Rig Veda 10.111.10: Mandala 10, Sukta 111, Mantra 10
Sukta 10.111
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सध्रीचीः सिन्धुमुशतीरिवायन्त्सनाज्जार आरितः पूर्भिदासाम् । अस्तमा ते पार्थिवा वसून्यस्मे जग्मुः सूनृता इन्द्र पूर्वीः ॥
sadhrícīḥ síndhum uśatī́r ivā́yant sanā́j jā́ra ā́ritaḥ pū́rbhidāsām | ástamā́ te pārthivā́ vásūny asmḗ jagmuḥ sū́nṛtā indra pū́rvīḥ ||
नदियाँ मिलकर समुंदर की तरफ जा रही हैं, जैसे वो उससे मिलना चाहती हैं। इंद्र पुराना से है, वो दुश्मनों के शहर तोड़ने वाला है। वो धन और सच्ची बातें लाया है, जो हमारे लिए बहुत पुरानी हैं।
Word by Word
- सध्रीचीः
- moving together, in one accordAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विषय-विशेषण; उशतीः का विशेषण)Root सध्रीचि- (प्रातिपदिक; सध्रीच् ‘साथ-साथ/एक-दिशा में जानेवाला’)
- सिन्धुम्
- the river/stream (Sindhu)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सिन्धु-
- उशतीः
- desiring (women/ones)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot उशती- (उशत्/वश् ‘इच्छ्/काम्’ से)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इव
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot आ
- अयन्
- they went / they movedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot इ (अय्) ‘गच्छति’
- सनात्
- from of old, since ancient timesIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root सनात्
- जारः
- lover, paramourNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot जार-
- आरितः
- set in motion, impelledParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot √ऋ (अर्) / √री (री ‘to set in motion’), क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक: आरित-
- पूर्
- fortress, strongholdNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (समास-पूर्वपद)Role कर्म (समासे)Root पूर्- (स्त्री; ‘नगर/दुर्ग’)
- भिदासाम्
- of the fort-splitters (destroyers of forts)Agent noun / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root √भिद् ‘to split’ + आस्/अस् (कृदन्त-आस/आसि-प्रत्यय); प्रातिपदिक: भिदास-
- अस्तमा
- most, very greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (वसूनि का विशेषण)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot अस्तम- (सुपरलेटिव; ‘अत्यन्ततम/अन्तिम’)
- ते
- thy, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद्- (युष्मद्)
- पार्थिवा
- earthly, terrestrialAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वसूनि का विशेषण)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot पार्थिव-
- वसूनि
- goods, richesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु-
- अस्मे
- to usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचन (वेदिक रूप)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्-
- जग्मुः
- they have come / cameVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √गम् ‘to go’
- सूनृताः
- true/pleasant words, gracious speechesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सूनृता-
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र-
- पूर्वीः
- former, many of oldAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (सूनृताः का विशेषण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot पूर्वी- (पूर्व- से)
Sandhi Notes
- सध्रीचीः सिन्धुमुशतीरिवायन्त्सनाज्जार आारितः पूर्भिदासाम् → पदच्छेदः: सध्रीचीः | सिन्धुम् | उशतीः | इव | आ | अयन् | सनात् | जारः | आरितः | पूर्-भिदासाम् । अस्तमा ते पार्थिवा वसून्यस्मे जग्मुः सूनृता इन्द्र पूर्वीः → पदच्छेदः: अस्तमा | ते | पार्थिवा | वसूनि | अस्मे | जग्मुः | सूनृताः | इन्द्र | पूर्वीः । (मुख्य संधि: मुशतीः=म्+उशतीः; इवायन्=इव+आ+अयन्; सनाज्जारः=सनात्+जारः; पूर्भिदासाम्=पूर्+भिदासाम्; वसून्यस्मे=वसूनि+अस्मे; सूनृता इन्द्र=सूनृताः+इन्द्र)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Straight-together the rivers move to the ocean as if desiring; from of old the lover has been set in motion, the breaker of their cities. To your home have come the earthly riches for us, and many true utterances, O Indra, from the beginning.
Inner meaning
The liberated streams now move in a unified direction toward Sindhu (the sea/ocean)—symbol of the Infinite or the vast consciousness. Their ‘desire’ is the soul-nature’s yearning to merge in the greater being. Indra as ‘jarā’ (lover) is the intimate divine force that draws the energies toward union; as pūrbhid (breaker of cities) he breaks fixed formations (habit-structures/ego-fortresses) that imprison the flow. As a result, ‘pārthivā vasūni’ (earthly riches) become offerings/realizations, and ‘sūnṛtāḥ’ (true utterances) descend—mantric speech born of truth.
Universal truth
When energies are freed and rightly oriented, they naturally converge toward the Infinite; breaking rigid inner structures yields both practical abundance and truthful speech rooted in reality.
Themes
waters-to-ocean, Indra fort-breaker, boons: vasu and true speech
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.111.1-10
Significance
The verse culminates the release-motif in integration: freed energies converge toward the Vast and yield both outer prosperity and inner truth-speech—an image of spiritual life that includes embodiment.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Pūrbhit (fort-breaker), Jāra (lover, intimate power), Gopā (protector—implicit in guiding flows)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ, Sarasvatī (sūnṛtā/inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (word-power; breaker of the cave)
Cosmic role
Unifies and directs released forces toward the Vast; breaks imprisoning structures; grants riches and inspired truth-speech.
