Rig Veda 6.22.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 22, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.22
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तन्नो वि वोचो यदि ते पुरा चिज्जरितार आनशुः सुम्नमिन्द्र । कस्ते भागः किं वयो दुध्र खिद्वः पुरुहूत पुरूवसोऽसुरघ्नः ॥
tán no ví voco yádi te purā́ cít jaritā́ra ānaśúḥ sumnám indra | kás te bhāgáḥ kíṃ váyo dudhra khidváḥ puru-hūta purū́-vaso asura-ghnáḥ ||
हमें साफ बताओ, इंद्र। पहले भी जो लोग तुम्हे गाते थे, उन्हे तुमने अपनी कृपा दी थी। अब हमारे लिए क्या है? हम इतनी मेहनत कर रहे हैं, तुम हमें क्या दोगे? तुम तो बहुत लोगों की सुनते हो, तुम्हारा खज़ाना बड़ा है, दुश्मनों को तुम मारते हो।
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (this matter)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (वाच्य-वस्तु) / (संदर्भवाचक)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole Sampradāna (हित-सम्बन्ध) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- वि
- apart, forth; intensifierIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वोचः
- speak / tellVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root वच् (वचँ—वक्तृ)
- यदि
- ifIndeclinableशर्त/सम्बन्धRoot यदि (सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- पुरा
- formerlyIndeclinableकालवाचकRole Adhikaraṇa (काल)Root पुरा (अव्यय)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअवधारण/अपिRoot चित् (निपात)
- जरितारः
- praisers, singersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (आनशुः-क्रियायाः)Root जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √जॄ/जर् ‘स्तु’—स्तुतिकर्ता)
- आनशुः
- have attained / wonVerbलिट् (परोक्ष/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot अश् (अश्नुते—प्राप्) + आ-
- सुम्नम्
- favor, graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कः
- who? / what?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अस्ति/भवति-लुप्त) / प्रश्नकर्ताRoot क (प्रश्न-सर्वनाम)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- भागः
- share, portionNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/विषय (प्रश्नविषय) तथा कर्म-निर्देशRoot भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma/विषय (प्रश्न)Root क (प्रश्न-सर्वनाम)
- वयः
- vital strength; vigor (life-power)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma/विषयRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुध्र
- strong, firmAdjective(नपुंसक/पुं) प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषण (कर्म/विषय-विशेषण)Root दुध्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दुध्र’ = दृढ/दुर्धर-भाव, ‘strong, firm’—वैदिक विशेषण)
- खिद्वः
- wearied, weakenedAdjective(नपुंसक/पुं) प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषणRoot खिद्वस्/खिद्व (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक ‘खिद्व’ = ‘दुःखित/क्लान्त/क्षीण’ अथवा ‘दुर्बल’—विशेषण)
- पुरुहूत
- O much-invoked oneNoun/Adjective (Vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरुहूत (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु + हूत ‘बहुधा आहूत’)
- पुरूवसो
- O rich in treasuresNoun/Adjective (Vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरूवसु (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु + वसु ‘बहुवसु/बहुधन’)
- असुरघ्नः
- slayer of AsurasNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā/विषय (स्तुत्य-विशेषण)Root असुरघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; असुर + घ्न ‘असुर-हन्तृ’)
Sandhi Notes
- सन्धि-विच्छेदः (पदक्रमानुसार): तन्नो → तत् + नः
- वोचो → वोचः (लोट् 2sg)
- चिज्जरितार → चित् + जरितारः
- आनशुः (आ-उपसर्गयुक्त √अश्, लिट् 3pl)
- सुम्नमिन्द्र → सुम्नम् + इन्द्र
- कस्ते → कः + ते
- किं वयो → किम् + वयः
- खिद्वः (पद-रूपेण)
- पुरूवसोऽसुरघ्नः → पुरूवसो + असुरघ्नः (अवग्रहः). वैदिक-स्वरचिह्न (॒/॑) मूलपाठानुसार
- पद-विश्लेषणे रूपं स्वर-रहितं दत्तम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet asks Indra to declare clearly: if the singers of old attained his grace, what share will he grant now, what nourishment/strength for their pressing effort? Indra is praised as much-invoked, wide-wealthy, slayer of hostile powers.
Inner meaning
The seeker demands a conscious relationship with the illumining Power: not vague faith but a clear word (vi voca) from Indra within. If earlier aspirants reached the divine favor (sumnam), what is the present ‘portion’ (bhāga) of light and force to be received now? The ‘pressed-out effort’ (khidvaḥ—laboring, strained) hints at tapas under resistance; the prayer asks for vayas—growth-strength, sustaining nourishment of consciousness. Indra as asuraghnaḥ is the slayer of hostile titanic impulses—egoic, obscuring forces that counterfeit power.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires both continuity with the ancient path and a fresh, personally verified descent of help. The divine response is measurable as clarity, strength, and the defeat of inner hostile movements.
Themes
appeal based on ancestral precedent, request for grace and nourishment, overcoming hostile powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja (Āṅgirasa/Bārhaspatya)
- Other hymns
- RV 6.9, RV 6.16, RV 6.23, RV 6.25
Family tradition
A lineage emphasizing inspired speech (brahman) as a means to call down power; Bharadvāja hymns often combine inquiry, precision, and forceful invocation.
Significance
The rishi models a yogic attitude: insistence on clarity and verifiable grace, not mere ritual repetition.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- puruhūta, purūvasu, asuraghna
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Responder to invocation; distributor of divine portions; conqueror of hostile powers that block the ascent to light.
Inner power
Discriminating illumination that grants the right measure of force and cuts through pseudo-divine egoism.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma pressing sequences; also used as a petition for ‘bhāga’ (share) of the offering’s fruit
तन्नो॒ वि वो॑चो॒ यदि॑ ते पु॒रा चि॑ज्जरि॒तार॑ आन॒शुः सु॒म्नमि॑न्द्र । कस्ते॑ भा॒गः किं वयो॑ दुध्र खिद्व॒: पुरु॑हूत पुरूवसोऽसुर॒घ्नः ॥
तत् । नः॒ । वि । वो॒चः॒ । यदि॑ । ते॒ । पु॒रा । चि॒त् । ज॒रि॒तारः॑ । आ॒न॒शुः । सु॒म्नम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । कः । ते॒ । भा॒गः । किम् । वयः॑ । दु॒ध्र॒ । खि॒द्वः॒ । पुरु॑ऽहूत । पु॒रु॒व॒सो॒ इति॑ पुरुऽवसो । अ॒सु॒र॒ऽघ्नः ॥
tat | naḥ | vi | vocaḥ | yadi | te | purā | cit | jaritāraḥ | ānaśuḥ | sumnam | indra | kaḥ | te | bhāgaḥ | kim | vayaḥ | dudhra | khidvaḥ | puru-hūta | puruvaso itipuru-vaso | asura-ghnaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Interrogative urgency with balanced clauses; strong mid-line caesuras
Provokes inner listening; energizes a decisive turning from doubt to clear aspiration.
- वि वोचः (vi vocaḥ)
- Literal: speak out clearly. Symbolic: inner revelation—clear directive intuition rather than mental guessing
- सुम्नम् (sumnam)
- Literal: grace, favor. Symbolic: benign descent of help—harmonizing joy and support
- भा॒गः (bhāgaḥ)
- Literal: share, portion. Symbolic: the exact measure of force/light apportioned to the seeker now
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: vigor, growth, nourishment. Symbolic: sustaining increase of consciousness and life-force under discipline
- खिद्वः (khidvaḥ)
- Literal: toiling, strained. Symbolic: tapas under pressure; the soul’s effort amid resistance
- पुरुहूत (puruhūta)
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: the ever-accessible divine power responsive to repeated aspiration
- पुरूवसु (purūvasu)
- Literal: wide-wealthy. Symbolic: vast inner riches of light, power, and joy
- असुरघ्न (asuraghna)
- Literal: slayer of asuras. Symbolic: destroyer of hostile ego-forces and obscuring impulses
Supplicatory interrogation within praise: used to articulate the sacrificer’s claim based on precedent (pūrā jaritāraḥ)
During Indra stotras/śastras; suitable when seeking guidance and strength in effort
Recitative questioning-prayer; offering accompanied by explicit petition for support
Use when motivation is strained: ask for a clear next step, right measure of effort, and removal of hostile habits.
sumná- ‘favor’ possibly from su- + √man ‘think’ → ‘goodwill’; in RV, a concrete grace that empowers. bhāgá from √bhaj ‘to apportion/share’—the deity’s distributive act. asura-ghná: asura here as obstructing power (not later theological category); √han ‘to strike/kill’—overcoming inner adversaries.
sumná (grace), bhāgá (divine allotment), striving/toil (khid)
The ‘portion’ implies ṛta as right measure—divine economy of force.
The demand for clear speech aligns with satya as luminous truth-expression.
Sustaining growth (vayas) as ongoing manifestation rather than one-time attainment.
Integral Vedic psychology: divine guidance as inner revelation; asura as psychological hostile formation.
Pressing = extracting essence of experience into delight/force; nourishment = steady prāṇic-mental support for sādhanā; asura-slaying = removal of obscuring formations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘precedent and claim’: earlier singers attained Indra’s sumná, therefore the present singer asks for his rightful bhāga. It is the ritual-psychological pattern of continuity of realization and the demand for present descent of grace.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac (voco/voch) from PIE *wekʷ-; √bhaj (bhāga) from PIE *bʰag- ‘share, apportion’ (cf. Slavic bogŭ ‘god’ as ‘dispenser’ in later semantic developments). √han (ghna) from PIE *gʷhen- ‘strike/kill’ (cf. Greek φονός).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi speaks as claimant and partner: he requests explicit disclosure (vi vocaḥ) of Indra’s intended gift. The relationship is contractual in a spiritual sense—praise and aspiration seek a defined response: nourishment of effort and victory over inner ‘asura’ resistances.
Ask inwardly for ‘vi voca’—a clear intuitive directive; then receive the ‘bhāga’ as a concrete shift in clarity/strength.
viśuddha (truth-speech/inner word) with ājñā (directive light)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for 4 rounds; recite once per exhale; pause after ‘vi voca’ to listen inwardly.
Attentive receptivity with courageous insistence
Frame one precise question to the inner Indra; chant; sit in silence for a short ‘answer-window’; act on the clearest, quietest directive (not the loudest impulse).
Observe udātta rises on key vocatives (इन्द्र) and epithets (पुरुहूत).
Deliver ‘tan no vi voca’ as a clear, slightly separated phrase; keep interrogatives (‘kas te bhāgaḥ…’) crisp and forward.
‘jaritāra’ with clear long ā, ‘puruhūta’ keep ‘hū’ long, ‘asuraghnaḥ’ conjunct ‘ghn’ articulated (asura-ghnaḥ), Avoid inserting extra vowels in ‘khidvaḥ’ (khid-vaḥ)
Clear, articulate, inquiry-driven; end with firm cadence on ‘asuraghnaḥ’
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