Rig Veda 3.48.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 48, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.48
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उपस्थाय मातरमन्नमैट्ट तिग्ममपश्यदभि सोममूधः । प्रयावयन्नचरद्गृत्सो अन्यान्महानि चक्रे पुरुधप्रतीकः ॥
upasthā́ya mātáram ánnám aiṭa tígmam apaśyad abhí sómam ū́dhaḥ | prayāváyan ácarad gṛ́tso anyā́n mahā́ni cakre purudhápratīkaḥ ||
S’étant tenu tout près de la Mère, il rechercha la nourriture ; dans le Soma — dans la mamelle — il vit la puissance aiguë. S’avançant et poussant en avant, l’ardent alla au-delà des autres et accomplit de grandes œuvres, lui aux multiples formes de manifestation.
Word by Word
- उपस्थाय
- having approached / having stood nearVerbत्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (क्त्वान्त), ‘having approached/stood near’Role (क्रियाविशेषण) मुख्यक्रियायाः पूर्वकालिकःRoot उप-स्था (√स्था)
- मातरम्
- the motherNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मातृ
- अन्नम्
- foodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अन्न
- ऐट्ट
- he went/attained (to)Verbलिट्/लुङ्-प्रायः वैदिक परोक्ष/आख्यात, 3 एकवचन, परस्मैपद (अर्थः ‘went/attained/approached’)Role कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहितः—सः)Root √अट् (अटति) / वैदिक रूप ‘ऐट्’
- तिग्मम्
- sharp, keenAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (विशेष्य-सापेक्षम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root तिग्म
- अपश्यत्
- he sawVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), 3 एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहितः—सः)Root √पश् (पश्यति)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्गः (दिशा/समन्तात्/अभिमुख्ये)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अभि
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम
- ऊधः
- udderNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ/आधार (उपमा/विषयः—‘udder’ as the source/container)Root ऊधस्
- प्रयावयन्
- driving forth / setting in motionVerbवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सः—‘driving/setting in motion’)Root प्र-या-वय (√वय/√वी ‘to weave/drive/urge’ वैदिक caus./intens.-प्रायः)
- अचरत्
- he moved / wentVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), 3 एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहितः—सः)Root √चर् (चरति)
- गृत्सः
- the eager/clever oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सः—‘the eager/clever one’)Root गृत्स
- अन्यान्
- othersPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अन्य
- महानि
- great (deeds/things)Adjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot महत्
- चक्रे
- he has done / he didVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), 3 एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहितः—सः)Root √कृ (करोति)
- पुरुधप्रतीकः
- having many forms/appearancesAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root पुरुधा + प्रतीक
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): उप-स्थाय | मातरम् | अन्नम् | ऐट्ट | तिग्मम् | अपश्यत् | अभि | सोमम् | ऊधः || प्र-यावयन् | अचरत् | गृत्सः | अन्यान् | महानि | चक्रे | पुरुध-प्रतीकः । 1) ‘उपस्थाय’ = उप + स्थाय (क्त्वान्त)
- 2) ‘मातरमन्नमैट्ट’ इति संहितायां: मातरम् + अन्नम् + ऐट्ट (म्/न् संयोग-सन्धिः)
- 3) ‘अपश्यदभि’ = अपश्यत् + अभि (त् + अ → द्)
- 4) ‘सोममूधः’ = सोमम् + ऊधः (म् + ऊ → म् ऊ; दीर्घारम्भः)
- 5) ‘प्रयावयन्नचरद्गृत्सो’ = प्रयावयन् + अचरत् + गृत्सः (न् + अ; त् + ग → द्ग्)
- 6) ‘अन्यान्महानि’ = अन्यान् + महानि (न् + म्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Standing near the Mother he sought food; he saw the sharp power in Soma, the udder. Moving forth and driving onward, the ardent one ranged beyond others and accomplished great works, he of many forms.
Inner meaning
The awakened Indra stands close to the Mother-power (mātaram)—the formative Shakti—and seeks ‘anna’ (true nourishment): the sustaining substance of right energy and knowledge. He perceives ‘tigma’—a keen, sharp force—within Soma, called an ‘ūdhaḥ’ (udder): Soma is not only sweetness but a potent, incisive power that cuts through obscurity. Then Indra ‘drives onward’ (prayāvayan), surpasses other movements of the being, and accomplishes ‘mahāni’—great transformations. ‘purudhapratīka’ indicates many modes of manifestation: illumination expresses itself in varied forms—thought, will, courage, discrimination—according to the need of the work.
Universal truth
True nourishment comes from alignment with the deeper Mother-force of life and consciousness. Delight, rightly received, contains a sharp transforming energy. When we move forward with that force, we outgrow lesser patterns and accomplish larger works through many expressions of the one inner power.
Themes
growth of Indra-power, Soma nourishment, great deeds, inner dynamism
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (Viśvāmitra tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.48, RV 3.47, RV 3.53
Family tradition
Strong psychological myth-making: birth, nourishment, and action of Indra used as a map of inner development.
Significance
The seer presents a crucial Aurobindonian key: Soma is both delight and a ‘tigma’ power—bliss that actively transforms, not merely consoles.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Gṛtsa, Purudhapratīka
- Related deities
- Soma, Aditi (Mother-symbol), Agni (inner sacrifice leader)
Cosmic role
Agent of great works who takes nourishment from the Mother-source and turns Soma into effective conquering force.
