Rig Veda 3.38.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 38, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.38
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इनोत पृच्छ जनिमा कवीनां मनोधृतः सुकृतस्तक्षत द्याम् । इमा उ ते प्रण्यो वर्धमाना मनोवाता अध नु धर्मणि ग्मन् ॥
inóta pṛ́ccha jánimā kavīnā́m manodhṛ́taḥ su-kṛ́tas takṣata dyā́m | imā́ u te práṇyo vardhamānā mánovātā ádha nú dhármaṇi gman ||
रिशियों के जनम के बारे में सोचो और पूछो। उनकी शक्तियाँ दिमाग से बनी हैं, और उन्होंने आसमान को बनाया है। तुम्हारी यह सारी शक्तियाँ बढ़ रही हैं, जैसे हवा से चलें। फिर वो सीधा सही रास्ते पर चलते हैं।
Word by Word
- इनोत
- impel / set in motion (you)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root इ (इण्) / इ-प्रेरणे
- पृच्छ
- ask (you)Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root प्रच्छ् (पृच्छ्) / प्रच्छ-प्रश्ने
- जनिमा
- birth; originNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्मरूपे) प्रयोगःRole कर्मRoot जनिमन् (प्रातिपदिक) < √जन् / जनने
- कवीनाम्
- of the seers/poetsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनोधृतः
- mind-sustaining; holding (it) in mindAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root मनोधृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) = मनस् + √धृ (धारणे)
- सुकृतः
- well-doing; skilfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root सुकृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) = सु + √कृ (करणे)
- तक्षत
- they fashioned / they hewedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root तक्ष् / तक्षणे
- द्याम्
- the heaven (sky)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इमा
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- उ
- indeed; andIndeclinableनिपातः (उपपद-बलार्थ/अन्वयार्थ)Root उ (निपात)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्) सर्वनाम
- प्रण्यः
- to be led forth; prominent/foremostAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root प्रण्य (प्रातिपदिक) < प्र + √नी (नयने) (वेदिक विशेषण)
- वर्धमाना
- growing; increasingParticiple (Adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमानकाले)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root वर्धमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √वृध् (वर्धने)
- मनःवाता
- mind-impelled; driven by thoughtAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root मनःवात (प्रातिपदिक) = मनस् + वात
- अध
- then; thereafterIndeclinableनिपातः (अनन्तर/ततः-अर्थे)Root अध (निपात)
- नु
- now; indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (एव/खलु/इदानीम्-अर्थे)Root नु (निपात)
- धर्मणि
- in the established order; in the law/riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot धर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ग्मन्
- let them go / may they comeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप: ग्मन् < गच्छन्तु/गमन्तु)Role (क्रिया)Root गम् / गत्यर्थे
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इनोत | पृच्छ | जनिमा | कवीनाम् | मनोधृतः | सुकृतः | तक्षत | द्याम् || इमा | उ | ते | प्रण्यः | वर्धमाना | मनःवाता | अध | नु | धर्मणि | ग्मन् || 1) इनोत = इ-धातोः लोट् मध्यमएकवचन (वेदिक दीर्घ/स्वर-प्रयोगः). 2) मनो॒धृत॑: = मनस् + धृत् (समास), विसर्गः पदान्ते. 3) सु॒कृत॑: = सु + कृत् (उपसर्गसमास). 4) प्र॒ण्यो॒३॒॑ वर्ध॑माना॒: प्रण्यः (पुं. प्रथ. एक.) + वर्धमाना (स्त्री. प्रथ. बहु.)—ऋचि-शैलीतया विशेषण-सम्बन्धः ‘इमा(स्त्री. बहु.)’ इत्यनेन
- ‘प्रण्यः’ सम्भवतः स्तुत्य/प्रणीय-भावे ‘ते’ (षष्ठी) सम्बन्धेन. 5) मनोवाता = मनः + वात (समास), विसर्गलोपः पूर्वपदे. 6) ग्मन् = √गम् लोट् 3बहु वेदिक संक्षिप्तरूप (गच्छन्तु/गमन्तु इत्यर्थे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The verse urges one to inquire into the origin of the seers; mind-held, well-fashioned powers have shaped the heaven. The life-forces grow, driven by the mind’s wind, and move in accord with dharma (right order).
