Rig Veda 6.44.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 44, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.44
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यः शग्मस्तुविशग्म ते रायो दामा मतीनाम् । सोमः सुतः स इन्द्र तेऽस्ति स्वधापते मदः ॥
yáḥ śagmás tuvíśagma te rāyó dā́mā matīnā́m | sómaḥ sutáḥ sá índra té’sti svadhā́pate mádaḥ ||
Dieser ausgepresste Soma — stark, überaus stark — wird dir, o Indra, zum Spender und Binder der Füllen für unsere Gedanken; er ist dein Rausch, o Herr der Svadhā.
Word by Word
- यः
- who, whichPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-निर्देशक (relative; links to implied ‘सः’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शग्मः
- mighty, vigorousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (of the subject ‘सः/सोमः’)Root शग्म (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण)
- तुविशग्म
- O very-mighty oneAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (addressed to Indra)Root तुवि-शग्म (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘बहु/अति’ + ‘शग्म’)
- ते
- of you; to youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (Vedic enclitic ‘te’)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of you/your’)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- of wealth, of richesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive dependent on ‘दामा’)Root राय्/रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दामा
- gift, share, portionNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (Vedic form ‘दामा’)Role कर्म/प्राप्तव्य (that which is given/obtained: ‘gift/portion’)Root दामन् (प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग)
- मतीनाम्
- of thoughts; of hymns/prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of thoughts/prayers’)Root मती (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed sacred drink)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed, expressedParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifies ‘सोमः’)Root √सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त, भूतकृत/PPP)
- सः
- he; that (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (resumptive of ‘यः’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to you; for youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान (dative: ‘for you/to you’)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √अस् (अस्ति)
- स्वधापते
- O lord of svadhā (self-power/ritual nourishment)Noun (compound, epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot स्वधा-पति (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- exhilaration, intoxication, raptureNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता/भाव (predicate-noun: ‘the exhilaration’)Root मद (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved: तेऽस्ति → ते अस्ति. Other items are already pada-separated in the saṃhitā text
- vocatives: तुविशग्म, इन्द्र, स्वधापते. Note Vedic enclitic te can function as genitive (‘of you’) or dative (‘to/for you’) by context
- here first te is taken as genitive with ‘रायः’, second te as dative with ‘अस्ति’
The meaning
Outer meaning
The pressed Soma, strong and very strong, becomes for you, Indra, the giver and binder of riches for our thoughts; it is your rapture, lord of svadhā.
Inner meaning
Soma-Ananda is ‘śagma/tuviśagma’: a delight that is not soft indulgence but powerful, capable of overcoming inertia and resistance. It becomes ‘rāyo dāmā matīnām’—the arranger and binder of plenitudes for the ‘matī’ (inspired thoughts/intentions). In Aurobindonian terms, delight organizes the movements of thought into a coherent luminous formation; it binds scattered energies into a unified will under the illumined Mind (Indra).
Universal truth
Lasting mental harmony is born when joy becomes strong and organizing—binding scattered thoughts into a single meaningful direction.
Themes
Empowerment of thought, Indra-force, Soma-ecstasy
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Lineage
- Bārhaspatya
- Other hymns
- RV 6.44.1, RV 6.44.3, RV 6.44.4
Family tradition
A Bharadvāja hallmark: the Word and thought (matī) must be made effective by Soma-fed force; not mere contemplation.
Significance
The seer indicates a psychology of sādhanā: delight is an integrating power that binds the mind’s movements into a single luminous formation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- svadhāpati, receiver of strong Soma (śagma)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Organizer of victorious energies; establishes coherent luminous action in the human instrument.
