Rig Veda 4.18.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 18, Mantra 2

Sukta 4.18

Rishi

Vāmadeva Gautama

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

Rasa

Vira (heroism) and Karuna (compassion)

Samhita Patha (Devanagari)

नाहमतो निरया दुर्गहैतत्तिरश्चता पार्श्वान्निर्गमाणि । बहूनि मे अकृता कर्त्वानि युध्यै त्वेन सं त्वेन पृच्छै ॥

Recitation with translationRig Veda 4.18.2

Transliteration

nā́ham áto nír ayā dúr-gahā́ etát tiraścátā pārśvā́n nír-gamāni | bahū́ni me á-kṛtā́ kartvā́ni yúdhyai tvéna sám tvéna pṛ́cchai ||

Translation

मैं यहाँ से सीधा बाहर नहीं आ सकता। यह जगह से निकलना मुश्किल है। मुझे साइड से निकलना पड़ेगा। मेरा बहुत काम बाकी है जो मैंने अभी तक नहीं किया। तुमसे मिल के मैं लड़ना चाहता हूँ और तुमसे सवाल पूछना चाहता हूँ।

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Word by Word

न

notIndeclinable · निषेधRoot न

अहम्

IPronoun · पुं., प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ · Root अहम्

अतः

from here; thereforeIndeclinable · अपादानार्थ/हेतौ (अतः = from here/therefore)Root अतः

निरयाः

from the underworld/hellNoun · पुं., पञ्चमी, एकवचन (वेद. रूप)Role अपादान · Root निरय

दुर्गहै

in a hard-to-grasp/hostile placeNoun · पुं., सप्तमी, एकवचन (वेद. रूप)Role अधिकरण · Root दुर्गह

तत्

thatPronoun · नपुं., प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (सम्बन्धे) / विषय · Root तद्

तिरश्चता

crosswise; sidewaysAdjective (used adverbially) · नपुं., तृतीया, एकवचन (वेद. प्रयोग: ‘तिरश्चा’ = crosswise)Role करण (रीत्या) · Root तिरश्च

पार्श्वात्

from the sideNoun · नपुं., पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादान · Root पार्श्व

निर्गमाणि

going out; emergingVerb (participle) · वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), नपुं., प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म/विषय (गमनस्य) · Root नि√गम्

बहूनि

manyAdjective · नपुं., प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म/विषय · Root बहु

मे

of me; myPronoun · षष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध · Root अस्मद्

अकृतानि

not done; unaccomplishedAdjective (past passive participle) · भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुं., प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole विशेषण (कर्त्वानि इति) · Root कृ (कृत) + अ-

कर्त्वानि

things to be done; tasksNoun · नपुं., प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म · Root कर्त्व (from √कृ)

युध्यै

to fightVerb (infinitive) · तुमर्थे दत्व/ए-इन्फिनिटिव (वेद.), अव्ययRole प्रयोजन · Root √युध्

त्वेन

with youPronoun · तृतीया, एकवचन (वेद. रूप)Role सह/करण · Root त्व (त्वम्) / त्व- (वेद. instrumental of 2nd person)

सम्

together; completelyPreverb/Indeclinable · उपसर्गRoot सम्

त्वेन

with youPronoun · तृतीया, एकवचन (वेद. रूप)Role सह/करण · Root त्व (त्वम्)

पृच्छै

may I ask; I would askVerb · विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अहम्) · Root √प्रच्छ्

Sandhi Notes

• Resolved sandhi/pada-splitting (principal): नाहम् → न + अहम्
• अतो निरया → अतः + निरयाः (वेद. पञ्चमी)
• दुर्गहैतत् → दुर्गहै + तत्
• तिरश्चता पार्श्वात् → तिरश्चता + पार्श्वात्
• पार्श्वान्निर्गमाणि → पार्श्वात् + निर्गमाणि (त् + न् → न्न्)
• मेऽकृतानि → मे + अकृतानि
• कर्त्वानि युध्यै → कर्त्वानि + युध्यै
• त्वेन सं त्वेन → त्वेन + सम् + त्वेन

The meaning

Outer meaning

He says he cannot go out from that difficult confinement by a straight way; he must come out sideways from the flank. Many works remain for him; to fight them he seeks union with you and asks in that oneness.

Inner meaning

The ‘hard-to-pass confinement’ is the embodied subconscient and the narrow channels of habitual nature. The straight exit is blocked; emergence of the divine power in us often requires an indirect movement—working through the ‘flanks’: side-paths of discipline, patience, and gradual reorganization of life-force and body rather than a sudden mental leap. ‘Many works unaccomplished’ are the remaining transformations—purifying desire, breaking resistance, establishing right rhythms. The speaker seeks saṃ tvena (oneness with the aiding divine power—Indra or the supporting Shakti) to wage the inner battle; questioning ‘in that oneness’ implies intuitive guidance: knowledge arises when union is established.

Universal truth

Inner liberation is rarely a single straight breakthrough; it often proceeds by indirect, patient openings through the resistant layers of nature, guided by union with a higher consciousness.

Themes

Indra-birth myth, breakthrough from obstruction, inner battle, initiation through narrow passage

The seer

Rishi

Vāmadeva Gautama

Lineage

Gautama

Other hymns

RV 4.18.1, RV 4.18.3

Family tradition

The Gautama hymns often show the seer’s intimate dialogue with divine powers, presenting obstacles and methods as experiential yogic realities.

Significance

This verse is a classic yogic confession: the seer acknowledges the difficulty of emergence and insists on union with the divine as the means for the remaining battle.

The deity

Devata

Indra (implicit interlocutor/supporting power)

Epithets

helper in battle (implicit)

Related deities

Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Soma (supporting delight in the struggle), Bṛhaspati (guiding intuition/word)

Cosmic role

Gives the force to break out of confinement and conquer remaining works; leader in battles of light vs. covering.

Inner power

The union with illumined strength that turns struggle into guided transformation.

In ritual

Where it is used

Narrative Indra hymn recitation; used to recall Indra’s difficult birth and subsequent works.

Accents and Padapatha

Chandas Analysis

Key Symbols

Ritual Application

Etymology

Philosophical Concepts

Vedic Cosmology

Natural Symbolism

Academic Analysis

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes