Rig Veda 1.63.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 63, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.63
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वं ह त्यदिन्द्रारिषण्यन्दृळ्हस्य चिन्मर्तानामजुष्टौ । व्यस्मदा काष्ठा अर्वते वर्घनेव वज्रिञ्छ्नथिह्यमित्रान् ॥
tváṃ ha tyád indrā́riṣaṇyan dṛḷhásya cid mártānām ájuṣṭau | vy asmád ā́ kāṣṭhā́ árvate vaḥ ghanā́iva vajriñ chnathihi amítrān ||
तू हमें बचा इंद्र, जो लोग हमारा नहीं मानते उनसे भी। हमें दुश्मन लोग से दूर रख। जैसे हथौड़ा लेकर तू दुश्मन को तोड़ दे, हमारा काम आगे बढ़ जाए।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root ह (निपात)
- त्यत्
- that (deed/thing)Pronounनपुंसक; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (प्रातिपदिक; दूरवाचक/प्रदर्शक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अ॒रि॑षण्यन्
- O non-injuring one / O harmless (protector)Adjective/Participle (present) used vocativelyपुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचन; वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकार)Role सम्बोधनRoot अ॒रि॑षण्य (धातु/प्रातिपदिक; ‘अरिष्ट/अहिंसक/अद्रोही’ भाव)
- दृ॒ळ्हस्य॑
- of the firm/strong (one)Adjective (substantival genitive)पुं/नपुं; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअवधारण/अपि-अर्थक निपातRoot चित् (निपात)
- मर्तानाम्
- of mortalsNounपुं; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजुष्टौ
- in (their) non-acceptance / in displeasureAdjectiveस्त्री; सप्तमी (वेदिक-रूप: -औ); एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अजुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; न-उपसर्ग + जुष् ‘to like/accept’)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अस्मत्
- from usPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; पञ्चमी; बहुवचनRole अपादानRoot अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- काष्ठाः
- wooden barriers/blocks; (lit.) pieces of woodNounस्त्री; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्वते
- for the steed / for the horseNounपुं; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अर्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्घने
- in the crushing/striking (contest)Nounनपुं; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वर्घन (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव (निपात)
- वज्रिन्
- O wielder of the vajraNoun/Adjectiveपुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वज्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- छ्नथिहि
- smash! cleave!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यम? (वेदिक प्रयोगे देव-सम्बोधनात् द्वितीया-पुरुषः); एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot छ्नथ् (धातु; ‘to strike, crush, cleave’)
- अमित्रान्
- enemiesNounपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi/pada-splitting: (1) इन्द्रारिषण्यन् → इन्द्र + अरिषण्यन् (vocative address). (2) चि॒न्मर्ता॑ना॒मजु॑ष्टौ → चित् + मर्तानाम् + अजुष्टौ (चित् as enclitic ‘even’). (3) व्य१॒॑स्मदा → वि + अस्मत् (pada: अस्मत्, abl. pl.; written with -द् before vowel). (4) वज्रिञ्छ्नथिहि → वज्रिन् + छ्नथिहि (n → ñ before palatal ch). Accent marks retained as in Saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without explicit accent annotation beyond the transmitted spelling
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, protecting us from harm even against hard-set resistance of mortals who consent not, drive away hostile limits; like with a hammer, O vajrin, smash the enemies.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the guardian against inner harm—forces that restrict progress. The ‘hard-set’ (dṛḻhasya) resistance of mortals who ‘consent not’ (ajuṣṭau) is the stubborn part of our surface nature: habitual preferences, fear of change, refusal of the higher demand. ‘Hostile limits’ (kāṣṭhāḥ) are boundary-lines imposed by ignorance—self-definitions, doubts, social conditioning, and inner prohibitions that fence the being. The prayer asks Indra to widen our field for the ‘horse’ (arvate): the forward-moving life-force and action-energy. With the vajra like a hammer (ghana), Indra is asked to smash the inner enemies—dividing impulses, sabotage, and inertia—so the vital can move in the right direction under illumined governance.
Universal truth
Progress requires a widening beyond self-imposed limits; when illumination protects and acts decisively, the non-consenting habits of the lower nature can be broken and the life-force can move forward in truth.
Themes
protection, breaking resistance, removing constraints, victory-prayer
The seer
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.63, RV 1.62, RV 1.64
Family tradition
The Gotamas often combine praise with direct practical prayer: protection, widening, and victorious action for the seeker/community.
Significance
This verse turns the cosmic victory into immediate sadhana-help: break inner limits, protect the movement, and enable the ‘horse’ of life-energy to advance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vajrin, ariṣaṇyan (protector)
- Related deities
- Agni (will for onward movement), Pūṣan (path-finder), Soma (strength/joy sustaining progress)
Cosmic role
Protector and path-opener; breaker of hostile powers; giver of wide spaces.
