Rig Veda 10.131.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 131, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.131
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नहि स्थूर्यृतुथा यातमस्ति नोत श्रवो विविदे संगमेषु । गव्यन्त इन्द्रं सख्याय विप्रा अश्वायन्तो वृषणं वाजयन्तः ॥
náhi sthū́ry ṛtuthā́ yātám asti nótá śrávo vivide saṃgaméṣu | gavyánta índraṃ sakhyā́ya víprā aśvāyánto vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ vājáyantaḥ ||
इंद्र, तुम्हारा आना ऐसे नहीं है कि कुछ भी हो जाए। तुम्हारी बड़ाई सिर्फ बाहर दिखने में नहीं है। बुद्धि वाले लोग तुम्हे दोस्त बनाने के लिए ढूंढते हैं। वो ज्ञान की किरणों को ढूंढते हैं, ताकत के घोड़ों को ढूंढते हैं। बलवान बैल को आगे बढ़ाते हैं।
Word by Word
- नहि
- surely not / indeed notIndeclinableनिषेध + निपात (emphatic negation)Root नहि (न + हि)
- स्थूरि
- the coarse/solid (thing); grossnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्थूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतुथा
- according to season / in due orderIndeclinableतद्धित अव्यय (-था) : ‘in the manner/according to’Root ऋतु- + -था
- यातम्
- gone; attainedAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot या (धातु) / यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- is / existsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot अस्
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- उत
- and / alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/विकल्प निपातRoot उत
- श्रवः
- fame; gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विविदे
- has found; has obtainedVerbपरिपूर्ण/परस्मैपद परफेक्ट (लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot विद्
- संगमेषु
- in the encounters/meetings; in the battlesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot संगम (सम्+गम्) (प्रातिपदिक)
- गव्यन्तः
- seeking cattle; desiring cowsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गव्य (गो-सम्बन्धी) (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्याय
- for friendship; for companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- विप्राः
- inspired poets; seersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वायन्तः
- seeking horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अश्वाय (अश्व- + √इ/अय) (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणम्
- the bull; the mighty oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजयन्तः
- seeking prizes; striving for victoryAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वाजय (वाज- + √इ/अय) (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): न॒हि | स्थूरि | ऋतुथा | यातम् | अस्ति | न | उत | श्रवः | विविदे | संगमेषु । गव्यन्तः | इन्द्रम् | सख्याय | विप्राः | अश्वायन्तः | वृषणम् | वाजयन्तः । Notable: नोत = न + उत
- इन्द्रं सख्याय = इन्द्रम् + सख्याय (anusvāra before s-)
- accent marks retained from Saṃhitā but analysis given on resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Your coming is not crude or merely seasonal, nor is your fame found only in battles. The inspired seek Indra for friendship—seeking cows, seeking horses, urging the Bull, bringing about plenitude of strength.
Inner meaning
Indra’s descent/help is not a mechanical periodicity (ṛtuthā) nor merely an outer victory in conflicts. The vipra seeks Indra as inner companion (sakhyāya)—the illumined mind that walks with the seeker. ‘Cows’ are rays of knowledge; ‘horses’ are vital energies for action; Indra as the Bull (vṛṣaṇa) is the puissant force of illumination. To ‘vājayantaḥ’ is to press toward plenitude—organizing energies into effective power for the inner conquest.
Universal truth
The Divine does not come to us as a routine event; it responds to sincere aspiration and inner friendship. Knowledge and energy must be sought together, and power must be urged toward a higher fullness—not for egoic conflict but for conscious growth.
Themes
inner-seeking, go-as-light, indra-as-bull-force, rhythm-of-rita
The seer
- Rishi
- Anukta/Unknown (RV 10.131; late maṇḍala)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.131.1, RV 10.131.2
Significance
Aurobindonian hallmark verse: it explicitly discourages merely naturalistic/ritual periodicity and points to Indra as inner ally. It also clearly encodes go/aśva symbolism (knowledge/energy) in a sadhana-oriented way.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- वृषण (vṛṣaṇa, Bull), सखा (sakhā, friend—implied by sakhyāya), शूर (hero—contextual)
- Related deities
- Soma (delight that empowers Indra), Maruts (dynamic forces aiding Indra), Uṣas (illumination that prepares the field)
Cosmic role
Bringer of illumination and victorious force; companion of the seeker; awakener of knowledge-rays and dynamic energies.
Inner power
Friendship with the higher intelligence; coordinated acquisition of light (go) and force (aśva) leading to plenitude (vāja).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra hymn usage in soma/indra contexts; also as a reflective statement about the true nature of Indra’s coming.
न॒हि स्थूर्यृ॑तु॒था या॒तमस्ति॒ नोत श्रवो॑ विविदे संग॒मेषु॑ । ग॒व्यन्त॒ इन्द्रं॑ स॒ख्याय॒ विप्रा॑ अश्वा॒यन्तो॒ वृष॑णं वा॒जय॑न्तः ॥
न॒हि । स्थूरि॑ । ऋ॒तु॒ऽथा । या॒तम् । अस्ति॑ । न । उ॒त । श्रवः॑ । वि॒वि॒दे॒ । स॒म्ऽग॒मेषु॑ । ग॒व्यन्तः॑ । इन्द्र॑म् । स॒ख्याय॑ । विप्राः॑ । अ॒श्व॒ऽयन्तः॑ । वृष॑णम् । वा॒जऽय॑न्तः ॥
nahi | sthūri | ṛtu-thā | yātam | asti | na | uta | śravaḥ | vivide | sam-gameṣu | gavyantaḥ | indram | sakhyāya | viprāḥ | aśva-yantaḥ | vṛṣaṇam | vāja-yantaḥ
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4×~11; balanced antithesis in first half, aspiration list in second half typical of triṣṭubh rhetoric.
