Rig Veda 10.113.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 113, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.113
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
या वीर्याणि प्रथमानि कर्त्वा महित्वेभिर्यतमानौ समीयतुः । ध्वान्तं तमोऽव दध्वसे हत इन्द्रो मह्ना पूर्वहूतावपत्यत ॥
yā́ vīryā́ṇi prathamā́ni kártvā mahitvébhir yátamānau samī́yatuḥ | dhvā́ntaṃ támo ’vá dadhvase hatá índro mahnā́ pū́rvahūtāv apatyata ||
जब पहली बार बहादुरी के काम हुए, तब दोनों अपनी ताकत दिखाते हुए मिल गए। अंधेरा और दबाव हट गया जिसे दबा रहा था। इंद्र ने अपनी बड़ी ताकत से आगे बढ़ के दिखाया कि वो पुराने वक्त से बुलाया गया शक्ति है।
Word by Word
- या
- which (those)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (सन्दर्भतः ‘वीर्याणि’ इति नपुंसक-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (कर्त्वा इत्यस्य)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → य
- वीर्याणि
- heroic deeds, powersNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचन (कर्म)Role कर्मRoot वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमानि
- first, earliestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचन (वीर्याणि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणत्वेन)Root प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्त्वा
- having doneVerb (non-finite)क्त्वा (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया: ‘having done’Role क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकर्म)Root कृ (धातु) → कर्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव)
- महित्वेभिः
- by (their) greatnesses, with mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot महित्व (प्रातिपदिक; महत्/महिमन्-सम्बद्ध)
- यतमानौ
- the two strivingParticipleपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचन (आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्त); ‘striving (two)’Role कर्तृRoot यत् (धातु) → यतमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- समीयतुः
- let the two come together / meetVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे वैदिके), प्रथमपुरुष द्विवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot सम् + इ (धातु) → समीयतुः
- ध्वान्तम्
- darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (अव दध्वसे इत्यस्य)Root ध्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- तमः
- gloom, darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (अव इत्यनेन सह)Role कर्मRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव
- down, awayIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot अव (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दध्वसे
- you have put/placed, you have setVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण), मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (वैदिक प्रयोगः)Role क्रियाRoot धा (धातु) → दध्वस् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट-आधार; वैदिक रूप)
- हतः
- having slain, slayerParticipleपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन (इन्द्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणत्वेन)Root हन् (धातु) → हत (क्त-प्रत्यय)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मह्ना
- by (his) great mightNounपुं/नपुंसकभावे तृतीया एकवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role करणRoot मघन्/महन् (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक तृतीया एकवचन ‘मह्ना’)
- पूर्वहूतौ
- the two earlier-invoked (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा द्विवचन (यतमानौ इत्यस्य/द्वयोः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणत्वेन)Root पूर्वहूत (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + हूत ‘called/invoked’)
- अपत्यत
- he flew/shot forth, rushedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot पत् (धातु) → अप + अत्यत (वैदिक: लङ्/इम्पर्फेक्ट)
Sandhi Notes
- सन्धि-विच्छेदः: (1) तमोऽव = तमः + अव (विसर्गस्य ‘ओ’ आदेशः, अव्ययेन सह). (2) अन्यत्र प्रमुखः सन्धिः न
- ‘समीयतु:’ इति पदान्ते विसर्गः पादविराम-चिह्नः (द्विवचन-आत्मनेपद ‘समीयतुः’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
After the earliest heroic deeds were accomplished, the striving powers came together in their greatness; the gloom and darkness were cast down for the one oppressed by it—Indra, by vast might, sprang forth as the anciently invoked force.
Inner meaning
The first decisive victories of the inner life (prathamāni vīryāṇi) are the initial breakthroughs where aspiration and will become coordinated. When the seeker’s faculties “come together” (samīyatuḥ) in a unified yoga, the pressure of subconscient obscurity (dhvānta, tamas) is thrown down. Indra is the illumined Mind-force that rushes forward when invoked from of old (pūrvahūta)—the perennial divine helper awakened by sincere call.
Universal truth
When our capacities align around a higher intention, the psyche gains a sudden forward surge of clarity; darkness is not argued away but displaced by a greater power of consciousness that answers persistent invocation.
