Rig Veda 6.19.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 19, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.19
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
तं व इन्द्रं चतिनमस्य शाकैरिह नूनं वाजयन्तो हुवेम । यथा चित्पूर्वे जरितार आसुरनेद्या अनवद्या अरिष्टाः ॥
táṃ va índraṃ catínam asya śākáir ihá nūnáṃ vājayánto huvema | yáthā cit pū́rve jaritā́ra āsur anedyā́ anavadyā́ áriṣṭāḥ ||
हम इंद्र को बुलाते हैं जो समझदार है और ताकत वाला है। हम यहाँ अभी उस्से पुकारते हैं ताकि हमें पूरा मिले। जैसे पहले के गायक थे, जो बिल्कुल सही थे, कोई दोष नहीं था उनमें, कोई चोट नहीं थी। वैसे ही हम भी हों।
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (हुवेम इत्यस्य)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you (your)Pronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (हुवेम इत्यस्य—‘of you/for you’)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (हुवेम)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चतिनम्
- the wise/skillful (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म-विशेषणम्Root चतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘चत्/चिति’ इत्यादि-सम्बद्धः, स्तुत्य/प्रशस्त्यर्थकः)
- अस्य
- of this (one)Pronounषष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (शाकैः इत्यस्य)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शाकैः
- with (his) powers/meansNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot शाक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘शाक’ = शक्ति/सामर्थ्य/उपाय, ‘by powers/means’)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role अधिकारण (देश)Root इह (अव्यय)
- नूनम्
- now; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role अधिकारण (काल/निश्चयभावः)Root नूनम् (अव्यय)
- वाजयन्तः
- winning/bringing strength (prizes)Participle (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (यजमान/स्तोतॄन् सूचयति)Role कर्ता (हुवेम इत्यस्य)Root वाजय् (धातु; ‘वाजयति’ = वाजं जनयति/प्रेरयति), वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक वाजयन्त्
- हुवेम
- let us call/invokeVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रयोगसदृशः वैदिकः), उत्तमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot हू (धातु; ‘आह्वाने’)
- यथा
- asIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role सम्बन्ध (उपमान/प्रकार)Root यथा (अव्यय)
- चित्
- indeed; evenIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role निपात (बलार्थः)Root चित् (अव्यय; निपात)
- पूर्वे
- the former (ones)Adjective (substantive)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्ता (आसुः इत्यस्य)Root पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरितारः
- praisersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्ता (आसुः)Root जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √जृ/जर् ‘स्तुतौ’—‘praiser’)
- आसुः
- wereVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), तृतीयपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु; ‘भू’)
- अनेद्याः
- blamelessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (जरितारः विशेषयति)Role कर्ता-विशेषणम्Root अनेद्य (प्रातिपदिक; a- + नेद्य ‘निन्द्य/निन्दनीय’)
- अनवद्याः
- faultlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्ता-विशेषणम्Root अनवद्य (प्रातिपदिक; a- + अवद्य ‘दोष/निन्दा’)
- अरिष्टाः
- unharmed; uninjuredAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्ता-विशेषणम्Root अरिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; a- + रिष्ट ‘हानि/क्षति’)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: तं व॒ इन्द्रं॑ च॒तिन॑मस्य शा॒कैरि॒ह नू॒नं वा॑ज॒यन्तो॑ हुवेम । यथा॑ चि॒त्पूर्वे॑ जरि॒तार॑ आ॒सुरने॑द्या अनव॒द्या अरि॑ष्टाः ॥ पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरास): तम् । वः । इन्द्रम् । चतिनम् । अस्य । शाकैः । इह । नूनम् । वाजयन्तः । हुवेम । यथा । चित् । पूर्वे । जरितारः । आसुः । अनेद्याः । अनवद्याः । अरिष्टाः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) शाकैः + इह → शाकैरिह (विसर्ग/रेफ-सन्धि: -ैः + इ- → -ैरि-)। (2) चित् + पूर्वे → चित्पूर्वे (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: त् + प् → त्प्)। (3) आसुः + अनेद्याः → आसुरनेद्याः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: -ुः + अ- → -ुर् + अ-)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
We call here and now that Indra, the discerning, with his powers, seeking plenitude. As the former singers were—blameless, faultless, unhurt—so may we be.
Inner meaning
The hymn shifts to aspiration for right inner state. Indra is catinam—discerning, keen in intelligence—whose śāka (branches/powers) are the many effective faculties of illumination. The seekers, vājayantaḥ, are those who strive for vāja: plenitude, capacity, victorious substance. They call Indra ‘here and now’—immediacy of practice, not postponement. Then comes an ethical-psychological aim: to be like the pūrve jaritāraḥ, the earlier truth-singers—anedyā (not blameworthy), anavadyā (without defect), ariṣṭāḥ (unhurt). In Aurobindonian terms, the right condition for illumination is purity and wholeness of the instruments: speech, will, and mind become uninjured by falsehood, desire, and division.
Universal truth
Invocation of higher guidance must be paired with integrity. The tradition of the seers is an inner standard: clarity, harmlessness, and faultlessness of intention protect the seeker and make plenitude possible.
Themes
invocation-now, lineage-of-seers, ethical-integrity, seeking-plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.19, RV 6.47
Family tradition
Bharadvāja tradition values the continuity of ṛṣi-speech and ethical purity as conditions for Indra’s help.
Significance
The seer links victory (vāja) with inner blamelessness—showing that spiritual power rests on truth of being, not only force of demand.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- catinam (discerning), vājayant (giver/leader toward plenitude)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (truth-word), Varuṇa (moral order), Agni (will of sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Guide of victorious plenitude; protector of the right singer; establisher of effective intelligence.
Inner power
Discriminative light that purifies and safeguards the instruments of practice.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Indra invocation in Soma rites; also a self-consecration formula for the reciter.
तं व॒ इन्द्रं॑ च॒तिन॑मस्य शा॒कैरि॒ह नू॒नं वा॑ज॒यन्तो॑ हुवेम । यथा॑ चि॒त्पूर्वे॑ जरि॒तार॑ आ॒सुरने॑द्या अनव॒द्या अरि॑ष्टाः ॥
तम् । वः॒ । इन्द्र॑म् । च॒तिन॑म् । अ॒स्य॒ । शा॒कैः । इ॒ह । नू॒नम् । वा॒ज॒ऽयन्तः॑ । हु॒वे॒म॒ । यथा॑ । चि॒त् । पूर्वे॑ । ज॒रि॒तारः॑ । आ॒सुः । अने॑द्याः । अ॒न॒व॒द्याः । अरि॑ष्टाः ॥
tam | vaḥ | indram | catinam | asya | śākaiḥ | iha | nūnam | vāja-yantaḥ | huvema | yathā | cit | pūrve | jaritāraḥ | āsuḥ | anedyāḥ | anavadyāḥ | ariṣṭāḥ
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4 × ~11
Balanced and exhortative; combines invocation with ethical resolve.
Centers the mind in present calling and self-purification; steadies aspiration.
- चतिन (catinam)
- Literal: discerning, intelligent. Symbolic: keen discriminative illumination that separates truth from mixture
- शाक (śāka)
- Literal: branch, power, capability. Symbolic: multiple operational powers of the illumined mind working through faculties
- वाजयन्तः (vājayantaḥ)
- Literal: seeking vāja, making for plenitude. Symbolic: aspirants intensifying their being toward fullness and victory
- इह नूनम् (iha nūnam)
- Literal: here, now indeed. Symbolic: present-moment practice; immediacy of the call
- पूर्वे जरितारः (pūrve jaritāraḥ)
- Literal: former singers/praisers. Symbolic: inner lineage of truth-consciousness; archetype of right vibration
- अनेद्य / अनवद्य (anedyā/anavadyā)
- Literal: not blameworthy / without fault. Symbolic: purity of motive and clarity of instrument
- अरिष्ट (ariṣṭa)
- Literal: unhurt, unharmed. Symbolic: protected integrity; not wounded by ignorance or hostile forces
Communal invocation; aligns present sacrificers with exemplary ancient jaritṛs, seeking integrity and protection
Before/within stotra sequences to align the sacrificer with the standard of former ṛṣis.
Calling (hū) with intent for vāja; inner resolve for faultlessness.
Use as a pre-meditation vow: ‘here and now I call the discerning light; may I be clear, blameless, unharmed’.
catín ‘wise/discerning’ is tied to mental clarity (possibly from √cit ‘notice, perceive’). vāja is more than ‘prize/food’: from √vaj ‘be strong, impel’ it is plenitude of effective force and victorious fullness. hū- (huvema) from √hū ‘call’ is invocation as drawing-near of the power. anavadyá (a- + avadya ‘blameworthy’, √vad ‘speak’) expresses ethical-psychological purity: speech and being become without reproach.
vāja as plenitude, integrity/purity of being, tradition-continuity (former seers as model)
To be anedyā/anavadyā is to align with ṛta; then plenitude becomes lawful.
Former jaritāraḥ embody satya in speech and being; the mantra seeks that same truth-condition.
Transmission of ṛṣi-consciousness across time—creation as continuity of truth-vibration.
Ethical-spiritual integralism: purity of nature as basis for higher consciousness.
Many ‘branches’ = multiple faculties of the psyche; calling ‘here-now’ = anchoring in present awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘lineage of the singers’ myth: present callers reproduce the perfection of former jaritṛs, invoking Indra so that the community becomes intact (ariṣṭa) and faultless—an inner continuity of realization rather than mere tradition.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vad ‘speak’ (in anavadyá) continues PIE *wed- ‘speak’ (cf. English ‘word’). The ethical notion ‘blameless’ is encoded through speech-root morphology, reflecting an IE link between right speech and right being.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames invocation as a collective discipline (vājayantaḥ): by calling Indra ‘here-now’, the singers seek to become vessels of the same intactness and faultlessness that earlier seers embodied under Indra’s guidance.
Present-moment invocation of discernment; purification of intention and speech.
Viśuddha (truthful speech) and Ājñā (discernment)
Slow exhale-focused breathing (inhale 4, exhale 8) while repeating ‘iha nūnam’.
Collected, ethical, receptive; sattvic steadiness.
Chant once; then reflect: ‘Where am I mixed or self-justifying?’ Offer it to the discerning light; end with a protective affirmation (‘ariṣṭa’).
Triṣṭubh; keep clear udātta on ‘índram’ and the calling verb; gentle svarita transitions; calm landing on qualifiers (anedyā, anavadyā, ariṣṭāḥ).
Do not rush ‘iha nūnam’; let it mark immediacy. Make ‘ariṣṭāḥ’ a firm, protected closure.
‘catinam’—keep ‘ti’ dental, not ‘chi’., ‘anavadyā’—distinct v-dy cluster; avoid inserting extra vowel., ‘jaritāraḥ’—clear retroflex ṭ in some recensions; keep ‘r’ tapped.
Even, clear, reverent; slightly softer on the ethical qualifiers.
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