Rig Veda 3.35.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 35, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.35
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
उपाजिरा पुरुहूताय सप्ती हरी रथस्य धूर्ष्वा युनज्मि । द्रवद्यथा सम्भृतं विश्वतश्चिदुपेमं यज्ञमा वहात इन्द्रम् ॥
upā́jirā puruhūtā́ya saptī́ hárī ráthasya dhū́rṣv ā́ yunajmi | dravád yáthā sámbhṛtaṃ viśvátas cid upémáṃ yajñám ā́ vahāta índram ||
Cercanos, veloces — para el muy invocado— a estos dos alazanes (Harī) los unzo a las varas del carro. Corriendo como hacia una reunión preparada desde todas partes, traed aquí a Indra a este sacrificio.
Word by Word
- उप
- near, towards (prefix: ‘up/near’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग) / उप (अव्यय)
- आजिरा
- the two swift onesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot आजिर (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुहूताय
- to the much-invoked (Indra)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पुरुहूत (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)
- सप्ती
- the two mares (team)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot सप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरी
- the two bay steedsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य अश्वौ)
- रथस्य
- of the chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- धूर्ष्वा
- on the yoke-poles / in the tracesNoun (locative phrase)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (वेदिक रूप: धूर्षु)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot धुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + सु (loc.pl. ending) → धूर्षु (वेदिक); धूर्ष्वा = धूर्षु + आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्रयोगः)
- युनज्मि
- I yokeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot युज् (धातु)
- द्रवत्
- running, swiftlyAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; प्रायः क्रियाविशेषणवत्Root द्रवत् (कृदन्त; √द्रु/द्रव् ‘to run, flow’)
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थ अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- सम्भृतम्
- collected, well-gatheredParticipleनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त)Role Karma (of implied verb ‘to bring/lead’)Root सम् + √भृ (धातु) → सम्भृत (कृदन्त)
- विश्वतः
- from every sideIndeclinableदिक्/परिमाणार्थ अव्ययRoot विश्वतः (अव्यय; ‘from all sides’)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root चित् (अव्यय)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग) / उप (अव्यय)
- इमम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, unto (prefix)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वहात
- you two should carry/bringVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश वैदिक), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √वह् (धातु)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): उप + आजिरा + पुरुहूताय + सप्ती + हरी + रथस्य + धूर्ष्वा(=धूर्षु वैदिक-सप्तमी बहुवचन; धुर् ‘योक/धुरा’ इत्यस्य) + युनज्मि । द्रवत् + यथा + सम्भृतम् + विश्वतः + चित् + उप + इमम् + यज्ञम् + आ + वहात + इन्द्रम् । ‘उपेमम्’ = उप + इमम्
- ‘यज्ञमा’ = यज्ञम् + आ
- ‘विश्वतश्चित्’ = विश्वतः + चित्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The two swift bay steeds for the much-invoked Indra are yoked to the chariot-poles; running as to a gathering prepared from all sides, they are to bring Indra to this sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The practitioner actively yokes the swift life-energies to the disciplined instrument so they may carry the illumined Mind (Indra) into the prepared inner yajña. The ‘gathering from all sides’ is the collected offering of the being—thought, feeling, will—assembled into a single aspiration. When energies run toward that convergence, Indra’s presence becomes near and effective.
Universal truth
Spiritual help becomes tangible when our forces are harnessed and our offering is integral—collected from all parts of life into one sincere movement.
Themes
invitation, harnessing, bringing-the-god, prepared-offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.35.1, RV 3.35.3, RV 3.35.4
Family tradition
Vision of conquest through disciplined harnessing of forces and repeated invocation.
Significance
Shows the ‘method’ of the Vedic yoga: yoking energies, collecting the being, and bringing down the divine mind into the work.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- puruhūta (much-invoked), harivān (with tawny steeds—implicit)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Arrives to the yajña when invoked; empowers the gods’ work by illumination and force.
