Rig Veda 10.23.1: Mandala 10, Sukta 23, Mantra 1
Sukta 10.23
- Rishi
- Vimada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यजामह इन्द्रं वज्रदक्षिणं हरीणां रथ्यं विव्रतानाम् । प्र श्मश्रु दोधुवदूर्ध्वथा भूद्वि सेनाभिर्दयमानो वि राधसा ॥
yájāmaha índraṃ vájradakṣiṇaṃ hárīṇāṃ rathyáṃ vivrátānām | prá śmáśru dódhuvad ūrdhvathā́ bhūd ví senā́bhir dáyamāno ví rā́dhasā ||
हम इंद्र की पूजा करते हैं। उसके हाथ में वज्र है और वो दो घोड़े वाली गाड़ी चलाता है। उसकी दाढ़ी हिल रही है और वो ऊपर उठता है। वो अपनी सेना के साथ आता है और सबको धन बाँटता है।
Word by Word
- यजामहे
- we worship / we sacrificeVerbलट् (वेदे वर्तमानार्थे), आत्मनेपद; उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root यज् (यजँ देवपूजासंगतिकरणदानेषु)
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as the object of worship)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रदक्षिणम्
- having the thunderbolt on the right / thunderbolt-armedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (इन्द्रम्-विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot वज्र-दक्षिण (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- हरीणाम्
- of the tawny steeds (Indra’s horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथ्यम्
- chariot-going / chariot-worthyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (इन्द्रम्-विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot रथ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fit for/pertaining to a chariot’)
- विव्रतानाम्
- of those with distinct ordinances / of the wide-ranging (ones)Noun/Adjective(सामान्यतः) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन (हरीणाम् वा रथ्यम् इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे)Role Sambandha (Genitive)Root वि-व्रत (समास/उपसर्गपूर्व; प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableनिपातRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- श्मश्रु
- beard, moustacheNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दोधुवत्
- he shook / kept shakingVerbलङ् (वेदे कथन/वृत्तान्ते); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धू (धूञ् कम्पने) [द्विरुक्त/इंटेन्सिव्: दोधू-]
- ऊर्ध्वथा
- upwards, aloftIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root ऊर्ध्वथा (अव्यय; ऊर्ध्व + -था)
- भूत्
- became / came to beVerbलुङ्/आर्ष-आओरिस्ट (वेदिक); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root भू (भू सत्तायाम्)
- वि
- apart, asunder, widelyIndeclinableनिपातRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सेनाभिः
- with armies / with hostsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
- दयमानः
- apportioning, distributing (graciously giving)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (कर्तृविशेषण)Role KartāRoot दय् (दयँ दाने/अनुकम्पायाम्) → दयमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- वि
- apart, widelyIndeclinableनिपातRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- राधसा
- with bounty / with wealthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bounty, wealth, favor’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): यजामहे | इन्द्रम् | वज्रदक्षिणम् | हरीणाम् | रथ्यम् | विव्रतानाम् || प्र | श्मश्रु | दोधुवत् | ऊर्ध्वथा | भूत् | वि | सेनाभिः | दयमानः | वि | राधसा || 1) ‘यजा॑मह॒’ = यजामहे (ए/ह-प्रगृह्य/संहितासन्धि-प्रभाव). 2) ‘दोधु॑वदू॒र्ध्वथा॑’ = दोधुवत् + ऊर्ध्वथा (त् + उ → द् उ, संहितायां ‘दू’). 3) ‘भू॒द्वि’ = भूत् + वि (त् + व → द्व्, संधि). 4) ‘सेना॑भि॒र्दय॑मानो’ = सेनाभिः + दयमानः (विसर्ग/र्-आदेशः: भिः + द → भिर् + द). 5) ‘राध॑सा’ स्वतंत्रपदम्
- पूर्वेण ‘वि’ उपसर्गनिपातः
The meaning
Outer meaning
We worship Indra whose right hand holds the thunderbolt; he is the chariot-warrior of the tawny steeds that break through limits. His beard shakes; he rises upward, distributing riches with his hosts.
Inner meaning
The sacrifice (yajāmahe) is the inner offering of attention and will to Indra—the illumined Mind-force—whose ‘right hand’ is the vajra: discriminating lightning that breaks false formations. The tawny steeds (harī) are dynamic life-energies yoked to the mind that ‘break through limits’ (vivratānām): they overpass habitual boundaries. Indra’s ‘beard’ shaking suggests the stirring of mature power; he rises upward (ūrdhvathā) as consciousness ascends, and with his hosts (senābhiḥ: organized powers of the being) he apportions rādhas—effective fulfillments and inner riches.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth requires a luminous, discriminating force that breaks limiting patterns, harnesses vital energies, and then distributes the gains as stable capacities across the whole nature.
Themes
Indra-warrior, distribution-of-boons, ascent, limit-breaking
The seer
- Rishi
- Vimada
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.23.2, Rig Veda 10.23.3
Family tradition
Vaimada (traditional attribution for RV 10.23)
Significance
This opening sets the keynote: Indra as ascending, organizing leader of inner forces; the ‘battle’ is psychological—breaking limits and distributing realized powers into the nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vajradakṣiṇa (thunderbolt-right-handed), rathya (chariot-warrior), maghavā (bountiful)
- Related deities
- Maruts (hosts), Agni (leader of sacrifice), Bṛhaspati (word/vision)
Cosmic role
Champion who breaks obstructions and establishes expansive order; distributor of gains (rādhas).
Inner power
Illumined mind wielding discrimination (vajra) and directing vital energies (harī) toward ascent and fulfillment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma rites: praise of Indra’s militant ascent and his distribution of rādhas to the sacrificer
यजा॑मह॒ इन्द्रं॒ वज्र॑दक्षिणं॒ हरी॑णां र॒थ्यं१॒॑ विव्र॑तानाम् । प्र श्मश्रु॒ दोधु॑वदू॒र्ध्वथा॑ भू॒द्वि सेना॑भि॒र्दय॑मानो॒ वि राध॑सा ॥
यजा॑महे । इन्द्र॑म् । वज्र॑ऽदक्षिणम् । हरी॑नाम् । र॒थ्य॑म् । विऽव्र॑तानाम् । प्र । श्मश्रु॑ । दोधु॑वत् । ऊ॒र्ध्वऽथा॑ । भू॒त् । वि । सेना॑भिः । दय॑मानः । वि । राध॑सा ॥
yajāmahe | indram | vajra-dakṣiṇam | harīnām | rathyam | vi-vratānām | pra | śmaśru | dodhuvat | ūrdhva-thā | bhūt | vi | senābhiḥ | dayamānaḥ | vi | rādhasā
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Heroic rise-and-fall; strong upward thrust in phrases like ūrdhvathā bhūt.
Energizes aspiration and upward movement; gives a sense of mobilizing inner ‘hosts’ under a single clear command.
- यजामहे (yajāmahe)
- Literal: we sacrifice/worship. Symbolic: inner offering; conscious consecration of energies
- वज्रदक्षिणम् (vajradakṣiṇam)
- Literal: with thunderbolt in the right hand. Symbolic: right discrimination; decisive truth-force
- हरीणाम् (harīṇām)
- Literal: of the tawny steeds. Symbolic: vital energies yoked to illumined mind
- रथ्यम् (rathyam)
- Literal: chariot-warrior. Symbolic: mobile mastery; directed movement of consciousness
- विव्रतानाम् (vivratānām)
- Literal: of those who break bounds. Symbolic: forces that overpass limitation; widen the field
- श्मश्रु (śmaśru)
- Literal: beard. Symbolic: matured power; virile steadiness of force
- ऊर्ध्वथा (ūrdhvathā)
- Literal: upwardly. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness
- सेनाभिः (senābhiḥ)
- Literal: with hosts/armies. Symbolic: organized inner faculties (prāṇa, mind, senses) under a higher command
- राधसा (rādhasā)
- Literal: with riches/bounties. Symbolic: effective attainments; capacities of light and power distributed in life
Indra-stotra in Soma rites: praise of Indra’s militant ascent and his distribution of rādhas to the sacrificer
Indra laud in Soma/strength sequences; opening verse to establish Indra’s presence.
Praise-invocation; setting the ‘field’ for Indra’s descent and distribution.
Chant before demanding work or sādhanā sessions to gather scattered energies and invoke decisive clarity.
Key terms: (1) vajra-dakṣiṇa: dakṣiṇa 'right' also connotes skill/auspiciousness; right-hand vajra = right-ordered decisive force. (2) vi-vrata: vrata as 'law, ordinance, fixed working'; vi- suggests 'apart/beyond'—Indra’s energies break limiting formations. (3) dódhuvat: reduplication indicates repeated shaking; inner sense is the stirring of settled energies. (4) rādhas: gift/abundance; from √rādh 'to succeed, accomplish, grant'—effective prosperity, not mere possession.
Ṛta as right action (dakṣiṇa), breaking limitation (vi-vrata) as evolutionary push
Breaking limiting ‘vrata’ (false bounds) restores true law of growth.
Vajra as truth-discrimination; rādhas as truth-fulfillment.
Ascent (ūrdhva) and distribution: realization must be integrated into life.
Integral yoga psychology: ascent + integration through organized powers.
Lightning = sudden discrimination; horses = prāṇic dynamism; chariot = directed movement of consciousness; storm-hosts = coordinated faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the ascending warrior with hosts, distributing rādhas. The mythic picture of the storm-god on his chariot is retained but turned into an image of inner ascent and the organized deployment of powers in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The chariot-warrior motif is strongly Indo-European. Lexemes for host/army (senā) and the heroic distributor of gifts are common to IE praise-poetry structures, where the god/king is lauded as giver of wealth and victory.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s yajña (offering) is answered by Indra’s rādhas (effective abundance). The verse frames Indra as a power that rises in response to invocation and then apportions forces/fulfillments through his 'hosts'—a model for inner organization under divine leadership.
Invoke the ‘vajra-mind’: a clear, decisive light in the right side of the forehead; then feel vital energies yoke to it and rise upward.
Ajna (clarity) supporting Manipura (directed force)
Brisk-to-moderate kapalabhati (if suitable) followed by steady nasal breathing to ‘yoke the horses’.
Alert, ascending, organized.
Before chanting, sit tall; feel the spine as the ‘chariot-pole’. Chant 3–9 times, then sit 2 minutes sensing energies align and rise; end by offering the day’s actions to the illumined command.
Tri-svara per śākhā; keep clear udātta on deity-name ‘indraṃ’ and emphatic compounds like ‘vajradakṣiṇam’.
Maintain Triṣṭubh gait; slight pause after each compound; lift on ‘ūrdhvathā’ to embody ascent.
: vajra-dak-ṣi-ṇam (retroflex ṇ), : vi-vra-tā-nām (long ā), : do-dhu-vat (aspirate dh), : se-nā-bhiḥ (long ā), : da-ya-mā-naḥ (long ā)
Bright, resonant, slightly martial; avoid strain—let rhythm carry force.
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