Rig Veda 6.30.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 30, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.30
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अधा मन्ये बृहदसुर्यमस्य यानि दाधार नकिरा मिनाति । दिवेदिवे सूर्यो दर्शतो भूद्वि सद्मान्युर्विया सुक्रतुर्धात् ॥
ádhā manye bṛhád asúryam asya yā́ni dādhā́ra nákir ā́ mināti | divé-dive sū́ryo darśató bhūd ví sadmā́ny urviyā́ su-krátur dhāt ||
तब मैं उसकी बड़ी ताकत देखता हूँ। जो वो संभाल के रखता है, कोई उससे कम नहीं कर सकता। रोज़ सूरज दिखाई देता है। वो समझदार ताकत ने दुनिया के सब घर और खेत खोल दिए हैं।
Word by Word
- अधा
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअव्यय (काल/अनुक्रम सूचक)Root अधा (avyaya)
- मन्ये
- I think, I deemVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kartā (अहं) / मुख्य क्रियाRoot √मन् (मन्यते)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (असु॒र्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (विशेषणरूपेण)Root बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- असुर्यम्
- non-solar (dark), sunlessNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot असुर्य (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + सुर्य)
- अस्य
- of him/this (one)Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यानि
- which (things)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (दाधार इत्यस्य)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दाधार
- has held, has supportedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole मुख्य क्रिया (सापेक्ष-उपवाक्ये) / Kartā (अस्य)Root √धृ (धारयति)
- नकिः
- no one, noneIndeclinableनिपात (निषेध/सर्वनिषेध)Root नकिः (न + किः; अव्ययीभूत/निपात)
- आ
- towards; (with verb) completely/at allIndeclinableउपसर्गः (मिनाति इत्यस्य सह)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- मिनाति
- diminishes, injures, destroysVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot √मी (मिनाति) / √मि (हिंसार्थे)
- दिवे-दिवे
- day by dayNoun (reduplicated phrase)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; आवृत्तिः (प्रत्यहं)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: दिवस्/दिव)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- दर्शतः
- visible, to-be-seen, splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सूर्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root दर्शत (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूत्
- became, came to beVerbलुङ् (अorist/इञ्जङ्-प्राय), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot √भू
- वि
- apart, widely, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (धात् इत्यस्य सह)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- सद्मान्युः
- moving/abiding in the dwellings (stations)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्ता-विशेषणम्; सूर्य/देवस्य)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + यु (प्रत्यय; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समासभाव) अथवा सद्मन्-यु (स्थानेषु गन्ता/निवासी)
- उर्विया
- with broadness; through the wide (space/earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुक्रतुः
- of good resolve/power, wise in actionNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्ता-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सु-क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक; सु + क्रतु)
- धात्
- set, placed, establishedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot √धा
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (major): अधा मन्ये (no change)
- बृहद् + असुर्यम् → बृहदसुर्यम् (final -d before vowel)
- अस्य यानि (no change)
- दाधार नकि॒रा → दाधार नकिः आ (nakirā = नकिः + आ, with vowel coalescence in saṃhitā)
- दिवे दिवे (repetition; often written as one pada)
- सूर्यः दर्शतः (apposition)
- भू॒द्वि → भूत् वि (final -t before v-; saṃhitā shows assimilation)
- सद्मान्युः उर्विया (no change)
- सुक्रतुः धात् (no change)
The meaning
Outer meaning
I perceive his vast lordly power: what he has upheld none can diminish. Day by day the Sun becomes visible; the wise-forming power has set wide the dwellings by its broadness.
Inner meaning
The seer recognizes in Indra a bṛhad asuryam—vast sovereign potency (asurya here as lordly might, not later ‘demon’). What Indra establishes in consciousness—supports of clarity, courage, right perception—cannot be reduced by lower nature once truly founded. ‘Day by day Sūrya becomes visible’ is the progressive manifestation of inner light: repeated dawnings of understanding. The sukratu dhāt (wise-forming establisher) is the shaping intelligence that widens the ‘dwellings’ (sadmāni): stable fields of experience where the soul can live in greater amplitude.
Universal truth
Real spiritual establishment is irreversible in essence: once a higher order is founded, it becomes a new normal. Illumination is incremental—day by day—and it expands the very ‘habitat’ of consciousness.
Themes
cosmic order, sun as truth-light, stability of foundations
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.29.5 (expansion of the worlds), RV 6.30.1 (Indra distributing plenitudes), RV 6.23 (Indra and the widening of paths)
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s insight often links Indra’s victory to stable establishment (dādhāra) and progressive illumination (Sūrya visible day by day).
Significance
The rishi highlights a key yogic law: illumination must be established as a stable ‘dwelling’ in consciousness, not a passing experience.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Sūrya as manifestation of established light)
- Epithets
- bṛhad asuryam (vast sovereign power), sukratu (wise-forming) as functional aspect
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Varuṇa (upholding), Mitra (harmonizing), Agni
Cosmic role
Upholder of the cosmic supports; revealer of the Sun; widener of the habitations of existence.
Inner power
Sovereign discernment and force that stabilizes realization and makes inner light progressively visible.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra within a sequence seeking establishment and visibility of light (success, clarity, prosperity)
अधा॑ मन्ये बृ॒हद॑सु॒र्य॑मस्य॒ यानि॑ दा॒धार॒ नकि॒रा मि॑नाति । दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ सूर्यो॑ दर्श॒तो भू॒द्वि सद्मा॑न्युर्वि॒या सु॒क्रतु॑र्धात् ॥
अध॑ । म॒न्ये॒ । बृ॒हत् । अ॒सु॒र्य॑म् । अ॒स्य॒ । यानि॑ । दा॒धार॑ । नकिः॑ । आ । मि॒ना॒ति॒ । दि॒वेऽदि॑वे । सूर्यः॑ । द॒र्श॒तः । भू॒त् । वि । सद्मा॑नि । उ॒र्वि॒या । सु॒ऽक्रतुः॑ । धा॒त् ॥
adha | manye | bṛhat | asuryam | asya | yāni | dādhāra | nakiḥ | ā | mināti | dive--dive | sūryaḥ | darśataḥ | bhūt | vi | sadmāni | urviyā | su-kratuḥ | dhāt
44
4 × ~11
Reflective yet strong; suited to ‘I perceive’ (manye) and ‘none diminishes’ assertions.
Gives conviction and steadiness; encourages patient, day-by-day unfolding of clarity.
- बृहत् (bṛhat)
- Literal: vast. Symbolic: Wideness of consciousness; the Great
- असुर्य (asuryam)
- Literal: lordly power. Symbolic: Sovereign spiritual potency; master-force
- दाधार (dādhāra)
- Literal: has upheld, supported. Symbolic: Established stable foundations in being
- नकिः…मिनाति (nakir…mināti)
- Irreversibility of true realization; unshakable gain
- सूर्य (sūrya)
- Literal: Sun. Symbolic: Illumination; visible truth-consciousness
- दिवे-दिवे (dive-dive)
- Literal: day by day. Symbolic: Gradual unfolding; repeated realizations
- सद्मानि (sadmāni)
- Literal: dwellings, seats. Symbolic: Stable states/fields of consciousness
- सुक्रतु (sukratu)
- Literal: of good/wise will, right intelligence. Symbolic: Right-forming discernment shaping life according to truth
- उर्विया (urviyā)
- Literal: by broadness, widely. Symbolic: Widening capacity; spacious foundation
Recitation to affirm stability of the established cosmic/inner order; supports the sacrificer’s confidence in un-diminishable foundations.
When affirming Indra’s upholding power and invoking the manifestation of Sūrya (clarity)
Recitation as praise/affirmation before or after offerings; contemplative stuti in the rite
A mantra for consolidation after insight: chant after meditation to ‘seal’ the gain and widen the stable field of practice in daily life.
asúrya from ásura ‘lord, life-force’ (early Vedic positive: sovereign power). √dhṛ ‘hold’ (dadhāra) = establish in order (ṛta). √mī ‘to lessen/damage’ (mināti) expresses inability of hostile forces to diminish what is founded in the Vast. su-krátu su- ‘good’ + krátu ‘will/intelligence, effective resolve’ (PIE *kretu-?; Vedic key term for formative power).
Bṛhat (the Vast), Satyam-Ritam stability (none can diminish what is upheld), Su-kratu (right will/intelligence)
Indra’s lordly power upholds the supports of ṛta; widening sadmāni makes ordered life possible.
Sūrya ‘becoming visible’ symbolizes Satya progressively revealed to awareness.
Establishment and expansion of the ‘habitations’ of existence—cosmic architecture of consciousness.
Integral Vedism with Upaniṣadic echo: truth becomes stable ground; light manifests progressively.
morning-to-noon progression implied by Sūrya becoming visible
Sun = illumination; daily appearance = repeated realizations; wide dwellings = expanded stable consciousness-states.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The establishment of unshakable foundations and the daily manifestation of the Sun. Inner sense: when the sovereign power sets the wide ‘dwellings’ of consciousness, the truth-light becomes steadily visible day by day.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhṛ ‘hold’ is a stable IE-type root (compare broad IE semantics of ‘hold/firm’). The cosmic ‘Sun made visible’ is a shared IE poetic motif of order/visibility emerging from a prior concealment.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi moves from praise to insight (‘manye’): he reads Indra’s action as the establishment of an inner cosmos where no diminishing is possible. The rishi’s cognition itself becomes a participation in su-kratu (right-forming will).
Stabilize illumination and widen the inner ‘dwellings’—make insight livable and repeatable.
ājñā (clarity) with sahasrāra (vastness)
Nadi śodhana (alternate nostril) to support steady, day-by-day clarity; finish with a few natural breaths while contemplating the ‘Sun becoming visible’.
Settled, luminous steadiness; consolidation phase after insight.
On ‘adhā manye’, enter witness seeing. On ‘yāni dādhāra’, recall one stable gain (habit shifted, fear reduced). On ‘dive-dive sūryo’, commit to incremental practice. On ‘vi sadmāni’, imagine your life-space widening to hold more truth without strain.
Keep contemplative udatta on manye and sūryo; let nakir ā mināti be firm and clipped to convey ‘none diminishes’.
Slight pause after asuryam asya; broaden tone on urviyā; end with a gentle settling on dhāt.
asuryam: keep ‘su’ clear; avoid later pejorative ‘asura’ coloring—here it is ‘lordly’, nakir: crisp k; short i, dive-dive: repeat evenly; do not rush, sukratuḥ: keep retroflex ṭ; aspirated th in dhāt is voiced aspirate ‘dh’
Clear, calm, luminous; emphasize steadiness over force.
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