Rig Veda Sukta 44
Mandala 10Sukta 4411 Mantras

Sukta 44

Sukta 10.44

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Trishtubh (probable; needs metrical confirmation)

Este himno es una invocación a Indra como fuerza dueña de sí misma y conforme a la ley (ṛta), que se lanza hacia el gozo del Soma y vence toda resistencia mediante una vasta vṛṣṇi (poder heroico). Entreteje alabanza e instrucción: los «primeros, llamados por los dioses» —los pioneros— alcanzan una gloria difícil de cruzar, mientras que los ineptos no logran subir a la «barca» sacrificial y se hunden. La plegaria final se expande en protección en todas direcciones: Bṛhaspati guarda desde atrás e Indra abre para sus compañeros un espacio seguro y amplio.

Recitation with translationRig Veda 10.44

Mantras

Mantra 1

आ यात्विन्द्रः स्वपतिर्मदाय यो धर्मणा तूतुजानस्तुविष्मान् । प्रत्वक्षाणो अति विश्वा सहांस्यपारेण महता वृष्ण्येन ॥

Que venga Indra, señor de su propio dominio, para el éxtasis (máda); él que, conforme al Dharma, se lanza hacia delante, poderoso, sobrepasando todas las resistencias con una fuerza heroica inconmensurable, vasta, de toro.

Mantra 2

सुष्ठामा रथः सुयमा हरी ते मिम्यक्ष वज्रो नृपते गभस्तौ । शीभं राजन्त्सुपथा याह्यर्वाङ्वर्धाम ते पपुषो वृष्ण्यानि ॥

Bien asentado está tu carro, bien guiados tus dos corceles; tu Váǰra está firme en tu mano, oh señor de los hombres. Ven presto, oh rey, por los buenos caminos hacia nosotros; acrecentamos tus poderes heroicos cuando bebes.

Mantra 3

एन्द्रवाहो नृपतिं वज्रबाहुमुग्रमुग्रासस्तविषास एनम् । प्रत्वक्षसं वृषभं सत्यशुष्ममेमस्मत्रा सधमादो वहन्तु ॥

Oh portadores de Indra, traed aquí al señor de los hombres, con el vajra en el brazo: fiero, llevado por los fieros, por las fuerzas poderosas. Traed al Toro que avanza al frente, de vigor verdadero y seguro; que los compañeros del gozo común (sadhāmāda) lo conduzcan hasta nosotros aquí.

Mantra 4

एवा पतिं द्रोणसाचं सचेतसमूर्जः स्कम्भं धरुण आ वृषायसे । ओजः कृष्व सं गृभाय त्वे अप्यसो यथा केनिपानामिनो वृधे ॥

Así creces como el señor que sostiene el drona-sāc (el recipiente del soma), el consciente; como pilar de la plenitud, sostén en el fundamento, hacia la fuerza de toro. Forja la potencia; recógela en ti, para que seas el señor que impulsa el crecimiento de los bebedores.

Mantra 5

गमन्नस्मे वसून्या हि शंसिषं स्वाशिषं भरमा याहि सोमिनः । त्वमीशिषे सास्मिन्ना सत्सि बर्हिष्यनाधृष्या तव पात्राणि धर्मणा ॥

Ven a nosotros con las riquezas, pues a ti te invocamos; trae tu propia bendición, ven a los Somin, los prensadores de soma. Tú ejerces el señorío; siéntate aquí sobre el barhis, el asiento sagrado: inexpugnables son tus vasijas según la ley del Dharma.

Mantra 6

पृथक्प्रायन्प्रथमा देवहूतयोऽकृण्वत श्रवस्यानि दुष्टरा । न ये शेकुर्यज्ञियां नावमारुहमीर्मैव ते न्यविशन्त केपयः ॥

Por separado avanzaron — los primeros, llamados por los dioses— y realizaron hazañas de gloria, difíciles de sobrepasar. Pero quienes no pudieron subir a la barca del sacrificio, débiles de impulso, se hundieron y entraron en la corriente de abajo.

Mantra 7

एवैवापागपरे सन्तु दूढ्योऽश्वा येषां दुर्युज आयुयुज्रे । इत्था ये प्रागुपरे सन्ति दावने पुरूणि यत्र वयुनानि भोजना ॥

Así, en verdad, que los otros queden atrás y oprimidos: aquellos cuyos caballos están mal uncidos y no pueden ser enganchados como es debido. Pero los que van delante y más arriba son para dar muchos dones, allí donde los discernimientos ordenados (vayunāni) son los goces.

Mantra 8

गिरीँरज्रान्रेजमानाँ अधारयद्द्यौः क्रन्ददन्तरिक्षाणि कोपयत् । समीचीने धिषणे वि ष्कभायति वृष्णः पीत्वा मद उक्थानि शंसति ॥

Sostuvo las montañas temblorosas y las crestas estremecidas; el mismo Cielo clamó, y las regiones intermedias se agitaron en tumulto. En las dos potencias gemelas de la inspiración, armonizadas (dhiṣaṇe), establece un amplio y firme sostén; el Toro, tras beber el éxtasis embriagador, proclama los himnos de la Palabra (ukthāni).

Mantra 9

इमं बिभर्मि सुकृतं ते अङ्कुशं येनारुजासि मघवञ्छफारुजः । अस्मिन्त्सु ते सवने अस्त्वोक्यं सुत इष्टौ मघवन्बोध्याभगः ॥

Llevo para ti este ankuśa, aguijón bien labrado, con el que tú, oh generoso (Maghavan), rompes la atadura del casco. En este tu savana, el prensado, haya cercanía al hogar, haya morada; en el Soma exprimido y en el rito deseado, oh Maghavan, despierta como dispensador de la porción (bhaga).

