Rig Veda 3.46.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 46, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.46
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
प्र मात्राभी रिरिचे रोचमानः प्र देवेभिर्विश्वतो अप्रतीतः । प्र मज्मना दिव इन्द्रः पृथिव्याः प्रोरोर्महो अन्तरिक्षादृजीषी ॥
prá mā́trābhir ririce rۆcamānáḥ | prá devébhiḥ viśvátó apráti-itaḥ | prá majmánā divá índraḥ pṛthivyā́ḥ prórór mahó antárikṣād ṛjīṣī́ ||
માપોમાં તે છલકાય છે, તેજસ્વી બની; સર્વ દિશાઓથી દેવોને પણ વટાવી આગળ વધે છે—અપ્રતિહત. ઋજુપ્રયત્ની ઇન્દ્ર મહિમાથી દ્યૌ અને પૃથ્વીથી પર વધે છે, અંતરિક્ષની વિશાળ મહત્તા કરતાં પણ પર.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- मात्राभिः
- with measures / by measuresNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot मात्रा (प्रा. √मा ‘measure’)
- रिरिचे
- has emptied/has poured outVerbपरस्मैपद; परोक्षभूत (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √रिच् (रिणक्ति/रिणेक्ति) ‘empty, leave, pour out’
- रोचमानः
- shining, radiantAdjective (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root √रुच् ‘shine’ (रोचमान-)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasargaRoot प्र (upasarga)
- देवेभिः
- with the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करण/सहRoot देव
- विश्वतः
- from all sidesIndeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/परिमाण): ‘from all sides, on all sides’Role अधिकारण (दिशा)Root विश्व (→ विश्वतः)
- अप्रतीतः
- unopposed, not resistedAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root प्रतीत (ppp of √इ ‘go/approach’ with प्रति) + अ-
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasargaRoot प्र (upasarga)
- मज्मना
- by greatness, by mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot मज्मन्
- दिवः
- from heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole अपादानRoot दिव्/द्यौ (दिव् as noun ‘sky, heaven’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र
- पृथिव्याः
- from the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole अपादानRoot पृथिवी
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableupasargaRoot प्र (upasarga)
- उरोः
- from the wide expanseAdjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole अपादानRoot उरु
- महो
- from the great (vastness)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (Vedic form: महो < महतः)Role अपादानRoot महत्
- अन्तरिक्षात्
- from the midspace/atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole अपादानRoot अन्तरिक्ष
- ऋजीषी
- the Ṛjīṣin (Indra), tawny-horsed/possessing r̥jīṣaNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Vedic nom. sg. in -ī)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root ऋजीषिन् (epithet of Indra; ‘with the r̥jīṣa/with tawny horses’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): प्र | मात्राभिः | रिरिचे | रोचमानः | प्र | देवेभिः | विश्वतः | अप्रतीतः || प्र | मज्मना | दिवः | इन्द्रः | पृथिव्याः | प्र | उरोः | महो | अन्तरिक्षात् | ऋजीषी || प्रमुख संधि: (1) मात्रा॑भी → मात्राभिः (विसर्ग-लोप/उच्चारण-परिवर्तन in saṃhitā)
- (2) दे॒वेभि॑र्वि॒श्वतो॒ → देवेभिः | विश्वतः (विसर्गः + व् → र् in saṃहितā: -भिः + व- = -भिर्व-)
- (3) प्रोरोर्म॒हो → प्र | उरोः | महो (प्र + उरोः = प्रोरोः; उरोः + महो juxtaposed)
- (4) अन्तरि॑क्षादृजी॒षी → अन्तरिक्षात् | ऋजीषी (त् + ऋ- sandhi in saṃhitā; underlying abl. -āt retained in pada)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra overflows in his measures, shining; he advances beyond the gods from every side, irresistible. He grows by vastness beyond heaven and earth and beyond the wide mid-world—straight-striving in greatness.
