Rig Veda 1.84.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 84, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.84
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्रमिद्धरी वहतोऽप्रतिधृष्टशवसम् । ऋषीणां च स्तुतीरुप यज्ञं च मानुषाणाम् ॥
índram id dhárī vahato 'pratidhṛṣṭaśavasam | ṛṣīṇā́ṁ ca stutī́r úpa yajñáṁ ca mā́nuṣāṇām ||
दो बाल वाले घोड़े इंद्र को ले कर आते हैं। कोई उनकी ताकत के आगे नहीं टिक सकता। वो रिशियों के भजन सुनने आते हैं और लोगों के यज्ञ में भी आते हैं।
Word by Word
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as the object of ‘carry/bring’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root इद् (निपात)
- हरी
- the two bay-horses (of Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहतः
- carry, conveyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot वह् (धातु)
- अप्रतिधृष्टशवसम्
- him whose might is unassailed/irresistibleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अ-प्रतिधृष्ट-शवस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)
- ऋषीणाम्
- of the seersNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- स्तुतीः
- praises, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- towards, up toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (गत्यर्थ/समीपार्थ)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- मानुषाणाम्
- of men, of mortalsNoun/Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्रम् इद् हरी वहतः अप्रतिधृष्टशवसम् । ऋषीणाम् च स्तुतीः उप यज्ञम् च मानुषाणाम् ॥ 1) इन्द्रम्+इद् → इन्द्रमिद्धरी… (द् + ह् संहितायां ‘द्ध’/संयोग-प्रभावः; संहिता-पाठे ‘इद्धरी’)
- 2) वहतः+अप्रतिधृष्टशवसम् → वहतोऽप्र… (अ + अ = ‘ऽ’ अवग्रह)
- 3) स्तुतीः+उप → स्तुतीरुप (विसर्गाभावः; ईः + उ → ईरु (रेफादेश/संहितासंधि))
The meaning
Outer meaning
The two tawny horses carry Indra—whose force is irresistible—toward the seers’ praises and toward the human sacrifice.
Inner meaning
The ‘harī’ (tawny steeds) are the dynamic life-energies yoked to the illumined mind. When these energies are purified and harnessed, they carry Indra’s power toward two supports: ṛṣīṇām stutīḥ (the inspired higher thought and mantra) and mānuṣāṇām yajña (the embodied human discipline and offering). The verse teaches integration: illumination must arrive both to the heights of inspired mind and to the practical field of human works—then the divine force becomes effective in life.
Universal truth
Spiritual power becomes operative when our energies are yoked and directed toward both inner inspiration and outer disciplined practice; neither alone is sufficient.
Themes
Indra’s approach, Invictory, Hymn-and-sacrifice unity
The seer
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.84.1, RV 1.83
Family tradition
Gautama’s Indra hymns stress the arriving force of illumination to both rishi-vision and human endeavor.
Significance
The seer articulates a key yogic principle: life-energy must serve revelation and sacrifice, so that Indra’s invincible force can act in the human field.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- apratidhṛṣṭaśavas, hariyukta (yoked with tawny steeds, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts (as allied forces of dynamism)
Cosmic role
Rider of energies; comes to hymns and sacrifice to bestow strength, victory, and illumination.
Inner power
Mastery over prāṇa and dynamic mind; capacity to direct energy toward truth and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation within Soma-yajña and general stotra settings; emphasizes Indra’s arrival to stuti and yajña.
इन्द्र॒मिद्धरी॑ वह॒तोऽप्र॑तिधृष्टशवसम् । ऋषी॑णां च स्तु॒तीरुप॑ य॒ज्ञं च॒ मानु॑षाणाम् ॥
इन्द्र॑म् । इत् । हरी॑ । व॒ह॒तः॒ । अप्र॑तिधृष्टऽशवसम् । ऋषी॑णाम् । च॒ । स्तु॒तीः । उप॑ । य॒ज्ञम् । च॒ । मानु॑षाणाम् ॥
indram | it | harī | vahataḥ | apratidhṛṣṭa-śavasam | ṛṣīṇām | ca | stutīḥ | upa | yajñam | ca | mānuṣāṇām
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3 pādas × 8 syllables
Compact and forward; conveys swift movement (the steeds bearing Indra).
Energizes and focuses; gives a sense of approach/descent of power into practice.
- हरी (harī)
- Literal: the two tawny steeds of Indra. Symbolic: purified vital energies; dynamic forces that carry consciousness forward
- अप्रतिधृष्टशवसम् (apratidhṛṣṭaśavasam)
- Literal: whose force none can withstand. Symbolic: invincible clarity and strength when mind is aligned to truth
- ऋषीणाम् स्तुतीः (ṛṣīṇāṃ stutīḥ)
- Literal: praises of the seers. Symbolic: mantric inspiration; higher intuition and revelation
- मानुषाणाम् यज्ञम् (mānuṣāṇām yajñam)
- Literal: human sacrifice. Symbolic: embodied discipline; daily offering of works, desire, and ego into a higher aim
- उप (upa)
- Literal: towards, near. Symbolic: approach and descent—bringing the power close to the practitioner
Indra āhvāna/praise in Soma rites: emphasizing Indra’s approach to stuti and yajña
When calling Indra to partake of offerings and empower the rite; also suitable at the start of recitation sessions.
Invocation: inviting Indra’s presence to hymn and offering; aligning energies (harī) to the act.
Before chanting/meditation: consciously yoke energy (posture + breath) so inspiration and daily discipline are both supported.
Key terms: (1) √vah (vahataḥ) < PIE *weǵh- ‘convey’ (Latin vehere, English way/vehicle via Latin). (2) dhṛṣṭa in apratidhṛṣṭa: from √dhṛṣ ‘dare, assail’; negated and compounded to express invincibility of śavas (force). (3) harī: dual horses; symbolically paired energies (often thought + will, or life-force + mind-force) that bring the Indraic puissance to the field of hymn and yajña.
Invincibility of divine force (śavas), Union of hymn (speech) and yajña (act)
Seers’ stuti embodies ṛta; human yajña enacts it in life.
Irresistible force is irresistible because it is truth-aligned, not ego-driven.
Descent of power into the human field through yoked energies.
Karma-yoga + mantra-yoga synthesis (Integral): revelation must enter works.
Horses = vital forces; their ‘bearing’ = prāṇa directed by intention; arrival to yajña = power entering daily life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘arrival of the god on his steeds’—Indra borne by the Haris to the hymns and the human yajña. Innerly it is the mobilization of the paired energies that carry victorious force into the field of consecrated speech and action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah ‘carry’ (vahataḥ) < PIE *weǵh- (Latin vehere). The compound apratidhṛṣṭa- shows typical Indo-European intensifying negation + preverb compounding to encode heroic invincibility in a single epithet.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi offers stuti and establishes yajña; Indra is drawn to both—speech and act together form the ‘address’ that the divine force answers by coming near.
Yoking prāṇa to inspiration and discipline: let energy serve mantra (stuti) and daily offering (yajña).
Anāhata (devotion/offer) with Maṇipūra (directed energy)
3 rounds: inhale ‘harness’, exhale ‘offer’; then chant once per exhale, feeling the ‘steeds’ move steadily.
Collected dynamism—energy under guidance of a higher intention.
Before chanting, set two intentions: (1) receive one insight (stuti), (2) perform one concrete offering-action today (yajña). Chant 9 times, then sit and feel energy aligning behind these two aims.
Gāyatrī cadence: keep three equal pādas; respect udātta in इन्द्र॒म् (indrám) and हरी॑ (harī́) as marked in the text.
Let ‘indram id’ land firmly; keep ‘vahato’ flowing to convey motion; finish with a clear, reverent cadence on ‘mānuṣāṇām’.
apratidhṛṣṭaśavasam: break mentally as a-prati-dhṛṣṭa-śavasam; keep retroflex ṛṣṭa clear, harī: long ī; do not shorten, vahataḥ: aspirate h lightly; dental t crisp, stutīr upa: maintain sandhi flow without swallowing r
Energized but controlled; like guiding a steady team of horses.
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