Rig Veda 4.46.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 46, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.46
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Vāyu
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
शतेना नो अभिष्टिभिर्नियुत्वाँ इन्द्रसारथिः । वायो सुतस्य तृम्पतम् ॥
śaténa no abhíṣṭibhir niyútvān índra-sārathiḥ | vā́yo sutásya tṛ́mpatam ||
वायु भगवान, तुम्हारा रथ सौ लोगों की मदद से जुड़ा है। इंद्र तुम्हारा रथ चला रहे हैं। तुम इस सोम रस से भर जाओ। यह रस तुम्हे इतना ताकत दे कि तुम सही दिशा में काम कर सको।
Word by Word
- श॒तेन॑
- with a hundredNoun (numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)Role करणRoot शत (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (genitive plural enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अ॒भिष्टि॑भिः
- with aids/helpsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)Role करणRoot अभिष्टि (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- नि॒युत्वान्
- having a team (of yoked steeds)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (nominative singular)Role कर्तृ (as qualifier of the subject)Root नियुत्वन्त् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘having niyuts/teams’)
- इन्द्र॑सारथिः
- Indra’s charioteer (i.e., Vāyu)Noun (compound epithet)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (nominative singular)Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र-सारथि (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- वायो॑
- O VāyuNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (vocative singular)Role सम्बोधनRoot वायु (पुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- सु॒तस्य॑
- of the pressed (Soma)Noun/Adjective (PPP used substantively)पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (genitive singular)Role सम्बन्धRoot सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सु ‘to press’ > ‘pressed’ soma)
- तृम्पतम्
- be satisfied / take your fillVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) मध्यमपुरुष-बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रिया (addressed to Vāyu; implied कर्म = सोम)Root √तृप् (तृप्/तृम्प्) ‘to satisfy, gladden’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शतेन नः अभिष्टिभिः नियुत्वान् इन्द्रसारथिः । वायो सुतस्य तृम्पतम् ॥ 1) अभिष्टिभिः + नियुत्वान्: विसर्ग/सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न
- पदसीमा। 2) इन्द्रसारथिः: समास (इन्द्रस्य सारथिः) एकपदम्। 3) तृम्पतम्: √तृप् धातोः लोट् मध्यम-बहुवचनं
- वैदिके ‘तृम्प-’ रूपं (नासिक्य-प्रत्यय/धात्वादेश) प्रचलितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Vāyu, with a hundred aids for us, yoked with your teams and with Indra as charioteer, be satisfied with the pressed Soma.
Inner meaning
Vāyu’s niyuts (yoked teams) are disciplined prāṇic currents. Indra as sārathi (charioteer) signifies the illumined Mind guiding the life-force. ‘Hundred helps’ indicates abundant supportive energies when prāṇa is governed by illumination rather than impulse. Drinking Soma means the life-force is filled with delight, becoming capable of right impulsion and steady progress.
Universal truth
Life-energy becomes a true instrument when guided by inner light; then delight nourishes it and it turns into a many-sided help rather than a turbulence.
Themes
Vāyu-Indra cooperation, Harnessing energies, Soma satisfaction, Aid and protection
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.46.3, RV 4.18
Family tradition
The Vāmadeva hymns frequently join deities as inner powers (Indra-Vāyu) to show coordinated transformation of mind and life.
Significance
This verse encodes a practical yogic psychology: prāṇa must be yoked (niyut) and steered by Indra (illumination) to become a hundredfold helper.
The deity
- Devata
- Vāyu (with Indra as associated power)
- Epithets
- Niyutvān (yoked with teams), Soma-drinker, Indrasārathi (Indra as charioteer)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Maruts
Cosmic role
Vāyu moves first between worlds; with Indra he becomes a victorious current carrying offerings and receiving Soma.
Inner power
Regulated prāṇa under guidance of luminous mind; energization without agitation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: invitation to Vāyu to drink soma, often in tandem with Indra-Vāyu sequences.
श॒तेना॑ नो अ॒भिष्टि॑भिर्नि॒युत्वाँ॒ इन्द्र॑सारथिः । वायो॑ सु॒तस्य॑ तृम्पतम् ॥
श॒तेन॑ । नः॒ । अ॒भिष्टि॑ऽभिः । नि॒युत्वा॑न् । इन्द्र॑ऽसारथिः । वायो॒ इति॑ । सु॒तस्य॑ । तृ॒म्प॒त॒म् ॥
śatena | naḥ | abhiṣṭi-bhiḥ | niyutvān | indra-sārathiḥ | vāyo iti | sutasya | tṛmpatam
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3×8 syllables (probable; matches typical Indra-Vāyu/Vāyu invitatories)
Brisk, directive; conveys ‘yoking’ and ‘filling’ in tight cadence.
Creates a feeling of harnessing the breath and then letting it drink/expand—good for breath-discipline.
- शतेन (śatena)
- Literal: with a hundred. Symbolic: fullness, multiplicity of effective aids and capacities
- अभिष्टिभिः (abhiṣṭibhiḥ)
- Literal: helps, assistances. Symbolic: supporting forces that protect and advance the seeker
- नियुत्वान् (niyutvān)
- Literal: possessing yoked teams (niyuts). Symbolic: disciplined prāṇic currents harnessed for right motion
- इन्द्रसारथिः (indrasārathiḥ)
- Literal: having Indra as charioteer. Symbolic: life-force directed by illumined mind/will of light
- तृम्पतम् (tṛmpatam)
- Literal: be satisfied, be filled. Symbolic: let prāṇa be fully nourished by delight, not by desire
Soma rite: Vāyu’s cup with yoked teams; association with Indra in the Soma sequence
Early soma offerings; when calling Vāyu with his niyuts and Indra association.
Recite while offering soma; mentally ‘yoke’ prāṇa and offer delight to it.
Before demanding work: align breath with clear intention (Indra) and then ‘fill’ with calm delight to act effectively.
niyut denotes Vāyu’s yoked teams; from √yuj ‘yoke’ with ni- ‘down/into control’, suggesting disciplined harnessing of energies. tṛmpatam (imperative dual/plural form addressed to Vāyu) from √tṛp ‘be satisfied’: psychologically, the vital must be ‘sated’ by higher delight to cease craving lower objects. Indra-sārathi: Indra (power of illumined mind) as the guide/driver of the vital movement.
discipline of vital energies (niyama implied by ni- + yuj), Indra as luminous guidance, satisfaction as cessation of desire (tṛp)
Niyuts symbolize ordered movement; Indra as charioteer ensures the movement follows Ṛta.
Indra’s guidance indicates truth-directed action rather than desire-driven action.
Psychological/Integral: coordination of prāṇa (Vāyu) and buddhi/illumined mind (Indra) through delight (Soma).
morning (soma sequence)
Wind = prāṇa; yoking = regulation; Indra-charioteer = guiding illumination; soma = delight that stabilizes and uplifts life-energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘yoked teams guided by Indra’ mythologem: Vāyu’s dynamic forces (niyuts) are harnessed and directed by Indra. Innerly, the vital breath becomes an obedient vehicle when illumined power drives it, and Soma-delight provides the satiation that stabilizes it.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ continues PIE *yeug- (cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). √tṛp ‘be satisfied’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan tarəp- related satisfaction/pleasure semantics), reflecting an old experiential vocabulary for satiation/pleasure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks concrete inner assistance (śatena…abhiṣṭibhiḥ) and asks Vāyu to be ‘filled’ with Soma so that the life-force becomes a beneficent helper for the human journey, under Indra’s higher governance.
‘Yoke the breath’ and let it be guided by a clear, upward intention (Indra).
Maṇipūra (regulated energy) guided by Ājñā (clarity)
Nadi-śodhana (gentle) or 4-4-8 breathing while holding the sense of a ‘charioteer’ attention guiding prāṇa.
Energetic clarity; steady drive without strain.
On each inhale, feel prāṇa being yoked; on each exhale, feel it being filled with soma-like sweetness; keep a quiet ‘Indra’ witness at the brow guiding the rhythm.
Follow Ṛgvedic accenting; keep compound ‘indrasārathiḥ’ flowing with correct internal consonants.
Do not break compounds: niyutvān indrasārathiḥ; keep sandhi smooth; raise udātta lightly, not dramatically.
niyutvān: dental ‘t’, long ‘ā’, indrasārathiḥ: long ‘ā’ in sā-, aspirated ‘th’, tṛmpatam: syllabic ‘ṛ’ in tṛm-, clear ‘mp’ cluster
Firm yet even; ‘driven’ cadence like steady reins.
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