Inner power
Keen illumination that draws right sustenance, perceives the cutting edge of delight, and propels the being beyond its former limits.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma hymn segment describing Indra’s energization and deeds
उ॒प॒स्थाय॑ मा॒तर॒मन्न॑मैट्ट ति॒ग्मम॑पश्यद॒भि सोम॒मूध॑: । प्र॒या॒वय॑न्नचर॒द्गृत्सो॑ अ॒न्यान्म॒हानि॑ चक्रे पुरु॒धप्र॑तीकः ॥
उ॒प॒ऽस्थाय॑ । मा॒तर॑म् । अन्न॑म् । ऐ॒ट्ट॒ । ति॒ग्मम् । अ॒प॒श्य॒त् । अ॒भि । सोम॑म् । ऊधः॑ । प्र॒ऽय॒वय॑न् । अ॒च॒र॒त् । गृत्सः॑ । अ॒न्यान् । म॒हानि॑ । च॒क्रे॒ । पु॒रु॒धऽप्र॑तीकः ॥
upa-sthāya | mātaram | annam | aiṭa | tigmam | apaśyat | abhi | somam | ūdhaḥ | pra-yavayan | acarat | gṛtsaḥ | anyān | mahāni | cakre | purudha-pratīkaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Kinetic and progressive; verbs of motion create forward thrust; concluding epithet opens into multiplicity.
Energizes and mobilizes; good for breaking lethargy and initiating decisive action after inner receptivity.
- mātaram
- Literal: the Mother. Symbolic: forming Shakti/Nature-power that mediates higher forces
- annam
- Literal: food. Symbolic: true nourishment: sustaining energy, right substance of growth
- tigmam
- Literal: sharp, keen. Symbolic: incisive power of discernment and transformative force
- somaṃ ūdhaḥ
- Literal: Soma, the udder. Symbolic: source that yields both sweetness and power—nourishing bliss with effective energy
- prayāvayan
- Literal: driving onward, setting in motion. Symbolic: propelling the being forward; dynamic progression in sādhanā
- gṛtsaḥ
- Literal: ardent/keen one. Symbolic: the concentrated seeker-force in Indra that does not accept half-measures
- mahāni cakre
- Literal: did great works. Symbolic: major inner transformations and victories
- purudhapratīkaḥ
- Literal: of many appearances/forms. Symbolic: one power manifesting in multiple faculties and actions
Soma myth and empowerment sequence; supports the notion that Soma is nourishment that sharpens power for great deeds.
During Soma offerings where Indra’s strengthening and action are emphasized
Mythic-psychological narration supporting the efficacy of Soma and Indra’s response
A mantra for ‘activation after sweetness’: when meditation becomes passive, chant to awaken the sharp transforming edge and move into effective work.
ū́dhar ‘udder’ (source) is an archaic noun; metaphorically the yielding fountain. tigmá ‘sharp’ from √tij/tig ‘to sharpen’. gṛ́tsa suggests keen/ardent intelligence (Vedic epithet). purudhá ‘manyfold’ + pratī́ka ‘appearance, face’ → polymorphic manifestation of force.
nourishment as consciousness-force, sharpness (tigma) as decisive will/insight, many-formed manifestation of a single power
Progress (‘prayāvayan’) is not random; it is the right movement of forces once obstruction is removed and nourishment is true.
Seeing the ‘tigma’ in Soma is discerning the effective truth-force hidden in delight.
Manifestation through the Mother and multiplicity of forms (purudha) expressing one power.
Sāṃkhya-Yogic resonance (Prakṛti/Mother as formative) integrated with Vedāntic ascent (higher Soma) in an integral symbolism.
Udder = inexhaustible source of nourishment; food = assimilable energy/knowledge; sharpness = discriminative fire within bliss; motion = prāṇic and mental progression.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hero’s empowerment at the Mother’s source: approaching the Mother, taking nourishment, discovering the ‘sharp’ potency in Soma, then surpassing others to do great deeds—an initiatory pattern of inner strengthening.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘udder/source’ metaphor uses an inherited pastoral lexicon common to IE poetics; ‘sharp’ (tigma) belongs to a cross-linguistic semantic field of cutting/keen force used for both weapons and intellect.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- By narrating Indra’s acquisition of nourishment and keenness, the rishi implicitly instructs the practitioner: stay near the source (mātā), take the right food (Soma), discover the decisive edge (tigma), then act in the world with many-formed efficacy (purudhā-pratīka).
Unite sweetness with sharp discernment: feel bliss not as softness alone but as a power that cuts through confusion.
Anāhata (rasa) with Ājñā (tigma discernment) and Maṇipūra (driving force)
Kapalabhati-light (very gentle) or a few brisk exhales to ‘drive onward’, followed by calm nasal breathing to stabilize.
Energized clarity—sweet at the core, sharp at the edge, forward-moving.
After chanting, choose one concrete ‘great work’ (mahāni) for the day—one inner habit to surpass; act immediately while the mantra-force is present.
Keep accents crisp on motion-verbs and ‘tigmam’; allow a slight lift on ‘mahāni’ and a broad finish on ‘purudhapratīkaḥ’.
Stress: upasthā́ya → mātáram → ánnām → tigmám → sómam → ū́dhaḥ → prayāváyan → mahā́ni → purudhápratīkaḥ.
upasthāya: ‘sthā’ aspirated cluster; long ā., aiṭṭa: retroflex ṭṭ; keep it tight, not ‘aita’., tigmam: hard ‘gma’ cluster, no extra vowel., ūdhaḥ: long ū; dh voiced; final ḥ light., purudhapratīkaḥ: break as purudha-pratīkaḥ; long ī; final ḥ light.
Energizing and clear; let ‘tigmam’ sound like a bright edge; finish expansive.
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