Rig Veda 2.14.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 14, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.14
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
अध्वर्यवो यो अपो वव्रिवांसं वृत्रं जघानाशन्येव वृक्षम् । तस्मा एतं भरत तद्वशायँ एष इन्द्रो अर्हति पीतिमस्य ॥
ádhvaryavo yó apó vavrivā́ṃsaṃ vṛtráṃ jaghā́nā́śanyèva vṛkṣám | tásmā etáṃ bharata tád-vaśāyaṃ eṣá índro arhati pītím asya ||
Pandit log, Vritra ne paani ko chupa liya tha. Indra ne use maara, jaise bijli ped ko tod deti hai. Ab Som le ke aao, Indra ko do. Yeh peena uska haq hai, kyunki usne itna bada kaam kiya.
Word by Word
- अध्वर्यवः
- O Adhvaryu priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन (vocative sense; formally nominative plural)Root अध्वर्यु- (प्रातिपदिक) < अध्वर-
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (relative subject)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अप्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वव्रिवांसम्
- having enclosed/coveredParticiple (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of वृत्रम्)Root √वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते ‘to cover, enclose’; here perfect active participle) → वव्रिवांस्-
- वृत्रम्
- Vṛtra (the obstructor)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृत्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- जघान
- slewVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √हन् (to slay) → perfect 3sg जघान
- अशन्या
- with the thunderboltNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot अशनि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘thunderbolt’
- इव
- as/likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRole (comparison marker)Root इव
- वृक्षम्
- a treeNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (उपमान-रूपेण)Root वृक्ष- (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एतम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भरत
- bring (you all)Verbलोट् (परस्मैपद), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (to bear/bring) → imperative
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (apposition to एतम्)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वशाय
- for (his) will/pleasureNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (for his will/pleasure)Root वश- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘will, control, pleasure’
- एषः
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्हति
- is worthy/deservesVerbलट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √अर्ह् (to be worthy/deserve)
- पीतिम्
- a drink/draughtNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पीति- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘drinking, draught’
- अस्य
- of this (Soma/oblation)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): अध्वर्यवः | यः | अपः | वव्रिवांसम् | वृत्रम् | जघान | अशन्या | इव | वृक्षम् | तस्मै | एतम् | भरत | तत् | वशाय | एषः | इन्द्रः | अर्हति | पीतिम् | अस्य । मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) जघान + अशन्या → जघानाशन्या (स्वर-सन्धि/अ + अ → आ)
- (2) तद् + वशायम् → तद्वशायँ (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: द् + व → द्व; वैदिक नासिक्य-चिह्न ‘ँ’ पदान्त-प्रयोग)
- (3) एष + इन्द्रः → एष इन्द्रो (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि: षः + इ → ष इ; पदपाठे एषः | इन्द्रः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Adhvaryus are reminded of Indra who slew Vṛtra who had enveloped the waters, as a thunderbolt fells a tree. Therefore bring him this Soma, obedient to that will; Indra deserves to drink it.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the slayer of Vṛtra—the Coverer who constricts and holds back the ‘waters’ (apo), the flowing currents of consciousness, inspiration, and delight. The thunderbolt act is the decisive illumination that breaks resistance in the subconscient. Because such victory is the condition for our release, the inner doers are urged to bring Soma ‘tadvaśāyam’—in obedience to that higher will: let delight be offered in alignment with the divine intention, not egoic craving. Indra ‘deserves’ the drinking because illumination is the rightful recipient and user of bliss; when bliss feeds the light, the waters can flow freely again.
Universal truth
When inner resistance blocks our flow, decisive clarity must strike; and the joy we cultivate should be offered to and governed by higher wisdom, not by impulse.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Soma-ritual, liberation of waters, divine will (vaśa)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Āṅgirasa)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.32 (classic Vṛtra-slaying theme, different rishi), RV 2.12 (Indra’s heroic catalogue), RV 2.14.1
Family tradition
The Āṅgirasa vision frequently centers on the recovery of waters/lights from the coverers; Gṛtsamada’s Indra hymns articulate this as an inner battle and release.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s emphasis on ‘tadvaśāyam’ adds a yogic ethic: power and bliss must be subordinated to the divine will for true release.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (Vṛtra-slayer, implied), Vajrin (wielder of the bolt, implied), Vīra
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Releases the waters and restores cosmic circulation by striking down the coverer.
