) < PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (cf. Gk oîda). √vah (vāhas) < PIE *weǵʰ- ‘carry/transport’ (cf. Lat vehō). √mā (māyā) < PIE *meh₁- ‘measure’ (cf. Gk métron).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s gīr (songs) and yajña are not flattery but a technology of increase: by offering, the human enlarges the channel for Indra’s force; Indra, in turn, bears the songs (girvāhas), i.e., makes the mantra effective in experience.
Shift from belief to ‘vidāna’: recall one direct sign of inner illumination; offer it back through gratitude and mantra.
āñjā (seeing/knowing) and sahasrāra (wideness beyond mind)
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale (2–3 seconds) while feeling ‘wideness’; exhale with the chant allowing ‘overflow’.
Widened, luminous awareness exceeding habitual mental limits.
Chant slowly, then pause after each pāda to sense expansion. End by resting attention above the head, imagining Indra’s ‘mahitvam’ as a vast sky of consciousness.
Tri-svara; keep clear udātta on índram and gī́rvāhasam per accent tradition; maintain fall on svarita endings.
Let ‘yajñavṛddham’ be pronounced as a single strong unit; keep ‘ati’ phrases (ati divam ati pṛthivyāḥ) rhythmically parallel.
gīrvāhasam: long ī; articulate vāh as ‘vaah’., yajñavṛddham: nasal ñ + vṛddh cluster carefully., purumāyasya: keep u short/long as written; avoid inserting extra vowels., pṛthivyāḥ: retroflex ṛ and aspirated th.
Grave, expansive, reverent; allow spacious pauses.
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