Rig Veda 4.41.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 41, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.41
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra-Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
इन्द्रा ह यो वरुणा चक्र आपी देवौ मर्तः सख्याय प्रयस्वान् । स हन्ति वृत्रा समिथेषु शत्रूनवोभिर्वा महद्भिः स प्र शृण्वे ॥
índrā ha yó váruṇā cakrá ā́pī deváu mártaḥ sakhyā́ya práyasvān | sá hánti vṛtrā́ sam-ithéṣu śátrūn ávo-bhir vā mahád-bhiḥ sá prá śṛṇve ||
जो इंसान इंद्र और वरुण को अपना दोस्त बना लेता है, भगवान उसपे खुश हो जाते हैं। वो इंसान दुश्मनों को हरा देता है, रास्ते में जो रुकावटें आती हैं उनको तोड़ देता है। भगवान की मदद से, या उनकी बड़ी ताकत से, वो आगे बढ़ जाता है और सब सुनते हैं उसकी बात।
Word by Word
- इन्द्रा
- O Indra (addressed, with Varuṇa)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (पादपूरण/उपपादक)Root ह (निपात)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सापेक्ष-उपवाक्ये)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणा
- O VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; द्विवचन (इन्द्रा … वरुणा = द्वन्द्व-आह्वान)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- चक्र
- has made, has doneVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- आपी
- help, alliance, friendshipNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot आपि (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘सहायता/संगति/मैत्री’)
- देवौ
- the two godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्तः
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (मुख्य-वाक्ये)Root मर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्याय
- for friendshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सख्य (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक; ‘मित्रता’)
- प्रयस्वान्
- energetic, zealous (endowed with effort)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (मर्तः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot प्रयस् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक; ‘उत्साह/प्रयत्न/उदारता’)+ वत् (मतुप्)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हन्ति
- slaysVerbलट् (परस्मैपद); 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- वृत्रा
- Vṛtras, obstructing foesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (वैदिक-रूपम्; सामान्यतः ‘वृत्रान्’)Role कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- समिथेषु
- in battlesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot समिथ (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक; ‘समर/युद्ध’)
- शत्रून्
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवोभिः
- with helps, with protectionsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot अवस् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक; ‘सहायता/रक्षा’)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-निपातRoot वा (निपात)
- महद्भिः
- greatAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन (अवोभिः इति विशेषणम्)Role करण-विशेषणRoot महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग (प्रकर्षे/अग्रे)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शृण्वे
- is heard, becomes renowned / is listened toVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचन (वैदिक-प्रयोगः; ‘शृणोति/शृणुते’ अर्थे)Role क्रियाRoot श्रु (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसनम्): इन्द्रा ह यः वरुणा चक्र आपी देवौ मर्तः सख्याय प्रयस्वान् । स हन्ति वृत्रा समिथेषु शत्रून् अवोभिः वा महद्भिः स प्र शृण्वे ॥ 1) ‘इन्द्रा॑ … वरु॑णा’ = द्विवचन-सम्बोधन (द्वन्द्व-आह्वान)
- 2) ‘च॒क्र’ = √कृ लिट् 3sg (परस्मै), वैदिक-परफेक्ट
- 3) ‘वृ॒त्रा’ = द्वितीया बहुवचन वैदिक-रूप (अनुस्वार/न्-लोपः), सामान्य-रूपः ‘वृत्रान्’
- 4) ‘अवो॑भिः’ = अवस्-शब्दस्य तृतीया बहुवचन
- 5) ‘शृ॑ण्वे’ = √श्रु लट् आत्मनेपद 3sg, वैदिक-प्रयोगः ‘श्रूयते/शृणुते’ अर्थे
The meaning
Outer meaning
The mortal who has made Indra and Varuṇa his close companions for friendship, rich in offering-energy, strikes down the Vṛtras; in battles he overthrows enemies; by their helps or their vast might he breaks through and is heard in the forefront.
Inner meaning
When the human seeker enters conscious alliance with Indra (illumined power) and Varuṇa (vast purity/law), and sustains it with prayas (the energy of offering/effort), the obstructing coverings (vṛtra) are slain. The ‘battles’ are inner conflicts—habit, doubt, inertia, falsehood. Supported by the gods’ ‘helps’ (avobhiḥ) and their ‘vast might’ (mahadbhiḥ), the aspirant becomes one who breaks through to the front of consciousness—his voice and being become effective (pra śṛṇve: heard/prevails).
Universal truth
True progress requires both power and purity: force without law becomes violence; law without force becomes impotence. Their union breaks resistance and makes one’s truth audible in life.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying (inner obstruction), divine alliance / sakhya, victory in inner battle, grace (avaḥ) and vast power (mahat)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.18, RV 4.41
Family tradition
A warrior-seer psychology: victory is inner conquest achieved through alliance with divine powers and sustained prayas.
Significance
Defines the sadhaka’s method: cultivate friendship with illumined force and vast law; then obstacles yield.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Varuṇa
- Epithets
- vast might (mahad), helpers (avaḥ), companions/friends
- Related deities
- Mitra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Joint guardianship of victory in right order: Indra breaks the cover; Varuṇa establishes the wide truth and self-rule.
Inner power
Indra’s decisive illumination + Varuṇa’s widening purification = effective transformation and breakthrough.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invoked for overcoming obstacles and winning ‘battles’—outer or inner—within śrauta praise to Indra and allied deities.
इन्द्रा॑ ह॒ यो वरु॑णा च॒क्र आ॒पी दे॒वौ मर्त॑: स॒ख्याय॒ प्रय॑स्वान् । स ह॑न्ति वृ॒त्रा स॑मि॒थेषु॒ शत्रू॒नवो॑भिर्वा म॒हद्भि॒: स प्र शृ॑ण्वे ॥
इन्द्रा॑ । ह॒ । यः । वरु॑णा । च॒क्रे । आ॒पी इति॑ । दे॒वौ । मर्तः॑ । स॒ख्याय॑ । प्रय॑स्वान् । सः । ह॒न्ति॒ । वृ॒त्रा । स॒म्ऽइ॒थेषु॑ । शत्रू॑न् । अवः॑ऽभिः । वा॒ । म॒हत्ऽभिः॑ । सः । प्र । शृ॒ण्वे॒ ॥
indrā | ha | yaḥ | varuṇā | cakre | āpī iti | devau | martaḥ | sakhyāya | prayasvān | saḥ | hanti | vṛtrā | sam-itheṣu | śatrūn | avaḥ-bhiḥ | vā | mahat-bhiḥ | saḥ | pra | śṛṇve
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Martial, declarative, with strong cadence on verbs of striking and breaking through.
Builds courage and confidence; stimulates the will to confront inner resistance.
- आपी (āpī)
- Literal: close approach; intimacy; alliance. Symbolic: inner companionship with higher powers—constant conscious relation
- सख्याय (sakhyāya)
- Literal: for friendship. Symbolic: yoga of friendship—trusting, ongoing collaboration with the Divine
- प्रयस्वान् (prayasvān)
- Literal: rich in prayas (refreshment/oblation/effort). Symbolic: abundant offering-energy; sustained tapas and consecrated effort
- वृत्र (vṛtra)
- Literal: obstructor/coverer. Symbolic: subconscient resistance, darkness, inertia, limiting formations
- समिथेषु (samitheṣu)
- Literal: in battles/encounters. Symbolic: inner confrontations where old nature resists transformation
- अवोभिः (avobhiḥ)
- Literal: by helps. Symbolic: supporting descents—intuitions, protections, timely forces
- महद्भिः (mahadbhiḥ)
- Literal: by the great/vast powers. Symbolic: widening force of the Vast (Varuṇa) joined with Indra’s might
- प्र शृण्वे (pra śṛṇve)
- Literal: is heard forth; becomes renowned. Symbolic: the soul’s voice gains efficacy; consciousness comes to the front
Soma-yajña context (general): invocation of Indra-Varuṇa for aid, victory, and right ordering; applicable in Soma pressing rites where dual deities are invited to drink and empower the sacrificer.