Inner power
A force of joyous mastery: both intimate attraction (jāra) and victorious demolition of limitation (pūrbhit).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma context (general)
स॒ध्रीची॒: सिन्धु॑मुश॒तीरि॑वायन्त्स॒नाज्जा॒र आ॑रि॒तः पू॒र्भिदा॑साम् । अस्त॒मा ते॒ पार्थि॑वा॒ वसू॑न्य॒स्मे ज॑ग्मुः सू॒नृता॑ इन्द्र पू॒र्वीः ॥
स॒ध्रीचीः॑ । सिन्धु॑म् । उ॒श॒तीःऽइ॑व । आ॒य॒न् । स॒नात् । जा॒रः । आ॒रि॒तः । पूः॒ऽभित् । आ॒सा॒म् । अस्त॑म् । आ । ते॒ । पार्थि॑वा । वसू॑नि । अ॒स्मे इति॑ । ज॒ग्मुः॒ । सू॒नृताः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । पू॒र्वीः ॥
sadhrīcīḥ | sindhum | uśatīḥ-iva | āyan | sanāt | jāraḥ | āritaḥ | pūḥ-bhit | āsām | astam | ā | te | pārthivā | vasūni | asme iti | jagmuḥ | sūnṛtāḥ | indra | pūrvīḥ
44
4 × ~11
Convergent, settling; first half flows, second half affirms gains
Creates a sense of gathering and completion; suitable for closing a practice or sealing an intention.
- सध्रीचीः (sadhrīcīḥ)
- Literal: going together, in one direction. Symbolic: harmonized movements of the being; integration
- सिन्धुम् (sindhum)
- Literal: ocean/river-sea. Symbolic: the Vast/Infinite consciousness; final confluence
- उशतीः (uśatīḥ)
- Literal: desiring. Symbolic: aspiration of the soul-nature toward union
- जारः (jāraḥ)
- Literal: lover. Symbolic: the intimate divine attraction/power that draws the being toward delight and union
- पूर्भित् (pūrbhit)
- Literal: breaker of forts/cities. Symbolic: breaker of rigid ego-formations and mental-vital strongholds
- सूनृताः (sūnṛtāḥ)
- Literal: true utterances. Symbolic: truth-born speech/mantra; inspired word aligned with satya
- पार्थिवा वसूनि (pārthivā vasūni)
- Literal: earthly riches. Symbolic: material and embodied powers brought into right relation with the divine work
Soma hymn continuation; reinforces Indra as pūrbhit and giver of vasu and sūnṛtā (truth-speech), suitable for offerings seeking both power and right utterance
Concluding or transitional recitations within Indra-focused stotras (broadly)
Recitation with offering and affirmation of boons (vasūni) and truth-utterance (sūnṛtā)
Use after completing a difficult task or inner breakthrough: chant to ‘gather the rivers’—integrate energies and dedicate gains to a higher purpose.
sadhrīcī ‘together-directed’ expresses convergence (psychologically: harmonized energies). sindhu as ocean/fullness is a frequent Vedic image for vast being. pūḥ-bhit ‘fort-breaker’ (pūr ‘fort’ + √bhid ‘split’) is Indra’s power to shatter rigid limitations. sūnṛtā from su- + nṛta/ṛta-related truthness: speech that carries effective truth (mantric correctness aligned with ṛta).
convergence into plenitude, truth-speech (sūnṛtā) aligned with ṛta, breaking of limitations (pūrbhit)
Sadhrīcīḥ indicates ṛta as right coordination of forces toward their true end.
Sūnṛtā embodies satya in speech—word that carries reality.
Integration after liberation; confluence into the Vast; manifestation of boons in earth-life.
Integral view: spiritual realization brings both inner truth and ordered outer life (pārthivā vasūni) without denying embodiment.
Rivers = multiple energies; ocean = vast consciousness; forts = hardened formations; riches = embodied powers; true utterances = mantric speech from illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rivers’ convergence to the ocean under an ancient impulsion, with Indra as pūrbhit. Inner sense: liberated energies harmonize and move toward the vast fullness of being; Indra breaks hardened formations that block union, and grants embodied resources (vasu) along with effective truth-speech (sūnṛtā).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhid ‘split’ has PIE *bheid- ‘split’ (cf. English ‘bite’ in distant semantic lineage; Latin findere is different root but comparable semantic). √gam (PIE *gʷem-) in jagmuḥ. The formula of rivers-to-sea is a widespread inherited poetic cosmology motif.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not only ‘wealth’ but vasu as stable powers in manifestation and sūnṛtā as right speech; the reciprocity is: through hymn/utterance the rishi aligns with ṛta, and Indra responds by breaking limitations and bringing both substance and truthful mantric efficacy to the sacrificer.
Gather scattered energies into one current toward the ‘ocean’—the wide silent awareness; offer speech and action into truth.
Anāhata (harmonization) leading to Sahasrāra (vastness)
Coherent breathing 5–5 for 3 minutes; chant on long exhale to feel ‘convergence’
Integrated, wide, quietly victorious
After breakthroughs, avoid dispersion. Sit, feel all movements aligning upward and outward into vastness; then speak only what is ‘sūnṛtā’—true, timely, benevolent.
Rigvedic accentuation; keep the flow smooth in first half, firmer in ‘pūrbhid’ and concluding boon phrases.
Link words across sandhi without swallowing consonants; emphasize ‘sadhrīcīḥ’ and ‘sūnṛtāḥ’ distinctly.
sadhrīcīḥ: aspirated dh; long ī, sindhum: clear ndh cluster; final m light, uśatīriva: retroflex ṣ; long ī, pūrbhid: long ū; bh aspirated, sūnṛtāḥ: long ū; ṛ as vocalic r
Smooth, gathered, resonant; end with a settled cadence
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