Rig Veda 10.120.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 120, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.120
- Devata
- Indra-like power with Soma-honey imagery
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh/Jagatī tendency
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त्वे क्रतुमपि वृञ्जन्ति विश्वे द्विर्यदेते त्रिर्भवन्त्यूमाः । स्वादोः स्वादीयः स्वादुना सृजा समदः सु मधु मधुनाभि योधीः ॥
tvé kratúm ápi vṛñjanti víśve dvír yád eté trír bhávanty ū́māḥ | svādóḥ svā́dīyaḥ svā́dunā sṛjā́ sámadaḥ su mádhu mádhunā́bhi yodhīḥ ||
सब लोग तुम्हारे पास आके अपना मन समझते हैं। ताकतें कभी दुगनी हो जाती हैं, कभी तुगनी। तुम मीठों में भी मीठे हो। अपनी मीठी ताकत से सब कुछ बना दो। शहद को शहद से मिला के ऐसा जोर बनाओ जो सब कुछ जीत ले।
Word by Word
- त्वे
- in/at youPronounसप्तमी एकवचन (त्वयि)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रतुम्
- will, resolve, power of intentionNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot क्रतु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपि
- also, evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अपि (निपात)
- वृञ्जन्ति
- they choose/appropriate, take to themselvesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot वृञ्ज् (धातु; वर्गः भ्वादि)
- विश्वे
- all (of them)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्विः
- twiceIndeclinableअव्ययRoot द्विस् (अव्यय)
- यत्
- when/that whichRelative pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एते
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्रिः
- thriceIndeclinableअव्ययRoot त्रिस् (अव्यय)
- भवन्ति
- they become, they come to beVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot भू (धातु; भ्वादि)
- ऊमाः
- helpers/attendants (ritual assistants; ‘Ūmāḥ’)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऊमा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वादोः
- of the sweet (one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root स्वादु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वादीयः
- sweeterAdjective (comparative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (तुलनात्मकः)Role KartāRoot स्वादु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वादुना
- with sweetness; by what is sweetAdjective (instrumental)नपुंसक/पुं, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्वादु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सृज
- release, pour forth, createVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot सृज् (धातु; तुदादि/भ्वादि परम्परा)
- समदः
- intoxication/rapture (soma-joy)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot समद- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सु
- well, veryIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- मधु
- honey, sweetness; meadNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (as object of ‘yodhīḥ’/‘mix’ sense) / or predicateRoot मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुना
- with honey/sweetnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मधु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, over, uponIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- योधीः
- fight; (ritually) join/mix, yoke togetherVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot युध् (धातु; दिवादि) / (RV usage also ‘mix, join, yoke’ in some contexts)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (main): त्वे (loc. of त्वद्) + क्रतुम् + अपि + वृञ्जन्ति + विश्वे । द्विर् + यत् → द्विर्यत् (र् + य् संधि) । त्रिर् + भवन्ति → त्रिर्भवन्ति (र् + भ्) । भवन्ति + ऊमाः → भवन्त्यूमाः (इ + ऊ → यू) । मधु + मधुना + अभि → मधु मधुना॒भि (अ + अ → आ; written as -ना॒भि) । Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text are not reproduced per-pada here
- forms are given in resolved pada-words
The meaning
Outer meaning
In you all gather their will and discernment, when these vital energies become double and triple. Sweeter than sweet, by sweetness create; in union of ecstasy, join honey with honey and fight through with it.
Inner meaning
The divine power addressed becomes the central organizer: all ‘kratu’ (will, intelligence, right resolve) gathers into it. When the ‘ūmāḥ’ (life-energies) become ‘double and triple,’ it suggests multiplication and harmonization of prāṇa—energies are no longer single-track desire but diversified and uplifted forces serving multiple divine purposes. The mantra then pivots to Soma-language: ‘sweeter than sweet’—Ananda surpassing all mental-vital pleasure. ‘By sweetness create’ indicates that true formation (sṛjā) in yoga is best stabilized by Ananda, not by harsh repression. ‘Join honey with honey’ is the fusion of delight with delight—Ananda in mind joining Ananda in life/body—then ‘fight through’ (abhi yodhīḥ): conquer resistance by the power of unified sweetness.
Universal truth
When our will becomes centered in a higher consciousness, energies multiply and harmonize; and the most effective power for transformation is a deeper joy that unifies the being and carries it through conflict.
Themes
Soma-delight, inner battle, concentration of will, transmutation by sweetness
The seer
- Rishi
- Treated as same seer-voice.
- Other hymns
- RV 10.120.1, RV 10.120.2, RV 10.120.4
Significance
A key Aurobindonian motif: delight is not opposed to battle; Ananda is a weapon of transformation—‘honey with honey’ becomes the force that conquers.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-like power fused with Soma-madhu (delight-force)
- Epithets
- Kratu-kṛt (implied gatherer of will), Svādīyaḥ, Madhu-maya (honey-natured, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Unifier of powers: gathers will, multiplies energies, and uses Soma-delight to overcome obstruction.
Inner power
Centralizing consciousness that organizes mind and prāṇa; Ananda-shakti that both creates and conquers.
