Rig Veda 6.72.4: Mandala 6, Sukta 72, Mantra 4
Sukta 6.72
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra and Soma
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
इन्द्रासोमा पक्वमामास्वन्तर्नि गवामिद्दधथुर्वक्षणासु । जगृभथुरनपिनद्धमासु रुशच्चित्रासु जगतीष्वन्तः ॥
indrā́somā pakvám āmā́sv antár ní gavā́m íd dadhathur vakṣáṇāsu | jagṛbháthur anapi-naddhám ā́su rúśac citrā́su jágatīṣv antáḥ ||
इंद्र और सोम मिल के काम करते हैं। कच्चे में पक्का बना देते हैं। गाइयों को उनके बाँध में रख देते हैं। जो भी बाँधा नहीं गया था, उसको पकड़ लिया। रंग-बिरंगी दुनिया में चमकते हुए।
Word by Word
- इन्द्रासोमा
- O Indra and SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा? द्विवचन (द्वन्द्व, देवताद्वय-सम्बोधन)Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र + सोम (प्रातिपदिक) (द्वन्द्व-समास)
- पक्वम्
- the ripe (one), ripened (thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (अव्यक्त-वस्तु ‘पक्वम्’)Role KarmaRoot पक्व (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √पच् ‘to cook, ripen’)
- आमासु
- among the unripe (ones)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचन (आमा- ‘unripe (ones)’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot आम (विशेषण/प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्यय; स्थानवाचकRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गीय-प्रयोग)
- नि
- down, into; (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि (उपसर्ग)
- गवाम्
- of the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive) / Adhikaraṇa-सम्बन्धRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot इद् (निपात; emphatic)
- दधथुः
- you two placed/putVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); उत्तम? नहीं—प्रथमपुरुष; द्विवचनRole Kartā (क्रिया)Root √धा (धातु) ‘to place, put’
- वक्षणासु
- in the cattle-stalls/enclosuresNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वक्षणा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stall/enclosure/pen’, esp. for cattle)
- जगृभथुः
- you two seized/tookVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष द्विवचनRole Kartā (क्रिया)Root √ग्रह् (धातु) ‘to seize, take’
- अनपिनद्धम्
- unfastened, not boundAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (object-qualifier)Role Karma (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)Root अन- + पिनद्ध (कृदन्त; √पिध्/√पिनध् ‘to bind, fasten, shut’)
- आसु
- in/among thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रुशत्
- shining, brightAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनRole Karma (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)Root रुशत् (विशेषण; present participle from √रुश्/√रुच् ‘to shine, be bright’)
- चित्रासु
- among the variegated/bright (ones)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जगतीषु
- in the moving worlds/among the jagatīsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot जगती (प्रातिपदिक; ‘jagatī’—(i) moving beings/worlds; (ii) Jagatī-metre; here loc. pl.)
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्यय; स्थानवाचकRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तर् (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: इन्द्रा॑सोमा → इन्द्रा + सोमा (द्वन्द्व-समास, सम्बोधन)
- प॒क्वमा॒मास्व॒न्तर्नि → पक्वम् + आमासु + अन्तः + नि
- गवा॒मिद्द॑धथुः → गवाम् + इत् + दधथुः
- व॒क्षणा॑सु (no split)
- ज॒गृ॒भथु॒रन॑पिनद्धमासु → जगृभथुः + अनपिनद्धम् + आसु
- रुश॑च्चि॒त्रासु → रुशत् + चित्रासु
- जग॑तीष्व॒न्तः → जगतीषु + अन्तः. Accent marks retained in source but not re-applied per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra and Soma place ripeness within what is unripe; they set the cows (rays) inside their stalls; they seize what is unbound, shining within the many-coloured moving worlds, inwardly.
Inner meaning
Indra (illumined mind) and Soma (ananda) work inside the still-raw nature (āmāsu) to mature it (pakvam): they bring latent spiritual capacities to fruition. The ‘cows’ are rays of knowledge placed within safe inner ‘pens’ (vakṣaṇāsu)—stable formations of consciousness where light can be held and organized. They ‘seize the unbound’ (anapinaddham): free the luminous energies that are not yet fixed into habit or ego-knot, and establish them within the varied movements of life (citrāsu jagatīṣu) as an inward radiance (antaḥ).
Universal truth
True transformation is an inward ripening: higher clarity and joy descend into immature parts of our nature, gather scattered lights, and stabilize them so life’s many movements become luminous from within.
Themes
recovery of light, inner alchemy (raw to ripe), liberation, mythic symbolism
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.72.1-6 (Indra–Soma), RV 6.73.1-3 (Bṛhaspati), RV 6.74-6.75 (Bharadvāja cycle, Indra/Maruts themes)
Family tradition
Āṅgirasa/Bārhaspatya current emphasizing mantra-force (brahman) and victorious illumination; hymns often link Indra’s light with Bṛhaspati’s word-power.
Significance
Bharadvāja’s vision repeatedly stages the inner yajña: releasing the hidden light (cows), breaking coverings, and establishing a luminous order in life—central to Sri Aurobindo’s psychological reading.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra and Soma
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (Indra, slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (Indra, giver of plenitude), Pavamāna (Soma, the purifying), Amṛta (Soma, immortal essence)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Sūrya, Maruts
Cosmic role
Indra opens the obstructed ways and brings the solar illumination; Soma distills delight and immortality, sustaining the gods and the sacrifice.
Inner power
Indra = decisive illumined intelligence and victorious will in the mind; Soma = bliss-substance that makes consciousness plastic, receptive, and joyfully expansive; together they ripen and stabilize the awakened state within life-movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra–Soma śastra/stotra context in Soma-yajña sequences (general Vedic usage for Indra/Soma pairs)
इन्द्रा॑सोमा प॒क्वमा॒मास्व॒न्तर्नि गवा॒मिद्द॑धथुर्व॒क्षणा॑सु । ज॒गृ॒भथु॒रन॑पिनद्धमासु॒ रुश॑च्चि॒त्रासु॒ जग॑तीष्व॒न्तः ॥
इन्द्रा॑सोमा । प॒क्वम् । आ॒मासु॑ । अ॒न्तः । नि । गवा॑म् । इत् । द॒ध॒थुः॒ । व॒क्षणा॑सु । ज॒गृ॒भथुः॑ । अन॑पिऽनद्धम् । आ॒सु॒ । रुश॑त् । चि॒त्रासु॑ । जग॑तीषु । अ॒न्तरिति॑ ॥
indrāsomā | pakvam | āmāsu | antaḥ | ni | gavām | it | dadhathuḥ | vakṣaṇāsu | jagṛbhathuḥ | anapi-naddham | āsu | ruśat | citrāsu | jagatīṣu | antariti
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, forward-driving, suited to heroic opening and decisive inner action.
Builds a sense of ