Rig Veda 5.31.2: Mandala 5, Sukta 31, Mantra 2
Sukta 5.31
- Rishi
- Atri Bhauma
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
आ प्र द्रव हरिवो मा वि वेनः पिशङ्गराते अभि नः सचस्व । नहि त्वदिन्द्र वस्यो अन्यदस्त्यमेनाँश्चिज्जनिवतश्चकर्थ ॥
ā́ prá drava harivo mā́ ví vénaḥ piśáṅgarāte abhí naḥ sacasva | nahí tvád índra vásyo anyád ásty amémāṃś cit jánivataś cakartha ||
इंद्र, इधर आ जा। हमें छोड़ के मत जा। हमारे पास आ। तुझसे बड़ा कोई सहारा नहीं है। तू कमज़ोर लोगों को भी ताकत देता है और उनका काम चलाता है।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातःRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातःRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- द्रव
- run! hasten!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root द्रु (धातु) → द्रव (लोट्)
- हरिवः
- O bay-horsed one (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot हरिवस् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध-निपातः (आज्ञार्थे)Root मा (निषेध)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot वि (उपसर्ग)
- वेनः
- longing, desire (impulse)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (द्रव्-क्रियायाः) / भाववाचकःRoot वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिशङ्गराते
- O tawny-gifted one (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot पिशङ्गराति (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = ‘our/to us’)Role सम्प्रदान (सचस्व-क्रियायाः) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सचस्व
- join (us)! accompany!Verbलोट्, आत्मनेपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root सच् (धातु) → सचस्व (लोट्, आत्मनेपदम्)
- नहि
- for not; indeed notIndeclinableनिषेध/हेतु-निपातःRoot नहि (निपात)
- त्वत्
- than you; from youPronounपञ्चमी-एकवचनम्Role अपादानRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वस्यः
- better (thing)Adjective (comparative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (अस्ति-क्रियायाः)Root वस्/वसुः (प्रातिपदिक; ‘better’)
- अन्यत्
- another (thing)Pronoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (अस्ति-क्रियायाः)Root अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- there isVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root अस् (धातु)
- अमेनान्
- guileless (men/ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (चकार्थ-क्रियायाः)Root अमेन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘without deceit/guileless’)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअवधारण/अपि-अर्थक निपातःRoot चित् (निपात)
- जनिवतः
- born (ones)Adjective (participial)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (चकार्थ-क्रियायाः)Root जनिवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन्)
- चकार्थ
- you have made; you didVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परिपूर्ण), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root कृ (धातु) → चकार्थ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | प्र | द्रव | हरिवः | मा | वि | वेनः | पिशङ्गराते | अभि | नः | सचस्व | नहि | त्वत् | इन्द्र | वस्यः | अन्यत् | अस्ति | अमेनान् | चित् | जनिवतः | चकार्थ । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) वेनः पिशङ्गराते—विसर्गः परे प् इत्यादौ जिह्वामूलीय/उपध्मानीय-प्रवृत्तिः (पाठे ‘वेन॒: पिश॑…’)
- (2) त्वदिन्द्र → त्वत् + इन्द्र (दकारस्य तकारादेशः पदान्ते; संहितायां ‘त्वदि॑न्द्र’)
- (3) अन्यदस्ति → अन्यत् + अस्ति (पदान्त-त् + अ- आरम्भे ‘द’/संध्याक्षर-परिवर्तनं; संहितायां ‘अन्यदस्ति’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come running here, O lord of the tawny steeds; do not turn away from us. O giver of the bright, draw near and join with us. For there is no better help than you, O Indra; even the weak you have made capable of a new birth.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the illumined Mind with its swift life-energies (hari = tawny steeds) to rush into the field of practice and not withdraw. ‘Piśaṅgarāte’ (giver of the bright/tawny) becomes the bestower of luminous energies and right delight in action. Union (sacasva) indicates a conscious joining of Indra’s clarity with our striving nature. The mantra affirms a central Aurobindonian truth: even what is ‘amenā’—wavering, deficient, unsteady—can be reshaped by the higher Mind into a new formation (janivataḥ), a rebirth into capability.
Universal truth
No part of our nature is beyond transformation: when higher clarity joins our effort, weakness becomes a starting-point for renewal rather than a verdict of failure.
Themes
invocation, Indra as helper, renewal, companionship (sac)
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Bhauma (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.31.1, RV 5.31.3
Family tradition
Ātreya hymns frequently combine urgent invocation with assurance of transformative grace—calling the god-power to intimate companionship in the inner yajña.
Significance
Atri’s approach is practical: not only vision but the insistence that divine powers must ‘come near’ and actively collaborate, turning weakness into new birth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Harivaḥ (of tawny steeds), Piśaṅgarāti (giver of the bright), Śaraṇya (implied: best refuge)
- Related deities
- Maruts (swift forces), Agni (aspiration), Soma (bliss that strengthens)
Cosmic role
Swift responder to aspiration; brings victorious illumination and renews the powers of the seeker.
