Rig Veda 4.18.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 18, Mantra 4
Sukta 4.18
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
किं स ऋधक्कृणवद्यं सहस्रं मासो जभार शरदश्च पूर्वीः । नही न्वस्य प्रतिमानमस्त्यन्तर्जातेषूत ये जनित्वाः ॥
kím sá ṛ́dhak kṛṇavad yáṃ sahásraṃ mā́sō jabhā́ra śáradaś ca pūrvī́ḥ | nahī́ nv asya prati-mā́nam ásty antár jātéṣūta yé jánitvāḥ ||
Kaunsa kaam itna bada ho sakta hai jo uske barabar ho? Usne hazaron mahine aur kaai saal jee liye. Jo paida hue, unme koi uski tol nahi kar sakta. Jo log dusron ko janam dete hain, unme bhi koi uske jaisa nahi.
Word by Word
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (प्रश्नरूपेण)Root किम् (प्रश्न-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋधक्
- separately, apartIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root ऋधक् (अव्यय)
- कृणवत्
- did, madeVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- यम्
- whom/whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रम्
- a thousandNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मासः
- monthNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मास (प्रातिपदिक)
- जभार
- bore, carried, broughtVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root भृ (धातु)
- शरदः
- autumns, yearsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole (समुच्चय)Root च (अव्यय)
- पूर्वीः
- many/former, earlierAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (शरदः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRole (निषेध)Root न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableअव्ययRole (निपात/हेतौ)Root हि (अव्यय)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole (निपात)Root नु (अव्यय)
- अस्य
- of him/thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतिमानम्
- counterpart, equal, measureNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अस्ति इत्यस्य)Root प्रतिमान (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- अन्तर्जातेषु
- among those born within/insideAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तर्जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अन्तर् + जात, √जन्)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole (समुच्चय/विकल्प)Root उत (अव्यय)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (जनित्वाः इत्यस्य)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जनित्वाः
- having been bornVerbal derivativeक्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्ययभावः), ‘having been born/after being born’Role (पूर्वकाल-क्रियाविशेषण)Root √जन् (धातु) → जनित्व (क्त्वान्त/तुमुनादि-निष्पन्नः; here: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: किम् | सः | ऋधक् | कृणवत् | यम् | सहस्रम् | मासः | जभार | शरदः | च | पूर्वीः || न | हि | नु | अस्य | प्रतिमानम् | अस्ति | अन्तर्जातेषु | उत | ये | जनित्वाः || 1) किं स → किम् सः (अनुस्वार/विसर्ग-परिवर्तन)
- 2) ऋध॑क्कृणव॒द् → ऋधक् कृणवत् (क् + क् संयोग)
- 3) न॒ही न्व॑स्य → न हि नु अस्य (नु + अस्य = न्वस्य)
- 4) अन्तर्जा॒तेषू॒त → अन्तर्जातेषु उत (उ + उ संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The verse marvels at Indra’s incomparable stature: who among beings could match him, who has endured (or borne) “a thousand months” and many earlier autumns? No measure or likeness exists for him among the born, nor even among progenitors.
Inner meaning
Indra is the awakened illumined Mind-Power in us that is not limited by ordinary measures of time, growth, or human comparison. “A thousand months” and “many autumns” signify long preparation across cycles of inner development—maturation of consciousness until the decisive emergence of the divine mental force. The mantra negates all “pratimāna” (standard/measure) because the spiritual breakthrough is not a product of ordinary evolution; it is a descent/awakening of a higher power that exceeds the mind’s metrics.
Universal truth
The highest awakening cannot be reduced to external benchmarks, lineage, or comparison. What is truly transformative in consciousness is “immeasurable” to the ordinary mind and stands beyond the scale of the merely born nature.
Themes
Indra’s transcendence, hyperbolic time imagery, praise of the incomparable
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1, RV 4.16, RV 4.18, RV 4.26-4.27 (Vāmadeva’s self-realisation accents)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva is a major seer of Maṇḍala 4, celebrated for psychological depth and for presenting Indra not merely as a storm-god but as the inner conqueror of obstruction; the Gautama line is associated with luminous intuition and inspired speech.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s vision often turns mythic narrative into an inner drama of birth, concealment, and victorious emergence of divine powers in the human being.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of Vṛtra), Maghavan (bountiful), Śatakratu (of a hundred powers/works), Purandara (breaker of strongholds)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Āpaḥ
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who breaks the cover, releases the rivers/cows, and establishes wide space for life and light.