Inner meaning
Indra here is the expanding luminous consciousness that exceeds fixed measures (mātrābhiḥ ririce): illumination outgrows the limits of the ordinary mind and even the established ‘gods’ (habitual powers and known formations). ‘Apratītaḥ’ indicates an irresistible advance of consciousness when the higher mind takes the lead. He surpasses dyauḥ (heaven: mental planes), pṛthivī (earth: physical foundation), and antarikṣa (mid-world: vital-mental field), meaning the awakened intelligence widens beyond all our customary compartments—becoming a vast, straight-going force (ṛjīṣī) toward the Truth.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth is an expansion beyond prior measures: when consciousness truly awakens, it outgrows old frameworks—mental, vital, and physical—and becomes irresistibly oriented toward greater truth.
Themes
Cosmic vastness, Indra’s surpassing power, Ascent beyond limitation
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.46.1, Rig Veda 3.46.2
Family tradition
Vision of wideness (bṛhat) and surpassing limits is central to Viśvāmitra’s spiritual arc—moving from human measure to universal consciousness.
Significance
This verse expresses the hallmark of higher realization: expansion beyond measures and established forms, a key note in the Viśvāmitra tradition of vastness and victory of light.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- rocamāna (shining), apratīta (irresistible), ṛjīṣin/ṛjīṣī (straight-striving), mahān (vast)
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (wide strides; thematic kinship of vastness), Bṛhaspati (expansive word), Uṣas (illumination)
Cosmic role
Power of expansive illumination that surpasses fixed cosmic compartments and leads evolution into greater being.
Inner power
Widening consciousness and unstoppable clarity—breakthrough beyond limiting self-definitions.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise emphasizing cosmic magnitude; used where Indra’s supremacy and expansive power are invoked.
प्र मात्रा॑भी रिरिचे॒ रोच॑मान॒: प्र दे॒वेभि॑र्वि॒श्वतो॒ अप्र॑तीतः । प्र म॒ज्मना॑ दि॒व इन्द्र॑: पृथि॒व्याः प्रोरोर्म॒हो अ॒न्तरि॑क्षादृजी॒षी ॥
प्र । मात्रा॑भिः । रि॒रि॒चे॒ । रोच॑मानः । प्र । दे॒वेभिः॑ । वि॒श्वतः । अप्र॑तिऽइतः । प्र । म॒ज्मना॑ । दि॒वः । इन्द्रः॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । प्र । उ॒रोः । म॒हः । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षात् । ऋ॒जी॒षी ॥
pra | mātrābhiḥ | ririce | rocamānaḥ | pra | devebhiḥ | viśvataḥ | aprati-itaḥ | pra | majmanā | divaḥ | indraḥ | pṛthivyāḥ | pra | uroḥ | mahaḥ | antarikṣāt | ṛjīṣī
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4 × ~11 syllables; repeated ‘pra’ gives a marching, expanding motion.
Propulsive and expansive; anaphora (‘pra… pra…’) creates a sense of continual surpassing.
Induces a felt widening and upward-forward movement; helpful for breaking mental rigidity and opening to higher ranges.
- मात्राभिः (mātrābhiḥ)
- Literal: by measures, limits. Symbolic: mental/vital frameworks and fixed standards that define ordinary experience
- रिरिचे (ririce)
- Literal: overflowed, exceeded. Symbolic: consciousness surpassing its previous boundaries
- रोचमानः (rocamānaḥ)
- Literal: shining. Symbolic: self-luminous clarity and revelation
- देवेभिः (devebhiḥ)
- Literal: beyond the gods. Symbolic: beyond established inner powers/habits; surpassing even familiar spiritual formations
- अप्रतितः (apratītaḥ)
- Literal: irresistible, not opposed. Symbolic: unhindered advance of truth-force once aligned
- मज्मना (majmanā)
- Literal: by greatness, vastness. Symbolic: widening being-consciousness (bṛhat) as mode of power
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: heaven. Symbolic: mind-world, luminous mental plane
- पृथिव्याः (pṛthivyāḥ)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: physical basis, embodied stability
- अन्तरिक्षात् (antarikṣāt)
- Literal: mid-world/atmosphere. Symbolic: vital-mental field of desire, emotion, life-force
- ऋजीषी (ṛjīṣī)
- Literal: straight-striving, straight-going. Symbolic: direct orientation toward truth; uncompromising sincerity of movement
Exalting Indra’s transcendence in Soma praise; supports invocation of an overpowering, measure-exceeding force
In rites seeking increase (vardhana) and removal of limitation; also in celebratory praise of Indra’s greatness.