Inner power
Immediate descent of clarity and courage; capacity to remould deficient energies into a new stable formation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invitation (āhvāna) in Soma-related sequences; general stotra for calling Indra’s presence
आ प्र द्र॑व हरिवो॒ मा वि वे॑न॒: पिश॑ङ्गराते अ॒भि न॑: सचस्व । न॒हि त्वदि॑न्द्र॒ वस्यो॑ अ॒न्यदस्त्य॑मे॒नाँश्चि॒ज्जनि॑वतश्चकर्थ ॥
आ । प्र । द्र॒व॒ । ह॒रि॒ऽवः॒ । मा । वि । वे॒नः॒ । पिश॑ङ्गऽराते । अ॒भि । नः॒ । स॒च॒स्व॒ । न॒हि । त्वत् । इ॒न्द्र॒ वस्यः॑ । अ॒न्यत् । अस्ति॑ । अ॒मे॒मान् । चि॒त् । जनि॑ऽवतः । च॒क॒र्थ॒ ॥
ā | pra | drava | hari-vaḥ | mā | vi | venaḥ | piśaṅga-rāte | abhi | naḥ | sacasva | nahi | tvat | indra vasyaḥ | anyat | asti | amemān | cit | jani-vataḥ | cakartha
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4 × ~11 syllables; imperative openings typical of Indra Triṣṭubh.
Urgent, calling, quickened; then settles into assurance in the second half.
Energizes aspiration; evokes a sense of nearness and support, especially when one feels weak or scattered.
- हरिवः (harivaḥ)
- Literal: possessor of tawny steeds. Symbolic: Lord of swift vital energies harnessed to illumination
- मा वि वेनः (mā vi venaḥ)
- Literal: do not turn away. Symbolic: Do not withdraw the higher guidance; remain present to the aspiration
- पिशङ्गराते (piśaṅgarāte)
- Literal: giver of the tawny/bright. Symbolic: Bestower of luminous force and effective energy
- सचस्व (sacasva)
- Literal: join, associate. Symbolic: Conscious union of higher mind with the seeker’s nature
- वस्यः (vasyaḥ)
- Literal: better, more excellent help. Symbolic: Supreme inner support—clarity that surpasses other aids
- अमेनाम् (amenām)
- Literal: weak, wavering, deficient. Symbolic: Unsteady parts of the being—doubt, fatigue, tamasic lapses
- जनिवतः (janivataḥ)
- Literal: being born, coming into birth. Symbolic: Rebirth into a higher poise; new formation of consciousness
Direct invocation in Indra-stotra; used to call Indra to the Soma offering and to request strengthening and renewal
At moments of invocation—before offering or before an inner ‘effort’ session; also suitable for daily recitation when motivation is low.
Calling the deity to the seat/space of the sacrifice; requesting non-withdrawal and companionship.
Use as a ‘reset’ mantra during fatigue, indecision, or relapse—invoking swift help and renewal of capacity.
√dru ‘run’ (drava), √sac ‘accompany’ (sacasva), √jan ‘be born’ (janivataḥ), √kṛ ‘make’ (cakartha). The inner turn: Indra is invoked as the sole ‘better’ support who can stabilize the wavering (amemān) and enable a new birth of consciousness (jan-), i.e., regeneration into a truer formation.
divine support as supreme refuge, renewal/new birth (punar-janman implicit), stabilizing the wavering mind
Indra’s presence restores right movement (ṛta) when the being wavers (amenā).
Truth is not only known but made effective—weakness is converted into workable power.
New birth (punar-janman as inner renewal) through descent of higher consciousness.
Integral psychological theism (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): gods as functional powers aiding evolution of consciousness.
Horses = vital energies; ‘running’ = rapid descent/response of illumination into the active nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘descent of the helper’ mythologem: Indra is summoned to come swiftly and accompany the seeker; his power uniquely turns weakness into capacity—mythically the champion who answers the call, psychologically the force that renews.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √jan (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget, be born’) is explicit in janivataḥ; √kṛ is Indo-Iranian for ‘make/do’; the imperative invocation style is typical of IE hymn-prayer discourse.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks not only for external aid but for intimate accompaniment (sacasva). The reciprocity is transformative: Indra’s presence converts instability into a new birth of strength and right becoming.
Call the illumined mind to come close; surrender wavering parts to be remade; cultivate inner companionship with clarity.
Anāhata (support/faith) moving up to Ājñā (guidance)
Inhale on “ā pra drava”; exhale on “abhi naḥ sacasva”; repeat gently, feeling approach and joining.
From tamasic heaviness to supported resolve; intimate reliance rather than strain.
When you feel ‘amenā’ (wavering), do not argue with the weakness; invoke nearness, then take one small right action immediately, as proof of ‘new birth’.
Maintain tonal recitation; imperatives (ā, pra drava) often carry a lifted udātta feel in practice—keep pitch clear and not overly musical unless trained in sāman-style.
Crisp consonants in imperatives: ‘drava’, ‘sacasva’; keep vowel lengths exact (ā vs a).
: ‘harivo’—final ‘o’ long-ish in Vedic sandhi feel, : ‘vi venaḥ’—soft ‘v’; clear visarga, : ‘piśaṅgarāte’—palatal ‘ś’, nasal ‘ṅg’ cluster, : ‘amenām’—long ‘ā’
Invocatory, bright, slightly urgent but controlled.
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