Rig Veda 1.100.11: Mandala 1, Sukta 100, Mantra 11
Sukta 1.100
- Rishi
- Ṛjraśva / Vārṣāgira circle
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स जामिभिर्यत्समजाति मीळ्हेऽजामिभिर्वा पुरुहूत एवैः । अपां तोकस्य तनयस्य जेषे मरुत्वान्नो भवत्विन्द्र ऊती ॥
sá jāmíbhiḥ yát samájāti mīḷhé ’jāmibhir vā puruhū́ta évaiḥ | apā́m tókasyá tánayasya jéṣe marútvān no bhavátv índra ūtī́ ||
लोग बहुत पुकारते हैं इंद्र को। वो अपने रिश्तेदारों से धन जीत लेता है, या फिर जो पराए हैं उनसे भी। वो हमारे लिए पानी जीत लेता है, और औलाद भी। इंद्र मरुत के साथ हमारे लिए मदद और सुरक्षा हो।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- जामिभिः
- with kinsmen / with those of the same clanNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot जामि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- what / that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्-सम्बन्धे)Role कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समजाति
- is born together / is of the same birthVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot सम्-√जन् (जनँ प्रादुर्भावे) / समजाति (क्रियापद-रूप, वैदिक)
- मीळ्हे
- in the reward / in the prizeNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot मीळ्ह (प्रातिपदिक; ‘reward/boon’, वैदिक)
- अजामिभिः
- with non-kinsmen / with those not of the same clanNoun/Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot अ-जामि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम्Root वा (निपात)
- पुरुहूतः
- much-invoked (Indra)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root पुरु-हूत (प्रातिपदिक)
- एवैः
- just so / indeedIndeclinable (Vedic particle-group)निपातसमूहः (वैदिक)Root एव (निपात) + इः/ऐः (वैदिक-प्रयोगः; ‘indeed/just so’ इत्यर्थे)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तोकस्य
- of offspring / of progenyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- तनयस्य
- of the son / of the descendantNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
- जेषे
- has won / winsVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्शे; वैदिक-प्रयोगः), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √जि (जि जय॑े)
- मरुत्वान्
- accompanied by the MarutsAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root मरुत्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- our / for usPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- भवतु
- may he be / let him becomeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √भू (भू सत्तायाम्)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊती
- help / aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण (फल/आशीः)Root ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): सः | जामिभिः | यत् | समजाति | मीळ्हे | अजामिभिः | वा | पुरुहूतः | एवैः । अपाम् | तोकस्य | तनयस्य | जेषे | मरुत्वान् | नः | भवतु | इन्द्रः | ऊती ॥ Sandhi: (1) स + जामिभिः → सः जामिभिः (विसर्ग-प्रयोगः)
- (2) मीळ्हेऽजामिभिः → मीळ्हे + अजामिभिः (अ + अ → ’अवग्रह’)
- (3) मरुत्वा॑न्नो → मरुत्वान् + नः (न् + न → न्न; एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Much-invoked Indra wins the rich gain for us by those akin or not akin, through his impulsions; he wins the waters, the child, and the offspring; may Indra with the Maruts help us.
Inner meaning
Indra’s action is not confined to familiar supports (jāmi, samajāti—‘of our own kind’). The illumined Mind can use even what seems ‘not akin’ (ajāmi)—unassimilated experiences, foreign energies, difficult relationships—as material for progress, by his evāḥ: impulsions/launchings of force. He wins ‘waters’ (apām): the flowing currents of consciousness and delight that were held back; and ‘child/offspring’ (toka, tanaya): new births of inner realization—fresh formations of truth and power that continue the lineage of the soul’s becoming. Maruts again provide the dynamic energies for this winning.
Universal truth
The awakened intelligence can transform both supportive and adverse conditions into fuel for growth, releasing blocked inner currents and giving birth to new capacities and futures.
Themes
unity of kin and non-kin forces, winning waters and progeny, Indra as much-invoked helper
The seer
- Rishi
- Ṛjraśva (Vārṣāgira circle)
- Lineage
- Vārṣāgira / Aṅgirasa-associated
- Other hymns
- RV 1.100.1-16
Family tradition
Angirasa-like emphasis on winning hidden riches (waters/light) through divine help; inclusive victory using all conditions.
Significance
The seer affirms a broad divine pragmatism: Indra’s illumination can work through both the familiar and the unfamiliar, turning life itself into the sacrificial field.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Marutvān)
- Epithets
- puruhūta, sanitā, jéṣe (winner)
- Related deities
- Maruts, Apas (Waters as goddess-principle), Sarasvatī (in later resonance: flow of inspiration)
Cosmic role
Releaser of the waters, giver of increase and continuity, converter of conditions into victory.
