Rig Veda 6.28.5: Mandala 6, Sukta 28, Mantra 5
Sukta 6.28
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Gāvaḥ, Indra explicitly
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
गावो भगो गाव इन्द्रो मे अच्छान्गावः सोमस्य प्रथमस्य भक्षः । इमा या गावः स जनास इन्द्र इच्छामीद्धृदा मनसा चिदिन्द्रम् ॥
gā́vo bhágo gā́va índro me acchān gā́vaḥ sómasya prathamásya bhakṣáḥ | imā́ yā́ gā́vaḥ sá jánāsa índra icchā́mīd hṛdā́ mánasā cid índram ||
यह किरणें खुशी का हिस्सा हैं। यह इंद्र हैं जो मेरे पास आ रहे हैं। यह सोम रस का पहला भोजन हैं। यह सब इंद्र के लोग हैं। मैं अपने दिल और दिमाग से इंद्र को ढूंढ़ता हूँ।
Word by Word
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- भगः
- Bhaga (the distributor of fortune)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मे
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- अच्छ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण/दिशाRoot अच्छ (अव्यय)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमस्य
- of the firstAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (सोमस्य विशेषण)Role सम्बन्धRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- भक्षः
- portion, share (to be enjoyed)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- इमाः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- याः
- whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (सम्बन्धक)Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- गावः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- जनासः
- people, menNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot जनास (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक ‘जनाः’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (सम्बोधन/अप्पोज़िशन-भाव)Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इच्छामि
- I desireVerbलट्; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot इष् (धातु; इच्छति)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इत् (निपात; वैदिक ‘इद्/इत्’)
- हृदा
- with (my) heartNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनसा
- with (my) mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (निपात)
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as object of desire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ-समाधान (मुख्य): (1) अच्छा॒न्गाव॒: → अच्छा + अन् + गावः (नासिक्य-सन्धि/अनुस्वार-लोप-प्रवृत्ति; ‘अन्’ = निपात/पदपूरक, वैदिक प्रयोग)
- (2) इ॒च्छामीद्धृ॒दा → इच्छामि + इत् + हृदा (इद्/इत् निपातः; संहितायां ‘मीद्’ इव संयोगः)
- (3) चि॒दिन्द्र॑म् → चित् + इन्द्रम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: त् + इ → दि)
- शेषपदानि प्रायः असन्धित/पदविभागानुसारं।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The cows are Bhaga (the share of fortune); the cows are Indra coming to me. The cows are the first food of Soma. These cows that are—those are the people of Indra; and I seek Indra with heart and mind.
Inner meaning
The rays of illumination are themselves Bhaga—the delighting portion and right distribution of inner fortune. They are Indra ‘coming to me’: when light arrives, it is Indra’s presence in the mind. They are the first nourishment of Soma: bliss-consciousness feeds first on clarified light; joy becomes stable when knowledge is established. These rays are ‘the people of Indra’—the organized inner citizens of the illumined kingdom: thoughts, perceptions, impulses aligned to light. Therefore the seeker turns to Indra with whole being—heart (hṛdā) and mind (manasā)—seeking the governing illumination, not merely its gifts.
Universal truth
Light is both the gift and the giver’s presence; joy is nourished first by clarity. A life becomes integrated when its ‘inner people’ align with a higher intelligence sought with sincerity of heart and mind.
Themes
Go = Light/Knowledge, Indra as inner conqueror, Soma nourishment, Aspiration (icchā)
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.28.6 (transformative power of rays), RV 6.17 (Indra)
Family tradition
In this hymn the Bharadvāja seer fuses ‘cow’ symbolism with Indra and Soma, showing the classic Vedic linkage: illumination releases rays; bliss is then tasted and sustained.
Significance
The rishi points to hierarchy of realization: first light (gāvaḥ), then bliss (soma); and behind both, the governing Indra sought with the whole being.
The deity
- Devata
- Gāvaḥ as Bhaga/Indra/Soma-support; Indra explicitly invoked
- Epithets
- Bhaga (as delighting portion, applied to rays), Indra (as arriving illumination)
- Related deities
- Soma, Bhaga (Āditya), Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Rays distribute fortune (bhaga), embody Indra’s coming, and feed Soma’s ecstasy—linking knowledge, power, and delight.
Inner power
Illumined perceptions that organize the inner being and become the basis for stable ananda.
In ritual
Where it is used
Prosperity and cattle hymns; soma-sacrifice thematic link via ‘first food of Soma’.
गावो॒ भगो॒ गाव॒ इन्द्रो॑ मे अच्छा॒न्गाव॒: सोम॑स्य प्रथ॒मस्य॑ भ॒क्षः । इ॒मा या गाव॒: स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्र॑ इ॒च्छामीद्धृ॒दा मन॑सा चि॒दिन्द्र॑म् ॥
गावः॑ । भगः॑ । गावः॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । मे॒ । अ॒च्छा॒न् । गावः॑ । सोम॑स्य । प्र॒थ॒मस्य॑ । भ॒क्षः । इ॒माः । याः । गावः॑ । सः । ज॒ना॒सः॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । इ॒च्छामि॑ । इत् । हृ॒दा । मन॑सा । चि॒त् । इन्द्र॑म् ॥
gāvaḥ | bhagaḥ | gāvaḥ | indraḥ | me | acchān | gāvaḥ | somasya | prathamasya | bhakṣaḥ | imāḥ | yāḥ | gāvaḥ | saḥ | janāsaḥ | indraḥ | icchāmi | it | hṛdā | manasā | cit | indram
11
4 x ~11; aphoristic identifications (‘gāvo…gāva…’) create mantra-like parallelism
Incantatory and declarative; repetition of ‘gāvaḥ’ builds a stacking realization.
Creates a progressive recognition: rays → fortune → Indra’s presence → Soma’s nourishment; supports contemplative insight.
- गावः (gāvaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of knowledge/illumination
- भगः (bhagaḥ)
- Literal: share, fortune, delighting portion. Symbolic: inner felicity and right distribution of spiritual gains
- इन्द्रो मे अच्छा (indro me acchā)
- Literal: Indra comes to me. Symbolic: descent/arrival of illumined mind into personal consciousness
- सोमस्य प्रथमस्य भक्षः (somasya prathamasya bhakṣaḥ)
- Literal: first food of Soma. Symbolic: clarity/light as the primary nourishment of bliss-consciousness
- जनासः (janāsaḥ)
- Literal: peoples. Symbolic: inner formations (thoughts/energies) organized under illumination
- हृदा मनसा (hṛdā manasā)
- Literal: with heart and mind. Symbolic: integral seeking: psychic sincerity + mental assent and concentration
Soma-sacrifice context alluded (Soma’s 'first food'); also prosperity and inner increase through invocation of Indra and Bhaga.
During rites invoking abundance and the right enjoyment of soma; also as praise in cattle/protection sequences.
Identification (mahāvākya-like): declaring the divine equivalences to awaken their inner reality.
For meditation on ‘light as nourishment of joy’: recite before contemplative practice or gratitude practice to align knowledge and delight.
Bhaga from √bhaj 'to ভাগ/share, apportion, enjoy' → delighting allotment; Soma as delight/immortal juice (√su 'press') is 'fed' by light (go) because illumination is prerequisite for stable ecstasy. Indra as forceful illumined mind aligns with √ind 'to kindle/ignite' (traditional) and with his functional role as breaker of obstacles.
ānanda/felicity (Bhaga), integration of heart and mind in aspiration, Soma as immortal delight supported by knowledge-light
Bhaga implies ordered distribution—inner gains arriving in right measure through ṛta.
Rays as truth-light that allows Soma to be rightly enjoyed.
From light to delight: creation unfolds as illumination that becomes conscious bliss.
Integral Vedism: knowledge-power-bliss triad (Indra–Agni/force implied–Soma) as stages of inner realization.
dawn/daybreak implied by rays
Sun-rays = awakening insights; Soma-food = nectar of joy fed by clarity; Bhaga = felt rightness and fortunate harmony.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Identification of the cows with divine powers: the herds of light are equated with Bhaga (delight) and Indra (victorious force) and become Soma’s nourishment. Mythically it fuses cow-recovery symbolism with soma-ecstasy; psychologically it states that illumination generates delight and empowers the Indric victory.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhaj (Bhaga) belongs to a broad Indo-Iranian semantic field of 'share/portion' (cf. Avestan baga- 'god, distributor'). The formulaic identification (X is Y) is a hallmark of archaic IE poetics, stacking equivalences to build a symbolic network.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s seeking is total—heart and mind—aimed at Indra as the inner lord who arrives through the rays. The devatā is not distant: Indra comes 'to me' as the awakened power of luminous perception and victorious will.
Contemplate threefold ascent: perceive a ray of clarity, feel it as ‘bhaga’ (right portion), then let it sweeten into Soma-like joy.
ājñā (clarity) flowing to anāhata (heart-seeking)
gentle kumbhaka after inhale for 1–2 seconds on ‘gāva indro me acchān’ to feel ‘arrival’
luminous wonder with heartfelt aspiration
After chanting, ask inwardly: ‘What is Indra in me right now?’ Then rest in the clearest perception; let delight arise as a secondary fruit.
Triṣṭubh; repeated ‘gāvaḥ’ phrases should retain clear accent contours; avoid monotonous repetition—each ‘gāvaḥ’ marks a new identification.
Slightly lift tone on ‘bhago’ and ‘indro’; soften on ‘somasya’ to evoke nectar quality.
: ‘bhak-ṣaḥ’ with retroflex ṣ, : ‘icchā-mīt’ (long ī), : ‘hṛ-dā’ with vocalic ṛ, : ‘acchān’ with clear ‘cch’
warm, luminous, devotional
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