Inner power
Integrative illumination: the capacity to gather scattered thoughts and drives into a unified, effective will.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma offering; praise of Soma’s strengthening quality
यः श॒ग्मस्तु॑विशग्म ते रा॒यो दा॒मा म॑ती॒नाम् । सोम॑: सु॒तः स इ॑न्द्र॒ तेऽस्ति॑ स्वधापते॒ मद॑: ॥
यः । श॒ग्मः । तु॒वि॒ऽश॒ग्म॒ । ते॒ । रा॒यः । दा॒मा । म॒ती॒नाम् । सोमः॑ । सु॒तः । सः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । ते॒ । अस्ति॑ । स्व॒धा॒ऽप॒ते॒ मदः॑ ॥
yaḥ | śagmaḥ | tuvi-śagma | te | rāyaḥ | dāmā | matīnām | somaḥ | sutaḥ | saḥ | indra | te | asti | svadhāpatemadaḥ
44
4 × 11 (probable)
Strong marching rhythm; emphasis on repeated strength-words creates intensification.
Builds firmness and integration; helpful when mind is scattered or weak-willed.
- śagmaḥ
- Literal: strong, vigorous. Symbolic: robust Ananda that can support transformation
- tuviśagma
- Literal: very strong, vehemently strong. Symbolic: intensified delight-force that breaks tamas and hesitation
- rāyaḥ
- Literal: riches, plenitudes. Symbolic: inner resources: capacity, wideness, effective energies
- dāmā
- Literal: binder, band, girdle. Symbolic: power of integration—holding energies together in right order
- matīnām
- Literal: of thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: higher thinkings (matī) that receive revelation and shape intention
- madaḥ
- Literal: rapture. Symbolic: exalting force that empowers Indra’s victorious action
Soma offering to Indra to strengthen mental powers (matī) and secure plenitude (rāyaḥ) as a stable attainment.
During Soma libations or Indra śastra/stotra sequences.
Chant to invite Indra and affirm Soma as strength and organizer of prosperity.
Use before focused work: chant to gather attention; then set a single sankalpa (matī) and hold it steadily (dāmā).
śagmá ‘strong’ (connected with vigor/ability; traditional gloss ‘able, powerful’). tuví- ‘much, vehement’ (PIE *tewH- ‘swell, be strong’ often proposed for tuvi/tavas). matí from √man ‘to think’ (PIE *men- ‘think’) indicates inspired cognition. dā́man/dā́mā related to √dā ‘to give’ and also ‘bond/arrangement’; here: the power that both bestows and stabilizes plenitude within thought.
Matī (inspired thought), Rayi (plenitude), Svadhā (self-law)
‘Binding’ (dāmā) suggests the ṛta-principle of right linking and measure in the mind.
True thought (matī) becomes effective when held together by delight-force.
From Ananda arises ordered formation—coherence in mental creation.
Yoga of integral transformation: Ananda as shakti that organizes mind and life.
Strong Soma = intensified joy; binder = attention that holds; riches = capacities that accrue when mind is unified.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the ‘strength-maker’ of Indra: the offering is not merely poured but becomes a power that organizes plenitude for inspired thought. The mythic pattern is Indra’s augmentation through Soma leading to effective mastery in the field of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- matí (√man) aligns with PIE *men- ‘mind, think’, showing the Indo-European valorization of inspired intelligence. The intensifier tuví parallels IE poetic intensification strategies (superlatives, reduplicated strength-epithets) to mark divine potency.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer offers Soma as a consciously prepared force so Indra may ‘bind’ plenitude into the seeker’s matī-s. The reciprocity is cognitive: the god’s victory becomes the human’s clarified and strengthened thought-power.
Unification of thought by delight: ‘Let joy bind my mind into one will.’
Manipura (will) harmonized with Ajna (directive thought).
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 while holding one luminous intention (matī) at brow; feel joy as the ‘band’ stabilizing it.
Collected (ekāgratā) with energized calm.
When scattered, chant 3/9 times; then write one sentence of highest intention and sit with it for 2 minutes, feeling a quiet gladness behind it.
Rigvedic accents as per śākhā; keep stress-energy on śágmaḥ / túviśagma.
Make a clear pause at pāda breaks; articulate ‘rāyo dāmā matīnām’ as one linked phrase (binder-of-riches-for-thoughts).
śagmaḥ: ‘ś’ palatal; ‘gh’ voiced aspirate, tuviśagma: split tu-vi-śag-ma, dāmā: long ā; retroflex not needed, matīnām: long ī; nasal ‘m’ at end
Firm, gathered, slightly commanding; avoid rushing.
9
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