Inner meaning
A call to the aspirant to press forward (inota) and interrogate the source of inspiration: how the kavi-consciousness is born. The “well-made” inner faculties (sukṛtaḥ) held steady by mind (manodhṛtaḥ) build the luminous mental heaven (dyām) where higher perception can appear. As prāṇic movements (praṇyaḥ) increase, they must be governed not by impulse but by the “wind of mind” (manovātā)—a disciplined, clarified mental current—so they naturally enter dharma/ṛta, the right rhythm of the inner sacrifice.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth requires inquiry into the origin of one’s insight, the building of a clear inner ‘sky’ of consciousness, and the harmonizing of life-energy with right order; then power becomes lawful, creative, and truth-aligned rather than chaotic.
Themes
Cosmic/psychic craftsmanship, Growth of vital force under law, Inquiry into origins of inspiration
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Viśvāmitra lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.33, Rig Veda 3.53, Rig Veda 3.62
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra’s hymns often present the forging of inner worlds by inspired thought and the conquest of obstruction by Indra’s illumination.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the transition from forceful striving to illumined mastery: tapas that becomes vision. Here, his accent is on inquiry, right mental formation, and the lawful ascent of prāṇa into ordered consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bounteous), Vṛṣan (bull of power), Śatakratu (of a hundred powers), Asura (lordly, master of force—Vedic sense)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Bringer of the luminous heaven; breaker of limitations; establisher of wide consciousness and right order through victorious light.
Inner power
Illuminated mind-force that organizes prāṇa and builds a clear inner sky where intuition can act; the power that turns raw energy into dharma-aligned strength.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra recitation within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra praise context)
इ॒नोत पृ॑च्छ॒ जनि॑मा कवी॒नां म॑नो॒धृत॑: सु॒कृत॑स्तक्षत॒ द्याम् । इ॒मा उ॑ ते प्र॒ण्यो॒३॒॑ वर्ध॑माना॒ मनो॑वाता॒ अध॒ नु धर्म॑णि ग्मन् ॥
इ॒ना । उ॒त । पृ॒च्छ॒ । जनि॑म । क॒वी॒नाम् । म॒नः॒ऽधृतः॑ । सु॒ऽकृतः॑ । त॒क्ष॒त॒ । द्याम् । इ॒माः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । ते॒ । प्र॒ऽन्यः॑ । वर्ध॑मानाः । मनः॑ऽवाताः । अध॑ । नु । धर्म॑णि । ग्म॒न् ॥
inā | uta | pṛccha | janima | kavīnām | manaḥ-dhṛtaḥ | su-kṛtaḥ | takṣata | dyām | imāḥ | oṃ iti | te | pra-nyaḥ | vardhamānāḥ | manaḥ-vātāḥ | adha | nu | dharmaṇi | gman
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial yet spacious; suited to exhortation and world-building imagery.
Creates a steady ascending momentum; supports concentration while ‘widening’ the listener’s inner space.
