Rig Veda 5.29.4: Mandala 5, Sukta 29, Mantra 4
Sukta 5.29
- Rishi
- Atri, attribution for RV 5.29
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
आद्रोदसी वितरं वि ष्कभायत्संविव्यानश्चिद्भियसे मृगं कः । जिगर्तिमिन्द्रो अपजर्गुराणः प्रति श्वसन्तमव दानवं हन् ॥
ād rodasī vitaraṃ vi ṣkabhāyat samvivyānaś cid bhiyase mṛgaṃ kaḥ | jigartim indro apajargurāṇaḥ prati śvasantam ava dānavam han ||
उसने दुनिया को फैला के अलग किया। जो लोग डर में थे, वो काँपने लगे। इंद्र ज़ोर से गरजा और उस दानव को मारा जो उसके पास आ रहा था। उसने अंधेरी ताकत को पीछे कर दिया।
Word by Word
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- द्रोदसी
- the two worlds (Heaven and Earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्विवचन, प्रथमाRole KarmaRoot द्रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व-समास: द्यावा-पृथिवी)
- वितरम्
- more widely, farther apartAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Root वितर (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- ष्कभायत्
- he propped apart, he supportedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole KriyāRoot स्कभ् (धातु)
- सं
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- विव्यानः
- encompassing, pervadingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (PPP-like in sense), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमाRole KartāRoot वि-व्ये/व्या (धातु; ‘to envelop, pervade’) → विव्यान (कृदन्त)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root चित् (निपात)
- भियसे
- for fear, to (cause) fearNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, चतुर्थीRole SampradānaRoot भि (धातु) → भियस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मृगम्
- the wild beastNounपुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीयाRole KarmaRoot मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
- कः
- who? (what one?)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमाRole KartāRoot क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जिगर्तिम्
- the devouring (act), the devourer’s onsetNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (क्रियानाम), एकवचन, द्वितीयाRole KarmaRoot गृ/गॄ (धातु ‘to swallow/devour’) → जिगर्ति (नामधातु/कृदन्त-आधारित नाम)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमाRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root अप (उपसर्ग)
- जर्गुराणः
- devouring, raveningParticiple/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमाRole KartāRoot जर्गुर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘gluttonous/devouring’) → जर्गुराण (कृदन्त/विशेषण)
- प्रति
- against, towardsIndeclinableअव्यय (preverb/adposition)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- श्वसन्तम्
- panting, snortingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीयाRole KarmaRoot श्वस् (धातु ‘to breathe, pant’) → श्वसन्त् (कृदन्त)
- अव
- down, awayIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root अव (उपसर्ग)
- दानवम्
- the Dānava (demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीयाRole KarmaRoot दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
- हन्
- smite! / he smote (injunctive)Verbलोट् (imperative/injunctive form used in RV), परस्मैपद, 2/3 पुरुष, एकवचन (वैदिक प्रयोग)Role KriyāRoot हन् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ के प्रमुख संधि-विच्छेद: (1) आद्रोदसी = आ + द्रोदसी. (2) ष्क॑भायत् = (वि) + स्कभायत्
- ‘वि’ उपसर्ग के बाद ‘स्क’ समूह संहिता में ‘ष्क’ रूप से लिखा गया. (3) संविव्यानः = सं + विव्यानः. (4) चिद्भियसे = चित् + भियसे (त् + भ् → द्भ्). (5) जिगर्तिमिन्द्रो = जिगर्तिम् + इन्द्रः (म् + इ → मि; विसर्ग-लोप). (6) अपजर्गुराणः = अप + जर्गुराणः. (7) श्वसन्तमव = श्वसन्तम् + अव (म् + अ → मव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra widened and propped apart Heaven and Earth; what was wrapped in fear became like a trembling creature. Roaring, Indra struck down the Dānava who breathed against him, turning back the assault.
Inner meaning
Indra’s victory is an inner expansion: the consciousness widens its upper and lower ranges (heaven and earth—mind and embodied life) and establishes a stable space for growth. The fear-bound, constricted parts (saṃvivyāna) are exposed; the ‘trembling creature’ is the instinctive panic of the vital when darkness presses. Indra, the roaring force of illumined courage, strikes the Dānava—hostile titan of denial/obscurity—who ‘breathes against’ the seeker as oppressive doubt, anxiety, and inertia. The assault is reversed; the being stands in widened freedom.
Universal truth
When illumination grows strong, inner space expands and fear loses its power. Hostile pressures—doubt, oppression, negativity—can be met and turned back by courageous clarity anchored in a widened consciousness.
Themes
World-widening, Dānava-slaying, Fear-to-force transformation, Indra as stabilizer
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya) (traditional for RV 5.29)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.29.1-3
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns often pair cosmic expansion with psychological liberation—widening the worlds and defeating hostile powers.
Significance
Atri’s mantra-vision here is the yoga of wideness: illumination does not merely ‘know’—it creates room in the being and defeats fear-based contraction.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Apajargurāṇa (roaring forth), Dānava-han (slayer of the titan), World-widener (implicit: propping apart Heaven and Earth)
- Related deities
- Maruts (often accompany Indra’s force), Varuṇa/Mitra (order that stabilizes wideness)
Cosmic role
Cosmic expander and stabilizer; defender of the gods against titanic forces.
Inner power
Widening force of illumination; fearless clarity that reverses hostile pressure.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra śastra/stotra in Soma rites; victory and protection verses used to secure the rite against obstacles.
आद्रोद॑सी वित॒रं वि ष्क॑भायत्संविव्या॒नश्चि॑द्भि॒यसे॑ मृ॒गं क॑: । जिग॑र्ति॒मिन्द्रो॑ अप॒जर्गु॑राण॒: प्रति॑ श्व॒सन्त॒मव॑ दान॒वं ह॑न् ॥
आत् । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । वि॒ऽत॒रम् । वि । स्क॒भा॒य॒त् । स॒म्ऽवि॒व्या॒नः । चि॒त् । भ॒यसे॑ । मृ॒गम् । क॒रिति॑ कः । जिग॑र्ति॒म् । इन्द्रः॑ । अ॒प॒ऽजर्गु॑राणः । प्रति॑ । श्व॒सन्त॑म् । अव॑ । दा॒न॒वम् । ह॒न्निति॑ हन् ॥
āt | rodasī iti | vi-taram | vi | skabhāyat | sam-vivyānaḥ | cit | bhayase | mṛgam | karitikaḥ | jigartim | indraḥ | apa-jargurāṇaḥ | prati | śvasantam | ava | dānavam | hannitihan
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4 × ~11 syllables.
Majestic and forceful; alternates expansion imagery with sudden striking action.
Produces a felt widening of chest and breath; then a cathartic ‘cutting back’ of fear and oppression.
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (Heaven and Earth). Symbolic: mind and embodied existence; upper and lower consciousness
- वितरम् (vitaraṃ)
- Literal: wider, further apart. Symbolic: expansion of inner space; liberation from constriction
- वि स्कभायत् (vi ṣkabhāyat)
- Literal: propped apart, supported. Symbolic: establishing stable wideness; firm foundation of growth
- संविव्यानः (saṃvivyānaḥ)
- Literal: wrapped/enveloped. Symbolic: covered parts of being; subconscious fear-constriction
- भियसे (bhiyase)
- Literal: for fear. Symbolic: fear as a binding power in the vital
- मृगम् (mṛgam)
- Literal: a wild creature. Symbolic: instinctive vital nature trembling under pressure
- अपजर्गुराणः (apajargurāṇaḥ)
- Literal: roaring forth. Symbolic: courageous proclamation of truth-force; lion-like clarity
- दानवम् (dānavam)
- Literal: Dānava (titanic being). Symbolic: hostile force of denial, obscurity, oppressive inertia
- श्वसन्तम् (śvasantam)
- Literal: breathing, panting. Symbolic: pressing attack; suffocating negativity or anxiety
Indra-victory recitation in Soma rites; supports the ‘world-widening’ and ‘obstruction-smiting’ function of Indra in the yajña.
During Indra-focused recitations, especially when invoking protection and expansive power.
Praise of Indra’s cosmic stabilization and defeat of hostile beings.
Chant as protection and anti-fear practice: before challenging events, to establish inner wideness and repel oppressive moods.
√skabh ‘to prop, support’ (cosmic/psychic stabilization after victory); sam-√vī ‘to wrap/enclose’ suggests concealment/covering (psychologically: consciousness wrapped in fear); √śvas ‘to breathe/pant’ becomes ‘hissing’ hostility (serpentine resonance); Dānavá from Danu (primeval waters/abyss) indicates powers of the Inconscient; Indra’s ‘roar’ (jigarti, apa-jargur) is thunder as outer sign, inner sign as irresistible word-force.
expansion (urūṇā) as widening of consciousness-space, removal of fear-covering (bhaya as tamasic contraction), Ṛta established by stabilizing the worlds
Worlds are upheld by right order; Indra’s action restores and maintains cosmic structure against anti-ṛta forces.
Fear thrives in obscurity; satya-illumination makes the covered tremble and dissolve.
Separation and support of heaven and earth is a cosmogonic act repeated in inner experience as expansion of consciousness.
Psychological Veda (Aurobindo): cosmic myth as inner event—widening consciousness and defeating hostile forces.
Heaven/Earth = higher mind and embodied life; thunder-roar = decisive force; trembling animal = vital fear; hostile breath = suffocating negativity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s cosmic action of widening/supporting heaven and earth coupled with the slaying of a Dānava attacker—an iteration of the ‘stabilize the cosmos by defeating chaotic powers’ myth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śvas ‘breathe’ continues PIE *h₂wes- ‘to breathe’ (cf. Lat. ānhelō via different root; closer: Avestan xšvas-), while √han ‘smite’ belongs to an archaic Indo-Iranian killing lexicon; the paired ‘rodasī’ (dual worlds) preserves an old Indo-European poetic dualism (heaven/earth as a formulaic pair).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer witnesses Indra not merely as storm-god but as the power that creates inner ‘space’ by propping apart constricting limits; the hymn offers recognition (stoma) so that this same widening and fear-dispelling action occurs in the sacrificer.
Practice wideness: feel the space above the head and below the feet; then meet fear as a ‘trembling creature’ in the vital and let Indra-force (clear seeing) push it back.
Anāhata (wideness of heart-space) + Ājñā (fearless clarity)
‘Widening breath’: inhale expanding ribcage laterally; exhale long and steady as if pushing back a dark pressure in front of the chest.
Spacious fearlessness; protective force.
When anxiety ‘breathes against’ you, do not contract. Expand first (rodasī vitaraṃ), stabilize (vi ṣkabhāyat), then apply calm decisive clarity to reverse the pressure.
Chant the first pāda expansively (widening), then tighten articulation for the combat phrases; a strong downward cadence on ‘dānavam han’.
Give weight to ‘vi ṣkabhāyat’ (supporting) and ‘apajargurāṇaḥ’ (roaring).
: ‘ro-da-sī’ long ‘ī’, : ‘ska-bhā-ya-t’ aspirate ‘bh’, : ‘saṃ-vi-vyā-naḥ’ keep ‘vyā’ clear, : ‘śva-san-tam’ palatal ‘ś’
Bold, chest-resonant, protective; avoid strain—let resonance carry the ‘roar’.
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