Rig Veda 4.22.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.22
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वृषा वृषन्धिं चतुरश्रिमस्यन्नुग्रो बाहुभ्यां नृतमः शचीवान् । श्रिये परुष्णीमुषमाण ऊर्णां यस्याः पर्वाणि सख्याय विव्ये ॥
vṛ́ṣā vṛ́ṣandhiṃ cátur-aśrim ásyann ugró bāhúbhyāṃ nṛ́-tamaḥ śacī́vān | śríye púruṣṇīm uṣámāṇa ūrṇā́ṃ yásyāḥ párvāṇi sakhyā́ya vivyé ||
Indra bade balwan hain. Unke haath mein chauthai hathyar hai. Woh bohot taqatwar hain. Unke dono haath mein shakti hai. Ek nadi hai jisme bohot paani bahata hai. Usko Indra ne apne liye liya hai. Us nadi ke saath dosti kar li hai.
Word by Word
- वृषा
- the bull; the mighty oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृष (बलवर्षणयोः)
- वृषन्धिम्
- the bull-joined/strong-jointed (one)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वृषन्धि (प्रातिपदिक; वृषन् + धि/धि- ‘धारण/बंध’)
- चतुरश्रिम्
- four-cornered; four-edgedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot चतुरश्रि (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + अश्रि ‘कोण/अश्रि’)
- अस्यन्
- he hurls; he castsVerbलट् (वेदे injunctive/लुङ्-सम्भाव्य), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot अस् (क्षेपणे) / अस् (प्रक्षेपणे) धातु
- उग्रः
- fierce; mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- बाहुभ्याम्
- with (his) two armsNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया द्विवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृतमः
- best of men; most manlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot नृतम (प्रातिपदिक; नृ + तमप् ‘श्रेष्ठ’)
- शचीवान्
- possessing power/skill (epithet of Indra)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शचीवत् (प्रातिपदिक; शची ‘शक्ति/कौशल’ + वत्)
- श्रिये
- for splendor; for prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
- परुष्णीम्
- the rib/side-piece (of the body/frame)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot परुष्णी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पार्श्व/पसलि/रिब’)
- उषमाणः
- heating; warming; glowingVerb (Participle)वर्तमान कृदन्तः (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी, पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot उष् (दाहे/उष्णीकरणे) धातु; उषमाण (शानच्)
- ऊर्णाम्
- wool; fleeceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot ऊर्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
- यस्याः
- of which/whosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पर्वाणि
- joints; segmentsNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्याय
- for friendship; for allianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- विव्ये
- he has woven; he has interlacedVerbपरिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट (लिट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot वी (वेवये/वयने ‘to weave, to plait’) धातु
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (संभाव्य): वृषा | वृषन्धिम् | चतुरश्रिम् | अस्यन् | उग्रः | बाहुभ्याम् | नृतमः | शचीवान् || श्रिये | परुष्णीम् | उषमाणः | ऊर्णाम् | यस्याः | पर्वाणि | सख्याय | विव्ये । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) ‘अस्यन् उग्रः’ इत्यत्र पदान्त-नकारः + उकारादि → ‘अस्यन्नु…’ (नकारस्य द्वित्व/अनुनासिक-प्रभावः पदपाठपरम्परानुसारः)
- (2) ‘…मः शचीवान्’ इत्यत्र विसर्गः/उदात्त-परिसरः पदसंहितायां ‘म॒: श…’ रूपेण। (3) ‘ऊर्णां यस्याः’ इत्यत्र दीर्घस्वर-सन्धिः न, केवलं पदसंहिता।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, the Bull, hurls a four-edged strong-jointed weapon; fierce, most manly, powerful-armed. For splendour he wraps the Paruṣṇī river like wool; her joints he has woven for friendship.
Inner meaning
The ‘Bull’ (vṛṣā) is the potent force of illumined Mind. The ‘four-edged’ weapon suggests a power that acts in four directions—integral discernment cutting through complexity (aurobindonian: a multi-sided luminous force). Strong-jointed might indicates stable capacities in action. The Paruṣṇī river, in inner reading, is a streaming movement of energies/inspirations; Indra ‘wraps’ it with wool (ūrṇā) for śrī (splendour): he gathers, contains, and harmonizes the flowing life-force so it serves beauty, order, and increase rather than dispersion. ‘Joints woven for friendship’ implies Indra organizes the articulations (parvāṇi) of that flow into a coherent alliance—integrating life-energies with the illumined mind so they become companions rather than rebels.
Universal truth
Power is not only to strike down obstacles; it is also to gather and harmonize the flowing energies of life into a coherent, beautiful order that can collaborate with the higher consciousness.
Themes
heroic force as ordering power, binding of currents into harmony, vajra symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.22.4-6 (contextual continuation)
Family tradition
Vāmadeva often combines images of heroic force with subtle harmonizing action—victory that also integrates and beautifies the life-stream.
Significance
The seer’s insight: the divine Mind not only breaks the Coverer but also organizes the liberated energies into friendship with the soul’s aim.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣā (Bull), Ugra (fierce), Nṛtama (most manful), Śacīvān (possessing power/skill)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (river/inspiration), Śrī/Lakṣmī (splendour; later resonance), Agni
Cosmic role
Warrior and organizer: strikes with decisive force and then shapes the flowing powers into harmonious order for increase (śrī).
Inner power
Discernment and executive strength that integrates prāṇa streams, making them allies of the higher aim.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma context; imagery may allude to mythic deeds associated with rivers/tribes (outer) and to the ordering of powers (inner).
वृषा॒ वृष॑न्धिं॒ चतु॑रश्रि॒मस्य॑न्नु॒ग्रो बा॒हुभ्यां॒ नृत॑म॒: शची॑वान् । श्रि॒ये परु॑ष्णीमु॒षमा॑ण॒ ऊर्णां॒ यस्या॒: पर्वा॑णि स॒ख्याय॑ वि॒व्ये ॥
वृषा॑ । वृष॑न्धिम् । चतुः॑ऽअश्रिम् । अस्य॑न् । उ॒ग्रः । बा॒हुऽभ्या॑म् । नृऽत॑मः । शची॑ऽवान् । श्रि॒ये । परु॑ष्णीम् । उ॒षमा॑णः । ऊर्णा॑म् । यस्याः॑ । पर्वा॑णि । स॒ख्याय॑ । वि॒व्ये ॥
vṛṣā | vṛṣandhim | catuḥ-aśrim | asyan | ugraḥ | bāhu-bhyām | nṛ-tamaḥ | śacī-vān | śriye | paruṣṇīm | uṣamāṇaḥ | ūrṇām | yasyāḥ | parvāṇi | sakhyāya | vivye
44
4 x ~11
Martial opening with dense epithets; softer textile/river imagery in latter half
First arouses force and courage; then brings a sense of gathered, protected flow and harmony.
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: abundant force; potent illumined power
- चतुरश्रिम् (caturaśrim)
- Literal: four-edged. Symbolic: integral cutting discernment; multi-directional force
- वृषन्धिम् (vṛṣandhim)
- Literal: strong-jointed. Symbolic: stable articulations of power; firm capacities
- उग्रः (ugraḥ)
- Literal: fierce. Symbolic: intense force needed against resistance
- बाहुभ्याम् (bāhubhyām)
- Literal: with arms. Symbolic: executive powers of action in consciousness
- परुष्णीम् (paruṣṇīm)
- Literal: the river Paruṣṇī. Symbolic: streaming life-energy/inspiration current
- ऊर्णाम् (ūrṇām)
- Literal: wool. Symbolic: covering/containment; warm integrative sheath of order
- श्रिये (śriye)
- Literal: for splendour. Symbolic: for harmony, beauty, increase, auspicious fullness
- पर्वाणि (parvāṇi)
- Literal: joints, segments. Symbolic: articulations/steps of the life-movement
- सख्याय (sakhyāya)
- Literal: for friendship. Symbolic: alliance between higher mind and life-force
Indra praise with heroic imagery; supports invocatory strengthening during Soma offerings
In Indra hymns recited for strength, victory, and prosperity
Recitation; mentally ‘gathering’ energies after invocation of force
After an energizing practice, use this mantra to integrate: contain the surge of energy so it becomes stable, friendly, and productive.
śacī ‘power/skill’ (Indra’s epithet śacī-vān) indicates effective capacity. catuḥ-aśri ‘four-edged’ recalls the vajra’s decisive cutting. Paruṣṇī as river-name is retained, but read inwardly as a current of life-consciousness. ūrṇā ‘wool’ suggests binding, warmth, cohesion—Indra ‘wraps’ the flow into ordered splendour.
śacī (effective power), śrī (splendour/perfection), sakhyā (harmonious alliance)
Indra’s weaving of ‘joints’ into friendship is ṛta: right articulation of forces into an ordered whole.
Śacīvān implies skill that acts truly and effectively, not blindly.
From released flow to formed harmony—creation as organization of energies.
Psychological symbolism: rivers as streams of consciousness-force; Indra as integrator after victory
A fierce clearing power followed by a warm containment that turns scattered energies into coherent strength.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s weapon-force and ordering action: the bolt-like, multi-edged power is hurled; simultaneously the flowing currents (river) are gathered and articulated into a friendly cohesion—heroism becomes harmonizing governance of energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The storm-hero with a decisive weapon is a pan-Indo-European profile. The epithets (ugra, nṛtama, vṛṣā) show inherited poetic superlatives and animal-strength metaphors typical of IE praise diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra’s śacī (effective power) not only to destroy but to weave energies into sakhyā (alliance). The implied request: that the same ordering skill operate in the sacrificer’s inner currents.
Two-phase practice: (1) call Indra’s decisive discernment to cut through confusion; (2) ‘wrap the river’—gently contain the released energies in a calm sheath around the spine/heart so they become friendly and usable.
maṇipūra (force) harmonized into anāhata (śrī/harmony)
brisk_energetic 10 breaths with strong exhale (cutting), then slow_meditative long exhale (wrapping/containment)
From fierce clarity to integrated harmony
After breakthroughs, do not scatter. Consciously weave the ‘joints’ of your day—habits, steps, speech—into alliance with your highest intention.
Exact udatta/anudatta/svarita require a svara-marked text; deliver the opening epithets with rising accents where marked, then soften on śriye… ūrṇām.
Strong stress on vṛṣā/ugraḥ/nṛtamaḥ; allow a gentle legato through ‘paruṣṇīm uṣamāṇa ūrṇām’; articulate ‘parvāṇi sakhyāya vivye’ with clear consonants.
vṛṣā (ṛ), caturaśrim (śr cluster), ugro (hard g), bāhubhyām (bhya cluster), paruṣṇīm (retroflex ṣṇ), ūrnām (long ū; ṛ), sakhyāya (khya cluster)
martial at start, then warm and integrating
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
