Rig Veda 1.32.10: Mandala 1, Sukta 32, Mantra 10

Sukta 1.32

Rishi

गृत्समदः शौनकः

Devata

इन्द्रः

Chandas

त्रिष्टुप्

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

अतिष्ठन्तीनामनिवेशनानां काष्ठानां मध्ये निहितं शरीरम् । वृत्रस्य निण्यं वि चरन्त्यापो दीर्घं तम आशयदिन्द्रशत्रुः ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 1.32.10

Transliteration

átiṣṭhantīnām aniveśanā́nāṃ kā́ṣṭhānāṃ mádhye níhitaṃ śárīram | vṛtrásya niṇyáṃ ví caranty ā́po dī́rghaṃ táma ā́śayad índraśatruḥ ||

Translation

वो लकड़ियों के बीच में छुपा पड़ा था जहाँ कोई नहीं रहता। उसका शरीर वहाँ पड़ा था। वृत्र का छुपा हुआ अड्डा अब खुला है, पानी आज़ादी से बह रहा है। इंद्र के दुश्मन ने अंधेरा सह लिया, अब कोई ताकत नहीं बची।

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Word by Word

अति

over, beyondIndeclinable · अव्यय (उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण)Root अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

स्थन्तीनाम्

of (the waters) standingParticiple (Adjectival) · षष्ठी बहुवचन (स्त्रीलिङ्ग) वर्तमान सक्रिय कृदन्त; ‘standing’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) · Root स्था (धातु) → स्थन्ती (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

अनिवेशनानाम्

of the unsettled/without abodeNoun/Adjective · षष्ठी बहुवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) ‘without a resting-place/settlement’Role सम्बन्ध · Root निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक) < नि-विश्/वेश् ‘to settle, enter’ + अ- (निषेध)

काष्ठानाम्

of the wooden posts/props (supports)Noun · षष्ठी बहुवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)Role सम्बन्ध · Root काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)

मध्ये

in the middleNoun (locative used adverbially) · सप्तमी एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)Role अधिकरण · Root मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)

निहितम्

placed, depositedParticiple · कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त (क्त) नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (with implied agent) / विधेय · Root धा (धातु) → हित (ppp) with नि-; नि-धा → निहित

शरीरम्

body, mass (here: the ‘body’/bulk)Noun · प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)Role कर्म/विषय (of ‘placed’) · Root शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)

वृत्रस्य

of VṛtraNoun (proper/common) · षष्ठी एकवचन (पुंलिङ्ग)Role सम्बन्ध · Root वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

निन्यम्

the hidden recess, lairNoun · द्वितीया एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)Role कर्म (object of ‘वि चरन्ति’) · Root निन्य (प्रातिपदिक) < नि-नी ‘to lead down/in’ (Vedic: ‘hidden place, recess’)

वि

apart, asunder, forthIndeclinable · अव्यय (उपसर्ग)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

चरन्ति

they move, roamVerb · लट् (वर्तमान) परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: आपः) · Root चर् (धातु)

आपः

the watersNoun · प्रथमा बहुवचन (स्त्रीलिङ्ग)Role कर्तृ · Root अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक ‘water’)

दीर्घम्

long, prolongedAdjective · द्वितीया एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) — qualifying ‘तमः’Role कर्म (with तमः) · Root दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)

तमः

darknessNoun · द्वितीया एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)Role कर्म (object of ‘आशयत्’) · Root तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

आशयत्

he laid/caused to lie, castVerb · लुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्द्रशत्रुः; कर्म: तमः) · Root शी (धातु ‘to lie, rest’) with आ-; causative sense in Vedic: ‘to cause to lie/put to rest’

इन्द्रशत्रुः

Indra’s foe (Vṛtra)Noun (compound epithet) · प्रथमा एकवचन (पुंलिङ्ग)Role कर्तृ · Root इन्द्र-शत्रु (समास; प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution: अति॑ष्ठन्तीनामनिवेश॒नानां॒ → अति + स्थन्तीनाम् + अनिवेशनानाम्
• काष्ठा॑नां॒ मध्ये॒ → काष्ठानाम् + मध्ये
• निहि॑तं॒ → निहितम् (final -म् before श- often written -ं)
• वृ॒त्रस्य॑ नि॒ण्यं → वृत्रस्य + निन्यम्
• च॑र॒न्त्यापो॑ → चरन्ति + आपः
• तम॒ आश॑य॒दिन्द्र॑शत्रुः → तमः + आशयत् + इन्द्रशत्रुः
• (Accents as in Saṃhitā text; pada-forms given without accent marks.)

The meaning

Outer meaning

Vṛtra’s body lies hidden among posts and timbers; the waters move freely through his secret lair; Indra’s foe lies stretched as long darkness.

Inner meaning

The obstruction is shown as a concealed structure—fixed supports and rigid formations in the being (‘posts/timbers’) where the egoic knot hides. Once broken, the waters (inner currents) can circulate even through the former hiding-place; what was an active resistance becomes inert tamas, a ‘long darkness’—no longer able to bind, only a residue to be outgrown.

Universal truth

Ignorance often hides in rigid inner constructions; liberation allows life and knowledge to move through previously blocked zones, while old resistance collapses into harmless inertia.

Themes

Aftermath of victory, Waters traverse Vṛtra’s lair, Obstruction becomes long darkness

The seer

Rishi

Gṛtsamada Śaunaka

Lineage

Bhṛgu (Śaunaka branch)

Other hymns

Rig Veda 1.32.3, Rig Veda 1.32.7, Rig Veda 1.32.11

Family tradition

The hymn’s mid-verses anatomize the enemy’s ‘lair’—a hallmark of seer-psychology: not myth alone, but diagnosis of inner structure.

Significance

Shows the transition from dramatic conquest to subtle purification: the waters now traverse the once-forbidden subconscient spaces.

The deity

Devata

Indra

Epithets

Vṛtrahan, Jit (victor, implied), Śūra

Related deities

Agni (inner fire that discovers), Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave)

Cosmic role

Breaks the hidden fort of darkness so the cosmic waters circulate; turns active obstruction into inert residue.

Inner power

Penetrating illumination that exposes hidden knots; power to decentralize ego-structures.

In ritual

Where it is used

Indra-Vṛtra cycle within Soma praise; used as part of the mythic recitation that sacralizes the release of waters.

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes