Rig Veda 6.35.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 35, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.35
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स गोमघा जरित्रे अश्वश्चन्द्रा वाजश्रवसो अधि धेहि पृक्षः । पीपिहीषः सुदुघामिन्द्र धेनुं भरद्वाजेषु सुरुचो रुरुच्याः ॥
sa gómaghā jaritré áśvaś-candrā vājáśravaso ádhi dhehi pṛ́kṣaḥ | pīpihī́ṣaḥ sudúghām indra dhénuṃ bharádvājeṣu surúco rurucyāḥ ||
इंद्र, हमारे अंदर भी वो ताकत डाल दो। गाय जैसी ताकत जो रोशनी लाए, घोड़े जैसी ताकत जो आगे बढ़ाए, और जीत की ताकत। हमें वो दिया दे जो बहुत कुछ देती रहे। भारद्वाज के लोगों में चमक चमक के दिखे।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोमघाः
- rich in cattle-giftsAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot गोमघ (प्रातिपदिक; गो- + मघ ‘gift/wealth’)
- जरित्रे
- to the praiserNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √गॄ/√जर् ‘to sing/praise’ → ‘praiser’)
- अश्वश्चन्द्राः
- having bright/pleasant horsesAdjective (bahuvrīhi epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अश्वचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; अश्व ‘horse’ + चन्द्र ‘bright/pleasant’)
- वाजश्रवसः
- of Vājaśravas (the patron) / of prize-fameNoun (proper name/epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot वाजश्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक; वाज ‘prize/strength’ + श्रवस् ‘fame’)
- अधि
- upon, overIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धेहि
- place! bestow!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role KriyāRoot √धा (दधाति)
- पृक्षः
- nourishments, strengthening giftsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वेदिक-रूप; ‘पृक्षः’ = ‘पृक्षान्’)Role KarmaRoot पृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘nourishment/refreshment, strengthening food’)
- पीपिहीषः
- keep filling / make (it) swellVerb (intensive/iterative injunctive-like Vedic form used as exhortation)मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (वेदिक-प्रयोगः; exhortative ‘keep filling/let flow’)Role KriyāRoot √पा/√पि (intensive/reduplicated desiderative-like form; Vedic) + -इष (wish)
- सुदुघाम्
- well-milkingAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सुदुघा (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + दुह ‘to milk’ → ‘good-milking’)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धेनुम्
- the cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- भरद्वाजेषु
- among the BharadvājasNoun (plural)पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot भरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक; clan/poets ‘Bharadvājas’)
- सुरुचः
- splendid, radiantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सुरुच् (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + रुच् ‘to shine’ → ‘bright, splendid’)
- रुरुच्याः
- shine forth / make (them) shineVerbविधिलिङ्/लोट्-समर्थः वेदिक-प्रयोगः, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम् (exhortative sense) अथवा 3rd sg. injunctive-like ‘may he shine’ (contextual)Role KriyāRoot √रुच् (रुच्यति) with reduplication (intensive) ‘रुरुच्’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-style): स गोमघा → सः गोमघाः
- जरित्रे अश्वश्चन्द्रा → जरित्रे अश्वश्चन्द्राः
- वाजश्रवसो अधि → वाजश्रवसः अधि
- धेहि पृक्ष: → धेहि पृक्षः (RV pada often preserves visarga)
- सुदुघामिन्द्र → सुदुघाम् इन्द्र
- सुरुचो रुरुच्याः → सुरुचः रुरुच्याः. Accent marks in the saṃhitā (॑, ॒) indicate Vedic udātta/svarita
- pada-division here follows morphological resolution, not full accent re-marking
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, place upon the praiser the cow-rich and horse-bright powers and the fame of victorious strength. Increase for us the well-milking cow; in the Bharadvāja efforts let the bright splendors blaze.
Inner meaning
The seer asks Indra to install in the sadhaka a threefold wealth: go (rays of knowledge), aśva (vital force for luminous action), and vāja-śravas (the victorious plenitude and its ‘hearing’—the resonance of success in consciousness). The ‘sudughā dhenu’ is the inexhaustible source of illumination that yields abundantly when the inner being is purified. ‘Bharadvājeṣu’ points to the lineage-energy: strenuous aspiration and disciplined offering; in that tapas, splendors (surucaḥ) are made to blaze steadily.
Universal truth
True prosperity is an integrated endowment: knowledge-light, energetic capacity to act, and victorious plenitude—sustained by a deep inner source that yields more as it is rightly approached.
Themes
Indra-boons, increase-of-light, inner-nourishment, Bharadvāja-lineage
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.35, RV 6.36, RV 6.37
Family tradition
Bharadvāja hymns often combine force (Indra) and Word (Bṛhaspati) to win the cows of light; a tradition of rigorous aspiration and luminous intelligence.
Significance
Bharadvāja embodies the seeker who demands practical realization: illumination that nourishes, energizes, and becomes victorious in works.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Gomaghā (giver of rays), Vṛtrahan (implied), Maghavan (bountiful, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Giver of luminous wealth; distributor of vājas (plenitudes) and opener of the hidden Light.
Inner power
Bestows integrated capacities—clarity (go), dynamic force (aśva), and victorious effectiveness (vāja).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma ritual; also suitable as a prosperity/strength invocation
स गोम॑घा जरि॒त्रे अश्व॑श्चन्द्रा॒ वाज॑श्रवसो॒ अधि॑ धेहि॒ पृक्ष॑: । पी॒पि॒हीष॑: सु॒दुघा॑मिन्द्र धे॒नुं भ॒रद्वा॑जेषु सु॒रुचो॑ रुरुच्याः ॥
सः । गोऽम॑घाः । ज॒रि॒त्रे । अश्व॑ऽचन्द्राः । वाज॑ऽश्रवसः । अधि॑ । धे॒हि॒ । पृक्षः॑ । पी॒पि॒हि । इषः॑ । सु॒ऽदुघा॑म् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । धे॒नुम् । भ॒रत्ऽवा॑जेषु । सु॒ऽरुचः॑ । रु॒रु॒च्याः॒ ॥
saḥ | go--maghāḥ | jaritre | aśva-candrāḥ | vāja-śravasaḥ | adhi | dhehi | pṛkṣaḥ | pīpihi | iṣaḥ | su-dughām | indra | dhenum | bharat-vājeṣu | su-rucaḥ | rurucyāḥ
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4×11 (approx.)
Expansive and imperative; a giving/placing rhythm (‘adhi dhehi’, ‘pīpihi’) that feels like installation of power.
Elicits confidence and receptivity; supports embodiment of force rather than mere contemplation.
- गोमघाः (gomaghāḥ)
- Literal: cow-rich. Symbolic: abundance of rays/illumination
- अश्वचन्द्राः (aśvacandrāḥ)
- Literal: horses shining/moon-bright. Symbolic: luminous vital energies, purified dynamism
- वाजश्रवसः (vājaśravaso)
- Literal: fame of victory/strength. Symbolic: plenitude of effective power and its conscious resonance
- पृक्षः (pṛkṣaḥ)
- Literal: nourishment/increase. Symbolic: growth-force that feeds the being
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions/refreshment. Symbolic: right movements of will and joy that sustain practice
- सुदुघाम् धेनुम् (sudughām dhenum)
- Literal: well-milking cow. Symbolic: richly yielding source of Light/Ananda
- सुरुचः (surucaḥ)
- Literal: bright splendors. Symbolic: steady illuminations in mind and heart
Indra-invocation in Soma rites (general Indra-stotra context; used to increase iṣ and rayi through praise at pressing/offerings)
At Indra-stotras; in personal practice when seeking strength, clarity, and success aligned with dharma.
Recite as an ‘adhi-dhāna’ (placing) of divine energies on the practitioner; mental offering of effort (Bharadvāja-striving).
Before study, leadership tasks, or disciplined creative work—invoke luminous knowledge + energized execution.
Key roots: √dhā 'to place/establish' (: imperative; foundation of forces in the being). √pī 'to swell, abound' (: intensive/causative, 'make increase'). √duh 'to milk/yield' (/: the yielding of inner abundance; symbolically the outflow of knowledge-light). √ruc 'to shine' (: reduplication intensifies repeated shining). vāja: from a semantic field of 'strength, prize, plenitude of force'—here inner victorious energy rather than mere food.
Rita as right establishment (adhi-dhehi), increase of inner plenitude (iṣ, vāja, rayi), illumination as knowledge (go/ruc)
Rightly won ‘cows’ are illuminations released by alignment with ṛta through aspiration and truth-speaking.
Surucaḥ blaze when the inner speech and will are truthful and steady.
Increase (pṛkṣa) as the law of growth: consciousness expands by receiving higher powers.
Integral Yoga psychology: descent of powers into mind-life-body for effective transformation.
dawn-like illumination (implied by surucaḥ)
Cow/milk = flow of knowledge-ananda; horse = purified prāṇa for action; moon-bright = calm luminous mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'Cow of Light' that yields abundance: not cattle-raiding, but the recovery and increase of illumination (go/ruc) through Indra’s establishing power (√dhā) and growth-force (√pī).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā (place) aligns with PIE *dʰeh₁- 'to put, set' (cf. Gk. τίθημι). √duh 'milk' continues an Indo-Iranian pastoral lexicon that is resemanticized in Vedic into a cognitive-spiritual 'yielding' of light/knowledge.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal economy of mantra and increase: the jaritṛ offers affirmation (praise), and Indra responds by 'placing' higher energies and making the inner sources of nourishment (iṣ, dhenu) abound within the aspirant community (Bharadvājeṣu).
Receive three powers: illumination (go), dynamic prāṇa (aśva), and victorious steadiness (vāja).
Ājñā (illumination), Anāhata/Manipūra (courage and effective force)
Inhale on ‘adhi dhehi’, exhale on ‘pīpihi’; feel ‘installation’ on inhale, ‘increase’ on exhale.
Receptive empowerment; calm strength with bright perception.
Chant 6 or 12 times; then visualize a luminous cow in the heart pouring ‘milk’ as light through the nerves; conclude with a resolve to act from that clarity.
Tri-svara with clear udātta on key verbs (धेहि, पीपिहि) as per recensional markings; keep svarita glides smooth.
Emphasize imperatives ‘adhi dhehi’ (place upon) and ‘pīpihi’ (make grow) with firm but not harsh stress.
aśvacandrāḥ: ‘aś-va-can-drāḥ’ (cluster ‘ndr’), vājaśravaso: ‘vā-ja-śra-va-so’ (śra conjunct), sudughām: ‘su-du-ghām’ (voiced aspirate ‘gh’), bharadvājeṣu: ‘bha-rad-vā-je-ṣu’
Warm, bestowing tone; slightly fuller resonance on ‘dhenuṃ’.
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