Rig Veda 4.35.7: Mandala 4, Sukta 35, Mantra 7
Sukta 4.35
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
प्रातः सुतमपिबो हर्यश्व माध्यंदिनं सवनं केवलं ते । समृभुभिः पिबस्व रत्नधेभिः सखीँर्याँ इन्द्र चकृषे सुकृत्या ॥
prātáḥ sutám apibo haryáśva mā́dhyandinaṃ sávanaṃ kévalaṃ te | sám ṛbhúbhiḥ pibasva ratnadhébhiḥ sakhī́n yā́n indra cakṛṣé sukṛtyā́ ||
इंद्र, सुबह सोम रस पिया करते थे। दोपहर का वक्त भी उनका ही था। यह र्भु देवता भी साथ में पिया करते थे, क्योंकि इंद्र ने उनको अपना दोस्त बना लिया था। यह सब मिल के खुश होके पिया करते थे।
Word by Word
- प्रातः
- in the morningIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्यय (प्रभाते)Role अधिकारण (काल)Root प्रातः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < प्रातस्
- सुतम्
- pressed (Soma)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot √सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपिबः
- you drankVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root √पा (पिबति)
- हर्यश्व
- O (Indra) of tawny horsesNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot हरि- + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक: हर्यश्व)
- माध्यंदिनम्
- middayAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root माध्यंदिन (प्रातिपदिक) < मध्यं-दिन
- सवनम्
- pressing; Soma-riteNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सवन (प्रातिपदिक) < √सु (सोम-प्रसव/अभिषव)
- केवलम्
- alone; exclusivelyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (सवनस्य)Root केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समृभुभिः
- together with the ṚbhusNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/करण (सहयोग)Root ऋभु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिबस्व
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √पा (पिबति)
- रत्नधेभिः
- with the treasure-holders (givers)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/करण (सहयोग)Root रत्नध (प्रातिपदिक) < रत्न + √धा
- सखीन्
- friendsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यान्
- whom; whichPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (सखीनाम्)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चकृषे
- you have made; you have fashionedVerbपरिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट (लिट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root √कृ (करोति) — वेदिक रूप: चकृषे
- सुकृत्या
- by good workmanship; by good deed/skillNoun (abstract)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (means/instrument)Root सुकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) < सु + √कृ + त्य
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संहिता → पद): सखीँर्याँ = सखीन् + यान् (न् + य् → र्य्; वैदिक संधि/पदपाठ-समर्थ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
In the morning you drank the pressed Soma, O Indra of tawny steeds; the midday pressing is entirely yours. Drink with the Ṛbhus, the treasure-bearers—those friends you made by your perfect action.
Inner meaning
Indra (illumined Mind) takes the Soma of awakening at dawn and claims the full force of the midday offering—when consciousness stands at its peak of clarity and power. The Ṛbhus (perfecting artisans) are Indra’s friends because right action (sukṛtyā) creates inner alliances: luminous intelligence and skilful formation cooperate. ‘Drink with the treasure-bearers’ means: let the illumined mind absorb delight together with the capacities that can embody it in life—so realization becomes accomplished transformation.
Universal truth
Illumination must be accompanied by craftsmanship: insight becomes stable gain only when allied with disciplined, right, and skilful action.
Themes
Savana sequence, Indra-Ṛbhu friendship, Right action (sukṛtyā), Treasure-bearing powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.16, RV 4.17, RV 4.18, RV 4.35
Family tradition
Seer-poet of Book 4; integrates Indra’s illuminations with the Angirasa/Ṛbhu motif of winning and fixing the Light.
Significance
Vāmadeva often emphasizes that Indra’s victory is not merely a flash of insight but a sustained conquest supported by right works (sukṛtyā).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Ṛbhus as companions)
- Epithets
- haryaśva (tawny-steeded), Soma-pā (Soma-drinker, implied), sakhi (friend-maker, implied)
- Related deities
- Ṛbhus, Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; lord of luminous mind who receives Soma and releases the waters/rays; organizer of victorious clarity.
Inner power
Illuminative intelligence that can take full possession (‘kevalaṃ te’) of delight and turn it into decisive action; forms alliances with transformative faculties (Ṛbhus).
In ritual
Where it is used
Morning and midday Soma pressings addressed to Indra; invitation to drink with Ṛbhus
प्रा॒तः सु॒तम॑पिबो हर्यश्व॒ माध्यं॑दिनं॒ सव॑नं॒ केव॑लं ते । समृ॒भुभि॑: पिबस्व रत्न॒धेभि॒: सखीँ॒र्याँ इ॑न्द्र चकृ॒षे सु॑कृ॒त्या ॥
प्रा॒तरिति॑ । सु॒तम् । अ॒पि॒बः॒ । ह॒रि॒ऽअ॒श्व॒ । माध्य॑न्दिनम् । सव॑नम् । केव॑लम् । ते॒ । सम् । ऋ॒भुऽभिः॑ । पि॒ब॒स्व॒ । र॒त्न॒ऽधेभिः॑ । सखी॑न् । यान् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । च॒कृ॒षे । सु॒ऽकृ॒त्या ॥
prātariti | sutam | apibaḥ | hari-aśva | mādhyandinam | savanam | kevalam | te | sam | ṛbhu-bhiḥ | pibasva | ratna-dhebhiḥ | sakhīn | yān | indra | cakṛṣe | su-kṛtyā
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Assertive, balanced; first half sets temporal stages (morning/midday), second half turns to companionship and ethical causality (sukṛtyā).
Creates a sense of progressive ascent through the day—awakening to zenith—ending in harmonious integration with supportive powers.
- प्रातः (prātaḥ)
- Literal: in the morning. Symbolic: first awakening; initial illumination
- माध्यंदिनम् (mādhyaṃdinam)
- Literal: midday. Symbolic: zenith of clarity; full power of consciousness
- हर्यश्व (haryaśva)
- Literal: of tawny horses. Symbolic: mind borne on luminous vital energies
- सवनम् (savanam)
- Literal: pressing/oblation. Symbolic: a prepared offering of distilled delight/experience
- केवलम् ते (kevalaṃ te)
- Literal: wholly yours. Symbolic: the illumined mind must fully possess the offering—no divided will
- रत्नधेभिः (ratnadhebhiḥ)
- Literal: with treasure-bearers. Symbolic: with powers that carry and deposit realizations as lasting attainments
- सखीँर्...चक्रिषे (sakhīn...cakṛṣe)
- Literal: friends you have made. Symbolic: inner companions formed by consistent yoga—habits of truth-force
- सुकृत्या (sukṛtyā)
- Literal: by good/right action. Symbolic: by aligned will and exact practice; karmic precision that invites divine help
Midday soma pressing (mādhyandina savana): directs Indra to drink with Ṛbhus; integrates divine allies for ratna establishment
Prātaḥ-savana and Mādhyaṃdina-savana sequences in Soma sacrifice.
Offering Soma with Indra-invocation; communal drinking imagery for deities.
Morning practice: invoke clarity and decisive will; midday check-in: ‘claim the offering wholly’—recollect the intention and align action (sukṛtyā) with insight.
hary-aśva ‘tawny-horsed’ indicates swift luminous energies. kevala ‘entire’ stresses Indra’s lordship over the midday pressing (mādhyandina). sakhī ‘friend’ indicates alliance of powers; sukṛtyā (su + √) is the principle of right/perfect doing that creates divine friendship—psychologically, harmony of faculties.
Alliance of powers (sakhya) through right action, Rita as coordination in the sacrifice
Sukṛtyā is ṛta in action—right doing that makes the gods ‘friends’ in the psyche.
Truth becomes effective when the mind wholly possesses it (kevalaṃ te) rather than sharing with doubt or inertia.
Daily cycle as a ladder of consciousness: dawn awakening → midday fullness → integration with perfected faculties.
Yoga of works and knowledge integrated (karma-jñāna synthesis; Aurobindonian emphasis on transformation).
morning and midday
Morning = first illumination; midday = full consciousness-power; Soma = delight that sustains the ascent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s soma-drinking across the day and his companionship with the Ṛbhus. Inwardly, the central will-force (Indra) must enjoy the essence together with the formative powers (Ṛbhus) so that right action becomes stable treasure in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sakhā ‘friend’ reflects PIE *sekw- ‘follow’ (friend/companion as ‘one who goes with’; compare Latin sequor). The diurnal ritual structuring is a shared archaic Indo-European feature linking cosmic time to sacral action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi mediates a coalition: he reminds Indra of his rightful share and urges him to drink with the Ṛbhus, implying that the seeker’s victory requires both force (Indra) and right formation (Ṛbhus) acting as friends.
Offer inner delight to the illumined mind; then consciously invite ‘craft’ powers to embody insight as action.
Ājñā (clarity) supported by Maṇipūra (effective will)
Morning: 6–8 slow breaths with attention at brow; midday: 3 deep centering breaths, reaffirm intention; mentally ‘drink’ the collected joy.
Bright, decisive, integrated (illumination + right action).
Track two moments daily: awakening insight (prātaḥ) and zenith consolidation (mādhyaṃdina). Make a deliberate act of ‘kevalaṃ te’—remove divided motives; then do one precise right act (sukṛtyā) to seal the gain.
Maintain Vedic accents; emphasize udātta on prātáḥ, sutám, píb(a) and invocative haryaśva; keep pāda cadence even.
Mark the caesura after kevalaṃ te; second hemistich should feel like an invitation and reconciliation.
haryaśva: pronounce ‘śv’ cluster clearly (har-ya-śva), mādhyaṃdinam: nasal ‘ṃd’ distinct; long ā in mā-, ratnadhebhiḥ: aspirate ‘dh’; do not reduce to ‘d’, sakhīm̐r yām̐: preserve nasalization; avoid adding vowels between consonants
Bright, confident, slightly uplifting on the first pāda; warmer and inclusive on the second.
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