Inner power
Truth-force of illumined mind that breaks inertia and liberates blocked energies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma offering with mythic justification (arthavāda-style praise within stotra)
अध्व॑र्यवो॒ यो अ॒पो व॑व्रि॒वांसं॑ वृ॒त्रं ज॒घाना॒शन्ये॑व वृ॒क्षम् । तस्मा॑ ए॒तं भ॑रत तद्व॒शायँ॑ ए॒ष इन्द्रो॑ अर्हति पी॒तिम॑स्य ॥
अध्व॑र्यवः । यः । अ॒पः । व॒व्रि॒वांस॑म् । वृ॒त्रम् । ज॒घान॑ । अ॒शन्या॑ऽइव । वृ॒क्षम् । तस्मै॑ । ए॒तम् । भ॒र॒त॒ । त॒त्ऽव॒शाय॑ । ए॒षः । इन्द्रः॑ । अ॒र्ह॒ति॒ । पी॒तिम् । अ॒स्य॒ ॥
adhvaryavaḥ | yaḥ | apaḥ | vavrivāṃsam | vṛtram | jaghāna | aśanyāiva | vṛkṣam | tasmai | etam | bharata | tat-vaśāya | eṣaḥ | indraḥ | arhati | pītim | asya
11
4×11 with a vivid simile in the first half and a directive offering in the second
Heroic narrative pulse followed by ritual imperative; strong mid-line turns.
Elicits courage to confront inner blockage; then stabilises the energy into obedient offering.
- वृत्रम् (vṛtram)
- Literal: Vṛtra, the coverer. Symbolic: subconscient resistance, inertia, obscuring formations that block flow
- अपः (apo)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness: inspiration, intuitive knowledge, life-force flow, delight
- वव्रिवांसम् (vavrivāṃsam)
- Literal: enveloping, covering. Symbolic: the act of concealment: compression of awareness and blockage of inner currents
- अशन्या इव (aśanyā iva)
- Literal: like a thunderbolt. Symbolic: sudden decisive illumination; the indric force of discrimination
- वृक्षम् (vṛkṣam)
- Literal: tree. Symbolic: fixed habit-structures; rooted patterns felled by truth-force
- तद्वशायम् (tadvaśāyam)
- Literal: obedient to that will. Symbolic: offering governed by the higher will/ṛta, not personal desire
- अर्हति (arhati)
- Literal: is worthy/deserves. Symbolic: illumined mind is the rightful enjoyer/assimilator of bliss
Indra-Soma offering with explicit Vṛtra-slaying remembrance; reinforces Indra’s right to Soma as the liberator of the waters.
During Soma rites when recalling Indra’s Vṛtra victory to intensify the offering’s efficacy.
Recite while presenting Soma; mentally recall the release of waters as the aim of the rite.
Use when feeling stuck or emotionally blocked: chant to invoke a decisive inner break-through, then ‘offer’ the regained energy to higher discernment.
vṛtra: from √vṛ ‘cover, obstruct’ → the archetype of constriction/ignorance. apas ‘waters’: in Vedic symbolism, released waters = released currents of clarity and life. tat-vaśāya: compound with vaśa ‘control, will, mastery’ (√vaś), indicating Soma is offered in alignment with Indra’s governing will.
overcoming obstruction (Vṛtra as covering), release of consciousness-currents (apas)
Vṛtra’s defeat restores Ṛta: free movement of waters/energies through the worlds and within the being.
The bolt is satya in action—truth that does not merely see but breaks falsehood’s hold.
Release motif: creation and renewal occur by opening blocked potentials (waters) through divine force.
Aurobindonian psychology of the subconscient ‘coverer’ and the liberating illumined mind.
rainy season imagery (storm release)
Waters = flow of consciousness; thunderbolt = sudden insight; tree = entrenched habit; storm-release = catharsis and renewal.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Vṛtra-slaying and the release of the waters: the archetypal victory of illumined force over the Coverer. Inner sense: the mind-force strikes down the rigidity that blocks the flow of clarity and life-energy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛ ‘cover’ has wide IE reflexes in notions of enclosure/warding; the mythic name Vṛtra is transparently ‘the Coverer’. aśanī ‘bolt’ aligns with the IE storm-god poetic complex (thunder weapon) shared across Indo-European traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi justifies offering by recalling Indra’s foundational deed: because Indra liberated the waters, he ‘deserves’ Soma. The offering is made ‘under his will’ (tat-vaśāya), i.e., the human act aligns with the divine mastery rather than bargaining for outer gain.
Break the coverer: identify a specific inner blockage; invoke a clean, decisive insight to open the flow.
maṇipūra (will/force)
kapālabhāti-light or sharp exhale practice (gentle, optional) before chanting; then slow breathing to ‘let waters flow’.
From constriction to liberated flow; alert, victorious clarity.
Name the ‘Vṛtra’ (fear, procrastination, dullness); chant once with force on ‘vṛtraṃ jaghāna’; then sit and feel the opening; offer the released energy upward as Soma to the higher mind.
Accents especially important on key action words (jaghāna) and symbols (apo, vṛtram); keep svarita falls controlled.
Strike consonants cleanly in martial phrases; then soften and steady on offering phrases (tasmai etam bharata).
‘vavrivāṃsaṃ’ keep v-v sequence distinct; nasal ṃ before s., ‘aśanyā’ palatal ś, not s., ‘tadvaśāyam’ articulate śā with long ā; avoid collapsing to ‘tadvas-’., ‘arhati’ clear rh cluster (ar-ha-ti).
Firm and penetrating in the first half; reverent and steady in the second.
1
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