Inner power
Protective discernment that widens consciousness and breaks resistant habits so life-energy can serve the soul’s journey.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective Indra invocations; used in contexts seeking victory and safe progress (general stotra usage)
त्वं ह॒ त्यदि॒न्द्रारि॑षण्यन्दृ॒ळ्हस्य॑ चि॒न्मर्ता॑ना॒मजु॑ष्टौ । व्य१॒॑स्मदा काष्ठा॒ अर्व॑ते वर्घ॒नेव॑ वज्रिञ्छ्नथिह्य॒मित्रा॑न् ॥
त्वम् । ह॒ । त्यत् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । अरि॑षण्यन् । दृ॒ळ्हस्य॑ । चि॒त् । मर्ता॑नाम् । अजु॑ष्टौ । वि । अ॒स्मत् । आ । काष्ठाः॑ । अर्व॑ते । वः॒ । घ॒नाऽइ॑व । व॒ज्रि॒न् । श्न॒थि॒हि॒ । अ॒मित्रा॑न् ॥
tvam | ha | tyat | indra | ariṣaṇyan | dṛḷhasya | cit | martānām | ajuṣṭau | vi | asmat | ā | kāṣṭhāḥ | arvate | vaḥ | ghanāiva | vajrin | śnathihi | amitrān
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Practical and imperative; strong caesuras support the sense of ‘smash, drive away’.
Mobilizes protective confidence; good for cutting through hesitation and boundary-fears.
- ariṣaṇyan
- Literal: warding off harm, protecting. Symbolic: Protective illumination that prevents hostile invasion and inner derailment
- dṛḻhasya
- Literal: hard, firm-set. Symbolic: Stubborn fixity of habit and subconscious inertia
- martānām ajuṣṭau
- Literal: in the non-acceptance of mortals. Symbolic: Surface nature’s refusal of the higher working; egoic resistance
- kāṣṭhāḥ
- Literal: posts, limits, boundaries. Symbolic: Constraining self-boundaries and limiting formations of ignorance
- arvate
- Literal: for the horse. Symbolic: Vital energy for forward movement and right action (aśva principle)
- ghana iva
- Literal: like a hammer. Symbolic: Decisive, practical force of discrimination applied to habits
- amitrān
- Literal: enemies. Symbolic: Hostile inner formations: doubt, fear, inertia, false desire
Protective and victory formula in Soma context; prayer for removal of hostile constraints affecting the sacrificer
When seeking removal of obstacles and hostile influences during rites or journeys
Recitation as protective and obstacle-breaking prayer
Use before travel, exams, negotiations, or any threshold where fear/limits arise; also as a ‘boundary-breaking’ affirmation in therapy/coaching contexts.
ariṣaṇyan from ariṣṭa ‘unharmed/safe’ (privative a- + riṣ ‘harm’), expressing protective function. juṣ (ajuṣṭau) is ‘to enjoy/accept’ → refusal here signals psychological non-cooperation of lower nature. chnathihi from √snath ‘to break, shatter’ parallels the vajra function in verbal form.
protection (ariṣṭa) as divine guardianship, removal of constriction to enable progress, separation (vi-) as a key Vedic operation of discernment
Driving away hostile limits restores the right movement of energies in accordance with ṛta.
Protection is in service of true advance, not egoic aggression.
Widening of space (uru) as a recurring Vedic creation motif—expansion of consciousness.
Integral yoga: transformation requires both protection and widening; breaking of limiting formations.
Breaking constrictive patterns; enabling vital energy to move forward under illumined protection.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not a single named myth, but the recurrent Indra-function: shattering opposition and removing constricting ‘boundaries’. Innerly, the prayer targets the hard-set, non-consenting parts of the mortal nature; Indra is asked to break these resistances so the soul’s movement (arvat) can proceed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The imperative ‘break!’ (chnathihi) reflects a common Indo-European poetic reliance on sharp performative verbs to enact the desired reality. The prefix vi- ‘apart’ is a productive inherited preverb (PIE *wi-) used to mark separation—central to the cognitive act of discrimination.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi petitions Indra as guardian and liberator: the human side confesses constraint and asks for a decisive divine intervention. The reciprocity is practical—invocation and offering invite protection and the breaking of inner enemies.
Notice self-imposed limits (‘I can’t’, ‘not for me’); invoke Indra to widen the field and protect the advance of life-energy.
maṇipūra (courage to cross limits) with mūlādhāra (safety/protection)
Inhale imagining widening (uru); exhale imagining smashing a boundary-post; 12 cycles, then chant.
Protected dynamism; confident forward movement
Choose one limit to cross today. Chant, then take a small ‘horse-step’ action immediately—one email, one practice session, one honest conversation.
Triṣṭubh; strong udatta on ‘índra’, ‘vájrin’, ‘ví asmad’, ‘chnathihi’; maintain clear svarita descents after peaks.
Emphasize the imperative energy in ‘vy asmad…’ and ‘chnathihi amitrān’; keep the protective opening steady, then intensify at the command.
ariṣaṇyan: keep retroflex ṣ; avoid ‘arisanyan’., chnathihi: initial ‘chn’ cluster—practice slowly: ‘ch-na-thi-hi’., kāṣṭhāḥ: long ā; retroflex ṣṭh; final ḥ audible but light.
Protective and forceful; start grounded, end with decisive strike.
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