Rig Veda 5.36.1: Mandala 5, Sukta 36, Mantra 1
Sukta 5.36
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagati
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
स आ गमदिन्द्रो यो वसूनां चिकेतद्दातुं दामनो रयीणाम् । धन्वचरो न वंसगस्तृषाणश्चकमानः पिबतु दुग्धमंशुम् ॥
sá ā́ gamad índro yó vásūnāṁ cíketa dātuṁ dā́mano rayīṇā́m | dhánvacaro ná vaṁsagás tṛṣāṇáś cakamānáḥ píbatu dugdhám áṁśum ||
इंद्र आओ, तुम जानते हो खज़ाने कहाँ हैं और कैसे देने हैं। तुम धन का सही इस्तेमाल करने वाले हो। जैसे कोई खुले मैदान में घूमता है, जैसे कोई अपना चरागाह ढूँढ़ता है, प्यासा और इच्छुक हो के, वैसे ही तुम इस सोम रस को पियो।
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गः (गम्-धातोः सह)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अगमत्
- cameVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root गम्
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सः इन्द्रः)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्धवाक्ये)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वसूनाम्
- of goods/treasuresNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धः (genitive)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- चिकेतत्
- has perceived/understoodVerbलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root चित्
- दातुम्
- to giveVerbतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive)Role Karma (क्रियायाः उद्देश्यः)Root दा
- दामनः
- of the giver/bestowerNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धः (genitive)Root दामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रयीणाम्
- of richesNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धः (genitive)Root रयि (प्रातिपदिक)
- धन्वचरः
- moving on the bow/with bow (archer-like)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root धन्व-चर (समास: धन्वन् + चर)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थकःRoot न (निपात)
- वंसगः
- a thirsty one/seeker (lit. ‘going for’), a pursuerNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमानम्)Root वंसग (प्रातिपदिक)
- तृषाणः
- thirstingAdjective/Participleवर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ/शानच्), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root तृष्
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकःRoot च (निपात)
- चकमाणः
- desiringParticipleवर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्), आत्मनेपदम्-भावः, पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root कम् (√कम् ‘to desire/love’)
- पिबतु
- let him drinkVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root पा
- दुग्धम्
- milkedParticiple (past passive)क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot दुह्
- अंशुम्
- the Soma-stalk / Soma (juice)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): सः | आ | अगमत् | इन्द्रः | यः | वसूनाम् | चिकेतत् | दातुम् | दामनः | रयीणाम् | धन्वचरः | न | वंसगः | तृषाणः | च | चकमाणः | पिबतु | दुग्धम् | अंशुम् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) स आ → सः + आ (विसर्गलोपः/स्वर-सन्धिः) (2) गमदिन्द्रो → अगमत् + इन्द्रः (त् + इ → द्; संहितायां ‘गमदिन्द्रो’) (3) चिकेतद्दातुम् → चिकेतत् + दातुम् (त् + द् → द्द्) (4) तृषाणश्च → तृषाणः + च (विसर्गः + च → श्च) (5) दुग्धमंशुम् → दुग्धम् + अंशुम् (म् + अ → म्; संहितायां ‘मं’)। उच्चारणचिह्नाः (॑/॒) संहितापाठे दर्शिताः
- पदपाठे सामान्यतः पृथक् पदेषु नियोज्यन्ते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let Indra come, who knows the treasures and is aware to give, the disposer of riches. Like one roaming wide spaces, like a creature seeking pasture, thirsting and desiring, let him drink the pressed and milked Soma stalk/essence.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as ciketat—conscious-knower of the true riches (vasūni, rayīṇām): the inner treasures of light, strength, and joy. He is dāmano—one who ‘tames/controls’ and rightly apportions energies. The imagery of roaming wide spaces suggests the wideness of consciousness that Indra embodies; the thirst/desire is the divine eagerness to partake of Soma—Ananda distilled from experience and offered by aspiration. ‘Pressed and milked’ Soma indicates a refined essence: joy extracted from life by inner work and made fit for the gods (higher powers).
Universal truth
When aspiration offers a refined delight of consciousness, the higher illuminating power comes, recognizes the true treasures, and distributes them rightly in the life.
Themes
Soma-invitation, Bestowal of riches, Divine desire and drinking
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya (Book 5 Atri corpus; exact rishi for RV 5.36 per Anukramaṇī should be verified)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.36.1-6, RV 5.35.1-10
Family tradition
The Atri maṇḍala frequently joins Indra’s victory-power with Soma as the sustaining delight and fuel of illumination.
Significance
Atri’s vision here stresses reciprocity: the god comes because the offering is refined; inner delight (Soma) is both means and reward of awakening.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vasūnām ciketat (knower of treasures), Dāmano rayīṇām (disposer of riches)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Receiver of Soma, increaser of power and plenitude, distributor of divine riches to the human seeker.
Inner power
Widening and governing intelligence that drinks Ananda and turns it into effective strength and ordered abundance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: invitation for Indra to drink Soma (pibatu)
स आ ग॑म॒दिन्द्रो॒ यो वसू॑नां॒ चिके॑त॒द्दातुं॒ दाम॑नो रयी॒णाम् । ध॒न्व॒च॒रो न वंस॑गस्तृषा॒णश्च॑कमा॒नः पि॑बतु दु॒ग्धमं॒शुम् ॥
सः । आ । ग॒म॒त् । इन्द्रः॑ । यः । वसू॑नाम् । चिके॑तत् । दातु॑म् । दाम॑नः । र॒यी॒णाम् । ध॒न्व॒ऽच॒रः । न । वंस॑ऽगः । तृ॒षा॒णः । च॒क॒मा॒नः । पि॒ब॒तु॒ । दु॒ग्धम् । अं॒शुम् ॥
saḥ | ā | gamat | indraḥ | yaḥ | vasūnām | ciketat | dātum | dāmanaḥ | rayīṇām | dhanva-caraḥ | na | vaṃsa-gaḥ | tṛṣāṇaḥ | cakamānaḥ | pibatu | dugdham | aṃśum
Jagatī (likely; verify by syllable count per pāda)
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables
More flowing and expansive than Triṣṭubh; suited to ‘wideness’ and to the Soma-drinking movement.
Creates breadth and a sense of roaming spaciousness; supports receptivity and a smooth descent of abundance.
- ciketat
- Literal: has perceived/knows. Symbolic: Conscious discernment of true values and inner riches
- vasūnām
- Literal: of treasures/goods. Symbolic: Essential powers of being—light, strength, harmony, wideness
- dātuṃ
- Literal: to give. Symbolic: Bestowal of realized capacities and inner gifts
- dāmano
- Literal: tamer/disposer. Symbolic: Right governance of energies; mastery that apportions force wisely
- rayīṇām
- Literal: of riches. Symbolic: Abundances of consciousness—growth, plenitude, well-being
- dhanvacaraḥ
- Literal: moving in wide open spaces (desert/plain). Symbolic: Wideness—free-ranging consciousness not confined by habitual limits
- vaṃsagaḥ
- Literal: a creature seeking pasture (lit. ‘bamboo-goer’/range-goer; interpretive). Symbolic: The seeking movement of consciousness toward its true field of nourishment
- tṛṣāṇaḥ cakamānaḥ
- Literal: thirsting, desiring. Symbolic: Intense aspiration and divine appetite for Ananda offered in sacrifice
- dugdham aṃśum
- Literal: milked/pressed Soma-stalk/juice. Symbolic: Refined Soma—distilled bliss-essence prepared by inner pressing
Soma offering invitation (píbatu … aṃśum): calling Indra to drink Soma in the pressing rite
At Soma pressing/offerings to Indra; during āhvāna (invitation) and praise before libation.
Pressing and offering Soma; recitation to invite Indra’s approach and participation.
Meditation before meals/tea/water: offer the ‘essence’ of experience upward—cultivate gratitude and let delight become clear strength rather than craving.
ciketat (perfect/reduplicated formation of √cit ‘perceive’); dāmana (agent noun from √dam ‘tame’); rayi (n. ‘wealth’, often spiritual ‘plenitude’, possibly from √rā ‘to give’ or √ri ‘flow’ debated); dhanvan (n. ‘desert/expanse’, from √dhanv ‘stretch’); √kam ‘desire’ (cognate with Avestan kam- ‘wish’); aṃśu (n. ‘ray; Soma stalk’, from √aṃś ‘portion/ray’). Symbolic justification: Soma as ‘milked aṃśu’ becomes the extracted delight/illumination the divine force drinks to act in the human vessel.
Consciousness (cit) as divine knowing, Rayi as fullness of being, Ananda/delight (Soma) energizing action
Right distribution (dāman) of riches is ṛta applied to life-energy.
True treasures are recognized by awakened discernment (ciketat), not by desire alone.
From pressed essence (Soma) arises strengthened, widened consciousness; abundance flows when delight is purified.
Aurobindo’s Soma-Ananda doctrine: bliss as substance of realization; Indra as illumined mind that converts Ananda into victorious power.
Wide plains = wideness of mind; pasture = true field of nourishment (truth/delight); Soma juice = distilled bliss offered by aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The epiphany of Indra as Soma-drinker and giver of riches: the god comes, drinks the extracted essence, and thereby becomes active to distribute ‘vasu’ and ‘rayi’—psychologically, the force of illumination is strengthened by delight to grant inner plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śravas/kleos is not in this verse, but the inherited poetic economy remains: √cit (perceive), √dā (give), √pā (drink) are archaic and widely attested IE roots (PIE *deh₃- ‘give’, *peh₃- ‘drink’). The reduplicated perfect ciketat reflects old Indo-European aspectual morphology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma and calls Indra to partake; in return Indra—knower and tamer of riches—gives rayi. The reciprocity is sacrificial and psychological: offering of delight/essence enables the divine force to act as conscious bestower.
Offer a refined inner delight (Soma) to the illumined mind; allow wideness and right governance of energies to arise.
anāhata (joy) and ājñā (illumined discernment)
Slow coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min). On inhale feel ‘wideness’ (dhanva); on exhale feel ‘offering’ (pibatu).
Widened, receptive, quietly joyful; aspiration without strain.
Recall a moment of pure gratitude/beauty; ‘press’ it by concentrating it into a subtle sweetness; offer it upward; then sit in wideness and let clarity decide what is truly valuable (vasūni) and how energy should be apportioned (dāman).
Rigvedic accents per svara-text; Jagatī benefits from even, flowing pitch movement without chopping compounds.
Keep long compounds (vasūnāṃ ciketad dātuṃ dāmano rayīṇām) smoothly linked; emphasize ‘pibatu’ as the action-peak.
ciketat: ‘ci’ palatal, keep ‘ke’ clear; final ‘tat’ crisp, dāmano: long ‘ā’ held; dental ‘n’, dhanvacaro: ‘dh’ voiced aspirate; ‘nv’ cluster light, tṛṣāṇaḥ: vocalic ‘ṛ’; retroflex ‘ṣ’, cakamānaḥ: keep ‘k’ hard; long ‘ā’, dugdham: ‘dgdh’ cluster—articulate as ‘dug-dham’ carefully without inserting extra vowels, aṃśum: anusvāra before ‘ś’ nasalize lightly; ‘ś’ palatal
Flowing, full, nectar-like resonance; sustain vowels to convey wideness.
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