Rig Veda 10.47.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 47, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.47
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स्वायुधं स्ववसं सुनीथं चतुःसमुद्रं धरुणं रयीणाम् । चर्कृत्यं शंस्यं भूरिवारमस्मभ्यं चित्रं वृषणं रयिं दाः ॥
svāyudháṁ svávasaṁ sunī́thaṁ catúḥsamudraṁ dháruṇaṁ rayīṇā́m | carkṛ́tyaṁ śáṁsyaṁ bhū́rivāram asmábhyaṁ citráṁ vṛ́ṣaṇaṁ rayíṁ dāḥ ||
इंद्र से यह प्रार्थना है कि वो हमे ऐसा धन दे जो खुद अपने आप में पूरा हो। यह धन ऐसे ही पक्का हो जैसे चार समुंदर अपनी जगह पक्के खड़े हैं। इससे बहुत सारे लोग फायदा उठा सकें। यह वो धन हो जिससे हम काम बना सकें, जिसको लोग बातों में बताएं, जिसमे कोई कमी न हो। अलग-अलग तरह का, ताकतवाला, हमारे लिए अच्छा धन दे।
Word by Word
- स्वायुधम्
- having its own weapon; well-armedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्व-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक) < आयुध (√युध् ‘युध्’ = युद्धे) + स्व-
- स्ववसम्
- having its own wealth/powerAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot स्व-वस (प्रातिपदिक) < वस ‘wealth/good’ (nominal stem)
- सुनीथम्
- of good guidance; well-ledAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सु-नीथ (प्रातिपदिक) < नीथ ‘guidance/leading’ (from √नी ‘ने’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- चतुःसमुद्रम्
- having four seas; four-oceanedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot चतुः-समुद्र (समास-प्रातिपदिक) < चतुर् + समुद्र
- धरुणम्
- support; firm foundationNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot धरुण (प्रातिपदिक) < √धृ ‘धारणे’
- रयीणाम्
- of riches/wealthsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- चर्कृत्यम्
- to be celebrated/praised; worthy of making (fame)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot चर्कृत्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √कृ ‘करणे’ (intensive/reduplicated base ‘चर्/चर्कृ’ + -त्य)
- शंस्यम्
- praiseworthy; to be laudedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शंस्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √शंस् ‘स्तुतौ/आख्याने’ + -य
- भूरिवारम्
- having abundant protection/boonsAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भूरि-वार (समास-प्रातिपदिक) < भूरि ‘much’ + वार ‘protection/covering/defence’
- अस्मभ्यम्
- to usPronounचतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रम्
- bright; wondrous; splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग (or नपुंसक as adj.), द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणम्
- strong; virile; mightyAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृषण (प्रातिपदिक) < √वृष् ‘वर्षणे/बलवत्तायाम्’
- रयिम्
- wealth; treasureNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दाः
- give (you should give)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √दा (दाने)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): स्वायुधम् स्ववसम् सुनीथम् चतुःसमुद्रम् धरुणम् रयीणाम् । चर्कृत्यम् शंस्यम् भूरिवारम् अस्मभ्यम् चित्रम् वृषणम् रयिम् दाः ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) स्वा + आयुधम् → स्वायुधम् (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + आ = आ)
- (2) चतुः + समुद्रम् → चतुःसमुद्रम् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: उः + स = उःस)
- (3) भूरि + वारम् → भूरिवारम् (समास/सन्धि: इ + व = इव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Indra to bestow a strong, well-equipped, well-guided wealth—stable like the four oceans—fit to be built up and proclaimed, vast and abundant, varied and potent.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Mind (Indra) for an integral inner plenitude (rayi): a power of being that is (1) well-armed—protected by discernment and force against obscurity, (2) self-sustaining—no longer dependent on outer supports, (3) well-led—guided by the right inner governance (sunītha). “Four oceans” becomes the stable totality of consciousness holding the streams of energies, knowledges, and fulfillments without fragmentation. What is “to be made/built” is the formed inner life (character, works, embodiment of truth); what is “to be proclaimed” is the voiced mantra-truth and clear confession of the soul’s direction. The refrain asks for a “citra vṛṣaṇa rayi”—a many-colored, dynamic, virile abundance of fulfilled being.
Universal truth
Lasting prosperity is not mere acquisition but a coherent inner foundation: self-sufficient strength, right guidance, stable vastness, and creative construction of life around truth—so that many streams can flow without loss of center.
Themes
spiritual wealth, stability and wideness, armament for inner battle
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.47.1-6 (same refrain and thematic cluster of rayi/vāja-boon)
Significance
The anonymity highlights a collective yogic aspiration: the mantra speaks less as personal petition and more as a universal sadhaka-voice calling for integrated inner abundance under Indra’s illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛṣaṇ (potent), pūrbhid (breaker of strongholds, implied in the hymn context), maghavan (bountiful, implied by rayi-giving)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous mind and victorious force who releases the hidden light and establishes wide order by overcoming the Coverer and hostile formations.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence joined with decisive will: the capacity to break fixed obscurities, widen consciousness, and convert energies into effective truth-action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-focused soma/strength invocations; general rayi/vāja boon-prayers in śrauta settings
स्वा॒यु॒धं स्वव॑सं सुनी॒थं चतु॑:समुद्रं ध॒रुणं॑ रयी॒णाम् । च॒र्कृत्यं॒ शंस्यं॒ भूरि॑वारम॒स्मभ्यं॑ चि॒त्रं वृष॑णं र॒यिं दा॑: ॥
सु॒ऽआ॒यु॒धम् । सु॒ऽअव॑सम् । सु॒ऽनी॒थम् । चतुः॑ऽसमुद्रम् । ध॒रुण॑म् । र॒यी॒णाम् । च॒र्कृत्य॑म् । शंस्य॑म् । भूरि॑ऽवारम् । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । चि॒त्रम् । वृष॑णम् । र॒यिम् । दाः॒ ॥
su-āyudham | su-avasam | su-nītham | catuḥ-samudram | dharuṇam | rayīṇām | carkṛtyam | śaṃsyam | bhūri-vāram | asmabhyam | citram | vṛṣaṇam | rayim | dāḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (Triṣṭubh norm; exact count may vary by sandhi and recensional reading)
Driving, forward-thrusting cadence suited to invocation and victorious demand.
