Rig Veda 2.20.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.20
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
स ह श्रुत इन्द्रो नाम देव ऊर्ध्वो भुवन्मनुषे दस्मतमः । अव प्रियमर्शसानस्य साह्वाञ्छिरो भरद्दासस्य स्वधावान् ॥
sá ha śṛutá índro nā́ma devá ūrdhvó bhúvan mánuṣe dasmátamaḥ | áva priyám arśasā́nasyá sā́hvāñ chíraḥ bharad dā́sasya svadhā́vān ||
इंद्र का नाम सब जानते हैं। वो देवता है और ऊपर उठता है। लोगों के लिए वो बहुत बड़ा है। उसने एक दुश्मन दास का सिर काट दिया, जो बहुत ज़ुल्मी था।
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed/justIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root ह (निपात)
- श्रुतः
- renowned, famedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त) ‘heard/renowned’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- नाम
- by name, calledIndeclinable (quotative) / Noun-formअव्ययवत् प्रयोगः ‘by name/as called’Root नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) / नाम (अव्यय-प्रयोगः)
- देवः
- the godNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (इन्द्रस्य अप्पोजिशनम्)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्ध्वः
- upright, exaltedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवन्
- being, existingParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; शतृ-प्रत्ययः ‘being’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root भू (धातु) → भुवन्त् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ)
- मनुषे
- for the man/humanNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्मतमः
- most wondrous/most mightyAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तम-प्रत्ययःRole कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root दस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप्
- अव
- downIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम् ‘down, away’Root अव (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- प्रियम्
- the dear (one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्शसानस्य
- of ArśasānaNoun (proper name/epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अर्शसान (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक-नाम/विशेषण)
- साह्वान्
- overpowering, victoriousAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘able to overpower/conquer’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (इन्द्रस्य)Root सह् (धातु) → साह्वन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- शिरः
- headNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरत्
- carried/boreVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot भृ (धातु)
- दासस्य
- of the DāsaNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दास (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वधावान्
- possessing svadhā (inherent power/ritual might)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; वत्-प्रत्ययः ‘possessing’Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (इन्द्रस्य)Root स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): स ह श्रुतः इन्द्रः नाम देवः ऊर्ध्वः भुवन् मनुषे दस्मतमः । अव प्रियम् अर्शसानस्य साह्वान् शिरः भरत् दासस्य स्वधावान् ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) ‘स ह॑’ = सः + ह (विसर्ग-लोपः निपातपूर्वे)
- (2) ‘श्रु॒त इन्द्रो॒’ = श्रुतः + इन्द्रः (विसर्गः → ओ/लोपः; संहितायां ‘श्रुत इन्द्रः’)
- (3) ‘इन्द्रो नाम’ = इन्द्रः + नाम (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- (4) ‘दे॒व ऊ॒र्ध्वो’ = देवः + ऊर्ध्वः (विसर्गः → ओ; संहितायां ‘देव ऊर्ध्वः’)
- (5) ‘भु॑व॒न्मनु॑षे’ = भुवन् + मनुषे (नकारान्त-समास/सन्धि: अन्त्यन् + म- आरम्भे संहितायां न् स्थिरः)
- (6) ‘अव॑ प्रि॒यम्’ = अव + प्रियम् (सन्धि-विशेषः न)
- (7) ‘सा॒ह्वाञ्छिरो॑’ = साह्वान् + शिरः (न् + श् → ञ्छ्; परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
- (8) ‘भरद्दा॒सस्य॑’ = भरत् + दासस्य (त् + द् → द्द्; जश्त्व/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is renowned by name, the god who rises high, most marvelous for man. Self-powered, he bore down the head of the Dāsa Arśasāna, the violent one.
Inner meaning
Indra is the uplifted power in us that ‘stands upright’ above the ordinary mind. His fame is the recognizability of illumination when it arrives. Arśasāna (a Dāsa figure) represents a turbulent, aggressive force of the lower nature that claims what is ‘dear’ to it—habitual desire and possessiveness. Indra ‘brings down the head’—the governing mentality of that turbulence—by svadhā, an inherent, self-sustaining power of truth-force.
Universal truth
Spiritual ascent requires not only uplift but the dethroning of the lower egoic leadership; true power is self-founded (svadhāvān), not dependent on outer approval.
Themes
victory over hostile forces, Indra’s fame and uplift, inner battle symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (Bhr̥gu lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12 (Indra’s great deeds, thematic parallel though different rishi), RV 2.20.1-11 (this hymn sequence)
Family tradition
The Bhārgava tone often blends sharp discernment with forceful invocation—Indra as the decisive remover of hostile formations.
Significance
Gṛtsamada frames Indra’s victory as an inner moral-psychological turning: uplift (ūrdhva) plus the overthrow of violent obscurity.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śruta (famed), ūrdhva (high-risen), dasmatama (most wondrous), svadhāvān (self-powered)
- Related deities
- Agni, Varuṇa, Mitra, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Uplifts and establishes the gods’ order by defeating hostile powers that would dominate the human field.
