Rig Veda 6.33.5: Mandala 6, Sukta 33, Mantra 5
Sukta 6.33
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नूनं न इन्द्रापराय च स्या भवा मृळीक उत नो अभिष्टौ । इत्था गृणन्तो महिनस्य शर्मन्दिवि ष्याम पार्ये गोषतमाः ॥
nūnaṃ na indrāparāya ca syā bhavā mṛḷīka uta no abhiṣṭau | itthā gṛṇanto mahinasya śarman divi ṣyāma pārye gosa-tamāḥ ||
इंद्र, अब हमारे लिए आओ। सिर्फ आज ही नहीं, आगे भी हमारे साथ रहो। हमें अपनी कृपा का आशीर्वाद दो। हमारे मक़सद में हमें कामयाब करो। जब हम तुम्हारी महानता गाते हैं, तुम्हारी शरण में हम सुखी रहते हैं। तुम्हारे उजाले स्वर्ग में हम रहते हैं जहाँ बहुत रोशनी है।
Word by Word
- नूनम्
- now; indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (काल/निश्चयार्थे)Root नूनम् (अव्यय)
- नः
- to us; for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? एकवचन-बहुवचन? (एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘नः’ = अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्; अत्र दातृ-अर्थे चतुर्थी बहुवचनः)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot इन्द्र
- अपराय
- with further help; with additional aidAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (अपरया)Role KaraṇaRoot अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRoot च
- स्याः
- may you beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 2nd person singularRoot अस् (√अस्)
- भव
- be; becomeVerbलोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 2nd person singularRoot भू (√भू)
- मृळीकः
- a gracious one; giver of mercyNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मृळीक
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे अव्ययRoot उत
- नः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- अभिष्टौ
- in (our) desired help; in assistanceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (अभिष्टौ = अभिष्टौ/अभिष्टौ ‘in the desired help/aid’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अभिष्टि
- इत्था
- thus; in this wayIndeclinableअव्यय (प्रकारार्थे)Root इत्था
- गृणन्तः
- praising; singingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गृ (√गृ/गॄ) → गृणन्त्
- महिनस्य
- of the mighty one; of (his) greatnessNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root महिन (महिमन्/महिन्)
- शर्मन्
- shelter; protection; comfortNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपे ‘शर्म’ = shelter)Role KarmaRoot शर्मन्
- दिवि
- in heaven; in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot दिव्
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 1st person pluralRoot अस् (√अस्)
- पार्ये
- in the farther region; beyondAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? सप्तमी एकवचन (अत्र ‘पार्ये’ = ‘in the further/other (world/region)’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पार्य (पार-)
- गोषतमाः
- most desirous of cows; best cow-seekersAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन, तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)Role Kartā (apposition to गृणन्तः)Root गो-षत-तम (गो + √षद/षत? ‘seeking cows’ as epithet)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य सन्धि-विच्छेद: इन्द्रापराय → इन्द्र + अपराय (अपरया तृतीया एकवचन; ‘इन्द्र’ सम्बोधन)
- स्या भवा → स्याः + भव (विधिलिङ् + लोट्)
- नोऽभिष्टौ → नः + अभिष्टौ (अवग्रह)
- शर्मन्दिवि → शर्मन् + दिवि (न् + द् संयोग)
- ष्याम → स्याम (पदपाठे/संहितायां ष्य- लेखनं; उच्चारण-परम्परा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, be for us in the far as well as the near; be gracious and help us toward our desired goal. Praising thus, may we dwell in the shelter of your vastness in the farther heaven, richest in rays.
Inner meaning
The prayer asks Indra’s light not only for immediate needs (‘near’) but for the beyond—higher states and future stages of the path (‘aparāya’). Indra is invoked as mṛḻīka (grace) and as the power that guides to the true aim (abhiṣṭi). By sustained praise (mantric alignment), the seeker aspires to dwell in the ‘farther heaven’—a stable wideness of consciousness (mahinasyāḥ śarman) where the rays of knowledge (go) are abundant.
Universal truth
Human life needs both immediate support and guidance toward the highest fulfillment. Grace and vastness are not opposites: true power shelters, widens, and illumines.
Themes
grace and protection, aspiration to the beyond, dwelling in the Vast, illumination-seeking
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 6.33 (Indra hymn sequence in Bharadvāja Maṇḍala)
Significance
This verse turns from victory to abiding: not merely breaking obstacles, but dwelling in the vast shelter and ‘farther heaven’—a key Aurobindonian theme of ascent and wideness.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Mṛḻīka (gracious), Mahin (vast/great, implied by mahinasya)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (vastness/order), Mitra (friendship/grace), Sūrya (light of heaven), Soma (bliss that often accompanies widening)
Cosmic role
Giver of expansive heaven-consciousness; leader toward the luminous goal.
Inner power
Widening illumination joined with grace—strength that becomes a protecting vastness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stuti for protection and attainment; suitable at closing or transition points of offerings.
नू॒नं न॑ इन्द्राप॒राय॑ च स्या॒ भवा॑ मृळी॒क उ॒त नो॑ अ॒भिष्टौ॑ । इ॒त्था गृ॒णन्तो॑ म॒हिन॑स्य॒ शर्म॑न्दि॒वि ष्या॑म॒ पार्ये॑ गो॒षत॑माः ॥
नू॒नम् । नः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । अ॒प॒राय॑ । च॒ । स्याः॒ । भव॑ । मृ॒ळी॒कः । उ॒त । नः॒ । अ॒भिष्टौ॑ । इ॒त्था । गृ॒णन्तः॑ । म॒हिन॑स्य । शर्म॑न् । दि॒वि । स्या॒म॒ । पार्ये॑ । गो॒सऽत॑माः ॥
nūnam | naḥ | indra | aparāya | ca | syāḥ | bhava | mṛḷīkaḥ | uta | naḥ | abhiṣṭau | itthā | gṛṇantaḥ | mahinasya | śarman | divi | syāma | pārye | gosa-tamāḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables
Expansive, with a concluding uplift toward ‘divi pārye’.
Produces a sense of widening and reassurance; good for moving from effort to trust.
- अपराय (aparāya)
- Literal: to the farther side/beyond. Symbolic: higher planes; future realization beyond present attainment
- मृळी॒क (mṛḻīka)
- Literal: gracious, merciful. Symbolic: benign descent of help; softening of harsh struggle by divine support
- अभिष्टि (abhiṣṭi)
- Literal: desired aim/goal. Symbolic: the soul’s true intention; the chosen realization
- गृणन्तः (gṛṇantaḥ)
- Literal: praising/singing. Symbolic: mantric attunement; steady affirmation that aligns consciousness
- महिनस्य शर्मन् (mahinasya śarman)
- Literal: shelter of greatness/vastness. Symbolic: the wide consciousness that protects from narrowing and fear
- दिवि पार्ये (divi pārye)
- Literal: in the farther heaven. Symbolic: stable higher mind/illumined plane beyond ordinary mentality
- गोषतमाः (goṣatamāḥ)
- Literal: most rich in cows. Symbolic: most rich in rays of knowledge/illumination (go = light-rays)
Used as a prayer for Indra’s grace and protection across both immediate and 'beyond' attainments within Soma praise contexts; supports the sacrificer’s aspiration to reach the 'farther heaven' (pārya div).
When seeking both immediate aid and long-range fulfillment; also as a concluding aspiration after conflict hymns.
Recite with an offering and an inward ‘surrender’ to Indra’s guidance toward the farther goal.
Evening recitation to orient life toward the ‘beyond’: long-term purpose, higher consciousness, and abundance of insight.
/: from para 'far, beyond' (PIE *per 'through, beyond'); indicates transcendence rather than spatial distance alone. : from √mṛḍ 'to be gracious/soften'; RV term for a healing kindness. : 'shelter/peace' from √śṛ 'to protect/cover' (semantic field of refuge). (go): polyvalent—cow/ray; from √gam 'to go' (go as 'that which moves'), extended RV symbolism: rays of dawn/sun = illuminations; hence gosa-tama 'most abundant in illuminations'.
movement from near to beyond (para) as spiritual transcendence, śarman as inner refuge in the Vast, increase of illumination (go as knowledge-rays)
Dwelling in the ‘shelter of vastness’ implies a stable harmony where right movement becomes natural.
The ‘abhiṣṭi’ is the truth of one’s being (svadharma of the soul) rather than ego preference.
Ascent into higher heaven and release/possession of rays of knowledge.
Vedantic-yogic orientation: widening (mahattva) and ascent (uttara) as signs of realization.
Sky/heaven is higher consciousness; cows are rays of knowledge; shelter is the protective wideness that prevents contraction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ascent to the 'farther heaven' (divi pārye) under Indra’s protection: a classic RV movement from the human-ritual field to the supramental/solar domain of light (go). Indra is not only a battle-winner but the establisher of a dwelling in the Vast’s shelter (mahinasya śarman).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- para-/pārya 'beyond' aligns with widespread IE *per- 'through, beyond'. div 'sky/heaven' reflects PIE *dyew- (cf. Latin deus, Greek Zeus). The prayer optatives syāḥ/syāma preserve old desiderative/volitive moods characteristic of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer positions praise (gṛṇantaḥ) as the human offering that opens access to Indra’s śarman (refuge). Indra’s reciprocity is requested as mṛḷīka (gentle grace) and guidance not only for immediate needs but for the ultimate 'beyond' attainment (abhiṣṭi, para).
Rest in Indra’s vast shelter; aspiration for the ‘farther heaven’ of stable luminous mind.
viśuddha (space/expansion and truth-expression)
Slow breathing with lengthened exhale; on exhale feel ‘shelter of vastness’ spreading around the heart and head.
Quiet wideness; trustful aspiration.
After chanting, sit 7–10 minutes sensing an infinite sky above the crown and within the chest; offer both near-term concerns and long-term destiny into that wideness; ask for one ‘ray’ of clear guidance.
Rigvedic accents; keep the cadence gentle, especially on ‘mṛḻīka’ and ‘śarman’.
Let the final pāda open upward on ‘divi… goṣatamāḥ’; avoid clipping long vowels (nūnaṃ, sīyāḥ).
‘mṛḻīka’: pronounce ḻ as retroflex lateral (ḷ-like), not as dental l., ‘pārye’: keep long ā; avoid ‘parye’., ‘goṣatamāḥ’: keep ṣ retroflex and long āḥ at end.
Warm, spacious, reassuring.
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