Atharva Veda 20.57.11: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 6, Sukta 57, Mantra 11

Sukta 57

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

क ईं॑ वेद सु॒ते सचा॒ पिब॑न्तं॒ कद् वयो॑ दधे । अ॒यं यः पुरो॑ विभि॒नत्त्योज॑सा मन्दा॒नः शि॒प्र्यन्ध॑सः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 20.57.11

IAST Transliteration

ká īṃ veda suté sacā́ píbantaṃ kád váyo dadhe | ayáṃ yáḥ púro vibhínatty ójasā mandānáḥ śípry ándhasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Who verily knows him, drinking with the pressed (Soma), what vital force he hath assumed? This is he who, by might, cleaves the strongholds—exulting, O Śiprī, with the Soma-draught.

Translation

कौन जानता है इंद्र की असली ताकत? जब वोह सोमरस पीता है, तब उसकी शक्ति कितनी बढ़ जाती है, कोई नहीं जानता। यह वोह इंद्र है जो अपने बल से दुश्मनों के किले तोड़ देता है। सोमरस पीता है, खुश रहता है, और तब उसका कोई सामना नहीं।

The meaning

What it says

A rhetorical praise of Indra: who truly knows his nature as he drinks with the freshly pressed Soma? He is the one who, empowered, splits enemy strongholds, exulting with the Soma-draught.

The inner meaning

When inner vitality (vayas/ojas) is fed by a clarified, disciplined exhilaration (soma), the psyche becomes ‘Indra-like’: decisive, obstacle-cleaving, and immune to hesitation. The ‘forts’ are entrenched fears, compulsions, and limiting beliefs.

The truth in it

True power is not brute force but energized clarity: when life-force is ritually gathered and consciously ‘pressed’ into focus, it breaks through what once felt impregnable.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Śāstraic/Indra-stotra used for victory and obstacle-breaking (Paustika + protective martial)

Its aim

To invoke Indra’s soma-empowered force for breaking obstacles/fortified opposition and for energizing the rite with victorious potency.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

कः । ईम् । वेद । सुते । सचा । पिबन्तम् । कद् । वयः । दधे । अयम् । यः । पुरः । विभिनत्ति । ओजसा । मन्दानः । शिप्रि । अन्धसः

कः

who?who?; rhetorical challenge, heightening Indra’s mystery/powerPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

ईम्

indeed; justhim indeed; emphatic pronoun for the godIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root ईम् (निपात)

वेद

knowsknows; ‘can truly comprehend’Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root विद् (वेद)

सुते

in/at the pressed (soma)at the pressed (soma); in the soma-rite contextNoun (participle used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सुता (सु + त, क्त) / √सु (to press out)

सचा

together with; in companytogether with, in company; accompanying the rite/pressingIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root सच्/सच (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ निपात)

पिबन्तम्

drinkingdrinking; Indra as soma-drinker, empowered therebyVerb-participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot √पा (पिबति)

कद्

what?what?; interrogative intensifier (what strength/what deed?)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अव्यक्त-विभक्ति; interrogative)Root किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

वयः

vital strength; vigorvigor, vital power; also ‘strength/energy’ bestowedNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)

दधे

has placed; has bestowedhas placed/assumed; has taken on (power)Verbलिट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root √धा (दधाति)

अयम्

this (one)this (one); deictic pointing to Indra present in ritePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)

यः

whowho; relative introducing Indra’s defining actRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)

पुरः

the fronts; the fortresses (in front)strongholds, forts; obstacles/enemy defensesNoun/Adverbial accusativeनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (अद्वितीय-प्रयोगः ‘before/fronts’)Role KarmaRoot पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक)

विभिनत्ति

splits; breaks apartsplits asunder; breaks open, destroysVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root वि + √भिद्

ओजसा

with strength; by mightwith might; by sheer force/potencyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

मन्दानः

being exhilarated; rejoicinggladdened, exhilarated; intoxicated by soma, hence empoweredParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √मन्द् (to be exhilarated) / मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)

शिप्रि

the strong-jawed one (Indra)O Shiprī (epithet of Indra); ‘the lipped/jawed one’ per traditional glossAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शिप्रि (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)

अन्धसः

of the soma-juice; of the draughtof the soma-juice; the pressed draught as energizing substanceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पाठे ‘क ईं’ = ‘कः + ईम्’ (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते स्वरारम्भे). ‘सुते सचा’ इति पदच्छेदः
• ‘सचा’ निपातः ‘सह/साकम्’ अर्थे. ‘कद् वयो दधे’ इति ‘कद्’ (किम्) नपुंसक-एकवचनम्
• ‘वयः’ नपुंसक-एकवचनम्. ‘विभिनत्त्योजसा’ = ‘विभिनत्ति + ओजसा’ (इ + ओ → यो, यण्-सन्धिः). ‘शिप्र्यन्धसः’ = ‘शिप्रि + अन्धसः’ (इ + अ → य, यण्-सन्धिः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

RV-source tradition (Indra soma hymn material)

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type RV cadence; in AV 20 transmission often preserved as ṛk-verse (meter identification depends on RV original).

Rasa

Vira and Adbhuta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

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