Inner power
The luminous ‘upright’ intelligence that cuts off the leadership of turbulent desire and fear.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma offerings; recited to invoke protective victory over hostile forces.
स ह॑ श्रु॒त इन्द्रो॒ नाम॑ दे॒व ऊ॒र्ध्वो भु॑व॒न्मनु॑षे द॒स्मत॑मः । अव॑ प्रि॒यम॑र्शसा॒नस्य॑ सा॒ह्वाञ्छिरो॑ भरद्दा॒सस्य॑ स्व॒धावा॑न् ॥
सः । ह॒ । शृउ॒तः । इन्द्रः॑ । नाम॑ । दे॒वः । ऊ॒र्ध्वः । भु॒व॒न् । मनु॑षे । द॒स्मऽत॑मः । अव॑ । प्रि॒यम् । अ॒र्श॒सा॒नस्य॑ । शा॒ह्वान् । शिरः॑ । भ॒र॒त् । दा॒सस्य॑ । स्व॒धाऽवा॑न् ॥
saḥ | ha | śṛutaḥ | indraḥ | nāma | devaḥ | ūrdhvaḥ | bhuvan | manuṣe | dasma-tamaḥ | ava | priyam | arśasānasya | śāhvān | śiraḥ | bharat | dāsasya | svadhāvān
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4×11 (approx.)
Elevating first hemistich (ūrdhva imagery), then a decisive downward strike in the second—rhythm mirrors uplift and overthrow.
Creates inner verticality (spine-like lift) followed by a cleansing sense of decisive removal.
- ऊर्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ)
- Literal: upright, high-raised. Symbolic: ascending consciousness; mind lifted toward higher truth
- दस्मतमः (dasmatamaḥ)
- Literal: most wondrous. Symbolic: the surprising efficacy of illumination in human life
- स्वधावान् (svadhāvān)
- Literal: possessed of svadhā, self-powered. Symbolic: truth-force that acts from its own law; inner autonomy of the divine power
- दासः (dāsa)
- Literal: Dāsa (enemy). Symbolic: forces of division/obscurity in the being
- शिरः (śiraḥ)
- Literal: head. Symbolic: the controlling idea/ego-leadership of a lower impulse
Heroic exemplum: Indra’s victory over hostile powers, establishing uplift for man
During invocations seeking Indra’s aid for overcoming adversities and securing right power.
Stotra/śastra recitation; offering of soma/oblations with the intention of victory and uplift.
Chant when dealing with anger, compulsion, or addictive patterns—specifically to ‘bring down the head’ of the impulse.
‘one’s own power/law’ (sva- + dhā ‘place, establish’) → svadhāvān ‘self-established in power’. in RV often marks hostile/darkness formations in the inner battle. ‘Head’ functions as the governing principle of the obstruction.
ascent/uplift (ūrdhva), svadhā as self-law of divine power
ūrdhva symbolizes alignment with R̥ta—uprightness in consciousness and life.
Indra’s ‘name’ as lived truth: illumination is verifiable by its clarity and power.
Vedic psychology of ascent and conquest
A vertical movement of consciousness: rise above, then press down upon the root-command of the lower nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hero strikes down the hostile chief’ mythologem: Indra bears down the ‘head’ of a Dāsa opponent—symbolically the ruling node of resistance in the subconscious/anti-light formation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The heroic epithet pattern (name + fame + superlative dasmátamaḥ) matches archaic IE praise. √bhṛ ‘bear’ (bharat) is PIE *bʰer-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi recalls Indra’s established capacity to uplift (ūrdhva) and remove governing obstacles, grounding present aspiration in a remembered archetype of victory carried by the tradition of śruti (‘heard’ fame).
Establish inner uprightness (ūrdhva) and cut the ‘head’ of a dominant lower impulse.
Ājñā (governing clarity) and Sahasrāra (uplift)
Inhale up the spine (count 4), exhale down the front (count 6), mentally repeating ‘ūrdhvo bhuvan’.
Uplifted, sovereign, less reactive.
Sit with spine erect; chant 3 times slowly to feel ‘ūrdhva’; then 6 times moderately, visualizing the compulsive pattern’s ‘head’ dissolving into light.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on key nouns (índraḥ, deváḥ) if trained; otherwise keep a dignified monotone with slight rise on ‘ūrdhvo’.
Emphasize ‘ūrdhvo bhuvan’ (vertical lift) and ‘śiro bharat’ (decisive close).
śruta: palatal ‘ś’, ūrdhva: long ‘ū’, cluster ‘rdhv’ carefully, arśasānasya: ‘rś’ conjunct; keep ‘ā’ long, svadhāvān: ‘svadhā’ with clear ‘dh’ aspirate
Upright, steady, authoritative; avoid rushing the first hemistich.
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