Rig Veda 10.101.12: Mandala 10, Sukta 101, Mantra 12
Sukta 10.101
- Devata
- Indra, with his associates
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
कपृन्नरः कपृथमुद्दधातन चोदयत खुदत वाजसातये । निष्टिग्र्यः पुत्रमा च्यावयोतय इन्द्रं सबाध इह सोमपीतये ॥
kapṛnnaraḥ kapṛtham uddadhātana codayata khudata vājasātaye | niṣṭigryaḥ putram ā cyāvayūtaya indraṃ sabādha iha somapītaye ||
काम करने वालो, अपना काम उठाओ और आगे बढ़ाओ। जल्दी करो, मेहनत करो, ताकि बहुत कुछ मिल जाए। निष्टिग्र्य, अपने बेटे को मदद के लिए हरकाओ। इंद्र को उसके दोस्तों के साथ यहाँ लाओ, सोम पीने के लिए।
Word by Word
- कपृ॑न्
- O Kapṛn-s (a class of men/priests), you (pl.)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कपृ (प्रातिपदिक) / कपृन्-
- नरः
- menNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- कपृ॒थम्
- the Kapṛtha (name of an implement/structure; lit. ‘kapṛtha’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot कपृथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- उद्
- up, outIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot उद् (उपसर्ग)
- दधातन
- place!, set up!, put (it) up!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot धा (धातु)
- चो॒दय॑त
- impel!, urge!, drive on!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot चुद् (धातु)
- खु॒दत
- dig!, hollow out!, excavate!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot खुद् (धातु)
- वाज॑सातये
- for winning the prize/booty (for victory)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot वाजसाति (प्रातिपदिक)
- नि॒ष्टि॒ग्र्यः
- Niṣṭigrya (a person/epithet; the one called Niṣṭigrya)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot निष्टिग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- पु॒त्रम्
- sonNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग)
- च्यावयोतय
- cause to move/bring hither!, set in motion toward (us)!Verbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप)Role KriyāRoot च्यावय्/च्युत् (धातु; causative stem च्यावय-)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स॒बाधे
- in/with pressure (in close encounter; with constraint)Adjective(अव्ययवत्) सप्तमी; एकवचन (स्थाने/सहभावे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सबाध (प्रातिपदिक)
- इ॒ह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- सोम॑पीतये
- for the drinking of Soma (for Soma-drinking)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot सोमपीति (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): कपृ॑न् नरः | कपृ॒थम् उद्-दधातन | चो॒दय॑त | खु॒दत | वाज॑सातये | नि॒ष्टि॒ग्र्यः | पु॒त्रम् आ-च्यावयोतय | इन्द्रम् | स॒बाधे | इ॒ह | सोम॑पीतये । मुख्य संधि: (1) उद्दधातन = उद् + दधातन (उद्-उपसर्ग + √धा लोट् 2pl)
- (2) आच्यावयोतय = आ + च्यावयोतय (आ-उपसर्ग + caus. √च्यावय्/√च्युत्; वेदिक लोट्-रूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A call to the workers: lift and set the work in motion; drive on and dig for winning the prize. Niṣṭigrya is urged to rouse his son for help and to bring Indra with companions to drink Soma.
Inner meaning
The “workers” are the inner powers and faculties engaged in the yoga of the sacrifice. The verse is a command to raise the inner work (kapṛtham) from inertia, apply forceful aspiration and disciplined effort (codayata, khudata), and thereby win vāja—spiritual plenitude and effective power. “Rouse the son” signifies awakening a fresh, younger force in the being (a nascent will or luminous intelligence) to call down Indra: the illumined Mind that breaks resistance and coordinates the companions (supporting powers) so the Soma-delight (ananda) can be received and assimilated.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires active collaboration of one’s faculties: elevate the work, intensify the effort, awaken new capacities, and invoke higher illumination so that delight and strength can be integrated into life.
Themes
Call to action, Summoning Indra, Winning plenitude, Soma as delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.101.1-11 (same sūkta, artisan/worker imagery)
Significance
The seer-voice here is collective and practical: a late Rigvedic style that turns outer labour into a symbol of inner discipline—organizing energies, concentrating will, and invoking illumination for the ‘winning’.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with associates); Soma as the offered delight
- Epithets
- sabādha (with companions/attendants), vājī (lord of vāja, implied), somapā (Soma-drinker, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts (as companions, by sense)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; leader of victorious forces; establishes the free flow of light and power.