Inner power
Transformative intelligence that initiates decisive movements (evāḥ), releasing blocked flows and generating new inner births.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation for prosperity, continuity, and release of waters (symbolic/ritual)
स जा॒मिभि॒र्यत्स॒मजा॑ति मी॒ळ्हेऽजा॑मिभिर्वा पुरुहू॒त एवै॑: । अ॒पां तो॒कस्य॒ तन॑यस्य जे॒षे म॒रुत्वा॑न्नो भव॒त्विन्द्र॑ ऊ॒ती ॥
सः । जा॒मिऽभिः॑ । यत् । स॒म्ऽअजा॑ति । मी॒ळ्हे । अजा॑मिऽभिः । वा॒ । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒तः । एवैः॑ । अ॒पाम् । तो॒कस्य॑ । तन॑यस्य । जे॒षे । म॒रुत्वा॑न् । नः॒ । भ॒व॒तु॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । ऊ॒ती ॥
saḥ | jāmi-bhiḥ | yat | sam-ajāti | mīḷhe | ajāmi-bhiḥ | vā | puru-hūtaḥ | evaiḥ | apām | tokasya | tanayasya | jeṣe | marutvān | naḥ | bhavatu | indraḥ | ūtī
11
4×11; strong pivot around puruhūta evaiḥ
Surging cadence with a turning point—mirrors conversion of ‘non-kin’ into gain.
Encourages inclusivity and resilience; helps the mind feel that obstacles can be repurposed.
- पुरुहूत (puruhūta)
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: the ever-callable power of illumination, responsive to sincere aspiration
- जामिभिः (jāmibhiḥ)
- Literal: by kin, by those akin. Symbolic: supportive inner tendencies, familiar strengths, allied people/forces
- समजाति (samajāti)
- Literal: of the same kind. Symbolic: harmonious formations already aligned with the sādhaka
- अजामिभिः (ajāmibhiḥ)
- Literal: by non-kin, not akin. Symbolic: foreign/unassimilated energies; challenges that can be converted
- एवैः (evaiḥ)
- Literal: by impulsions, drives. Symbolic: Indra’s initiating pushes—decisive inner movements that break stagnation
- मीळ्हे (mīḻhe)
- Literal: in the rich gain, bounty. Symbolic: the plenitude of realization and force that nourishes the being
- अपाम् (apām)
- Literal: of the waters. Symbolic: released consciousness-currents; delight and clarity flowing again
- तोक / तनय (toka/tanaya)
- Literal: child / offspring. Symbolic: new-born realizations; future capacities; continuity of the inner lineage
Soma rite praise for winning 'āpaḥ' and prosperity (waters, progeny, continuity), applicable to prosperity-and-victory petitions within Soma liturgy.
In rites seeking increase (prajā, prosperity) and in prayers for release of obstructed flows
Stotra with offerings; refrain as protective closure
For fertility/creativity (inner or outer), for restoring emotional flow after blockage, and for reframing ‘difficult’ circumstances as helpers.
sam-ajāti (sam + √jan/ajā 'be born, generate' → 'make of one birth/kin', i.e., unify); mīḷhá- (bounty, gift; Vedic noun associated with abundance); puru-hūta (puru 'many' + √hū 'to call' → 'much-invoked'); √ji (jéṣe) from PIE *gʷʰeyH-/'live/overcome' debated; in Indo-Iranian firmly 'conquer, win'; ap- 'waters' as both physical and symbolic streams.
integration/unification (sam-ajāti as inner yoga of harmonization), continuity of becoming (tanaya as lineage of right growth)
Indra’s ‘winning’ restores right flow (waters) and right continuity (toka/tanaya) in the order of becoming.
New births of truth arise when blocked currents are released.
Release → flow → generation: waters liberated become the matrix for new formations.
Integral transformation: assimilation of the ‘other’ into the soul’s growth.
Waters = streams of consciousness/delight; kin/non-kin = allied vs alien parts/forces in the psyche; child/offspring = emergent realizations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Indra's winning of the 'waters' and 'progeny'—a classic victory motif where the release/attainment of life-streams and generative continuity follows conquest. Psychologically, the waters are clarified consciousness; toká/tánaya are the newborn and developed truth-powers that arise once unity (sam-ajāti) is achieved even among discordant elements.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan 'be born' in (sam-)ajāti continues PIE *ǵenh₁- (cf. Greek genos, Latin genus). puru 'many' aligns with PIE *pl̥h₁u- 'many' (Skt puru-, Av. pouru-). ap- 'water' has Indo-Iranian continuity (Av. āp-), reflecting an old IE hydronymic lexeme.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Indra as the mediator who can make even the 'non-kin' cooperate in the gain. The human invocation seeks not only outer prosperity but the inner conditions for right continuity—waters (clarity) and offspring (stable formations of truth) secured by Indra’s victorious agency.
Assimilate ‘foreign’ experiences; invite Indra to turn them into gain; restore inner flow and generate new intention.
svādhiṣṭhāna (waters/flow/creativity) supported by maṇipūra (decisive impulse)
Wave-breath: smooth inhale/exhale imagining ‘waters’ returning; brief emphasis (slightly stronger exhale) on ‘jéṣe’.
Fluid, adaptive strength; creative renewal.
Bring to mind one ‘non-kin’ element (a fear, conflict, or unfamiliar task). Offer it to Indra; feel an ‘impulsion’ (evāḥ) that converts it into a step forward; seal with the refrain.
Keep udatta lift on puruhūta and on jéṣe; let ‘apām tokasya tanayasya’ be chanted in a flowing legato to match waters imagery; refrain steady.
Articulate contrasts: … jāmibhir … ajāmibhir vā …; highlight ‘apām’ clearly.
: ‘pu-ru-hū-ta’ with long ū., : retroflex ḻh sound approximated as ‘ḷh’ in careful chanting; keep it distinct from ‘l’., : ‘to-ka-sya’ (not ‘tok-shya’)., : ‘ta-na-ya-sya’ with clear ya.
Warm, flowing, confident.
9
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