In ritual
Where it is used
Heroic praise with Soma-ecstasy imagery
त्वे क्रतु॒मपि॑ वृञ्जन्ति॒ विश्वे॒ द्विर्यदे॒ते त्रिर्भव॒न्त्यूमा॑: । स्वा॒दोः स्वादी॑यः स्वा॒दुना॑ सृजा॒ सम॒दः सु मधु॒ मधु॑ना॒भि यो॑धीः ॥
त्वे इति॑ । क्रतु॑म् । अपि॑ । वृ॒ञ्ज॒न्ति॒ । विश्वे॑ । द्विः । यत् । ए॒ते । त्रिः । भव॑न्ति । ऊमाः॑ । स्वा॒दोः । स्वादी॑यः । स्वा॒दुना॑ । सृ॒ज॒ । सम् । अ॒दः । सु । मधु॑ । मधु॑ना । अ॒भि । यो॒धीः॒ ॥
tve iti | kratum | api | vṛñjanti | viśve | dviḥ | yat | ete | triḥ | bhavanti | ūmāḥ | svādoḥ | svādīyaḥ | svādunā | sṛja | sam | adaḥ | su | madhu | madhunā | abhi | yodhīḥ
Triṣṭubh with possible Jagatī tendency (needs scansion)
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4 × ~11 (some pādas may run long due to compounds)
Begins as organizing cadence (kratu), then becomes flowing and sweet (madhu), ending with a sharp martial imperative (yodhīḥ).
Unites sweetness with strength—first collects attention, then induces delight, then mobilizes courage.
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligence. Symbolic: the luminous executive discernment that directs sadhana
- ऊमाः (ūmāḥ)
- Literal: vital energies. Symbolic: prāṇic powers that can multiply and serve the divine when aligned
- द्विः… त्रिः (dvir… triḥ)
- Literal: twice… thrice. Symbolic: intensification and diversification of energies; expansion into higher functioning
- स्वादोः स्वादीयः (svādoḥ svādīyaḥ)
- Literal: sweeter than sweet. Symbolic: Ananda beyond sense-pleasure; bliss as spiritual substance
- मधु (madhu)
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: Soma-delight; harmonizing rasa that unites parts of the being
- अभि यो॒धीः (abhi yodhīḥ)
- Literal: fight/press forward. Symbolic: inner conquest of resistance by delight-powered force
Soma context where madhu/mada imagery is prominent; also used to invoke concentrated kratu for overcoming obstacles.
In contexts of empowerment and ecstatic invocation; in personal use, before deep work requiring both joy and endurance
Recitation to concentrate kratu and invoke madhu as sustaining force
A mantra for ‘joyful discipline’: transform by sweetness; use delight to carry effort through resistance.
kratú- central RV term: not mere ‘ritual’ but ‘effective will/intelligence’ (possibly from √kr ‘to do’ with -tu, ‘capacity for doing’). vṛñjanti from √vṛj/√vṛñj ‘to turn toward, gather, select’. madhu ‘honey/sweet’ has PIE *médʰu (cf. English mead, Greek méthy ‘wine’). yodhīḥ from √yudh ‘fight’ (PIE *yeudh-; cf. Germanic *geutan? no; but Sanskrit yudh is clear IE military root).
kratu (effective will), multiplication of energies, ananda as power for victory
When energies become ‘double and triple’ in you, they do so under r̥ta—right coordination rather than chaotic excess.
Kratu gathered into the divine center is truth-guided resolve.
‘By sweetness create’—Ananda as a creative principle shaping the worlds/inner nature.
Integral Yoga: Ananda is both origin and instrument of transformation; not world-negating but world-perfecting.
Spring (implied by honey/sweetness motif; optional symbolic association)
Honey = Soma-Ananda; winds/energies = prāṇa; doubling/tripling = expansion of life-force under higher consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘delight-as-weapon’ mythologem: madhu (honeyed delight) is not only enjoyed but used to ‘fight through’—the ananda-force becomes an instrument of conquest, while kratu is gathered into the deity as a central commander.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu directly matches PIE *médʰu (mead). yudh- aligns with PIE *yeudh- ‘fight’. The comparative/superlative play (svādóḥ svā́dīyaḥ) is a shared IE poetic strategy of intensification.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the deity to become the locus where all kratu converges, and to transmute sweetness into an active force for overcoming. The human energies multiply (dviḥ/triḥ) and are disciplined by the deity’s concentrated will.
Centralize kratu in the heart/forehead; feel prāṇa multiplying as calm power; then invoke a ‘honeyed’ Ananda and use it to move through a chosen difficulty.
Ājñā (kratu), Anāhata (union/samad), and Svādhiṣṭhāna (madhu/waters transmuted).
Inhale 4–6 counts imagining ‘madhu’ rising; exhale 6–8 counts offering it through the body; end with 3 steady breaths on ‘abhi yodhīḥ’ (firm exhale).
Ecstatic unity with courageous forward motion.
Do not seek victory by dryness. First gather will, then invite sweetness; let delight pervade the very place of struggle—then act from that unified rasa.
Rigvedic tri-tone; confirm exact accentuation from a svara source for RV 10.120.3.
Let the sweetness-phrases be more legato: svādoḥ svādīyaḥ… madhu…; keep the final imperative ‘yodhīḥ’ crisp and lifted.
kratum: dental t; short u, vṛñjanti: vocalic ṛ; palatal ñ, svādoḥ: long ā; visarga soft, svādīyaḥ: long ī; y as consonant, madhunābhi: split madhu-nā-abhi (per sandhi feel); keep long ā, yodhīḥ: long īḥ; aspirate dh lightly
Begin firm and centered; become flowing on madhu phrases; end with a clear, commanding tone.
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