When seeking victory, protection, and right-guided strength; in soma settings and protective recitations.
Praise plus intention-setting: establishing ‘āpī’ (alliance) through offering (prayas).
Mantra for resilience: before difficult conversations, addiction-recovery steps, or disciplined practice sessions.
Key terms: (1) āpī ‘nearness, intimate approach’ from √āp/āpnu ‘to reach, attain’; in Vedic often the achieved closeness that allows divine action in the human. (2) sakhyāya from sakhyá- ‘friendship’ (sakhi ‘friend’), implying a stable inner relation, not a mere petition. (3) prayasvān from prayás- ‘offering substance; nourishing delight/energy’ (pra-√yā/√i ‘to go forth’ is not primary here; prayas is a ritual term that also admits inner sense as ‘offered force of delight’). (4) vṛtrá- from √vṛ ‘to cover, obstruct’; hence ‘coverer’ → psychological obstruction of light/knowledge. (5) ávaḥ ‘help, favour’ from √av ‘to protect, aid’; denotes active divine assistance. (6) pra-śṛṇve from √śru ‘to hear’; middle/passive nuance: ‘becomes heard/attains hearing’, i.e., the seeker’s will/word becomes effective in the divine exchange.
Ṛta (right order upheld by Varuṇa), overcoming of Vṛtra (release of blocked light/force), divine friendship (sakhya) as yogic relation
Victory is legitimate only as an expression of ṛta—Varuṇa’s law restrains and purifies Indra’s force.
Breakthrough makes one’s truth ‘heard’—satya gaining effective expression.
Release of blocked waters/lights implied in vṛtra-slaying motif.
Aurobindo-style inner battle symbolism: vṛtra as psychological obstruction.
Storm of transformation: illumination and wideness overthrow inner darkness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-slaying mythologem appears as the archetype of breaking obstruction: the seeker, allied with Indra (forceful illumination) and Varuṇa (vast law of ṛta), ‘strikes down Vṛtras’ in the sam-ithas (encounters). In inner terms, this is the conquest of coverings that block the flow of light, power, and right movement.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛtrá- ‘obstructor’ derives from √vṛ ‘cover’ (PIE *wer- ‘to cover, close’), parallel to notions of enclosure/covering in other IE traditions. śru ‘hear’ (√śru; PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’, cf. Greek klýō, English ‘loud’ via semantic pathways) supports the formula of ‘being heard’ as successful invocation and effective manifestation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse frames reciprocity through sakhyā (friendship) rather than mere request: the human becomes ‘pray asvān’ (rich in offered energy/delight), establishing āpī (intimate access). In return, the gods act as avaḥ (protective helps) and mahán (vast powers), enabling victory over inner hostiles and giving the seeker an effective voice/action (‘pra śṛṇve’).
Form an inner ‘friendship’ with clarity (Indra) and purity/wideness (Varuṇa); then face one specific vṛtra (habit/ fear/ confusion) with their support.
Maṇipūra (will/overcoming) supported by Anāhata (sincere alliance).
Brisk but controlled kapalabhāti-like preparatory cleansing (optional), followed by steady sama-vṛtti to sustain focus.
Courageous, frontal awareness; breakthrough mode.
Name the obstruction; invoke Indra for decisive light; invoke Varuṇa for wide calm and ethical alignment; act from that combined state—then return to wideness, not triumphalism.
Keep strong udatta emphasis on action verbs (cakra, hanti) and on vṛtrā; maintain steady svarita transitions in compounds.
Articulate ‘āpī’ clearly (long ī); give a firm cadence to ‘sa hanti vṛtrā’.
vṛtrā: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṭr cluster, samitheṣu: dental th (aspirated), pra śṛṇve: palatal ś; vocalic ṛ in śṛṇve
Firm, confident, slightly percussive articulation; keep breath supported.
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