Rig Veda 4.30.10: Mandala 4, Sukta 30, Mantra 10
Sukta 4.30
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Bhayankara
अपोषा अनसः सरत्सम्पिष्टादह बिभ्युषी । नि यत्सीं शिश्नथद्वृषा ॥
ápoṣā́ ánasaḥ sárat sámpiṣṭād áha bibhyúṣī | ní yát sī́m śiśnáthad vṛ́ṣā ||
उषा डर के भाग गई और उसका रथ भी भाग गया। जब इंद्र ने उसे तोड़ दिया और पीछे कर दिया।
Word by Word
- अपोषाः
- waterless / deprived of waterAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वाक्ये कर्तृपद-सम्बन्धः; ‘बिभ्युषी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अपोषा- (प्रातिपदिक; अप्- ‘जल’ + ओषा/उषा- ‘दाह/उष्णता’ इत्यादि-निर्मित; वैदिक विशेषण)
- अनसः
- of the cart / of the wagonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः: ‘of the cart/wagon’)Root अनस्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गाडी/रथ/वाहन’)
- सरत्
- moved / ran / flowedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root सृ (धातु)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियायोगे)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- पिष्टात्
- from the crushed mass / from what was groundKṛdanta (PPP used as noun/adjective) / Noun-likeपिष्ट- (भूतकृदन्त), पञ्चमी, एकवचन (अभ्यस्त/चूर्णित-स्थानात्)Role Apādāna (पञ्चमी: ‘from/out of’)Root पिष् (धातु; ‘पीडने/चूर्णने’) → पिष्ट (कृदन्त)
- अदह
- burned / scorchedVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (अनुक्रिया)Root दह् (धातु; ‘दाहे’)
- बिभ्युषी
- fearing / being afraidParticiple (Kṛdanta) used adjectivallyवर्तमानकृदन्त (परस्मैपदी-आधार), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (कर्तृवाचक कृदन्तः; ‘भयमानā’)Root भी (धातु; ‘भये’) → बिभ्युष् (परस्मैपदी/आत्मनेपदी-परम्परा; कृदन्त)
- नि
- down, into, inIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot नि (उपसर्ग)
- यत्
- which / that (thing)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (यत् = ‘which/that’)Role Karma (यत्… शिश्नथत्: ‘that which he tore/struck’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सीम्
- indeed, just, him/it (emphatic)Indeclinableनिपातः/प्रागृह्य-प्रायः, बलवर्धक/अन्वय-सूचकRoot सीम् (निपात/अव्यय; वैदिक ‘him/it’ emphatic particle)
- शिश्नथत्
- tore apart / shatteredVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया; कर्ता ‘वृषा’)Root शिथ्/शिथिल्? (वैदिक धातु-परम्परा: शिश्नथ् ‘to tear, rend, shatter’; causative/iterative nuance possible)
- वृषा
- the Bull (the mighty one, Indra)Noun (epithet) / Adjective used substantivelyपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (कर्ता: ‘the bull/strong one’ = Indra)Root वृषन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृषभ/बलवान्/वीरः’; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): अपो॒षा → अपोषाः (प्रथमा-एकवचन स्त्री)
- सर॒त्सम्पि॑ष्टा॒दह॑ → सरत् + सम् + पिष्टात् + अदह
- नि यत्सीं॑ → नि + यत् + सीम्
- शि॒श्नथ॒द्वृषा॑ → शिश्नथत् + वृषा. (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न मूलपाठानुसार; यहाँ पदरूप सामान्यीकृत।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Dawn fled; her chariot rolled away from the crushed place, afraid, when the Bull (Indra) shattered and subdued her.
Inner meaning
When Indra’s force breaks the obstructive dawn-formation, the frightened, habitual illumination retreats; the old ‘vehicle’ (mental routine that carried the dawn-experience) rolls away from the crushed ground of resistance. The Bull is the steadfast, virile power of the illumined Mind that subdues the misleading movement so a truer dawn can arise.
Universal truth
When deeper truth presses in, old patterns of ‘light’ and their supporting habits withdraw; fear arises at the breaking of the familiar, but this clearing is necessary for real transformation.
Themes
dawn-car imagery, shattering obstruction, fear and retreat
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.30.8, RV 4.30.9
Family tradition
Emphasizes the dynamics after breakthrough—how old movements flee when struck by truth-force.
Significance
A practical psychological observation: when the ‘false dawn’ is broken, fear and withdrawal occur—yet this is a sign of progress, not failure.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣan/Vṛṣā (bull-like), Vajrin, Vṛtrahan
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni
Cosmic role
Overpowers resistance, restores the right emergence of dawn and day.
Inner power
Potent mastery over the mind’s vehicles and the life’s reactions; courage that subdues fear-born retreat.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra (general)
अपो॒षा अन॑सः सर॒त्सम्पि॑ष्टा॒दह॑ बि॒भ्युषी॑ । नि यत्सीं॑ शि॒श्नथ॒द्वृषा॑ ॥
अप॑ । उ॒षाः । अन॑सः । सर॑त् । सम्ऽपि॑ष्टात् । अह॑ । बि॒भ्युषी॑ । नि । यत् । सी॒म् । शि॒श्नथ॑त् । वृषा॑ ॥
apa | uṣāḥ | anasaḥ | sarat | sam-piṣṭāt | aha | bibhyuṣī | ni | yat | sīm | śiśnathat | vṛṣā
44
4 × ~11
Rapid motion in the first half (flight/rolling), then a heavy decisive break with vṛṣā.
Helps release fear and stabilize after an inner ‘breaking’ experience.
- उषाः (uṣāḥ)
- Literal: Dawn. Symbolic: Illumination-state; here, a retreating or corrected dawn-movement
- अनसः (anasaḥ)
- Literal: of the cart/chariot. Symbolic: The mental-vital mechanism that carries experience
- सम्पिष्टात् (sampiṣṭāt)
- Literal: from the crushed place. Symbolic: From the broken formation of obstruction/half-light
- बिभ्युषी (bibhyuṣī)
- Literal: afraid. Symbolic: Fear of ego/habit when its support is removed
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: Steady, potent force of Indra—mastery, virile tapas
- शिश्नथत् (śiśnathat)
- Literal: shattered, broke apart. Symbolic: Disintegrating the resistant structure thoroughly
Indra praise for forceful correction of misdirected dawn-energy; invoked for breaking fear-bound formations
In victory narratives; to affirm Indra’s subduing power over formidable forces.
Praise/recitation accompanying the invocation of conquering force.
Chant during transitions when old habits ‘flee’ and anxiety rises; supports steadiness and integration.
√sṛ ‘run/flow’ depicts movement of the anas (cart) → the course of dawning energies. sampiṣṭa from sam- + √piṣ ‘crush’ → compacted formation broken. bibhyuṣī from √bhī ‘fear’ → the receding of a resistant formation. śiśnathat from √śnath ‘break, pierce’ → decisive rupture. vṛṣā ‘bull’ from √vṛṣ ‘to rain/virile’ → symbol of overflowing strength.
subduing fear, right movement of awakening
Tapas; Ṛta; Nivṛtti of false movements (later term; here as withdrawal of wrong dawn)
The retreat of the obstructive dawn restores the lawful sequence of manifestation.
Fear is a sign of falsehood’s instability before truth; satya remains unmoved like the bull.
Clearing distorted formations so the true light can manifest in ordered progression.
Yoga-psychological reading aligned with Aurobindo: transformation includes breakdown of old formations and reorganization.
dawn turning-point
The ‘vehicle’ is mental habit; rolling away signifies withdrawal of old samskara-support; the bull is steadfast will-force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The fleeing of Dawn’s car when Indra shatters her: mythically the subjugation of a dawn-power; psychologically the compelled retreat of a fearful, misaligned ‘awakening’ movement once the true force breaks its hardened pattern.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sṛ ‘flow/run’ relates to PIE *ser- ‘to flow’ (cf. Latin serum ‘whey’ via ‘flowing’ semantics; more direct: Greek rheō is different root, but the flow semantic is pan-IE). √bhī ‘fear’ has PIE *bʰeyh₂- ‘fear’ (cf. English ‘fear’ is different root; Greek phóbos is different; but Indo-Iranian shows strong continuity).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi portrays Indra as the regulator of inner movements: awakening must proceed under truth-force, not fear; praise invites Indra to shatter what is misformed so the true dawn can move rightly.
Integration after a ‘break’: stay steady as old patterns retreat; witness fear without following it.
Maṇipūra (steadfast will)
Grounding breath: inhale 4, exhale 6 with attention in navel; then 1–2 minutes natural breathing.
Courageous steadiness; post-breakthrough consolidation.
If anxiety arises after a strong insight, chant once slowly, then feel the ‘bull’ in the spine/torso—stable strength. Let the old ‘cart’ roll away; do not chase it.
Rigvedic accenting; keep fluidity through the motion verbs (sarat) and firm emphasis on vṛṣā at the close.
Maintain clear consonant clusters: sampiṣṭāt, śiśnathat; avoid nasalization drift in anasaḥ.
apoṣā: sandhi; pronounce ‘apóṣā’ with clear o, anasaḥ: short a; final ḥ audible, sampiṣṭāt: ṣṭ cluster crisp; long ā at end, bibhyuṣī: bhy cluster; long ī, śiśnathat: palatal ś; retroflex ṭ? (not here) keep dental t
Grounded, steady, slightly grave; end with firmness.
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