Rig Veda 3.40.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 40, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.40
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अर्वावतो न आ गहि परावतश्च वृत्रहन् । इमा जुषस्व नो गिरः ॥
arvā́vato na ā́ gahi parā́vataś ca vṛtrahan | imā́ juṣasva no gíraḥ ||
इंद्र, पास से भी आ, दूर से भी आ। तू वोह है जो रास्ते के बंधन तोड़ता है। हमारी यह बातें सुन ले। तू आके अंधेरा हटा दे।
Word by Word
- अर्वावतः
- from the horse-yoked (place/region); from the chariot-horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान); एकवचन (तुल्यरूपेण षष्ठी-एकवचनस्यापि सम्भावना) — ‘अर्वावतः’ (Vedic form)Role ApādānaRoot अर्वावत् (प्रातिपदिक; अर्वन् ‘घोड़ा’ + -वत् ‘युक्त/सम्पन्न’)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी; बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, towards (here)Indeclinableअव्यय; आगमनार्थे उपसर्गःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- गहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद — Vedic imperative form ‘गहि’Role (क्रिया) — कर्ता: त्वम् (इन्द्र)Root गम् (धातु)
- परावतः
- from afarNoun (used adverbially) / Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन — ‘from afar’Role ApādānaRoot परावत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दूरस्थ/परदेश’)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्यय; समुच्चयार्थकRoot च (निपात)
- वृत्रहन्
- O Vṛtra-slayerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole Sambodhana (addressed)Root वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + हन् ‘हन्ता’)
- इमा
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषस्व
- accept / enjoyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — ‘enjoy/accept!’Role (क्रिया) — कर्म: इमाः (गिरः)Root जुष् (धातु; ‘सेव्/प्रीण्/स्वीकृ’)
- नः
- ourPronounषष्ठी; बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरः
- songs, praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (of implied ‘are/stand’ as the offered praises) / also appositional object to ‘इमा’Root गिर् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वाक्/स्तुति’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (RV): अर्वावतः नः आ गहि परावतः च वृत्रहन् । इमा जुषस्व नः गिरः ॥ 1) ‘अर्वावतः’ Vedic inflection of अर्वावत्
- taken as पञ्चमी-एकवचन ‘from the horse-yoked (place/host)’. 2) ‘आ गहि’ = उपसर्ग ‘आ’ + लोट् ‘गहि’ (गम्). 3) ‘परावतः’ पञ्चमी-एकवचन ‘from afar’
- ‘च’ coordinates with ‘अर्वावतः’. 4) ‘वृत्रहन्’ is vocative singular of the epithet. 5) ‘इमा’ (f. acc. pl.) + ‘गिरः’ (f. nom. pl.) is a common Vedic construction: ‘these (our) songs/praises’
- semantically the object of ‘जुषस्व’
The meaning
Outer meaning
A call to Indra to come from near and far; as Vṛtrahan (slayer of obstruction) he is asked to accept the singers’ hymns.
Inner meaning
The seeker invokes the illumined Mind-Power (Indra) to descend into the whole range of consciousness—from the “near” waking-vital field to the “far” supraconscient heights—so that the force that breaks inner darkness may act everywhere. The hymn (giraḥ) is not mere praise but a formed intuition that Indra can “enjoy” (juṣasva) and make effective.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a descending light that can bridge higher and lower planes; inspired speech aligned with Truth becomes an instrument for that descent and for the breaking of resistance.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Invocation from near and far, Acceptance of hymns, Presence of divine force
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.33, RV 3.40, RV 3.41
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra cycle (Maṇḍala 3): dynamic, will-driven ascent; strong Indra–Agni psychology of conquest over obstruction.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the tapas of transformation—turning human effort into seer-will; his Indra hymns emphasize victory of illumination over inner limitation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan, Śūra, Maghavan, Purandara (implicit: breaker of forts)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Releaser of the waters/cows (lights), establisher of wide heaven; champion of ṛta against the powers of obstruction.
Inner power
The illumined, decisive intelligence that cleaves confusion, releases intuitive knowledge, and establishes wideness and courage in the psyche.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña context (general Indra invocation)
अ॒र्वा॒वतो॑ न॒ आ ग॑हि परा॒वत॑श्च वृत्रहन् । इ॒मा जु॑षस्व नो॒ गिर॑: ॥
अ॒र्वा॒ऽवतः॑ । नः॒ । आ । ग॒हि॒ । प॒रा॒ऽवतः॑ । च॒ । वृ॒त्र॒ह॒न् । इ॒माः । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ । नः॒ । गिरः॑ ॥
arvāvataḥ | naḥ | ā | gahi | parāvataḥ | ca | vṛtrahan | imāḥ | juṣasva | naḥ | giraḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, martial cadence suited to invocation and conquest.
Builds inner momentum; the 11-syllable pulse supports a ‘breakthrough’ feeling, fitting Vṛtrahan imagery.
- arvāvataḥ
- Literal: from the nearer region. Symbolic: from the immediate, accessible parts of nature (waking mind/vital) needing illumination
- parāvataḥ
- Literal: from the farther region. Symbolic: from the beyond—higher mind/supramental ranges where the light is native
- vṛtrahan
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: power that breaks the Coverer—subconscient resistance, inertia, ignorance
- giraḥ
- Literal: songs/utterances. Symbolic: inspired formulations (mantric speech) that carry vision-force
- juṣasva
- Literal: enjoy/accept. Symbolic: assimilate and energize the mantra so it becomes effective in consciousness
Invitatory (āhvāna) to Indra in Soma context; request for presence from all directions/planes
During Soma pressing/offerings or Indra-focused recitations in the Soma liturgy
Invitation (āvāhana) and offering of praise to draw Indra’s power to the sacrifice
Use as an invocation before meditation to call down clarity into both ‘near’ daily mind and ‘far’ higher aspiration.
gahi from √gam ‘go/come’ (PIE *gʷem-). vṛtra from √vṛ ‘to cover, obstruct’ + -tra instrument/result; han from √han ‘to strike, slay’ (PIE *gʷhen-; cf. Greek phénō, English bane via Germanic developments). juṣasva from √juṣ ‘to enjoy, be pleased, accept’. arvā/parā as spatial metaphors for inner proximity/remoteness.
Battle of Light vs Darkness (obstruction vs release), Mantra as formative power (gir)
Indra is summoned to restore ṛta by breaking the cover that distorts perception and action.
Inspired speech (giraḥ) aims to align the human with satya so the divine power can ‘accept’ and act.
Descent of higher force into lower nature; widening of the field by releasing blocked energies.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo line): planes of consciousness and descent/ascent.
Spatial ‘near/far’ encodes layers of consciousness; Vṛtra encodes inertia/ignorance; the hymn is the vibratory vehicle of awakening.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-slaying mythologem explicitly: Indra is invoked as vṛtrahan. Inner sense: the power that breaks the encasing inertia/ignorance is called from both near (surface mind) and far (higher reaches or deep subliminal) to occupy the whole being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han ‘slay’ corresponds to PIE *gʷhen- (a widely attested IE root for striking/killing). √gam corresponds to PIE *gʷem- ‘come/go’. These are core inherited verbal roots preserved in Vedic with archaic imperative usage.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers ‘gir’ (mantric speech) and asks Indra’s comprehensive arrival. The reciprocity is: speech opens the channel; Indra’s presence breaks obstruction so the speech becomes effective realization rather than mere sound.
Invoke illumined intelligence to descend into all layers of the being; offer one’s inner speech/thought as mantra-force.
Ājñā (brow) as seat of illumined mind; also Sahasrāra for ‘parāvat’ descent
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for 6–8 rounds, then chant on long exhalations to invite descent
From active aspiration to receptive wideness where light can act
Before chanting, locate ‘near’ (current mental-vital state) and ‘far’ (highest ideal/peace). Chant once to call, then sit silently for the ‘middle field’ to be filled with clear force.
Vedic accents present; chant with udatta peaks on key invocatory words (ā, gahi, vṛtrahan) and observe anudatta/svarita per śākhā tradition.
Keep ‘ā gahi’ as a clear upward call; ‘vṛtrahan’ pronounced firmly with a slight stress on the first syllable cluster vṛ- (do not insert a vowel).
arvāvato: keep long ā; avoid ‘arvavato’ shortening, parāvataś ca: maintain ś as palatal ‘sh’, vṛtrahan: vocalic ṛ as short ‘ri’ without extra vowel, giraḥ: final ḥ as soft visarga, lightly echoed before pause
Bright, calling tone; steady breath, not rushed.
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