Builds inner momentum and confidence; supports a felt sense of wideness and firm establishment while repeating the boon refrain.
- svāyudham
- Literal: well-armed, having its own weapons. Symbolic: inner protection and capacity—discernment, courage, and spiritual force that can meet resistance
- svavasaṃ
- Literal: self-willed / self-sufficient. Symbolic: self-standing consciousness; inner independence from outer circumstance
- sunītham
- Literal: well-led, well-guided. Symbolic: right inner governance—psychic guidance and illumined direction
- catuḥsamudram
- Literal: four oceans/seas. Symbolic: totality and stability of consciousness holding all movements (mental-vital-physical and the inner depth) in harmony
- dharuṇam
- Literal: support, foundation, that which holds firm. Symbolic: the steady basis of sadhana—firm poise (dhāraṇā) that sustains growth
- rayīṇām
- Literal: of riches/abundances. Symbolic: streams of powers: knowledge, energy, joy, capacity, and right action
- carkṛtyam
- Literal: to be made/constructed, to be put into right form. Symbolic: formation of the inner being and life-works as vessels for truth
- śaṃsyam
- Literal: to be praised/proclaimed. Symbolic: mantric articulation of realized truth; clear affirmation (śruti within)
- bhūrivāram
- Literal: having much breadth/space. Symbolic: wideness of consciousness; large, inclusive being
- citraṃ
- Literal: variegated, bright, wonderful. Symbolic: many-sided inner richness; luminous diversity of powers
- vṛṣaṇam
- Literal: bull-like, potent, virile. Symbolic: dynamic force of realization—effective power that makes truth operative
- rayi
- Literal: wealth, treasure. Symbolic: integral plenitude of being (inner prosperity: light, force, joy, harmony)
Indra-boon formula in a stotra sequence, asking for stable, wide, well-guided plenitude (rayi) as support for works and proclamations
During Indra stotras/śastras or as supportive verses in prosperity/strength intentions (context-dependent)
Recitation/chant to invoke Indra’s boon of vāja/rayi; accompaniment to offering and praise
Use as a daily affirmation-mantra for ‘stable abundance’: cultivate inner self-sufficiency, wideness, and right guidance before work or decision-making.
āyudha ‘weapon’ from √yudh ‘fight’ → inner armament against darkness. nītha from √nī ‘lead’ → right guidance. dharuṇa from √dhṛ ‘hold’ → stable foundation. samudra ‘gathering of waters’ symbolizes totality and depth; fourfold often maps to the quarters/complete world.
self-sufficiency (svavas), right guidance (sunītha), foundation (dharuṇa)
The requested ‘sunītha’ (right leading) implies alignment of life-movement with ṛta—order that guides energy into truth.
The ‘firm foundation’ suggests satya as stability of being that can hold many streams without distortion.
Creation as organized manifestation: abundance becomes real when consciousness is broadened and structured (carkṛtyam) under right guidance.
Proto-Vedāntic and integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): gods as powers of consciousness; wealth as inner realization.
The ‘four oceans’ symbolize a vast, stable consciousness-base; ‘streams’ are the many movements of force, knowledge, joy, and works flowing from that base.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic request is for Indra’s ‘world-holding’ wealth: rayi as a fourfold oceanic completeness and a dharuṇa (support). In inner terms, it is the plenitude that arms, guides, and stabilizes the seeker so works (carkṛtya) and luminous expression (śaṁsya) can manifest.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dhru-/dhṛ ‘hold’ corresponds to PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’ (foundation semantics). √nī ‘lead’ relates to PIE *neH₁- ‘to lead’ (cf. Latin nōsco is different; but leading verbs across IE show related morphology; Sanskrit nī- is a clear Indo-Iranian continuation of PIE leading roots).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not for random gain but for a structured boon: protection (svāyudha), self-support (svavasa), right leading (sunītha), and vast completeness (catuḥsamudra). Indra is approached as the power that can make the seeker’s life a stable base for right works and luminous proclamation.
Stabilize the inner foundation (dharuṇa) and invoke Indra’s illumined force to organize life-energies into coherent abundance.
Maṇipūra (will/force) with expansion toward Anāhata (wideness)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to feel ‘four-ocean steadiness’ and then release as ‘streams’
Active wideness: calm base with dynamic, decisive clarity.
Begin seated; feel a vast base below the navel as ‘oceanic support.’ On the refrain ‘citraṃ vṛṣaṇaṃ rayiṃ dāḥ,’ offer your works and ask for right guidance (sunītha) before action.
Not fully determinable from provided text without pada-svara notation; chant in a steady Vedic recitation style with udatta peaks on emphasized syllables and gentle svarita falls at sandhi transitions.
Let the cadence rise slightly on key epithets (svāyudham, sunītham, catuḥsamudram) and land firmly on the refrain ‘citraṃ vṛṣaṇaṃ rayiṃ dāḥ.’
Keep retroflex ṇ in vṛṣaṇam (not dental)., Maintain long vowels: bhūrivāram (ū), rayīṇām (ī)., Articulate consonant clusters: catuḥ-samudram, carkṛtyam., Pronounce visarga in catuḥ with a light echo before s (catuḥsamudram).
Clear, resonant, confident; slightly more forceful on the refrain.
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