Rig Veda 6.44.19: Mandala 6, Sukta 44, Mantra 19
Sukta 6.44
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ त्वा हरयो वृषणो युजाना वृषरथासो वृषरश्मयोऽत्याः । अस्मत्राञ्चो वृषणो वज्रवाहो वृष्णे मदाय सुयुजो वहन्तु ॥
ā́ tvā háryo vṛ́ṣaṇo yujānā́ vṛ́ṣa-rathāso vṛ́ṣa-raśmayo 'tyā́ḥ | asmatrā́ñco vṛ́ṣaṇo vajra-vā́ho vṛ́ṣṇe mádāya su-yújo vahantu ||
तुम्हारे पीले घोड़े, जो बड़े ताकतवर हैं, तुम्हे यहाँ लाएं। उनकी गाड़ी में बाँध के, वो तुम्हे हमारे पास लाएं। जो वज्र उठा के आते हैं, वो तुम्हे खुशी और मस्ती में लाएं, हे इंद्र।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थे ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हरयः
- the tawny (horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणः
- mighty; virile; strongAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृषण (प्रातिपदिक)
- युजानाः
- yoking (themselves); being yokedParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot युज् (धातु) → युजान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषरथासः
- having mighty chariotsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृष-रथ (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषरश्मयः
- having mighty reinsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृष-रश्मि (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- अत्याः
- steeds; racersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मत्राञ्चः
- turned hither to usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अत्याः/हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot अस्म-त्राञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hither, towards us’)
- वृषणः
- mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अत्याः/हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृषण (प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रवाहः
- bearing the thunderboltAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अत्याः/हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वज्र-वाह (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृष्णे
- for the mighty one (Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदाय
- for exhilaration; for intoxicationNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुयुजः
- well-yokedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अत्याः/हरयः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot सु-युज् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- वहन्तु
- let them carry/bringVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपद; तृतीया पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot वह् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | त्वा | हरयः | वृषणः | युजानाः | वृषरथासः | वृषरश्मयः | अत्याः || अस्मत्राञ्चः | वृषणः | वज्रवाहः | वृष्णे | मदाय | सुयुजः | वहन्तु । प्रमुख-सन्धिः: (1) वृषरश्मयः + अत्याः → वृषरश्मयोऽत्या: (ओ + अ → ओऽ)
- (2) मन्त्रपाठे ‘अत्या:’ = ‘अत्याः’ (विसर्ग/दीर्घचिह्न-लेखनभेद)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May your tawny steeds, yoked in their might—bull-charioted, bull-reined—bring you here toward us; those thunderbolt-bearing powers, well-yoked, bring you to your ecstasy, O Bull.
Inner meaning
The tawny horses (harayaḥ) are dynamic life-forces and energies of action, purified and yoked to the divine intention. ‘Bull’ imagery (vṛṣaṇa) signifies irresistible potency: the higher force is not weak or sentimental but powerfully effective. These energies, harnessed rightly (suyujaḥ), carry Indra—the illumined mind—into the seeker’s field (asmatrāñcaḥ), so that ecstasy (mada) becomes not intoxication of desire but a divine uplift that bears the vajra: the capacity for decisive truth-action.
Universal truth
When our energies are rightly yoked, they become vehicles for higher intelligence; power and joy unite to bring illumination into practical life.
Themes
Invocation, Indra’s horses and chariot, Harnessing of forces, Ecstasy
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 6.44, Rig Veda 6.46
Family tradition
Bharadvāja’s imagery often concretizes inner yoga: forces (horses) yoked, chariot (movement of consciousness), Indra arriving to the yajña.
Significance
The seer teaches that the vital must not be rejected but harnessed—made ‘suyujaḥ’—so it can bring the illumined mind into the field of works.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣan (the Bull), Vajravāha/Vajrin (vajra-bearing), Maghavan
- Related deities
- Maruts (storm-powers), Soma
Cosmic role
Rider of the tawny steeds; brings storm-force that clears and illumines; energizes the gods’ action in the human.