First two pādas: corrective, discriminating rhythm; last two: ascending, accumulative drive (go → aśva → vṛṣaṇa → vāja).
Shifts the listener from outer expectation to inner seeking; builds energized aspiration through the enumerative cadence.
- ऋतुथा (ṛtuthā)
- Literal: according to seasons. Symbolic: mechanical periodicity; expectation of predictable grace
- स्थूरि (sthūri)
- Literal: crudely, grossly. Symbolic: outer, superficial approach to the Divine
- सम्गमेषु (saṃgameṣu)
- Literal: in encounters/battles. Symbolic: outer conflicts; surface life-struggles
- विप्राः (viprāḥ)
- Literal: inspired seers. Symbolic: illumined seekers; those moved by revelation
- सख्याय (sakhyāya)
- Literal: for friendship. Symbolic: intimate alliance with the divine Mind within
- गव्यन्तः (gavyantaḥ)
- Literal: seeking cows. Symbolic: seeking rays of knowledge/illumination (go)
- अश्वायन्तः (aśvāyantaḥ)
- Literal: seeking horses. Symbolic: seeking vital energies/forces of action (aśva)
- वृषणम् (vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: the Bull. Symbolic: puissant force of illumination; virile power of the divine Mind
- वाजयन्तः (vājayantaḥ)
- Literal: bringing plenitude/impelling toward prize. Symbolic: organizing force toward fullness, mastery, and effective action
Inner-aspiration framing within Indra praise: redirects the seeker from outer ‘meetings’ to inner alliance (sakhyā) and the quest for light and force
During Indra praises; also apt as a teaching verse for initiates about inner meaning of go/aśva motifs.
Recitation with offerings; inner intention: seek illumination and force rather than mere outer victory.
A mantra for seekers who feel ‘nothing happens’ on schedule: it reframes grace as response to inner friendship and aspiration; use before meditation or disciplined work.
ṛtu is not mere ‘season’ but right timing in ṛta’s rhythms; the verse denies a merely external periodicity (‘not crudely seasonal’). go as ‘cow’ also ‘ray/light’ in RV symbolism—what is sought is illumination. aśva as ‘horse’ symbolizes dynamic powers/energies. vāja from a strength/plenitude semantic field: not just ‘food/prize’ but ‘abundant force’—hence vājayantaḥ as intensifying the Bull-force toward fullness.
ṛta as right rhythm beyond outer periodicity, knowledge-light (go) vs. mere fame (śravas), friendship with the divine power (sakhyā) as yoga-like relation
Denies a simplistic ‘seasonal’ determinism; suggests a more conscious ṛta—responsive, living order guided by aspiration and truth.
True fame (śravas) is inner realization, not outer encounter; satya is measured by illumination and transformation.
Evolutionary ascent: knowledge-rays and action-forces are drawn out to build fullness of being.
Integral Yoga resonance: union of knowledge and power; divine companionship as inner guide.
ṛtu referenced (all seasons as symbol of periodicity)
Seasons = cyclic nature; cows = rays of knowledge; horses = vital dynamism; bull = concentrated power of illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘finding the cows’ mythologem in its interiorized form: the vipras seek Indra for sakhyā so that the rays of knowledge (go) and the energies (aśva) may be won, and the Bull-force may be driven to vāja—plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The cow/horse pair is an archaic IE poetic dyad (wealth/power) resemanticized in Vedic as light/energy. The knowledge verb √vid (PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’) anchors the epistemic theme: true ‘finding’ is inner knowing, not social encounter.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi seeks not transactional aid but companionship (sakhyā) with Indra—an intimate alignment where Indra’s force becomes operative within the seeker to recover light (go) and dynamic power (aśva), culminating in vāja (fullness).
Shift from expecting periodic ‘high states’ to cultivating friendship with the illumined mind: ask for rays of insight (go) and energies for right action (aśva).
ajna
ujjāyī (soft) for 5 minutes, then silent aspiration on the exhale
Aspiring, illumined companionship (sakhya) with the higher mind.
After chanting, journal two lists: (1) ‘go’—one insight you need; (2) ‘aśva’—one energy you must purify/strengthen. Offer both to Indra within, asking for vāja (fullness) in action.
Without svara notation, chant evenly; keep the negations (‘nahi… na…’) clearly articulated; let the aspiration phrases rise in tone naturally (not melodically).
Mark the contrast: ‘nahi…’ (twice) with firm clarity; then broaden on ‘gavyanta… aśvāyanto… vājayantaḥ’.
: vocalic ṛ; keep ‘th’ aspirated (tʰ), not ‘t’., : śr cluster clear; avoid ‘sarvo’., : pronounce ‘vy’ conjunct smoothly (ga-vy)., : ‘śv’ cluster crisp; long ā in -āy-., : vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ (vṛ-ṣa-ṇam)., : long ā; ‘j’ soft palatal.
Bright, aspiring, forward-moving; end with grounded firmness.
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