Recitation as stuti; supports the sacrificer’s aspiration to widen and surpass obstacles.
Meditation mantra when feeling constrained by identity, anxiety, or fixed beliefs—invoking expansion beyond ‘measures’.
mātrā ‘measure’ (from √mā ‘measure’) becomes ‘ordered limit/law’; √ric in perfect ririce conveys surpassing/overflowing; rocamāna from √ruc ‘shine’; apratī́ta ‘not gone against’ (irresistible); majmán- ‘greatness’ (cf. mah- ‘great’); urú- ‘wide’; ṛjīṣī ‘straight-striving’ from √ṛj ‘straighten’ (inner sense: direct, unwarped force toward Truth).
Transcendence of measures (mātrā) toward the Brihat (the Vast), Irresistibility (apratīta) as Ṛta-force, Brihat beyond dyāvāpṛthivī
Straight striving indicates alignment with ṛta—direct movement of consciousness toward truth.
Shining overflow suggests satya revealing itself beyond mental limits.
Transcending the three worlds: evolution as continual surpassing of prior planes and formations.
Integral Vedāntic/yogic reading: expansion (widening) as a primary sign of higher consciousness.
Heaven = mind, Earth = body, Mid-world = life-force field; Indra’s surpassing indicates consciousness exceeding mental-vital-physical compartmentalization.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘surpassing of measures’ mythologem: Indra is the power that exceeds established limits (mātrā) and becomes the irresistible Vast. Mythically it is the expansion of divine force beyond the fixed cosmic compartments; psychologically it is consciousness breaking the bounds of habitual measure into the Brihat.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mā ‘measure’ is a clear IE root (cf. Latin metior, Greek metron). The repeated prá creates an anaphoric ascent typical of IE poetics, building a ladder of transcendence. The adjective apratīta encodes opposition dynamics through preverbs (prati-), a hallmark of Indo-Aryan verbal semantics with IE ancestry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi seeks an Indra who is not merely one power among powers but the force that can exceed all inner limits. Praise of transcendence is itself a method: by affirming Indra as apratīta and measure-surpassing, the seer invites that same breaking of constraint in the aspirant’s consciousness.
Widen beyond measures: release fixed self-concepts; rest in luminous spacious awareness.
sahasrāra (wideness above the mind)
Open-awareness breathing: slow inhale imagining expansion beyond body; slow exhale imagining light pervading the three worlds (mind-life-body).
Vast, luminous, boundary-transcending awareness.
Chant once, then sit 5 minutes in ‘widening’: feel space above head, around chest, through the body; whenever a limiting thought appears, label it ‘mātrā’ (measure) and let it dissolve into the wide.
Triṣṭubh with repeated ‘pra’ taking natural accentual lift; exact udatta/anudatta positions require the pada text with svara marks.
Let each ‘ (pra)’ initiate a gentle forward push; broaden the tone on ‘’ and ‘’; end with a straight, clear delivery of ‘’.
: long ā; ‘trā’ conjunct clear, : roll the ‘ri’ lightly; keep short vowels distinct, : ‘a-pra-ti-taḥ’ with clean dental t, : ‘an-ta-ri-kṣāt’ with long ā and conjunct kṣ
Open-throated, expansive, less percussive; allow resonance to spread after each pāda.
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