Inner power
Decisive illumination and courageous mental force that coordinates allied movements and makes the delight of realization drinkable—assimilable in the system.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma rite context (inviting Indra to Soma-drinking)
कपृ॑न्नरः कपृ॒थमुद्द॑धातन चो॒दय॑त खु॒दत॒ वाज॑सातये । नि॒ष्टि॒ग्र्य॑: पु॒त्रमा च्या॑वयो॒तय॒ इन्द्रं॑ स॒बाध॑ इ॒ह सोम॑पीतये ॥
कपृ॑त् । न॒रः॒ । क॒पृ॒थम् । उत् । द॒धा॒त॒न॒ । चो॒दय॑त । खु॒दत॑ । वाज॑ऽसातये । नि॒ष्टि॒ग्र्यः॑ । पु॒त्रम् । आ । च्या॒व॒य॒ । ऊ॒तये॑ । इन्द्र॑म् । स॒ऽबाधः॑ । इ॒ह । सोम॑ऽपीतये ॥
kapṛt | naraḥ | kapṛtham | ut | dadhātana | codayata | khudata | vāja-sātaye | niṣṭigryaḥ | putram | ā | cyāvaya | ūtaye | indram | sa-bādhaḥ | iha | soma-pītaye
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4 pādas; approximate 12-syllable cadence (Jagatī-like) with late-hymn flexibility
Driving, imperative-heavy rhythm suited to exhortation and coordinated action
Energizes will and collective resolve; supports a ‘work-mode’ concentration rather than purely contemplative repose.
- नरः (naraḥ)
- Literal: men, workers. Symbolic: inner faculties/powers that execute the sacrifice (will, mind, prāṇa)
- कपृथम् (kapṛtham)
- Literal: work, task, undertaking. Symbolic: the inner sādhanā/labour of transformation
- उद् दधातन (ud dadhātana)
- Literal: lift up, raise. Symbolic: elevate consciousness; bring the work to a higher plane
- चोदयत (codayata)
- Literal: impel, drive on. Symbolic: intensify aspiration; apply conscious will-force
- खुदत (khudata)
- Literal: dig, hew. Symbolic: penetrate the subconscient resistance; excavate hidden light
- वाजसातये (vājasātaye)
- Literal: for winning vāja (prize/strength). Symbolic: for attainment of plenitude, effective spiritual power
- इन्द्रम् (indram)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind/illumination that conquers the Coverer
- सोमपीतये (somapītaye)
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: for receiving/assimilating divine bliss (ānanda)
Summoning Indra to Soma-drinking; energizing the rite through collective labor and invocation.
During Indra-invocations in Soma pressing/offerings; also as a motivating verse in work-like ritual sequences
Exhortation to proceed; invitation (āvāhana) of Indra to the Soma-seat
Use as a mantra for overcoming inertia: before study, practice, or disciplined meditation—‘raise the work, dig through resistance, call illumination, receive delight’.
vāja from √vaj 'be strong, speed, vigor' → not merely 'prize/food' but plenitude of force. √cud (codayata) 'impel' (causative). √khud (khudata) 'dig, hollow'—opening the concealed. √cyu/√cyav 'move, fall, stir' (cyāvaya) causative. Indra as the force that 'breaks open' and wins. kapṛt/kapṛtha are rare; likely denote a class of workers/operations; kept semantically broad as 'work/worker' in a work-hymn context.
Vāja as force-plenitude (bṛhat energy), Indra as breaker of obstruction (avidyā/inner darkness)
The ‘right ordering’ of inner powers is implied: coordinated labour invites Indra’s victorious order.
Truth is approached as effective realization—illumination that can be ‘drunk’ as Soma (assimilated).
Transformation by sacrifice: the human field is reshaped by invoking higher powers and integrating bliss.
Proto-yogic/psychological reading aligned with Aurobindonian interpretation of sacrifice as inner discipline.
Earthwork = working in the subconscient; Soma = ananda flowing into mind-life-body when Indra’s light arrives.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s coming to drink Soma after the workers open the way: 'digging' and 'impelling' precede the descent of the victorious power. Innerly: disciplined effort opens the subconscient; then Indra (luminous force) arrives to partake of Soma (delight) and strengthen the being for vāja (plenitude).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vaj (strength), √yā/√i (movement via ā-), √pā (drink), √dheh₁ (place, in dadhātana) are old IE roots. The verse shows the classic IE sequence: labor-command imperatives + invocation of the warlike/royal god to the intoxicating drink.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi-community’s exertion (raise, impel, dig) is the human offering; in response Indra is invited to Soma-drinking, i.e., to enter the prepared field and magnify the force of victory. The reciprocity is explicit: effort for help (ūtaye), Soma for Indra, Indra’s power for the human win.
Invoke the illumined mind to lead the inner work; concentrate on ‘raising’ effort and ‘digging’ through dullness.
Manipura (will/drive) with support into Ajna (illumination)
Brisk, even ujjayi-like breathing for 1–3 minutes, then quiet inhalation-focused japa on ‘indraṃ… somapītaye’
From tamasic inertia to rajasic effort to sattvic clarity and a first taste of ananda
Begin with a clear intention (kapṛtham); apply steady effort (codayata); notice resistance (khudata) without fear; then inwardly ‘call Indra’—a descending clarity—ending with silent receptivity to Soma-delight.
Use Rigvedic accenting: preserve udātta on marked syllables; avoid flattening svarita; consult śākhā-specific recitation for exact contour.
Keep imperatives (ud dadhātana, codayata, khudata) crisply articulated; light pause at the caesura after vājasātaye.
kapṛn: ensure ṛ is vocalic (not ‘ri’), niṣṭigryaḥ: pronounce ṣṭ as a tight cluster; avoid inserting a vowel, cyāvaya: long ā in cyā-; keep y semivowel, somapītaye: long ī in pī-
Clear, commanding, forward-placed tone; end the last pāda with a receptive softness
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