Rig Veda 1.53.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 53, Mantra 2

Sukta 1.53

Rishi

Viśvāmitra Gāthina

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

Rasa

Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

दुरो अश्वस्य दुर इन्द्र गोरसि दुरो यवस्य वसुन इनस्पतिः । शिक्षानरः प्रदिवो अकामकर्शनः सखा सखिभ्यस्तमिदं गृणीमसि ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 1.53.2

Transliteration

duró aśvásya durá índra góḥ asi duró yávasya vásuna ináspátiḥ | śikṣānáraḥ pradívo ákāma-karśanaḥ sakhā sákhibhyas tám idáṃ gṛṇīmasi ||

Translation

हे इंद्र, तुम ही रास्ता हो। घोड़े के लिए भी तुम ही दरवाज़े हो, वो घोड़ा जो हमारी जान है। गाय के लिए भी तुम ही हो, वो गाय जो हमें ज्ञान देती है। फसल के लिए भी तुम ही हो, वो जो हमें खिलाता है। तुम ही वो मालिक हो जो हमें देता है। तुम इंसानों को सिखाते हो, स्वर्ग से आते हो, और इच्छा को दूर करते हो। तुम दोस्तों का दोस्त हो, हम इसी इंद्र की बात करते हैं।

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Word by Word

दुरः

door; gateNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे प्रायः), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (द्वारम्/दुरः = ‘द्वार’)Role Karma · Root दुर् (प्रातिपदिक) / द्वार (अर्थ)

अश्वस्य

of the horseNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive) · Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

दुरः

doorNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma · Root दुर् (प्रातिपदिक)

इन्द्र

O IndraNoun (proper) · पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sambodhana · Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

गोरसि

you are (the) door of the cowNoun · स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (गोः) + असि (क्रिया)Role Sambandha (Genitive) + Kartā (of ‘असि’) · Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)

असि

you areVerb · लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम? (न), उत्तम? (न) — मध्यम? (न); द्वितीयपुरुष, एकवचनRole (Copula) · Root अस् (धातु)

दुरः

doorNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma · Root दुर् (प्रातिपदिक)

यवस्य

of barleyNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive) · Root यव (प्रातिपदिक)

वसुनः

of wealth; of treasureNoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (वसोः/वसुनः वैदिक)Role Sambandha (Genitive) · Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)

इनस्पतिः

lord of strength/wealth (epithet)Noun (epithet) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of implied ‘असि’) · Root इनस्-पति (प्रातिपदिक; इनस् ‘बल/समृद्धि/रस’ + पति)

शिक्षानरः

the instructing/disciplining man (i.e., Indra as trainer)Adjective/Participle (compound) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास: ‘शिक्षाणः नरः’)Role Kartā (apposition to Indra) · Root शिक्ष् (धातु) → शिक्षाण (कृदन्त) + नर (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रदिवः

of the fore-heaven; of the lofty skyNoun · पुं/नपुंसक (वेदे), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive) · Root प्र + दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक ‘दिव्/द्यौ’)

अकामकर्शनः

who drags/pulls (foes) against their willAdjective (compound) · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहि: ‘अकामं कर्षति’)Role Kartā (apposition to Indra) · Root कृष् (धातु ‘कर्षति’) + अ-काम (निषेध) (समास)

सखा

friendNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition) · Root सखि/सखा (प्रातिपदिक)

सखिभ्यः

to the friendsNoun · पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी, बहुवचनRole Sampradāna (dative sense) · Root सखि (प्रातिपदिक)

तम्

himPronoun · पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma · Root तद् (सर्वनाम)

इदम्

thisPronoun · नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘गृणीमसि’ as ‘this (hymn)’) · Root इदम् (सर्वनाम)

गृणीमसि

we praise; we singVerb · लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम? (न); उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (Verb; kartā = वयम् implied) · Root गॄ/गृ (धातु; ‘to sing/praise’)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेद (मुख्य): दुरः अश्वस्य | दुरः इन्द्र | गोः असि → गोरसि | दुरः यवस्य वसुनः इनस्पतिः | शिक्षाणरः (शिक्षाणः + नरः) | प्रदिवः | अकामकर्शनः | सखा सखिभ्यः | तम् इदम् → तमिदम् | गृणीमसि । वैदिक ‘दुरः’ = ‘द्वारम्’ (नपुंसक एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूप-प्रयोग)

The meaning

Outer meaning

A praise of Indra as the “door/gate” (durah) to horses, cows, and barley—i.e., to power, wealth, and nourishment; he is the lord who impels treasure, a trainer of men, drawing them beyond desire, the friend of friends.

Inner meaning

Indra is the inner gatekeeper who opens the passages of the being: (1) aśva—released vital energy for right action; (2) go—rays of illumination/knowledge; (3) yava—increase and ripening of inner substance. As inas-pati (lord of driving impulse), he turns aspiration into effective force. As akāma-karśanaḥ, he draws the seeker away from desire-driven movement into a higher, freer dynamism descending from the “upper heaven” (pradivaḥ): the supramental/overmental ranges of luminous mind.

Universal truth

Spiritual progress requires a higher intelligence-force that can open the blocked channels of energy, knowledge, and growth, and redirect desire into aspiration. The ‘gate’ is not external permission but an inner alignment with a greater Light that converts impulse into conscious power.

Themes

Indra-as-opener, release-of-light (cows), inner-discipline, victory-over-desire, plenitude (vasu/rāyī/iṣa)

The seer

Rishi

Viśvāmitra Gāthina

Lineage

Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)

Other hymns

RV 1.53, RV 1.54, RV 3.1-3.60 (Viśvāmitra maṇḍala core)

Family tradition

Kṣatriya-seer who embodies the transformation of power into spiritual illumination; hymns often stress Indra as opener of the Light and helper in inner conquest.

Significance

Viśvāmitra’s vision frequently presents Indra as the decisive force that breaks obstructions and releases the ‘cows’ (illumining rays). His psychology is of heroic ascent: converting human struggle into a disciplined march toward the vast (bṛhat).

The deity

Devata

Indra

Epithets

Maghavan (bountiful), Śacīvat (possessing effective power), Śakra (mighty), Purukṛt (doer of many works)

Related deities

Agni (will and priest of the inner sacrifice), Soma (bliss and inspiration), Bṛhaspati (word and spiritual force), Uṣas (dawn-illumination)

Cosmic role

Breaker of the Coverer; opener of the luminous worlds; establisher of free passage between heaven and earth for the flow of powers and riches.

Inner power

Illuminated Mind-Will: the decisive intelligence that opens the inner doors, organizes energies, and converts desire into upward striving.

In ritual

Where it is used

Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña contexts (praise to strengthen the Indra-force and invite ‘vasu’).

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes