Rig Veda 10.23.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 23, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.23
- Rishi
- Vimada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
यो वाचा विवाचो मृध्रवाचः पुरू सहस्राशिवा जघान । तत्तदिदस्य पौंस्यं गृणीमसि पितेव यस्तविषीं वावृधे शवः ॥
yó vācā́ vivā́co mṛdhrávācaḥ purū́ sahásrāśivā jaghā́na | tát-tád íd asya páuṃsyaṃ gṛṇīmasi pitā́iva yás táviṣīṃ vāvṛdhé śávaḥ ||
वो शब्द की ताकत से दुश्मनों को हरा देता है। वो लोग बहुत चाल चलते थे, मगर इंद्र उन सब को तोड़ दिया। हम उसकी यह ताकत गाते हैं। वो बाप की तरह हमें ताकत देता है और हमें स्ट्रॉन्ग बनाता है।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वा॒चा
- with speechNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot वाच् (स्त्री) < √वच्
- विवा॑चः
- speaking distinctly / eloquentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वि-√वच् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक: विवाच्) अथवा वि + वाच्
- मृ॒ध्रवा॑चः
- of hostile/harsh speechAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मृध्र + वाच् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- पु॒रू
- manyAdjective(अव्ययवत्) बहु/अनेक—अविकारी प्रयोगःRole KarmaRoot पुरु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- स॒हस्राशि॑वा
- thousandfold harmful / very inauspiciousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रायः; अत्र कर्म-विशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत्Role KarmaRoot सहस्र + अशिव (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- ज॒घान॑
- has slainVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √हन् (हनँ हिंसायाम्)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- that (very)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इद्
- indeed / justIndeclinableनिपातः (अविकारी)Role (सम्बन्ध/बलार्थक)Root इद् (निपात)
- अस्य
- of himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्धः)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पौंस्यं॑
- manly power / prowessNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पुंस् → पौंस्य (भाव-प्रातिपदिक)
- गृणीमसि
- we praise / singVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √गॄ (गॄ स्तुतौ) / √गृ (गृण् स्तुतौ) → गृणाति
- पि॒ता
- a fatherNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान-रूपेण)Root पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role (उपमान-सूचक)Root इव (उपमा-अव्यय)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तवि॑षीं
- strength / mightNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तविषी (स्त्री) < तवस् (बल)
- वावृ॒धे
- has grown / has increasedVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √वृध् (वृधँ वर्धने)
- शवः
- power / vigorNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (वावृधे इत्यस्य)Root शवस् (नपुंसक/पुं) बल-प्रातिपदिक
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसन): यः | वाचा | विवाचः | मृध्रवाचः | पुरू | सहस्राशिवा | जघान | तत् तत् इद् अस्य | पौंस्यं | गृणीमसि | पिता इव | यः | तविषीं | वावृधे | शवः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) तत्तदिदस्य = तत् + तत् + इद् + अस्य (द्वित्व-प्रयोगः ‘तत् तत्’ + निपात ‘इद्’; द् + अ → द)
- (2) पितेव = पिता + इव (आ + इ → ए)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He who by the word strikes down the many—those of perverse speech, with a thousand harmful devices; that very manhood of his we proclaim. Like a father, he who has increased might and strength by his force.
Inner meaning
Indra conquers not merely enemies but distortions of consciousness: “perverse speech” is false naming, crooked thought, and the inner voice of denial that multiplies stratagems in the mind. Indra’s weapon here is vāc—true word as truth-force: a luminous formulation that cuts through confusion. His ‘manhood’ (pauṃsya) is the courageous capacity in the seeker to stand in truth. As a father, Indra increases our taviṣī and śavas—steadfast might and executive strength—so the aspirant can persist against recurrent inner sabotage.
Universal truth
Right speech and right seeing are powers. When truth is spoken from a deeper alignment, it dismantles deception and strengthens character in those who receive it.
Themes
mantra-as-weapon, victory-over-perverse-speech, heroic-force (pauṃsya), divine-fatherhood
The seer
- Rishi
- Vimada (Vaimada)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.23.1–7 (Vimada section)
Family tradition
Vimada hymns often stress the effectiveness of inspired speech (stoma/vāc) and Indra’s intimate support in inner battle.
Significance
The seer frames mantra (vāc) as a weapon of light—an Aurobindonian hallmark: the Word is a power that slays inner falsehood.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- pitar-iva (father-like), vṛtrahan (functionally implied: slayer of coverers), maghavan (bountiful giver, implied by strengthening)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī/Vāc (power of speech, implicit), Agni (will that carries the word into practice)
Cosmic role
Champion who restores truth-order by defeating forces of distortion.
Inner power
Discriminating intelligence that speaks the true word and empowers the will to enact it.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise of Indra’s victory through mantra-force; supports the efficacy of the hymn itself as a weapon against obstruction
यो वा॒चा विवा॑चो मृ॒ध्रवा॑चः पु॒रू स॒हस्राशि॑वा ज॒घान॑ । तत्त॒दिद॑स्य॒ पौंस्यं॑ गृणीमसि पि॒तेव॒ यस्तवि॑षीं वावृ॒धे शव॑: ॥
यः । वा॒चा । विऽवा॑चः । मृ॒ध्रऽवा॑चः । पु॒रु । स॒हस्रा॑ । असि॑वा । ज॒घान॑ । तत्ऽत॑त् । इत् । अ॒स्य॒ । पौंस्य॑म् । गृ॒णी॒म॒सि॒ । पि॒ताऽइ॑व । यः । तवि॑षीम् । व॒वृ॒धे । शवः॑ ॥
yaḥ | vācā | vi-vācaḥ | mṛdhra-vācaḥ | puru | sahasrā | asivā | jaghāna | tat-tat | it | asya | paiṃsyam | gṛṇīmasi | pitāiva | yaḥ | taviṣīm | vavṛdhe | śavaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables; strong caesura typical of Indra hymns.
Martial and declarative; suited to proclamation of victory and strength.
Builds confidence and mental rectitude; helpful for cutting through intrusive thoughts.
- वाचा (vācā)
- Literal: by speech/word. Symbolic: truth-word as effective force; mantra as luminous formulation
- विवाचः (vivācaḥ)
- Literal: discordant speakers. Symbolic: scattered thoughts; inner voices that contradict the soul’s aim
- मृध्रवाचः (mṛdhravācaḥ)
- Literal: perverse/crooked speech. Symbolic: falsehood, denial, hostile suggestion in the mind
- सहस्राशिवा (sahasrāśivā)
- Literal: with a thousand harmful (non-auspicious) [devices]. Symbolic: multiplicity of subconscious resistances and rationalizations
- जघान (jaghāna)
- Literal: he slew/struck down. Symbolic: decisive removal of obstruction in consciousness
- पौंस्य (pauṃsya)
- Literal: manhood, virility. Symbolic: courageous soul-force; heroic steadfastness in truth
- तविषी (taviṣī)
- Literal: might. Symbolic: enduring inner power; capacity to bear and transform
- शवः (śavaḥ)
- Literal: strength, force. Symbolic: executive energy; ability to act from illumination
Praise of Indra’s victory through mantra-force; supports the efficacy of the hymn itself as a weapon against obstruction
Indra praise in Soma settings; also suitable as a stotra-like declaration of Indra’s victory.
Recited to affirm Indra’s slaying of hostile powers; supports the efficacy of mantra in the rite.
Use before difficult conversations or decisions: chant to align speech with truth and to resist inner/outer manipulation.
Key terms: (1) vāc: speech as creative power; in Vedic, mantra is not description but effective formation. (2) mṛdhra: 'hostile, obstructive, crooked'; links to the field of resistance and distortion. (3) √han (jaghāna): slay—classic victory verb. (4) pauṃsya: manly power; from pumān/pumāṃs; denotes heroic potency. (5) √vṛdh (vavṛdhe): increase—growth of force in the aspirant by divine action.
Vāc (creative word) as instrument of victory, paternal divine formation (pitā iva) as nurturing power
Crooked speech disrupts R̥ta; Indra’s true word restores it.
Vāc becomes Satya when it carries effective truth-force, not mere opinion.
Mantra-śakti orientation; bridges to later Upaniṣadic emphasis on satyam-vada (speak truth).
The ‘battlefield’ is the mind; weapons are formulations of truth; enemies are distortions and hostile suggestions.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra slays adversaries by vāc: the Word itself becomes the thunderbolt. Inner sense: the force of true speech/mantra cuts down the many distorted voices in the psyche—confusions, hostile suggestions, and divisive thought-forms.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The sacral efficacy of the spoken hymn is an archaic IE feature (poet as wielder of potent speech). The father-simile for the deity (pitā iva) aligns with IE divine kinship metaphors where the god both protects and forms the human.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s praise is itself the instrument of Indra’s action: by proclaiming Indra’s pauṃsya, the poet participates in the victory over false speech. Indra is not only warrior but father—he increases might and steadies the aspirant’s force.
Purify inner speech: notice the ‘crooked voices’ and replace them with a single truthful intention.
viśuddha (speech-truth) with ājñā (discernment)
Exhale slightly longer than inhale while chanting; feel falsehood leaving on exhale.
Clear, upright, courageous; a ‘straight spine’ state of mind.
Chant 5–11 times; then practice 2 minutes of silence, watching thoughts. Each time a ‘mṛdhravāc’ arises, inwardly restate a simple satya-vākya (truth sentence) aligned to your aim.
Notated svaras not provided; keep a clear udātta lift on key nouns (vācā, pauṃsyaṃ, śavaḥ) according to a proper recitation source.
Maintain crisp consonants in compound words; do not blur vivāco / mṛdhravācaḥ.
vācā: long ā, clear c, vivāco: separate vi-vā-co, mṛdhravācaḥ: vocalic ṛ; aspirated dh; long ā, sahasrāśivā: long ā; śi as palatal ś, pauṃsyaṃ: nasalized auṃ; clear yaṃ, vāvṛdhe: long ā; vocalic ṛ
Firm, declarative, ‘truth-speaking’ tone; avoid aggression—strength with clarity.
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