Inner power
Presence of higher mind that enters when the instrument is ready—‘arrival’ as descent of clarity-force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invitation verses during Soma rites
उपा॑जि॒रा पु॑रुहू॒ताय॒ सप्ती॒ हरी॒ रथ॑स्य धू॒र्ष्वा यु॑नज्मि । द्र॒वद्यथा॒ सम्भृ॑तं वि॒श्वत॑श्चि॒दुपे॒मं य॒ज्ञमा व॑हात॒ इन्द्र॑म् ॥
उप॑ । अ॒जि॒रा । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒ताय॑ । सप्ती॒ इति॑ । हरी॒ इति॑ । रथ॑स्य । धूः॒ऽसु । आ । यु॒न॒ज्मि॒ । द्र॒वत् । यथा॑ । सम्ऽभृ॑तम् । वि॒श्वतः॑ । चि॒त् । उप॑ । इ॒मम् । य॒ज्ञम् । आ । व॒हा॒तः॒ । इन्द्र॑म् ॥
upa | ajirā | puru-hūtāya | saptī iti | harī iti | rathasya | dhūḥ-su | ā | yunajmi | dravat | yathā | sam-bhṛtam | viśvataḥ | cit | upa | imam | yajñam | ā | vahātaḥ | indram
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4 × ~11
Swift, kinetic imagery; repeated ‘upa’ reinforces approach.
Creates momentum and a feeling of ‘drawing near’; supports concentration and invocation.
- उप (upa)
- Literal: near, towards. Symbolic: movement of approach—turning consciousness toward the Divine
- अजिरा (ajirā)
- Literal: swift. Symbolic: quickly responsive energies, not clogged by inertia
- पुरुहूत (puruhūta)
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: the ever-callable divine power, accessible by repeated aspiration
- सप्ती (saptī)
- Literal: pair/team (here the two). Symbolic: dual forces that must act in harmony (e.g., prāṇa + manas in action)
- धूर्षु (dhūrṣu)
- Literal: on the yoke-poles. Symbolic: fixed discipline/structure that directs energy rightly
- सम्भृतम् (sambhṛtam)
- Literal: gathered, collected. Symbolic: integrated offering; concentration of the whole being
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner work of self-offering and transformation
Preparatory yoking and invitation to bring Indra to the yajña; a functional āvāhana verse
As part of calling Indra to the pressing/offerings
Recited while preparing or symbolically yoking; mental ‘bringing’ of Indra to the altar
Use as a preparatory mantra before meditation: collect attention from ‘all sides’ (senses, thoughts) and bring it to one inner altar.
pūru-hūta ‘much-invoked’ from √hū ‘call’. √yuj ‘yoke’ (PIE *yeug-). √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵʰ-). sambhṛta ‘collected’ from sam-√bhṛ (PIE *bʰer- ‘carry’).
yoking (discipline of forces), yajña as conscious union, totality (viśvataḥ) as integrative offering
Right yoking to dhūr (yoke-poles) symbolizes alignment with ṛta—energy moving in true channels.
Sambhṛta (collected) implies sincerity and wholeness—truth of intention.
Descent/arrival of divine power into an ordered field; integration precedes manifestation.
Integrative yoga psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap style) emphasizing concentration and descent.
Steeds = mobilized prāṇa; chariot poles = discipline; assembly = gathered faculties in concentration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The chariot-arrival of Indra: the poet yokes the divine steeds and commands them to bring Indra to the prepared gathering. Inner sense: organising and accelerating the life-energies to draw down the illumined force into the integrated sacrifice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The yoke-and-carry lexicon (√yuj, √vah, √bhṛ) is deeply IE and central to shared poetic imagery of harnessed power. The dual imperative (vahātaḥ) preserves an archaic grammatical number used in ritual formulae.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as ‘yoker’—a mediator who prepares the channels (dhūḥ) and the offering (sambhṛta yajña). Indra’s presence is not automatic; it is invited through disciplined preparation and integrative intention.
‘Upa’ practice: repeatedly bring attention near the inner altar; yoke energies to the spine-breath axis.
ājñā (invocation/command and collected attention)
Box-breath 4-4-4-4 for 7 cycles (echo of ‘saptī’ as harmonious pair/team), then silent invocation of Indra.
Gathered, alert, ready for descent of insight.
Before chanting, consciously ‘gather from all sides’: relax the face, settle the breath, withdraw senses, then let the mantra ‘run’ toward a single luminous center.
Observe udatta on key vocatives/compounds (puruhūtā́ya, índram); keep sandhi clean across pādas.
Let ‘upājirā’ and ‘upemaṃ’ be clearly articulated to emphasize approach; avoid swallowing ‘dhūrṣv ā’.
(upājirā): long ā after upa, (puruhūtāya): long ū, clear hū, (dhūrṣvā): retroflex ṣv cluster; lengthen ū, (sambhṛtam): mbh voiced aspirate, (ā vahātaḥ): separate long ā and va-
Bright and mobile; slight acceleration in pāda 2–3 to convey running, then settle on ‘indram’.
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