- इन॒ोत (inota)
- Literal: urge on, impel. Symbolic: inner aspiration that presses the yoga forward
- पृच्छ (pṛccha)
- Literal: ask, question. Symbolic: discernment/inquiry into the source of inspiration
- कवी॒नां (kavīnām)
- Literal: of the seers/poets. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; the seeing faculty
- जनि॑मा (janimā)
- Literal: birth, origin. Symbolic: emergence of higher perception in the mind
- मनो॒धृत॑ः (manodhṛtaḥ)
- Literal: held by the mind. Symbolic: steady mental containment; collectedness (saṃyama-like poise)
- सु॒कृत॑ः (sukṛtaḥ)
- Literal: well-made, well-fashioned. Symbolic: rightly formed inner powers (clarified faculties)
- तक्षत (takṣata)
- Literal: they fashioned, shaped (as a carpenter). Symbolic: conscious formation of a higher plane in awareness
- द्याम् (dyām)
- Literal: heaven, sky. Symbolic: luminous mental field; higher mind-space
- प्र॒ण्यः (praṇyaḥ)
- Literal: life-movements, vital impulses. Symbolic: prāṇa currents to be uplifted and ordered
- मनो॑वाताः (manovātāḥ)
- Literal: driven by the wind of mind. Symbolic: vital energies moved and directed by clarified thought-force
- धर्म॑णि (dharmaṇi)
- Literal: in the law, order. Symbolic: alignment with ṛta; right functioning of the nature
Soma-yajña praise context; supports inner ‘ordering’ before invoking Indra’s aid.
During Indra invocations in Soma pressing days; also adaptable for daily recitation as a clarity-and-order mantra.
Stotra/śastra praise to invoke Indra’s power for victory and right ordering.
Use before meditation to collect mind and align breath/energy with a chosen inner discipline (dharma/ṛta).
takṣ from √takṣ ‘to fashion’ (cf. ‘textile/texture’ notion of shaping); dharma from √dhṛ ‘to hold’—that which holds/establishes order; prāṇa-field indicates vital dynamism rather than mere biological breath; dyu/dyām ‘luminous heaven’ as a consciousness-plane shaped by right formation.
Dharma as ordered law (near to ṛta in function), Origin of inspiration (janima of kavīs), Mind–prāṇa coordination
The prāṇic movements ‘go in dharma’ when governed by illumined mind, mirroring cosmic ṛta as psychological order.
Truth is approached by questioning the ‘birth’ of inspiration and shaping a truthful inner heaven.
World-building by conscious formation: the ‘heaven’ is fashioned by rightly held powers.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic psychology (as developed by Sri Aurobindo/R.L. Kashyap readings): planes of consciousness and transformation of prāṇa by mind and light.
Wind = mental current directing life-force; Heaven = luminous mind-plane/expanded consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘fashioning of heaven’ (takṣata dyām) is a cosmogonic-psychological mythologem: the luminous plane is not given but shaped by rightly formed forces sustained by mind. It mirrors the Vedic creation motif where ordered speech/thought builds the worlds.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (gman) continues PIE *gʷem- ‘go/come’ (cf. Lat. venio via different developments). √dhṛ (dharmaṇi) relates to PIE *dher- ‘hold, support’. √men (manas) to PIE *men-. The verse’s semantic network—hold/order/go—matches inherited Indo-European formulaic thought.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi instructs the inner force (addressed as ‘you’) to inquire and to align growth with dharma. The devatā’s action is mediated: Indraic power descends effectively only when the mind-held, well-fashioned energies have built a luminous ‘heaven’ fit for it.
Inquiry into the source of inspiration; building a clear inner ‘sky’ and aligning prāṇa with right order.
ājñā (mind/vision) with support from anāhata (harmonizing breath-life)
Nādi-śodhana or slow equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) to let ‘manovāta’ become smooth and directive.
Collected, widened mental awareness; readiness for intuitive perception.
Begin with a firm resolve (inota), then self-inquiry (pṛccha) about what moves you; let breath become the ‘wind’ that steadies mind; allow energy to rise only insofar as it remains rhythmic and lawful (dharma/ṛta).
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; maintain clear udātta lifts on key verbs (inota, pṛccha) and cadence drop at pāda ends.
Keep each Triṣṭubh pāda as one breath-unit if possible; emphasize the semantic pivots: janimā, takṣata dyām, manovātāḥ, dharmaṇi.
Maintain retroflex ṛ in pṛccha and clear conjunct cch., Pronounce dyām with long ā, not ‘diyam’., Keep nasalization in kavīnām light but audible., Articulate dharmaṇi with clear dh cluster: ‘dhar-ma-ṇi’.
Focused, steady, slightly uplifting on udātta; avoid force—aim for clarity and breadth.
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