Mantra 10

गोभिष्टरेमामतिं दुरेवां यवेन क्षुधं पुरुहूत विश्वाम् । वयं राजभिः प्रथमा धनान्यस्माकेन वृजनेना जयेम ॥

Con los rayos de la Luz crucemos la escasez torcida; con el grano de la plenitud venzamos todo hambre, oh muy invocado. Que nosotros, con los poderes regios, ganemos las riquezas primeras; con nuestra propia hueste ordenada, prevalezcamos.

Mantra 11

बृहस्पतिर्नः परि पातु पश्चादुतोत्तरस्मादधरादघायोः । इन्द्रः पुरस्तादुत मध्यतो नः सखा सखिभ्यो वरिवः कृणोतु ॥

Que Bṛhaspati nos guarde por detrás, y también desde arriba y desde abajo, contra los dañinos. Que Indra, por delante y desde el centro, el Amigo, haga para sus amigos un amplio espacio: libertad y paso seguro.

Inside Sukta 44

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    A direct summons to Indra as the law-aligned, self-mastering power who comes for ecstatic strength and overcomes all resistance.

  2. Development

    Praise expands into a moral-ritual lesson: the worthy, god-called pioneers achieve difficult glory, while the unprepared cannot ‘mount the sacrificial boat’ and are overwhelmed.

  3. Climax

    The hymn’s teaching crystallizes in the stark image of boarding versus sinking—participation in yajña and inner readiness determine passage through the flood of difficulty.

  4. Where it settles

    It ends with a comprehensive protection formula: Bṛhaspati guards from multiple directions, while Indra, the Friend, opens ‘wide space’ and secure passage for his friends.

The deity: Indra

  • In the VedaIndra is praised as the mighty, impetuous Vṛtra-slayer and Soma-drinker, ‘svapati’ (lord of his own power), who advances by dharma (right order) and breaks through every sahas (resistance). He is a friend and leader who grants ‘varivas’—wide space, freedom, and safe passage—for those aligned with the sacrifice.
  • Cosmic functionHe embodies victorious force that restores and maintains ṛta/dharma by defeating obstructive powers, releasing movement, waters, and paths, and enabling the community’s success in battle and ritual.
  • Inner significancePsychologically, Indra represents awakened courage and executive will: the capacity to surge forward under inner law, overcome inertia and fear, and ‘make space’ (varivas) for clarity, progress, and communal harmony.

The seer

  • Anukramaṇī-attributed: UnknownThis hymn is notable less for a named family seer and more for its didactic imagery—especially the contrast between the god-called pioneers and those unable to mount the yajñiya ‘boat’—used to sharpen the hymn’s call to disciplined participation in Indra’s rite.

Famous verses

indraḥ svapatir madāya
Verse 10.44.1Sets the hymn’s keynote: Indra as svapati who advances by dharma and surpasses all resistances with immeasurable vṛṣṇi (heroic power), establishing both ritual invitation and theological frame.Read verse 10.44.1 →
yajñiyāṃ nāvam āruham
Verse 10.44.6A memorable didactic verse using the ‘sacrificial boat’ metaphor to contrast the god-called pioneers with those lacking the capacity or resolve—one of the hymn’s most distinctive teachings.Read verse 10.44.6 →
sakhā sakhibhyo varivaḥ kṛṇotu
Verse 10.44.11Concluding protection and companionship prayer: Bṛhaspati’s guarding and Indra’s friendship culminate in the request for varivas—wide, safe space and freedom of movement.Read verse 10.44.11 →

Attributes of the deity

  • Soma-inspired strength (mada)
  • Self-mastery (svapati)
  • Heroic power (vṛṣṇi)
  • Breaker of resistance and obstruction
  • Friend and protector of companions
  • Giver of wide space and safe passage (varivas)

Also by this seer

  • No secure additional hymns can be assigned to a specific rishi on the basis of RV 10.44 alone; Mandala 10 contains many late and anonymous/uncertain attributions in the Anukramaṇī tradition.

The rite, step by step

  • Āvāhana (invitation): call Indra to come for the exhilaration of Soma and to manifest his vast heroic power (cf. 10.44.1).
  • Stuti (praise): recount Indra’s capacity to surpass all resistances and to lead the worthy to glory.
  • Upadeśa/didaxis: recite the exemplum of the ‘first, god-called’ who succeed versus those unable to board the yajñiya boat (cf. 10.44.6), reinforcing fitness, resolve, and correct participation.
  • Yajña-sambandha: reaffirm alignment with dharma/ṛta and the communal nature of Indra’s friendship.
  • Rakṣā-prārthanā (protective prayer): invoke all-direction guarding—Bṛhaspati behind/above/below and Indra before/within—requesting varivas (cf. 10.44.11).

Offerings

  • Soma libation (where applicable)
  • Ghṛta (ghee) into the fire
  • Oblations with Indra-invocations (havis)
  • Optional: prayers for protection and safe passage for the yajamāna and companions

Frequently Asked Questions

It invites Indra to come to the offering in his exhilarated strength, to overcome every resistance, and to create “wide space” (varivas)—safe freedom and passage—for the worshippers.

It is a metaphor for the yajña as a means of crossing difficulty: those who are ready and capable “board” it and achieve glory, while the unprepared fail to embark and are overwhelmed.

The closing verse forms a protective pairing: Bṛhaspati safeguards from behind and from above/below, while Indra protects from the front and within, together ensuring secure passage for the community.

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