Rig Veda 2.13.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.13
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यो भोजनं च दयसे च वर्धनमार्द्रादा शुष्कं मधुमद्दुदोहिथ । स शेवधिं नि दधिषे विवस्वति विश्वस्यैक ईशिषे सास्युक्थ्यः ॥
yó bhójanam ca dáyase ca várdhanam ārdrā́d ā́ śúṣkaṃ mádhumad dudóhitha | sá śevadhíṃ ní dadhiṣe vivásvati viśvásyaika īśiṣe sá āsy ukthyáḥ ||
હે દેવ, તું અન્ન પણ આપે છે અને વૃદ્ધિ પણ; ભીના (આર્દ્ર)માંથી તું સૂકું (શુષ્ક) મધુમય રૂપે દોહી કાઢે છે. તેજસ્વી વિવસ્વતમાં તું નિધિ—ખજાનો—સ્થાપે છે; સર્વ પર તું એકલો જ અધિપતિ છે—એ જ આ સ્તુતિનો સાચો વિષય છે.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भोजनम्
- nourishment, foodNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot भोजन- (भुज् ‘भुङ्क्ते’ इत्यस्मात् नाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)
- दयसे
- you give, you bestowVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot दय् (धातु) / दयस्- (नाम) — वैदिक प्रयोगः
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)
- वर्धनम्
- increase, growth, strengtheningNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वर्धन- (वृध् ‘वर्धते’ इत्यस्मात् नाम)
- आर्द्रात्
- from the moist (state/source)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः (अथवा पुं), पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot आर्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- forth, to, from (as preverb/intensifier)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शुष्कम्
- the dry (one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शुष्क- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमत्
- honeyed, sweetAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (शुष्कम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मधुमत्- (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + मतुप्)
- दुदोहिथ
- you have milked out, you drew (as milk)Verbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट्, वैदिक), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot दुह् (धातु) + उपसर्गः दु- (पुनरुक्ति/अभ्यासः) — परिपूर्ण-रूपम्
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शेवधिम्
- treasure, storeNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शेवधि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, into; firmlyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दधिषे
- you place, you establishVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot धा (धातु) — नि + धा
- विवस्वति
- to Vivasvat (the shining one / Sun)Noun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot विवस्वत्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- alone, soleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एक- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईशिषे
- you rule, you have masteryVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KriyāRoot ईश् (धातु)
- सास्युक्थ्यः
- worthy of praise/recitation (ukthya), laudableAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः/सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot सास्युक्थ्य- (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक समास/विशेषण)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसनम्): यो → यः
- भोज॑नं → भोजनम्
- वर्ध॑नमा॒र्द्रादा → वर्धनम् + आर्द्रात् + आ (आर्द्रात् ‘from moist’ + आ ‘forth’)
- मधु॑मद्दु॒दोहि॑थ → मधुमत् + दुदोहिथ (मधुमत् + दुदोहिथ; -त् + द- संयोगे ‘मद्दु-’ इति संधिरूपम्)
- शे॑व॒धिं → शेवधिम्
- नि द॑धिषे → नि + दधिषे
- वि॒वस्व॑ति → विवस्वति
- विश्व॒स्यैक॑ → विश्वस्य + एकः
- सास्यु॒क्थ्य॑: → सास्युक्थ्यः (विसर्गः पदान्ते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra gives food and increase; from the moist he milks out the dry as honeyed. He places the treasure in the radiant one; he alone rules over all; he is the true subject of the hymn.
Inner meaning
Indra as illumined mind grants both sustenance (bhojana) and growth (vardhana) in the sadhana. From the ‘moist’ (ārdra—fluid, emotive, life-substance) he draws out the ‘dry’ (śuṣka—apparently barren or rigid parts) as honeyed sweetness: even arid mental habits and inert zones can yield rasa when touched by illumination. He installs the treasure (śevadhi) in Vivasvat—the radiant consciousness, the inner sun—meaning the true wealth is secured in the luminous soul-nature, not in transient vital excitement. Thus he is the single ruler (eka īśiṣe) who can harmonize the whole being.
Universal truth
True growth includes both nourishment and increase; the higher intelligence can extract sweetness even from dryness and difficulty. Spiritual wealth becomes stable when founded in the inner light, and unity of governance is needed for integral harmony.
Themes
Extraction of sweetness, Inner treasure, Indra’s sovereignty
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Gṛtsamāda)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12, RV 2.13
Family tradition
Indra hymns emphasizing increase and inner wealth; imagery of milking and treasure indicates subtle yogic economy of energies.
Significance
The seer presents Indra as an inner alchemist: extracting sweetness from dryness and fixing the gains in the inner sun, ensuring stable realization.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Īśa (ruler, implicit), Maghavan (giver), Vṛtrahan (as remover of dryness/obstruction, implicit)
- Related deities
- Soma (sweetness/bliss), Agni (will), Sūrya/Vivasvat
Cosmic role
Bestower of nourishment and growth; installer of treasure in the solar radiance; sovereign integrator.