Inner power
The divine Mind-force that smites the obstructing Inconscience (Vṛtra), releases the streams of inspiration and clarity, and enlarges the being into vastness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotras within Soma sacrifice sequences (general Indra praise; not uniquely fixed to one rite)
किं स ऋध॑क्कृणव॒द्यं स॒हस्रं॑ मा॒सो ज॒भार॑ श॒रद॑श्च पू॒र्वीः । न॒ही न्व॑स्य प्रति॒मान॒मस्त्य॒न्तर्जा॒तेषू॒त ये जनि॑त्वाः ॥
किम् । सः । ऋध॑क् । कृ॒ण॒व॒त् । यम् । स॒हस्र॑म् । मा॒सः । ज॒भार॑ । श॒रदः॑ । च॒ । पू॒र्वीः । न॒ही । नु । आ॒स्य॒ । प्र॒ति॒ऽमान॑म् । अस्ति॑ । अ॒न्तः । ज॒तेषु॑ । उ॒त । ये । जनि॑ऽत्वाः ॥
kim | saḥ | ṛdhak | kṛṇavat | yam | sahasram | māsaḥ | jabhāra | śaradaḥ | ca | pūrvīḥ | nahī | nu | āsya | prati-mānam | asti | antaḥ | jateṣu | uta | ye | jani-tvāḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forceful, declarative, with a forward-driving cadence suited to proclamation and awe.
Builds a sense of magnitude and transcendence; the negations (“no measure”) land with emphatic finality.
- ऋधक् (ṛdhak)
- Literal: separately, apart, as a distinct act. Symbolic: any isolated human effort or egoic achievement set against the integral divine Power
- सहस्रं मासः (sahasraṃ māsaḥ)
- Literal: a thousand months. Symbolic: vast cycles of inner ripening; long occult preparation of the being
- शरदः (śaradaḥ)
- Literal: autumns, years/seasons. Symbolic: matured seasons of consciousness; fruition after repeated inner harvests
- प्रतिमानम् (pratimānam)
- Literal: measure, standard of comparison, likeness. Symbolic: the mind’s attempt to quantify the spiritual; the inadequacy of conceptual metrics
- अन्तर्जातेषु (antarjāteṣu)
- Literal: among those born within/among the born. Symbolic: within embodied nature and its limitations
- जनित्वाः (janitvāḥ)
- Literal: begetters, sources of birth. Symbolic: even cosmic generative principles fall short of measuring the supreme illumined force
Recitable in Indra laud (śastra/stotra contexts) emphasizing Indra’s incomparable greatness.
During Indra invocations in Soma pressing/offerings; also as laudatory recitation in Indra-focused sections.
Stotra/śastra praise to intensify Indra’s presence and power for the ‘breaking through’ of obstacles.
Use as a contemplation on the immeasurable dimension of awakening—release attachment to comparison, timelines, and spiritual ‘metrics’.
√bhṛ 'to bear' conveys carrying/sustaining a long maturation—inner gestation of power. (prati + √mā 'to measure') frames Indra as immeasurable: not capturable by mental standards. The hyperbolic time-count (sahasra māsaḥ) functions as a poetic sign for supra-ordinary formation beyond human temporality.
immeasurability of the divine force, time as maturation of consciousness
Indra’s action upholds R̥ta by breaking false limitation and restoring the true flow of powers.
Satya as the unmeasurable reality that cannot be captured by mental standards.
Emergence of higher power through long cycles of ripening; transcendence of ordinary birth-limits.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral Yoga reading (Aurobindo): ascent through mind to supramental vastness, aided by Indra’s illumined force.
autumn (śarad) as maturity/harvest symbol
Time-cycles symbolize stages of inner growth; the ‘many autumns’ are repeated ripenings culminating in a decisive awakening beyond measure.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the 'incomparable hero' whose formation spans vast time. Inwardly, it is the emergence of a power (Indra-consciousness) that cannot be judged by ordinary measures because it is born from a long occult maturation of being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mā 'measure' reflects PIE *meh₁- (cf. Greek métron, Latin mētior). √bhṛ reflects PIE *bʰer- (cf. English bear, Latin ferō). The inherited poetic strategy of negating comparability (nahī…prati-mānam asti) is common in Indo-European praise style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The R̥ṣi establishes a devotional epistemology: the divine force is not an object among objects. By denying 'measure', the hymn trains the seeker to abandon limiting mental comparisons and open to a supramental magnitude.
Contemplate the ‘immeasurable’ power of awakened intelligence beyond personal timelines; offer the sense of limitation to Indra within.
ājñā (brow)
moderate nāḍī-śodhana or simple equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) to stabilize the measuring mind
From comparative mind to vast witnessing awareness (bṛhat-cit).
Repeat the verse slowly; on ‘nahī… pratimānam’ feel the dropping of inner comparison; invoke Indra as the decisive clarity that exceeds mental yardsticks.
Follow Śākala-style Vedic accents: maintain udatta peaks on marked syllables; svarita as a falling glide; anudatta low—consult a pada/saṃhitā accent edition for exact placements.
Let interrogatives (kim) be clear but not over-stressed; land emphasis on negation cluster ‘nahī nu … pratimānam’ with steady low-to-high contour.
Keep retroflex ṛ in ṛdhak crisp (not ‘rid’)., Differentiate ś (palatal) in śaradaḥ from s in sahasram., Hold long vowels: māso, pūrvīḥ., Pronounce consonant clusters cleanly: pratimānam, antarjāteṣu.
Bright, steady, declarative (Indra-stuti tone)
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