Rig Veda 3.46.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 46, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.46
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
उरुं गभीरं जनुषाभ्युग्रं विश्वव्यचसमवतं मतीनाम् । इन्द्रं सोमासः प्रदिवि सुतासः समुद्रं न स्रवत आ विशन्ति ॥
urúṁ gabhīráṁ januṣā́bhy ùgráṁ viśvá-vyacasam avatáṁ matīnā́m | índraṁ sómāsaḥ prá-divi sutā́saḥ samudráṁ ná sraváta ā́ viśanti ||
इंद्र बड़े और गहरे हैं, जनम से ही तेज़। वो हर जगह फैलते हैं और लोगों के खयालों में मदद करते हैं। सोम रस की धारें इंद्र में गिरती हैं, जैसे नदियाँ समुंदर में जा मिलते हैं।
Word by Word
- उरुम्
- wide, broadAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Root उरु-
- गभीरम्
- deepAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Root गभीर-
- जनुषा
- by birth, by natureNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करण (येन प्रकारेण/स्वभावेन)Root जनु-
- अभि-उग्रम्
- fierce, very mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Root उग्र- (उग्रम्); उपसर्ग: अभि
- विश्व-व्यचसम्
- all-pervading, wide-spreadingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Root विश्व- + व्यचस्-
- अवतम्
- helping, protectingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Root अवत- (PPP of √अव्/अव् ‘to protect, help’)
- मतीनाम्
- of thoughts/prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अवतम्—कस्य?)Root मती-
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (वि-विशन्ति इति)Root इन्द्र-
- सोमासः
- Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (विशन्ति)Root सोम-
- प्र-दिवि
- forth in heaven / in the highest heavenIndeclinable (prep. adv.)अव्यय; लोकेटिव-अर्थेRole अधिकरण (स्थान)Root दिव्- (दिवि); उपसर्ग: प्र
- सुतासः
- pressed (Soma), freshly pressedAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सोमासः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सुत- (PPP of √सु ‘to press (Soma)’)
- समुद्रम्
- oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (उपमान-आधारः; ‘न’ इत्यनेन)Root समुद्र-
- न
- like, asIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान-निर्देशकRoot न
- स्रवत्
- flowingParticiple (adjectival)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (समुद्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (उपमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्रवत् (present participle of √स्रु ‘to flow’)
- आ
- towards, intoIndeclinable (preverb)अव्यय; उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषण (गत्यर्थे)Root आ
- विशन्ति
- they enterVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √विश्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: उरुम् गभीरम् जनुषा अभि-उग्रम् विश्व-व्यचसम् अवतम् मतीनाम् । इन्द्रम् सोमासः प्र-दिवि सुतासः समुद्रम् न स्रवत् आ विशन्ति ॥ Sandhi/phonetics: (1) जनुषा + अभि → जनुषाभि (स्वर-सन्धि/सवर्णदीर्घ)
- (2) विश्वव्यचसम् + अवतम् → विश्वव्यचसमवतम् (अ + अ → अ; पदसंयोग)
- (3) इन्द्रम् + सोमासः → इन्द्रं सोमासः (म् + स → अनुस्वार)
- (4) प्र + दिवि → प्रदिवि (उपसर्ग-समास/पदयोग)
- (5) सुतासः + समुद्रम् → सुतासः समुद्रम् (विसर्गः पदान्ते; संहितायां प्रायः यथावत्)
- (6) स्रवत् + आ → स्रवत आ (पदसंयोग; दीर्घः न आवश्यकः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is described as vast, deep, innately fierce, all-pervading, and a helper of inspired thoughts; the pressed Soma-streams enter him like rivers entering the ocean.
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind (Indra) is a wide and profound consciousness, powerful by its very origin in the Truth. Into this awakened mind, the clarified streams of bliss and inspiration (Soma) continually pour, as all movements of aspiration and delight find their fulfilment in the vast ocean of inner Light. Indra is called “helper of thoughts” because the higher mind supports, orders, and uplifts our mental formations (matī) into revelation.
Universal truth
When consciousness widens and deepens into a stable luminous awareness, all purified experiences—joy, insight, aspiration—naturally converge into it, strengthening discernment and inner mastery.
Themes
Soma-inpouring, Confluence into the Vast, Protection of thought
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.26, RV 3.33, RV 3.46, RV 3.47
Family tradition
Royal seer (rājarsi) whose hymns often depict the ascent from human striving to divine illumination; a central voice of Maṇḍala 3’s Indra-Agni spirituality.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision frequently emphasizes conquest of limiting forces through the power of inner fire and illumined mind; here Indra is the vast receiving consciousness into which Soma (ānanda) is gathered.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- uruṃ (vast), gabhīraṃ (deep), ugraṃ (formidable), viśvavyacas (all-pervading), avatam matīnām (helper/protector of thoughts)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction and establisher of luminous order; gathers the powers (Soma, Maruts, Rays) to release the hidden Light.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and sovereign discernment that integrates purified delight (Soma) into stable mastery.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra in Soma-yajña contexts (Indra-pavamāna/Indra-soma sequences broadly)
उ॒रुं ग॑भी॒रं ज॒नुषा॒भ्यु१॒॑ग्रं वि॒श्वव्य॑चसमव॒तं म॑ती॒नाम् । इन्द्रं॒ सोमा॑सः प्र॒दिवि॑ सु॒तास॑: समु॒द्रं न स्र॒वत॒ आ वि॑शन्ति ॥
उ॒रुम् । ग॒भी॒रम् । ज॒नुषा॑ । अ॒भि । उ॒ग्रम् । वि॒श्वऽव्य॑चसम् । अ॒व॒तम् । म॒ती॒नाम् । इन्द्र॑म् । सोमा॑सः । प्र॒ऽदिवि॑ । सु॒तासः॑ । स॒मु॒द्रम् । न । स्र॒वतः॑ । आ । वि॒श॒न्ति॒ ॥
urum | gabhīram | januṣā | abhi | ugram | viśva-vyacasam | avatam | matīnām | indram | somāsaḥ | pra-divi | sutāsaḥ | samudram | na | sravataḥ | ā | viśanti
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, driving, expansive cadence suited to Indra’s force and wideness.
Builds a sense of widening and deepening; the final simile (streams→ocean) lands as a settling, integrating resonance.
- उरु (uru)
- Literal: wide, vast. Symbolic: expansive consciousness; wideness of being
- गभीर (gabhīra)
- Literal: deep. Symbolic: depth of inner awareness; profound stability
- उग्र (ugra)
- Literal: fierce, formidable. Symbolic: irresistible force of illumination that breaks resistance
- विश्वव्यचस् (viśvavyacas)
- Literal: all-pervading. Symbolic: mind-light that can enter and pervade all parts of nature
- मतीनाम् (matīnām)
- Literal: of thoughts/insights. Symbolic: our formations of understanding seeking right ordering
- सोमासः सुतासः (somāsaḥ sutāsaḥ)
- Literal: pressed Soma-draughts. Symbolic: purified bliss/inspiration extracted from experience by inner discipline
- समुद्र (samudra)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness receiving and integrating all currents
- स्रवत (sravata)
- Literal: running waters/streams. Symbolic: streams of aspiration, delight, and perception moving toward the Truth
Soma pressing: Soma as offering enters Indra; verse supports the moment of libation and inner ‘inpouring’ of delight-force
During Soma-day offerings and Indra-invocations; also adaptable to daily recitation for clarity and strength.
Offering of pressed Soma with praise; inviting Indra to receive and empower the sacrificer.
Use as a contemplation on collecting scattered energies and joys into a single vast awareness before meditation or decision-making.
urú- ‘wide’; gabhīrá- ‘deep’; avatá- ‘helper’ from √av ‘protect/aid’; mati- ‘thought, intention’ from √man ‘think’; √sru ‘flow’ in sravataḥ; samudrá- ‘gathering of waters’ (sam-udra) used for ocean and inner vastness. Core simile: Soma-streams entering Indra as rivers enter ocean—ritual image transposed to psychological convergence of delight-essence into vast force.
Soma as ānanda-essence (delight) feeding divine force, Indra as vast consciousness-force (wide/deep), Mati (thought) requiring protection and right extension
Indra as the force that restores right order by integrating and directing the currents of consciousness.
The ‘birth-fierce’ power suggests innate truth-force (satyam) manifesting as decisive illumination.
Confluence: many streams of experience gathered into a single ocean of consciousness.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindonian): ascent to wideness, depth, and integration of ānanda in the illumined mind.
All movements of aspiration and delight (streams) are gathered into vast stable awareness (ocean-mind), producing integrated illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘inpouring into the ocean’ mythologem: Soma-streams enter Indra like rivers into the sea. Mythically, the offering feeds the god; psychologically, extracted delight and clarified essence flow into the vast Indra-force, enlarging and empowering it to protect and widen the seeker’s matis (thought-formations).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sru ‘flow’ belongs to an IE flow/stream root set (cf. related hydronymic patterns across IE traditions). The ocean/river confluence is a shared IE poetic device for totality and absorption. The compound viśva-vyacasam exemplifies Vedic compounding used to encode expansive attributes succinctly.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi offers Soma not as mere ritual liquid but as distilled inner essence; by pouring it, he causes an entry (viśanti) into Indra—the vast, deep helper of thoughts. The relationship is a circulation: aspiration distills Soma; Soma feeds Indra; Indra in turn protects and enlarges the field of thought toward Ṛta.
Gathering practice: let all thoughts and feelings ‘flow’ into a single wide witnessing awareness (Indra-ocean).
ājñā (clarity of illumined mind)
Moderate inhalation as ‘drawing in the streams’; gentle pause to ‘merge into the ocean’; slow exhale to stabilize wideness.
Widened, integrated, quietly powerful illumination.
Before japa, recall Indra as vast mind; on each repetition, offer one ‘stream’ (a desire/thought) into that wideness until only the oceanic clarity remains.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Rigvedic accent; maintain udātta peaks on key epithets (uruṃ, gabhīraṃ, indram).
Let each pāda rise to a clear udātta summit, then settle; keep the final simile phrase ‘samudraṃ na sravata ā viśanti’ flowing without abrupt breaks.
Keep retroflex ṛ in ‘vṛ’ of vṛtra in related context; here ensure clear ‘gabhīraṃ’ (bh + ī), ‘viśvavyacasam’ split as viśva-vyacasam; avoid swallowing ‘vya’, ‘sravata’ with clean ‘sr’ cluster; do not add a vowel between s-r
Full, resonant, slightly expansive; sustain vowels to evoke wideness and depth.
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