Themes
victory over darkness, archetypal heroic deeds, invocation and response
The seer
Significance
The anonymity itself fits a universal yogic utterance: the verse speaks from a collective aspiration where the seer’s individuality recedes and Indra’s timeless action—breaking darkness after the ‘first victories’—becomes the central revelation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- pūrvahūta (anciently invoked), mahat/mahnā (vast in might), vṛtrahan (implied: slayer of the cover)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Uṣas, Viśve Devāḥ
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; establisher of luminous order by releasing the hidden Light and Waters.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and courageous will that precipitates a leap from obscurity to clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Recital as remembrance of archetypal victories; inner use: invoking the ‘old-call’ Indra-force to strike down recurring darkness
या वी॒र्या॑णि प्रथ॒मानि॒ कर्त्वा॑ महि॒त्वेभि॒र्यत॑मानौ समी॒यतु॑: । ध्वा॒न्तं तमोऽव॑ दध्वसे ह॒त इन्द्रो॑ म॒ह्ना पू॒र्वहू॑तावपत्यत ॥
या । वी॒र्या॑णि । प्र॒थ॒मानि॑ । कर्त्वा॑ । म॒हि॒ऽत्वेभिः॑ । यत॑मानौ । स॒म्ऽई॒यतुः॑ । ध्वा॒न्तम् । तमः॑ । अव॑ । द॒ध्व॒से॒ । ह॒तः । इन्द्रः॑ । म॒ह्ना । पू॒र्वऽहू॑तौ । अ॒प॒त्य॒त॒ ॥
yā | vīryāṇi | prathamāni | kartvā | mahi-tvebhiḥ | yatamānau | sam-īyatuḥ | dhvāntam | tamaḥ | ava | dadhvase | hataḥ | indraḥ | mahnā | pūrva-hūtau | apatyata
Triṣṭubh (probable, based on RV 10th maṇḍala narrative cadence and pāda length)
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Driving, forward-thrusting
Supports an inner ‘surge’—useful for breaking tamas and calling up courage and clarity.
- वीर्याणि (vīryāṇi)
- Literal: heroic powers/deeds. Symbolic: decisive inner victories; capacities of the soul-force breaking limitation
- प्रथमानि (prathamāni)
- Literal: first, earliest. Symbolic: initial awakenings; foundational realizations that set the path
- समीयतुः (samīyatuḥ)
- Literal: they came together. Symbolic: integration of mind–life–will into a single aspiration
- ध्वान्तम् (dhvāntam)
- Literal: gloom. Symbolic: subtle obscurity; depressive clouding of consciousness
- तमः (tamaḥ)
- Literal: darkness. Symbolic: inertia/ignorance; the coverer-state resisting illumination
- इन्द्रः (indraḥ)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind and luminous force that breaks the cover
- मह्ना (mahnā)
- Literal: by greatness/might. Symbolic: the superior intensity of awakened consciousness
- पूर्वहूत (pūrvahūta)
- Literal: invoked of old. Symbolic: the eternal Helper recognized by tradition and inner memory
Recital as remembrance of archetypal victories; inner use: invoking the ‘old-call’ Indra-force to strike down recurring darkness
Indra-invocation in soma/strength contexts; also suitable for personal prayer when facing inner heaviness
Stotra/śastra-style praise recalling Indra’s ancient action of casting down darkness
Use as a ‘tamas-breaking’ mantra before study/meditation; recite when mind feels clouded or oppressed.
The verse is built on temporal layering: prathamāni ‘first deeds’ + pūrva-hūta ‘invoked from before’—Indra as archetypal action recurring in the seeker. dhvānta/tamas are paired intensifiers of obscurity. √yat ‘strive’ signals disciplined inner effort aligning with divine greatness (mahitva/mahn).
archetypal recurrence (pūrva-hūta), striving (yatna) and grace/power, overcoming ignorance (tamas)
Indra’s action reestablishes the luminous order by removing the cover.
Truth becomes effective when faculties unite (samīyatuḥ) around it.
Emergence of light from darkness; the perennial drama of manifestation overcoming obscuration.
Proto-Vedāntic/Vedic yoga (Aurobindonian psychological reading)
pre-dawn to dawn transition (symbolic)
The shift from subconscient clouding to awakened illumination through the descent/upsurge of Indra-consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the recurring ‘first victory’ pattern: the archetypal smiting of darkness re-enacted whenever Indra is invoked. Darkness is not merely night but the compressing ignorance that ‘presses’ the being; Indra’s rushing forth is the sudden descent of victorious consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The formulaic pairing of ‘heroic deeds’ (vīrya) with ‘striving’ (√yat) reflects an inherited poetics of the hero’s exertion culminating in a decisive act. The verb √pat ‘rush/fly’ is a widely attested IE root; the semantics of ‘casting down’ darkness parallels IE diction of overthrowing obscurity to restore sight/order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Indra as ‘pūrva-hūta’, suggesting a traditional, dependable reciprocity: invocation awakens the power, and the power repeats its foundational deed in the seeker. Human striving (yatamānau) is not opposed to divine action; it is the condition for meeting (sam-īyatuḥ) with the greatness (mahitva) that removes darkness.
Invoke the illumined Mind-force to cast down inner gloom; unify scattered faculties into one aspiration.
ājñā (brow)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally emphasizing ‘dhvāntaṃ tamo’ on exhale as release
From tamasic inertia to sattvic clarity with a heroic uplift
Recall a prior moment of inner victory; chant once, pause, feel a forward surge of will; repeat until the mind feels ‘collected’ (samīyatuḥ).
Follow śākala recitation norms: maintain udātta on marked syllables; avoid flattening svarita transitions (exact pitch requires a pada-svara text).
Keep a clear lift on vīryā́ṇi, prathamā́ni; give weight to dhvā́ntam támaḥ; emphasize índraḥ as the turning point.
: pronounce dhvā- (aspirated dh) with long ā; keep nt cluster crisp, : sandhi—tamo ’va, slight pause/glide at avagraha, : pūrva-hūtau, keep long ū in pūrva and hū
Firm, rallying, chest-supported; end each pāda with controlled release
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
