Rig Veda 6.52.11: Mandala 6, Sukta 52, Mantra 11
Sukta 6.52
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Devata
- Viśve Devāḥ / multiple deities invoked
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स्तोत्रमिन्द्रो मरुद्गणस्त्वष्टृमान्मित्रो अर्यमा । इमा हव्या जुषन्त नः ॥
stotrám índro marúdgaṇas tváṣṭṛmān mitró aryámā | imā́ havyā́ júṣanta naḥ ||
Mögen Indra, die Schar der Maruts, Tvaṣṭṛ, der Bildner, Mitra und Aryaman diese unsere Opfergaben freudig annehmen—unsere Darbringungen.
Word by Word
- स्तोत्रम्
- hymn of praiseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (of implied verb like ‘we offer/recite’)Root स्तोत्र (स्तु- ‘to praise’ > स्तोत्र ‘praise-hymn’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुद्गणः
- the troop of MarutsNoun (collective)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मरुत् + गण (समास: मरुद्-गण)
- त्वष्टृमान्
- Tvaṣṭṛ-possessing / associated with TvaṣṭṛAdjective (possessive)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (appositional epithet) / Viśeṣaṇa of a nominative subjectRoot त्वष्टृ + मतुप् (त्वष्टृ-मान् ‘possessing Tvaṣṭṛ/connected with Tvaṣṭṛ’)
- मित्रः
- MitraNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्यमा
- AryamanNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक; nom. sg. अर्यमा)
- इमा
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- हव्या
- oblations, offeringsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole Karma (object of ‘enjoy/accept’)Root हव्य (√हु ‘to sacrifice/invoke’ > हव्य ‘oblation, offering’)
- जुषन्त
- may they accept / enjoyVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपद; तृतीया पुरुष; बहुवचनRole (Verb) — action of the Kartā-s toward the KarmaRoot √जुष् (to enjoy, accept, be pleased)
- नः
- for us; ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic) ‘of us/our’Role Sampradāna (beneficiary, ‘for us’) / Genitive relation with the actRoot अस्मद् (enclitic pronoun)
Sandhi Notes
- Samhitā text: ‘स्तोत्रमिन्द्रो मरुद्गणस्त्वष्टृमान्मित्रो अर्यमा । इमा हव्या जुषन्त नः ॥’ Sandhi resolutions: (1) स्तोत्रम् + इन्द्रः → स्तोत्रमिन्द्रो (final -म् before vowel; visarga of इन्द्रः realized as -ओ in saṃhitā)
- (2) मरुद्गणः + त्वष्टृमान् → मरुद्गणस्त्वष्टृमान् (visarga before voiceless त् becomes -स्)
- (3) त्वष्टृमान् + मित्रः → त्वष्टृमान्मित्रो (final -न् before म becomes -न्; visarga of मित्रः realized as -ओ)
- Other junctures are either pause (।) or simple vowel contact without further change
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra with the Marut host, Tvaṣṭṛ, Mitra, and Aryaman are asked to accept the hymn/praise and these offerings.
Inner meaning
A coordinated inner invocation: Indra (illumined mind) supported by the Maruts (dynamic life-forces that storm and clear the path), Tvaṣṭṛ (the formative artisan shaping the inner instruments), Mitra (harmony, right relation), and Aryaman (noble aspiration, the force of right companionship and social-ethical order). The ‘stotra’ is not mere praise but a mantra-form that organizes consciousness; the ‘havyā’ are inner oblations—will, aspiration, clarified emotions—offered for transformation.
Universal truth
Integral growth requires multiple divine functions: illumination, energetic purification, right formation, harmony, and noble aspiration must act together for the offering to be received.
Themes
Invocation, Divine acceptance of offering, Harmony-and-order powers, Inner sacrifice
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya tradition)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.47 (Indra), RV 6.48 (Agni), RV 6.49 (All-Gods), RV 6.52
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns frequently coordinate multiple deities as cooperating powers in the inner yajña.
Significance
The rishi’s vision emphasizes a practical synthesis: illumination (Indra) must be supported by purified force (Maruts) and right formation (Tvaṣṭṛ) within a harmonized relational field (Mitra-Aryaman).
The deity
- Devata
- Composite invocation (Indra, Maruts, Tvaṣṭṛ, Mitra, Aryaman) under Viśvedevas frame
- Epithets
- marudgaṇaḥ (for Indra), tvaṣṭṛ-mān
- Related deities
- Agni, Varuṇa, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Indra leads the victory of light; Maruts energize and purify the atmosphere; Tvaṣṭṛ forms creatures and instruments; Mitra-Aryaman uphold social/cosmic concord and the noble path.
Inner power
A fivefold inner action: illumine, energize, shape, harmonize, ennoble—so the offering becomes acceptable and transformative.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra/śastra context in soma rites; general offering formula to multiple deities
स्तो॒त्रमिन्द्रो॑ म॒रुद्ग॑ण॒स्त्वष्टृ॑मान्मि॒त्रो अ॑र्य॒मा । इ॒मा ह॒व्या जु॑षन्त नः ॥
स्तो॒त्रम् । इन्द्रः॑ । म॒रुत्ऽग॑णः । त्वष्टृ॑ऽमान् । मि॒त्रः । अ॒र्य॒मा । इ॒मा । ह॒व्या । जु॒ष॒न्त॒ । नः॒ ॥
stotram | indraḥ | marut-gaṇaḥ | tvaṣṭṛ-mān | mitraḥ | aryamā | imā | havyā | juṣanta | naḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (approximate)
Forward-driving and expansive; suited to enumerating powers and making a strong request.
