Rig Veda 2.15.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 15, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.15
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अवंशे द्यामस्तभायद्बृहन्तमा रोदसी अपृणदन्तरिक्षम् । स धारयत्पृथिवीं पप्रथच्च सोमस्य ता मद इन्द्रश्चकार ॥
avaṁśe dyām astabhāyad bṛhantam ā rodasī apṛṇad antarikṣam | sa dhārayat pṛthivīṁ paprathac ca somasya tā made indraś cakāra ||
उसने आसमान को पकड़ के खड़ा किया। उसने दोनों दुनिया और बीच की जगह भरी। उसने ज़मीन को पकड़ा और फैला दिया। इंद्र ने यह सब सोम की खुशी में किया।
Word by Word
- अवंशे
- in the (lower) part / in the descent (i.e., in the lower region)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (लोकेटिव) — ‘अवंशे’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अव- (उपसर्ग) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) / अवंश (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्याम्
- heaven (the sky)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: द्यौ- ‘heaven’)
- अस्तभायत्
- he propped up / made firmVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथम् पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया) — कर्ता implied: इन्द्रःRoot स्तभ् (धातु) ‘to prop, support, make firm’
- बृहन्तम्
- the great (one) / the loftyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying an implied object, e.g., ‘स्तम्भम्/स्कम्भम्’)Role KarmaRoot बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; adj. ‘great, lofty’)
- आ
- forth, up; completelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (directional/intensive)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (Heaven and Earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया द्विवचनRole KarmaRoot रोदसी (द्विवचन-प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- अपृणत्
- he filledVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथम् पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया) — कर्ता implied: इन्द्रःRoot पॄ/पृ (धातु) ‘to fill’
- अन्तरिक्षम्
- the midspace / atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- स
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धारयत्
- he held / supportedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथम् पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root धृ (धातु) ‘to hold, support’
- पृथिवीम्
- the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- पप्रथत्
- he spread out / extendedVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम् पुरुष; एकवचन (reduplicated perfect)Role (क्रिया) — कर्ता: स (इन्द्रः)Root प्रथ् (धातु) ‘to spread, extend’
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (genitive relation: ‘of Soma’ / ‘in Soma’s…’)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- ता
- thosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (referring to ‘मदाः’ understood)Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मदे
- in the exhilaration / in the intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘intoxication, exhilaration’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चकार
- he did / he performedVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम् पुरुष; एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु) ‘to do, make’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अवंशे | द्याम् | अस्तभायत् | बृहन्तम् | आ | रोदसी | अपृणत् | अन्तरिक्षम् || स | धारयत् | पृथिवीम् | पप्रथत् | च | सोमस्य | ता | मदे | इन्द्रः | चकार || प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) द्याम्+अस्तभायत् → द्यामस्तभायत् (अ-आगम/स्वर-सन्धि)
- (2) बृहन्तम्+आ → बृहन्तमा (अम् + आ → आ; अनुस्वार-लोप/दीर्घ)
- (3) अपृणत्+अन्तरिक्षम् → अपृणदन्तरिक्षम् (त् + अ → द्; जश्त्व)
- (4) स+धारयत् → स धा… (विराम/पदविभाग; ‘धा’ उदात्त-चिह्न पाठगत)
- (5) पप्रथत्+च → पप्रथच्च (त्+च → च्च; श्चुत्व/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
- (6) मदे+इन्द्रः → मद इन्द्रः (ए + इ → इ; स्वर-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra propped up the vast heaven, filled the two worlds and the mid-region; he held the earth firm and spread it wide—these he did in the ecstasy of Soma.
Inner meaning
After breaking obstruction, Indra’s illumination establishes the cosmic architecture within us: ‘heaven’ (higher mind) is upheld and stabilized; ‘earth’ (physical consciousness) is made firm; the ‘mid-region’ (vital/psychic atmosphere) is filled with effective power rather than confusion. Soma-ecstasy is not escapism but the intensifier that enables right formation: wideness (paprathat) and stability (dhārayat) in the whole being.
Universal truth
True spiritual ecstasy builds stable wideness: it supports higher aspiration, stabilizes the embodied base, and harmonizes the intermediate life-field, creating a well-founded inner cosmos.
Themes
cosmogony (innerized), world-support, Soma-ecstasy as catalyst, expansion (prath/bṛh)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.15.1, RV 2.14.10-12
Family tradition
The hymn moves from victory to world-building: illumination not only conquers but establishes a stable, widened order in the whole being.
Significance
Shows the constructive side of Indra: the inner cosmos is re-founded—heaven upheld, earth stabilized, mid-region filled—by Soma-powered truth-force.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Bṛhat (vast) upholder (implied), World-supporter (dhartā, implied), Maghavan
- Related deities
- Viṣṇu (wideness/steps, conceptual kinship), Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Cosmic architect after victory: establishes the spaces and supports of manifestation.
Inner power
Capacity to create inner stability and wideness; harmonizes higher, middle, and lower planes of the psyche.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma sacrifice, emphasizing his cosmic support functions
अ॒वं॒शे द्याम॑स्तभायद्बृ॒हन्त॒मा रोद॑सी अपृणद॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । स धा॑रयत्पृथि॒वीं प॒प्रथ॑च्च॒ सोम॑स्य॒ ता मद॒ इन्द्र॑श्चकार ॥
अ॒वं॒शे । द्याम् । अ॒स्त॒भा॒य॒त् । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । आ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अ॒पृ॒ण॒त् । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । सः । धा॒र॒य॒त् । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । प॒प्रथ॑त् । च॒ । सोम॑स्य । ता । मदे॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । च॒का॒र॒ ॥
avaṃśe | dyām | astabhāyat | bṛhantam | ā | rodasī iti | apṛṇat | antarikṣam | saḥ | dhārayat | pṛthivīm | paprathat | ca | somasya | tā | made | indraḥ | cakāra
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4 × ~11 syllables
Broad and steady; less ‘strike’ and more ‘upholding’ in cadence.
Creates a feeling of spacious stability; the listener may sense the chest and head ‘open’ while the body feels grounded.
- द्याम् बृहन्तम् (dyām bṛhantam)
- Literal: the vast heaven. Symbolic: Higher consciousness, wide luminous mind-space
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: Upper and lower nature to be harmonized
- अन्तरिक्षम् (antarikṣam)
- Literal: mid-region. Symbolic: Vital-mental atmosphere where energies circulate and conflicts arise
- धारयत् (dhārayat)
- Literal: held, supported. Symbolic: Stabilized the foundation of the being
- पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm)
- Literal: earth. Symbolic: Physical consciousness, embodied stability
- पप्रथत् (paprathat)
- Literal: spread wide. Symbolic: Widening of consciousness; expansion beyond narrow ego
- सोमस्य मदे (somasya made)
- Literal: in the ecstasy of Soma. Symbolic: Ananda-force enabling formation and mastery
Recited in Soma context as affirmation of Indra’s world-ordering power; inner application: stabilization and widening of consciousness by delight-force
In recitations celebrating Indra’s world-ordering deeds, supporting the rite’s aim of establishing ṛta.
Recitation alongside Soma offering; mental visualization of cosmic stabilization.
Chant when feeling scattered: to re-establish inner ‘heaven-earth-mid’ alignment (clarity, groundedness, balanced vitality).
√stambh ‘support’ (astabhāyat) relates to ‘stambha/pillar’ imagery—cosmic stabilization; antarikṣa (antara + ikṣa?) traditionally ‘mid-space’—psychologically the intermediate consciousness-field; √dhṛ ‘hold’ (PIE *dher- ‘hold’); pṛthivī from √pṛth ‘broad’ (cf. pr̥thu) → wideness as foundation; √prath ‘spread’ emphasizes expansion (bṛhat-field). Refrain-like close: somasya tā made… indicates Soma as catalyst of cosmic ordering within the being.
Bṛhat (vastness) as a plane to be established, supporting and widening as symbols of growth of consciousness, ṛta-like ordering of the worlds
Supporting heaven and earth and filling the mid-region is the reinstallation of ṛta after obstruction is removed.
Indra’s building acts are truth-acts that make the inner world consistent and reliable.
Cosmic structuring: separation/support of heaven and earth; expansion of earth; filling of the mid-region.
Vedic cosmopsychology: worlds as layers of consciousness.
Sky = higher mind-space; atmosphere = vital-mental field; earth = embodied stability; Soma = delight that enables harmonization and expansion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- World-establishment mythologem: Indra as the power that stabilizes and expands the cosmic spaces. Psychologically, the illumined force props the ‘heaven’ (higher mind), fills the ‘midspace’ (vital-mental field), and widens the ‘earth’ (physical foundation) under Soma’s intensification.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ (hold) continues PIE *dher- ‘hold/support’. pṛthivī (broad earth) reflects inherited metaphors of ‘broad earth’ found across IE poetics. √kṛ (do/make) is a pan-IE root. The triadic cosmos (heaven–midspace–earth) is also a widespread archaic Indo-European cosmological schema.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recounts Indra’s cosmogonic acts as a template for inner practice: by invoking Soma and Indra together, the sacrificer seeks the same stabilization and widening within the human system—so that truth-consciousness can be housed.
Stabilize and widen the inner spaces: clear head (heaven), balanced breath-vital (mid), grounded body (earth).
sahasrāra/ājñā (sky) + anāhata (mid harmonization) + mūlādhāra (earth support)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale feel ‘filling antarikṣa’, on exhale feel ‘grounding pṛthivī’.
Spacious equanimity with firm base.
Chant once slowly; then sit and map your experience into three zones: head-space (dyauḥ), chest-breath (antarikṣa), body-base (pṛthivī). Allow Soma-quality (gentle joy) to pervade all three without excitement.
Vedic accents per recension; keep steady pitch—this verse benefits from evenness more than dramatic rises.
Do not rush ‘ā rodasī apṛṇad antarikṣam’; keep consonant clusters clear to preserve triṣṭubh flow.
avaṃśe: nasalization clear; avoid adding extra vowel, astabhāyat: keep th aspirate; long ā, antarikṣam: retroflex ṣ, paprathac: aspirated th; final c crisp
Deep, steady, grounding; let the tone ‘support’ rather than ‘strike’.
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