Rig Veda 2.12.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 12, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.12
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
यस्मान्न ऋते विजयन्ते जनासो यं युध्यमाना अवसे हवन्ते । यो विश्वस्य प्रतिमानं बभूव यो अच्युतच्युत्स जनास इन्द्रः ॥
yasmān na ṛte vijayante janāso yaṃ yudhyamānā avase havante | yo viśvasya pratimānaṃ babhūva yo acyuta-cyut sa janāsa indraḥ ||
जब लोग लड़ते हैं, वो इंद्र को मदद के लिए पुकारते हैं। उसके बिना कोई जीत नहीं पाता। वो सबसे बड़ा है, सबका नाप है। जो हिलता नहीं, उसे भी गिरा देता है। लोगों, यही इंद्र है।
Word by Word
- यस्मात्
- from whomPronounपुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी एकवचनRole अपादानRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- ऋते
- without, exceptIndeclinableउपपद-अव्यय (विना-अर्थे), प्रायः पञ्चमी-संबन्धीRoot ऋते
- विजयन्ते
- they win, are victoriousVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot जि (जये)
- जनासः
- peoples, menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- युध्यमानाः
- fightingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपद-भाव, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot युध् (सम्प्रहार)
- अवसे
- for help, for aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हवन्ते
- they call uponVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot ह्वे (आह्वाने)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्य
- of all, of the wholeAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समष्टि-अर्थे), षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतिमानम्
- counterpart, measure, standardNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्रतिमान (प्रातिपदिक)
- बभूव
- has become, becameVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot भू (सत्तायाम्)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अच्युतच्युत्
- the unmoved who makes (others) fall; the unshaken shakerCompound epithet (Adj./Noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘अच्युतान् च्यावयिता’)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण इन्द्रस्य)Root अच्युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √च्युत/√च्यु ‘to fall, slip’ with privative अ-) + च्युत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जनासः
- peoples, menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (उपवाक्ये/स्तुत्यर्थे ‘जनासः’ = ‘जनाः’)Root जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसन): यस्मा॒न्न → यस्मात् + न
- विज॒यन्ते॒ → विजयन्ते
- यं युध्य॑माना॒ → यम् + युध्यमानाः
- अव॑से॒ → अवसे
- हव॑न्ते → हवन्ते
- यो विश्व॑स्य → यः + विश्वस्य
- प्रति॒मानं॑ ब॒भूव॒ → प्रतिमानम् + बभूव
- यो अ॑च्युत॒च्युत्स → यः + अच्युतच्युत् + सः (अन्त्यत् + सः = त्सः/त्स ध्वनिसन्धिः)
- जनास॒ इन्द्र॑: → जनासः + इन्द्रः (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Without Indra men do not conquer; in struggle they call him for aid. He is the standard of all; he can make even the ‘unshaken’ fall.
Inner meaning
Victory in the inner life is impossible without the awakening of the illumined mind-force (Indra). When the seeker wrestles with habitual nature, he instinctively seeks this higher clarity and courage. Indra becomes ‘pratimāna’—the inner measure—by which thoughts, impulses, and choices are tested. Even what seems immovable in us (‘acyuta’: fixed ego-structures, hard habits, entrenched subconscious formations) can be dislodged when the lightning of discernment and divine will acts.
Universal truth
True conquest is a function of awakened intelligence aligned with truth; when the inner standard is established, even entrenched patterns can be transformed.
Themes
victory, aid (avas), Indra as cosmic standard, overcoming fixity
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12, RV 2.16, RV 2.19
Family tradition
Bhārgava hymnic style: repeated refrain to stamp a single experiential recognition—Indra as indispensable inner ally.
Significance
The seer frames Indra not merely as a war-god but as the very condition for victory—an inner law of progress: illumination precedes conquest.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛtrahan, maghavan, śatakratu, acyutacyut (as described here)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Giver of victory; establisher of the cosmic standard; breaker of rigid resistance.