Inner power
Mastery that unites joy and power; the ability to govern vital energies and turn them into instruments of illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra’s arrival/invitation (āhvāna) in Soma rites (general)
आ त्वा॒ हर॑यो॒ वृष॑णो युजा॒ना वृष॑रथासो॒ वृष॑रश्म॒योऽत्या॑: । अ॒स्म॒त्राञ्चो॒ वृष॑णो वज्र॒वाहो॒ वृष्णे॒ मदा॑य सु॒युजो॑ वहन्तु ॥
आ । त्वा॒ । हर॑यः । वृष॑णः । यु॒जा॒नाः । वृष॑ऽरथासः । वृष॑ऽरश्मयः । अत्याः॑ । अ॒स्म॒त्राञ्चः॑ । वृष॑णः । व॒ज्र॒ऽवाहः॑ । वृष्णे॑ । मदा॑य । सु॒ऽयुजः॑ । व॒ह॒न्तु॒ ॥
ā | tvā | harayaḥ | vṛṣaṇaḥ | yujānāḥ | vṛṣa-rathāsaḥ | vṛṣa-raśmayaḥ | atyāḥ | asmatrāñcaḥ | vṛṣaṇaḥ | vajra-vāhaḥ | vṛṣṇe | madāya | su-yujaḥ | vahantu
44
4 x ~11
Rolling, kinetic, with repeated ‘vṛṣa-’ compounds creating a drum-like propulsion.
Charges the system with controlled energy; good for overcoming tamas and summoning focused drive.
- harayaḥ
- Literal: tawny steeds. Symbolic: purified vital energies/forces of action that can carry higher consciousness
- yujānāḥ / suyujaḥ
- Literal: yoked / well-yoked. Symbolic: disciplined harnessing of energies through yoga, not scattered impulse
- vṛṣaṇa
- Literal: bull, mighty. Symbolic: irresistible potency of divine force in the being
- vṛṣaratha / vṛṣaraśmi
- Literal: bull-chariot / bull-reins. Symbolic: powerful vehicle and governance—energies directed by luminous control
- vajravāhaḥ
- Literal: bearing the vajra. Symbolic: energies that carry decisive truth-force into action
- madāya
- Literal: for ecstasy. Symbolic: uplifted delight that energizes right action and victory
Āvāhana (invitation): summoning Indra’s chariot/steeds to the Soma-offering.
At points of inviting Indra to the offering; also in preparations for energetic rites.
Āvāhana: calling the deity’s presence via chariot/steed imagery; accompaniment to offerings.
Use before exercise, disciplined work, or karma-yoga: ‘May my energies be well-yoked and bring illumination into action’.
hari ‘tawny’ links to solar/golden energy; Indra’s horses symbolize dynamic life-forces that carry the divine power into the human field. √yuj ‘yoke’ (IE *yeug-) indicates disciplined harnessing of energies. vajra as concentrated force of decision; inwardly, the power that breaks falsehood and obstruction.
yoking as inner discipline, mada as spiritual ecstasy
‘Well-yoked’ is ṛta in action: energies aligned to right order rather than chaotic desire.
Vajra-bearing energies imply truth-force operating through the vital.
Descent of power into manifestation: higher mind enters the field via harnessed energies.
Integral Yoga: transformation of the vital by yoking it to the divine; joy as fuel for right action.
Horses = prāṇic/vital currents; reins = self-mastery; chariot = embodied movement of consciousness; tawny-gold = solar clarity energizing life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s chariot arrival: the divine warrior comes drawn by tawny steeds. Psychologically, the higher force descends by harnessed energies into the practitioner’s field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ is PIE *yeug- (Latin iugum, English yoke). √vah ‘carry’ is also old IE (cf. Latin vehō). The formulaic epithets (vṛṣa-ratha, vṛṣa-raśmi) show inherited Indo-European poetic compounding.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi calls Indra into intimacy (‘toward us’) by requesting the well-yoked powers that bear vajra; the human side provides the prepared field (rite), the divine side provides the arriving force and decisive energy.
Yoke the life-force to the higher mind; invite luminous governance into action.
maṇipūra (vital power) guided by ājñā (illumination)
Rhythmic breathing with mantra on exhale; feel ‘reins’ at the nostrils—steady, directed prāṇa.
From scattered energy to concentrated, joyful force (controlled rajas transformed).
Before action: feel your ‘horses’ (energies) align; inwardly say ‘suyujaḥ’; then act from clarity, not impulse.
Tri-svara; repeated ‘vṛṣa-’ compounds should be kept clear; maintain udātta lifts without speeding up.
Let each compound land cleanly (vṛṣa-rathāsaḥ / vṛṣa-raśmayaḥ); avoid swallowing vowels in fast chant.
‘harayaḥ’: final ḥ light; ‘ha-ra-yaḥ’ three beats, ‘vṛṣaṇo’: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ, ‘atyāḥ’: long ā; slight aspiration on ty not needed—keep dental t, ‘vajravāho’: keep vājra as vajra (va-jra) cluster clean
Bright, energetic, controlled—like a swift chariot under firm reins.
3
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