Inner power
Illumined governance that converts inertness into delight and secures spiritual gains in the luminous core.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra; prosperity/increase prayers within Soma ritual atmosphere
यो भोज॑नं च॒ दय॑से च॒ वर्ध॑नमा॒र्द्रादा शुष्कं॒ मधु॑मद्दु॒दोहि॑थ । स शे॑व॒धिं नि द॑धिषे वि॒वस्व॑ति॒ विश्व॒स्यैक॑ ईशिषे॒ सास्यु॒क्थ्य॑: ॥
यः । भोज॑नम् । च॒ । दय॑से । च॒ । वर्ध॑नम् । आ॒र्द्रात् । आ । शुष्क॑म् । मधु॑ऽमत् । दु॒दोहि॑थ । सः । शे॒व॒धिम् । नि । द॒धि॒षे॒ । वि॒वस्व॑ति । विश्व॑स्य । एकः॑ । ई॒शि॒षे॒ । सः । अ॒सि॒ । उ॒क्थ्यः॑ ॥
yaḥ | bhojanam | ca | dayase | ca | vardhanam | ārdrāt | ā | śuṣkam | madhu-mat | dudohitha | saḥ | śevadhim | ni | dadhiṣe | vivasvati | viśvasya | ekaḥ | īśiṣe | saḥ | asi | ukthyaḥ
44
4 x ~11
Smoothly forceful; imagery-driven lines benefit from a slightly lingering cadence on ‘madhumat’.
Soothes dryness and builds confidence; evokes a felt sweetness and inner solar warmth.
- bhojanam
- Literal: food. Symbolic: supporting energy for the journey: prāṇa, insight, sustaining joy
- vardhanam
- Literal: increase, growth. Symbolic: expansion of consciousness and capacity
- ārdra
- Literal: moist. Symbolic: living, feeling substance; fluid energies receptive to transformation
- śuṣka
- Literal: dry. Symbolic: inert/rigid zones of nature; mental dryness; tamasic patches
- madhumat
- Literal: honeyed, sweet. Symbolic: rasa of realization; sweetness of truth and delight
- dudohitha
- Literal: you milk out. Symbolic: alchemical extraction—drawing essence from experience
- śevadhi
- Literal: treasure, store. Symbolic: stable inner wealth: siddhi, knowledge, peace, delight
- vivasvat
- Literal: the radiant one (sun). Symbolic: inner sun—luminous soul-consciousness, clarified mind
- eka īśiṣe
- Literal: you alone rule. Symbolic: need of a single governing consciousness over the parts
Soma context: imagery of milking and madhu aligns with soma-delight and extraction of essence through Indra-force
When seeking puṣṭi (increase) and stable wealth; in sequences praising Indra’s gifts.
Praise to draw nourishment/increase and secure treasure.
Chant during periods of ‘dry’ practice or burnout to reawaken sweetness and reconnect gains to the inner light rather than to excitement.
madhu ‘honey/sweet’ (PIE *médʰu, cf. Eng. mead). dudohitha from √duh ‘to milk’ (PIE *dʰeugʰ- ‘produce/milk’). īśiṣe from √īś ‘to own, rule’ (cf. īśa). vivasvat ‘shining one’ from vi- + √vas ‘to shine/dwell’ (solar epithet; inner: luminous consciousness).
Ānanda (madhu as delight of truth), Sovereignty (īśa) of the One, Alchemy of opposites (ārdrāt śuṣkam)
Milking essence from conditions is r̥ta’s intelligence—finding right yield from each state.
Treasure placed in Vivasvat symbolizes truth secured in luminous consciousness.
Transmutation: essence drawn from matter/experience; enthronement of inner sun as storehouse.
Integral/Ananda-centered Vedism: delight as a recoverable essence even from dryness.
morning (solar implication)
Sun=inner radiance; honey=bliss-rasa; milking=extracting essence; moist/dry=fluid vs inert states of nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘milking’ mythologem—drawing hidden sweetness from resistant matter. Inner sense: Indra extracts delight and growth even from what seems dry and infertile in the nature, turning opposites into a honeyed increase.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu and √duh are strongly PIE: *médʰu and *dʰeugʰ-. This preserves an archaic Indo-European poetic complex linking sweetness/intoxication with inspired power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes Indra as the inner sovereign who can ‘set the treasure’ in the luminous consciousness; the hymn functions as consent and invocation for this stabilizing placement (ni-dhā) of attainment.
Let the inner sun (Vivasvat) be felt in the heart-head axis; offer dryness into it and receive sweetness.
anahata
slow_meditative breathing; inhale ‘ārdra’, exhale ‘śuṣka’—feel transmutation into ‘madhumat’.
Quiet radiance; gentle sweetness; unified governance.
If practice feels barren, do not force emotion; chant and allow the illumined mind to ‘milk’ subtle joy from the very dryness. Conclude by resting in a solar point of clarity.
Keep accents clear on verbs (dayase, dudohitha, dadhiṣe, īśiṣe). Let svarita falls soften the line into sweetness.
Slightly linger on: madhúmat, dudóhitha, śevadhím, vivásvati, īśiṣe.
ārdāt: clear long ā; cluster ‘rdr’ carefully, śuṣkam: retroflex ṣ, madhumat: aspirate dh lightly, dudohitha: pronounce do-hi-tha distinctly, vivasvati: v-i-v-a-sv-a-ti, keep ‘sv’ conjunct clear
Warm, even, nectar-like; avoid sharp attacks on consonants.
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