Rig Veda 2.13.9: Mandala 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 9
Sukta 2.13
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
शतं वा यस्य दश साकमाद्य एकस्य श्रुष्टौ यद्ध चोदमाविथ । अरज्जौ दस्यून्त्समुनब्दभीतये सुप्राव्यो अभवः सास्युक्थ्यः ॥
śatáṃ vā yásya dáśa sākám ā́dya ékasya śruṣṭáu yád dha códám ā́vitha | arájjau dasyū́nt sám unabd dabhī́taye suprā́vyo abhavaḥ sá āsy ukthyáḥ ||
एक आदमी की पुकार सुन के तुम दस या सौ लोग ले कर आए। युद्ध की लाइन में तुमने दुश्मनों को पकड़ लिया। तुमने उन्हे घबरा दिया। तुम एक अच्छे रक्षक बन गए। इसलिए लोग तुम्हारे बारे में गाते हैं।
Word by Word
- शतम्
- a hundredNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (संख्याशब्दः)Role Karma (गणनाविशेषः)Root शत (प्रातिपदिक)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-अव्ययRoot वा (निपात)
- यस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दश
- tenNounअव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः (दश = ten), प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थेRole Karma (गणनाविशेषः)Root दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- साकम्
- togetherIndeclinableसह/समं-अर्थेRoot साकम् (अव्यय)
- आद्य
- the first/foremostAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आद्य (प्रातिपदिक; √अद् ‘भक्षणे’ इत्यस्य कृत/विशेषण-परम्परा; ‘प्रथम’ अर्थे)
- एकस्य
- of one (single)Nounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रुष्टौ
- in obedience/at the hearing (in attentive compliance)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot श्रुष्टि (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु ‘श्रवणे’ से)
- यत्
- that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (यद्-सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- ह
- indeedIndeclinableउपपद-निपात (emphatic)Root ह (निपात)
- चोद
- you impelled/spurredVerbलुङ् (आगम-रहितः), 2 पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot √चुद् (प्रेरणे)
- आविथ
- you have helped/protectedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √अव्/√अवि (रक्षणे/पालने) + आ-
- अरज्जौ
- with a rope/bondNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karaṇa/Upāya (बन्धन-उपायः)Root अरज्जु (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘रस्सी/बन्धन’)
- दस्यून्
- the Dasyus (hostile foes)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot दस्यु (पुं. प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together/completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (सम्यक्/एकत्र)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- उनब्द
- you bound/fastenedVerbलुङ्, 2 पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot √नभ्/√नब्ध् (बन्धने/निबन्धने; वैदिक)
- भीतये
- for (their) fear / to cause fearNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root भीति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; √भी ‘भये’)
- सुप्राव्यः
- a good protector/very helpfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सु-प्राव्य (प्रातिपदिक; सु + प्राव्य ‘रक्षणीय/पालनीय’)
- अभवः
- you became/wereVerbलुङ् (अभवत्-प्रकारः), 2 पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot √भू (सत्तायाम्)
- सास्युक्थ्यः
- worthy of praise with hymns (ukthya), with (victorious) mightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सास्य-उक्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सास्य’ + ‘उक्थ्य’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): शतं वा | यस्य | दश | साकम् | आद्य | एकस्य | श्रुष्टौ | यत् | ह | चोद | आविथ || अरज्जौ | दस्यून् | सम् | उनब्द | भीतये | सुप्राव्यः | अभवः | सास्युक्थ्यः || 1) साकम्+आद्य → साकमाद्य (अकार-सन्धि)
- 2) यत्+ह → यद्ध (त् + ह → द्ध, वैदिक-सन्धि)
- 3) चोद+आविथ → चोदमाविथ (ओ + आ → ओऽ/ओमा; पदपाठे चोद | आविथ)
- 4) दस्यून्+सम् → दस्यून्त्सम् (न् + स् → न्त्स्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whether a hundred or ten together, at the call of a single person you came with the impulsion. On the battle-line you bound the Dasyus together for their confounding; you became an excellent protector and are worthy of the hymn.
Inner meaning
Indra answers even the lone sincere call: one-pointed aspiration can summon the higher impulsion. The ‘hundred or ten’ suggests many forces of the being; yet a single clear turning (ekasya śruṣṭau) is decisive. Indra binds the Dasyus—powers of division, falsehood, and darkness—so they cannot scatter consciousness; he arrests their movements and confounds them, becoming the sure protection of the inner journey.
Universal truth
A single authentic call can mobilize transformative help. When higher intelligence intervenes, disruptive tendencies are gathered, restrained, and rendered powerless, allowing protection and progress.
Themes
Binding the Dasyus, Protector aspect of Indra, Impetus (coda)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.13.1, Rig Veda 2.13.4, Rig Veda 2.12.7
Family tradition
Gṛtsamada’s sequence in 2.13 builds a cumulative portrait of Indra’s interventions—aid, binding of hostile forces, establishment of order and wideness.
Significance
The rishi highlights the psychology of invocation: sincerity (even if solitary) is a sufficient channel for the descent of divine impulsion and protection.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- suprāvya (perfect protector), ukthya (hymn-worthy), ādya (prime/first, in context of arriving)
- Related deities
- Maruts, Agni, Varuṇa, Mitra
Cosmic role
Protector and binder of chaotic forces; establishes victorious cohesion among the gods’ powers.
Inner power
The power of concentrated luminous will that organizes the being and neutralizes divisive impulses.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma rituals; stotra recitation for protection and victory
श॒तं वा॒ यस्य॒ दश॑ सा॒कमाद्य॒ एक॑स्य श्रु॒ष्टौ यद्ध॑ चो॒दमावि॑थ । अ॒र॒ज्जौ दस्यू॒न्त्समु॑नब्द॒भीत॑ये सुप्रा॒व्यो॑ अभव॒: सास्यु॒क्थ्य॑: ॥
श॒तम् । वा॒ । यस्य॑ । दश॑ । सा॒कम् । आ । अद्यः॑ । एक॑स्य । श्रु॒ष्टौ । यत् । ह॒ । चो॒दम् । आवि॑थ । अ॒र॒ज्जौ । दस्यू॑न् । सम् । उ॒न॒प् । द॒भीत॑ये । सु॒प्र॒ऽअ॒व्यः॑ । अ॒भ॒वः॒ । सः । अ॒सि॒ । उ॒क्थ्यः॑ ॥
śatam | vā | yasya | daśa | sākam | ā | adyaḥ | ekasya | śruṣṭau | yat | ha | codam | āv itha | arajjau | dasyūn | sam | unap | dabhītaye | supra-avyaḥ | abhavaḥ | saḥ | asi | ukthyaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Martial and compressive; suitable for ‘binding’ and decisive arrival
Produces confidence and containment; helpful when the mind feels scattered or attacked by impulses.
- एकस्य श्रुष्टौ (ekasya śruṣṭau)
- Literal: at the call/obedience of one. Symbolic: One-pointed aspiration; single-hearted surrender
- चोदम् (codam)
- Literal: impulse, incitement. Symbolic: Divine impulsion that initiates right action and victory
- दस्यून् (dasyūn)
- Literal: Dasyus (enemies). Symbolic: Forces of darkness, division, falsehood in the nature
- सम् उनप् (sam unab)
- Literal: bound together, tied up. Symbolic: Consolidation and restraint of disruptive movements
- दभीतये (dabhītaye)
- Literal: for confounding/overpowering. Symbolic: Rendering the hostile forces ineffective
- सुप्राव्यः (suprāvyaḥ)
- Literal: excellent protector/guardian. Symbolic: Stable inner guardianship of the higher consciousness
- उक्थ्यः (ukthyaḥ)
- Literal: hymn-worthy. Symbolic: To be invoked and acknowledged in practice
Indra as protector in conflict; invoked for binding/neutralizing hostile forces in the rite and inner struggle
When seeking Indra’s guarding force and decisive intervention in conflict or obstruction
Recitation with offerings; mentally ‘bind’ distractions at each pāda end
Use before difficult conversations or decisions: one clear intention (‘single call’) followed by invoking protective clarity against inner sabotage.
śata ‘hundred’ (PIE *ḱm̥tóm). daśa ‘ten’ (PIE *déḱm̥). dasyu as ‘hostile/servile’ in Vedic; in symbolic hermeneutics: powers of darkness and division. codá from √cud ‘impel’ (PIE *keud- ‘incite’). The segment arájjau is difficult; often connected with rā́jju- ‘rope’ (binding image) or a battle-location; context supports ‘binding’ semantics with sam-unap.
Single-pointed call (ekasya śruṣṭi) as concentration, Integration vs. dispersion
Binding the Dasyus is restoring ṛta by preventing disorderly dispersion of energies.
The single sincere call aligns speech and will with truth, enabling response.
Order emerges when chaos is gathered and restrained; protection is a cosmic function.
Integral-psychological interpretation (deities as functional powers).
Battle-line as the threshold where consciousness meets resistance; binding as yogic restraint (nirodha) of hostile movements.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The protector-god responding to a single call and binding hostile forces. Inner sense: concentration (one-point invocation) summons Indra’s impulsion, which constricts the dispersive ‘dasyu’ energies and prevents them from scattering the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The numerals śata and daśa are classic PIE inheritances (*ḱm̥tóm, *déḱm̥), indicating deep archaic strata. The incitement root √cud aligns with an IE ‘urge/incite’ semantic field.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse emphasizes immediacy: the deity answers the rishi’s (or sacrificer’s) focused hearing/call. The hymn models the reciprocity: human concentration evokes divine protection and decisive binding of inner adversaries.
One-pointed invocation: feel a single flame of intention calling down Indra’s impulsion; then visualize binding and quieting disruptive thought-forces.
maṇipūra (will)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 rounds, then chant
From scattered rajas to organized sattva under a higher will
Name the ‘Dasyus’ in you (fear, doubt, craving); on ‘sam unab’, imagine them tied into a single knot and placed before Indra’s light until they lose power.
Standard RV accentuation; keep udatta lifts on key quantifiers (śataṃ, daśa) and on ekasya; maintain even svarita falls to avoid agitation.
Mark the pause after each pāda; let ‘sam’ in sam unab be clearly attached to the verb; avoid swallowing consonant clusters.
śataṃ: clear dental ś (palatal) vs s., śruṣṭau: pronounce ṣṭ cluster distinctly., dasyūn: keep long ū., suprāvyo: articulate prāv clearly (no ‘pra-vyo’ split).
Protective, contained, slightly lower pitch; firm endings
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