Inner power
The discriminating, forceful light that becomes the conscience/standard in the mind and compels transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-invocation for victory (general stotra usage)
यस्मा॒न्न ऋ॒ते वि॒जय॑न्ते॒ जना॑सो॒ यं युध्य॑माना॒ अव॑से॒ हव॑न्ते । यो विश्व॑स्य प्रति॒मानं॑ ब॒भूव॒ यो अ॑च्युत॒च्युत्स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्र॑: ॥
यस्मा॑त् । न । ऋ॒ते । वि॒ऽजय॑न्ते । जना॑सः । यम् । युध्य॑मानाः । अव॑से । हव॑न्ते । यः । विश्व॑स्य । प्र॒ति॒ऽमान॑म् । ब॒भूव॑ । यः । अ॒च्यु॒त॒ऽच्युत् । सः । ज॒ना॒सः॒ । इन्द्रः॑ ॥
yasmāt | na | ṛte | vi-jayante | janāsaḥ | yam | yudhyamānāḥ | avase | havante | yaḥ | viśvasya | prati-mānam | babhūva | yaḥ | acyuta-cyut | saḥ | janāsaḥ | indraḥ
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Assertive and aphoristic; each pāda lands like a criterion or verdict.
Builds confidence and sharpens inner ‘measure’; good for overcoming doubt and procrastination.
- विजयन्ते (vijayante)
- Literal: they win, conquer. Symbolic: inner victory over confusion, inertia, and desire
- युध्यमानाः (yudhyamānāḥ)
- Literal: fighting, struggling. Symbolic: sādhaka’s effort against habitual nature and obscurity
- अवसे (avase)
- Literal: for help, protection. Symbolic: seeking the supporting descent of a higher force
- प्रतिमानम् (pratimānam)
- Literal: measure, standard. Symbolic: inner criterion of truth—discriminative intelligence
- अच्युतच्युत् (acyutacyut)
- Literal: shaker of the unshaken. Symbolic: power that dislodges fixed ego and stubborn subconscient formations
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind-force enabling right decision and victorious action
Soma-yajña Indra praise; invoked for victory/overcoming obstacles in ritual and inner struggle
Before contests, debates, ordeals; in Soma rites and victory-seeking recitations.
Praise-chant to invite Indra’s support and establish auspicious victory.
Use before important decisions or when confronting addiction/habit loops—establish an inner standard and call for strength.
√ji ‘conquer’ (vijayante) expresses not only outer victory but inner overcoming. prati-māna (√mā ‘measure’) suggests ‘norm/standard’—Indra as the inner criterion of force aligned with truth. acyuta-cyut: from √cyu ‘to move, fall, slip’; the epithet indicates Indra’s power to dislodge even fixed habits/obstructions (‘unshaken’ inertia) in the psyche.
ṛta as victorious right action, standard/measure (mā) as cosmic norm, transformation of inertia
Indra as pratimāna: r̥ta becomes an inner metric for thought and action.
Truth as standard; falsehood collapses under the ‘unshaken-shaker.’
Stabilization of the world/order through a governing measure.
Integral psychology: illumination (Indra) as executive power of transformation.
Battle = tapasya; thunderbolt = sudden decisive insight; ‘unshaken’ = deep habit-structures.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the indispensable victor-power: no conquest (outer or inner) succeeds without him; he is invoked in the heat of struggle. The epithet ‘shaker of the unshaken’ encodes the mythic capacity to topple seemingly immovable fortresses/dragons as inner fixed obstructions.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mā ‘measure’ is strongly PIE (*meh₁- ‘measure’), with broad IE reflexes (Latin metiri, Greek μέτρον via related formations). The semantic move from ‘measure’ to ‘standard/archetype’ is a shared poetic development. √ji ‘conquer’ is Indo-Iranian (Skt ji-, Av. jii-) within a wider IE victory lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames human effort (yudh-) as incomplete without divine assistance (avas). Indra is acknowledged as the inner norm (pratimāna) by which striving becomes victorious—thus devotion is also alignment to the standard of force in truth.
Establish ‘pratimāna’: a single inner criterion—Does this movement increase light, wideness, and truth?
ājñā (brow)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 6 rounds, then chant
From scattered effort to concentrated victorious intention.
Chant once to feel dependence on higher light; chant again to set the inner standard; chant a third time while visualizing a rigid habit loosening and falling away under a flash of insight.
Vedic svara as marked; keep udatta peaks on ‘यस्मा॒न्’, ‘वि॒जय॑न्ते’, ‘प्रति॒मानं॑’, ‘अ॑च्युत॒च्युत्’.
Let each relative clause (yasmān… yaṃ… yo…) rise and resolve; emphasize the refrain ‘ :’ with steady cadence.
(ṛte): clear vocalic ‘ṛ’, : ‘dhya’ cluster—do not split as ‘di-ya’, : dental ‘t’, long ‘ā’, : keep both ‘cyu’ clear; avoid ‘achut’ simplification
Bright, declarative, slightly intensified on ‘acyutacyut’.
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