Elicits vigour and uplift; builds a sense of assembled strength and readiness for action.
- स्तोत्रम् (stotram)
- Literal: hymn of praise. Symbolic: mantric formulation that aligns mind and speech with higher truth
- इन्द्रः (indraḥ)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine mind/illumination; power that breaks obstruction and releases the rays
- मरुत्गणः (marut-gaṇaḥ)
- Literal: host of Maruts. Symbolic: dynamic life-energies that support the illumined advance; purifying storms of prāṇa
- त्वष्टृमान् (tvaṣṭṛ-mān)
- Literal: possessing Tvaṣṭṛ / with Tvaṣṭṛ. Symbolic: the shaping intelligence that fashions the inner vessel fit for the godhead
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, right relation, luminous balance in mind and life
- अर्यमा (aryamā)
- Literal: Aryaman. Symbolic: noble striving, right companionship, the upholding of inner law and aspiration
- हव्या (havyā)
- Literal: offerings to be invoked. Symbolic: aspirations and will-movements made ready for higher reception
- जुषन्त (juṣanta)
- Literal: may they enjoy/accept. Symbolic: may the divine powers take up and intensify our inner offering
General yajña-invocation context; suitable for Vaiśvadeva or multi-deity offering sequences where acceptability (juṣ-) is requested
When calling key powers to accept the oblation and the praise-song
Recitation of praise and offering into fire; invitation to accept (juṣ-)
Use as an ‘inner alignment’ mantra before work or sādhanā: invoke illumination (Indra), energetic clarity (Maruts), right shaping (Tvaṣṭṛ), harmony (Mitra), and noble direction (Aryaman).
Key roots: stótram < √stū ‘praise, extol’ (speech as intensifier of will); havya < √hu ‘invoke/offer’ (the offering is also the act of calling down power); juṣanta < √juṣ ‘to relish, approve, accept’ (divine assent). tváṣṭṛ < √tvaṣ ‘to fashion, form’ (shaping force). mitrá (from *mi- ‘to bind/measure’ in the sense of covenant/harmony); aryamán related to ā́rya ‘noble’ and social/ethical ordering.
Ṛta (right order) via Mitra–Aryaman harmonizing powers, divine assent (juṣ-) as confirmation of right offering
Implicit: Mitra-Aryaman especially signify ordered relations; Indra-Maruts act to restore ṛta by removing obstruction.
Truth expressed as right formation (Tvaṣṭṛ) and right relation (Mitra).
Formation and re-formation of the human instrument so higher powers can inhabit it.
Vedic yoga of integral powers (illumination + force + harmony)
Storm = prāṇic purification and momentum; formation = re-patterning of habits and faculties; harmony = balanced interchange in the psyche.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic act is not combat but ‘divine ratification’: multiple cosmic powers are asked to ‘enjoy/accept’ the offering. In inner terms, the seeker seeks alignment of mind-force (Indra), life-dynamism (Maruts), formative shaping (Tvaṣṭṛ), and harmonizing law (Mitra–Aryaman) so the sacrifice becomes effective in Ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- juṣ- ‘enjoy/approve’ parallels Indo-European notions of ‘tasting/liking’ as assent; √hu ‘invoke/offer’ is an old ritual root (cf. Avestan zaotar ‘hotar’ as ritual function; the calling/bringing is central). Mitra is a clear Indo-Iranian isogloss (Vedic Mitra / Avestan Miθra) tied to covenant/harmony.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is framed as: the rishi offers stotra and havya (concentrated speech-will and inner oblation), and the gods respond by juṣ- (consenting, entering, and making the offering efficacious). The relationship is cooperative: divine powers are invited to take their proper places within the human offering.
Invoke a coordinated inner action: illumined understanding (Indra) + energized aspiration (Maruts) + reshaping of inner nature (Tvaṣṭṛ) + harmony (Mitra) + noble steadfastness (Aryaman).
manipura (vīrya) with anahata (harmony)
Brisk 3-part breathing (dirgha) for one minute, then settle to even breathing while reciting
Strong, uplifted, organized
After chanting, pause and feel which power is most needed today (clarity, energy, reshaping, harmony, nobility). Offer one concrete inner movement (a resolve) as havyā.
Not fully specified; keep Vedic accent where marked in the provided Sanskrit; avoid flattening the cadence across deity names.
Give clear weight to the deity list (indraḥ marut-gaṇaḥ tvaṣṭṛ-mān mitro aryamā) and resolve softly on juṣanta naḥ.
Retroflex ṣ in tvaṣṭṛ (not ‘tvashtri’)., Keep ṛ in indro (indraḥ) and aryamā with open ‘ā’., Marut-gaṇaḥ: pronounce gaṇaḥ with cerebral ṇ.
bright, confident, slightly energetic
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