Rig Veda 3.38.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 38, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.38
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आतिष्ठन्तं परि विश्वे अभूषञ्छ्रियो वसानश्चरति स्वरोचिः । महत्तद्वृष्णो असुरस्य नामा विश्वरूपो अमृतानि तस्थौ ॥
ā́tiṣṭhantaṁ pári víśve abhūṣañ chríyo vásānaś carati svár-ociḥ | mahát tád vṛ́ṣṇo ásurasya nā́mā víśva-rūpo amṛ́tāni tasthau ||
जब वो उठता है तो सारी शक्तियाँ उसको सजाती हैं। वो चमक के साथ चलता है, खुद से रोशन। बड़े शक्तिशाली भगवान का नाम बड़ा है। वो हर रूप में है और अमर रहता है।
Word by Word
- आतिष्ठन्तम्
- (him) mounting / standing up / ascendingVerb (participle)Accusative singular masculine; शतृ-प्रत्यय (स्था + शतृ) with उपसर्ग आ-Role Karma (object of अभूषन्)Root आ-स्था (√स्था)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinablePreverb/adverbRole Adhikaraṇa (circumstantial: ‘around’)Root परि
- विश्वे
- all (the gods/men)Adjective (used substantively)Nominative plural masculineRole KartāRoot विश्व
- अभूषन्
- they adorned / they deckedVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRole Kriyā (main verb); governs कर्म ‘आतिष्ठन्तम्’Root भूष्
- श्रियः
- splendours, gloriesNounNominative plural feminineRole Kartā (of चरति) / or appositional subject with स्वरोचिःRoot श्री
- वसानः
- wearing, clothed (in)Verb (participle)Nominative singular masculine; शानच्-प्रत्ययRole Kartā (of चरति) (same referent as स्वरोचिः)Root वस् (√वस् ‘to clothe’)
- चरति
- moves, goes aboutVerbPresent (लट्), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole KriyāRoot चर्
- स्वरोचिः
- self-radiant, shining by itselfNoun/Adjective (bahuvrīhi-like epithet)Nominative singular masculineRole Kartā (of चरति)Root स्व-रोचि (रोचि from √रुच्)
- महत्
- greatAdjective (used predicatively)Nominative/Accusative singular neuterRole Karma/Predicative complement (with implied ‘is/was’)Root महत्
- तत्
- thatPronounNominative/Accusative singular neuterRole Karma/Predicative subject (with महत्)Root तद्
- वृष्णः
- of the bull (mighty one)NounGenitive singular masculineRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitival relation)Root वृषन्
- असुरस्य
- of the Asura (lord)NounGenitive singular masculineRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot असुर
- नाम
- nameNounNominative/Accusative singular neuterRole Karma/Predicative complement (with महत् तत्)Root नामन्
- विश्व-रूपः
- all-formed, of all shapesAdjective (compound)Nominative singular masculineRole Kartā (of तस्थौ)Root विश्व + रूप
- अमृतानि
- immortal things, immortal (ordinances/powers)Noun/Adjective (substantivized)Accusative plural neuterRole Karma (object with तस्थौ in sense ‘established/placed’)Root अमृत
- तस्थौ
- stood; was established; took his standVerbPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole KriyāRoot स्था (√स्था)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: आतिष्ठन्तं + परि + विश्वे + अभूषन् + श्रियः + वसानः + चरति + स्वरोचिः । महत् + तत् + वृष्णः + असुरस्य + नाम । विश्वरूपः + अमृतानि + तस्थौ ॥ Notable: (1) अभूषञ्छ्रियो → अभूषन् + श्रियः (final -न् before श- gives nasal + ch-like junction in saṃhitā)
- (2) वसानश्चरति → वसानः + चरति (visarga before c- becomes ś in saṃhitā)
- (3) महत्तद् → महत् + तत् (t+t gemination)
- (4) विश्वरूपो → विश्वरूपः (visarga before vowel o- becomes o)
The meaning
Outer meaning
All powers adorn Him as He rises; clothed in splendors He moves, self-luminous. Great is the Name of the mighty Asura; the all-formed stands established in the immortalities.
Inner meaning
When the Indra-force ‘stands up’ within (ātiṣṭhantam), the whole system of powers in us (viśve—faculties, energies, senses, thoughts) instinctively adorn and align around that ascending lordship. He moves ‘clothed in splendors’ (śriyaḥ vasānaḥ): the mind and life take on luminous qualities. Self-luminous (svarociḥ), he does not borrow light from external supports; illumination becomes intrinsic. The ‘Asura’ here is the master-force of being (not later demon-sense): the great Name is the realized power of that sovereignty. ‘Viśvarūpa’ indicates the One Consciousness taking all forms—when Indra’s illumination is established, the many immortalities (amṛtāni: deathless states/powers) become stable bases in the nature.
Universal truth
When true inner sovereignty awakens, all parts of the being reorganize around it; illumination becomes self-sustaining, and the many powers of immortality—enduring peace, light, force, bliss—stand firm in life.
Themes
Epiphany of the divine, Self-luminous consciousness, Immortal foundation
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
Vision of divine powers as living presences that rise within and reorganize the whole being; emphasis on luminous sovereignty.
Significance
The seer records the phenomenology of awakening: ascent, adornment by inner powers, and stabilization in ‘immortalities’—a yogic description in Vedic language.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Svarociḥ (self-luminous), Vṛṣan (bull of power), Asura (lordly master), Viśvarūpa (all-formed, in the sense of all-form manifestation of power)
- Related deities
- Sūrya (light), Savitar (impulsion of illumination), Agni (inner will), Soma (immortal delight)
Cosmic role
Bearer of sovereign light that establishes the deathless powers in the worlds; leader in the ascent from limitation to wide luminous being.
Inner power
Self-existent illumination that draws all faculties into harmony and stabilizes higher states as enduring realizations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra within Soma rites; also suited to moments of ‘udgītha’-like uplift in praise sequences (general).
आ॒तिष्ठ॑न्तं॒ परि॒ विश्वे॑ अभूष॒ञ्छ्रियो॒ वसा॑नश्चरति॒ स्वरो॑चिः । म॒हत्तद्वृष्णो॒ असु॑रस्य॒ नामा वि॒श्वरू॑पो अ॒मृता॑नि तस्थौ ॥
आ॒ऽतिष्ठ॑न्तम् । परि॑ । विश्वे॑ । अ॒भू॒ष॒न् । श्रियः॑ । वसा॑नः । च॒र॒ति॒ । स्वऽरो॑चिः । म॒हत् । तत् । वृष्णः॑ । असु॑रस्य । नाम॑ । आ । वि॒श्वऽरू॑पः । अ॒मृता॑नि । त॒स्थौ॒ ॥
ātiṣṭhantam | pari | viśve | abhūṣan | śriyaḥ | vasānaḥ | carati | sva-rociḥ | mahat | tat | vṛṣṇaḥ | asurasya | nāma | ā | viśva-rūpaḥ | amṛtāni | tasthau
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Triṣṭubh here feels ‘rising’—strong initial lift and bright cadence; suited to epiphany.
Invokes uplift and brilliance; can induce a felt sense of inner verticality and radiance.
- आ॒तिष्ठ॑न्तम् (ātiṣṭhantam)
- Literal: rising/standing up. Symbolic: awakening of inner lordship; ascent of consciousness
- विश्वे (viśve)
- Literal: all (powers). Symbolic: the totality of inner faculties and energies
- अभूषन् (abhūṣan)
- Literal: they adorned. Symbolic: spontaneous harmonization and consecration of the nature
- श्रियः (śriyaḥ)
- Literal: splendors, beauties, prosperities. Symbolic: luminous qualities and harmonies of consciousness
- स्वरोचिः (svarociḥ)
- Literal: self-luminous. Symbolic: intrinsic illumination; inner light not dependent on outer stimuli
- वृष्णः (vṛṣṇaḥ)
- Literal: of the bull/mighty. Symbolic: irresistible strength of illumined force
- असुरस्य (asurasya)
- Literal: of the Asura (lord). Symbolic: master-consciousness; sovereign being-force (Vedic sense)
- नाम (nāma)
- Literal: name. Symbolic: realized vibration/identity of the power; effective mantra-force
- विश्व॑रूपः (viśvarūpaḥ)
- Literal: all-formed. Symbolic: one consciousness expressing as many forms; integrality
- अ॒मृता॑नि (amṛtāni)
- Literal: immortalities. Symbolic: deathless states/powers: enduring light, peace, force, bliss
Indra-stotra: establishing the deity in the rite and in the inner being as self-luminous sovereignty.
When invoking Indra’s victorious radiance; adaptable to dawn/early practice for awakening the inner light.
Praise describing Indra’s manifestation; supports invocation of luminous power.
Recite to stabilize a luminous state after meditation or to invoke self-sustaining clarity during confusion.
svar-rociḥ: svar ‘sunlight/illumination’ + rociḥ from √ruc ‘shine’; asura in early RV often ‘lordly, mighty’ (not later demonized), linked to mastery of asu (life-breath); nāman ‘name’ as essence/power (PIE *h₁nōmn̥).
Nāman as essence-power, Amṛta (deathless states), Asura as lordship of life-force (asu)
All powers adorning the rising lord suggests the many becoming rightly arranged under the One—psychological ṛta.
Svarociḥ indicates truth-light arising from within, not dependent on external proofs.
Manifestation of the One as viśvarūpa; establishment of immortal powers in form.
Integral Vedantic-Yogic: the One manifests as many; realization stabilizes as enduring states (amṛta).
dawn (suggested by ‘rising’ and self-luminous movement)
Rising = ascent of consciousness; splendor = luminous qualities; immortalities = stable higher states beyond decay.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany mythologem: the deity ‘rises/stands’ and is adorned by all powers, revealing a universal form (viśvarūpa) established in immortality (amṛta).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nāman ‘name’ continues PIE *h₁nōmn̥ (Lat. nōmen, Gk. ónoma). √sthā (tasthau) continues PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’. The formula ‘standing in immortality’ is a classic IE poetic stability trope.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi recognizes and stabilizes the devatā’s presence: by praise the powers ‘adorn’ the rising god, making the inner being capable of holding the immortal poise that Indra represents.
Invoke the ‘rising’ of inner sovereignty and allow all faculties to align around the self-luminous center.
ājñā and sahasrāra (inner light and ascent); support from maṇipūra (sovereign will)
Gentle ujjāyī or upward-moving awareness on inhale; brief natural kumbhaka after inhale to ‘stand’ in light (only if comfortable).
Uplifted, luminous, self-supported clarity.
After settling, imagine a vertical rise of awareness; let thoughts and impulses ‘adorn’ rather than obstruct—offer them to the luminous center. Rest in self-luminous seeing; then seal it as an ‘amṛta’—a stable poise carried into action.
Tri-svara; let ‘ātiṣṭhantam’ carry a clear udātta lift; keep ‘svarociḥ’ bright and unbroken; settle on ‘amṛtāni tasthau’ with a firm cadence.
Mark the three peaks: ātiṣṭhantam, svarociḥ, amṛtāni; avoid flattening the long vowels (ā, ī).
ātiṣṭhantam: keep ṭh aspirated and retroflex., śriyo vasānaḥ: śr cluster clean; long ā in vasānaḥ., svarociḥ: pronounce ‘sva-ro-ciḥ’ with clear ciḥ., viśvarūpaḥ: keep ś and v distinct; long ū.
Bright, steady, slightly elevated pitch; resonant head tone without strain.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
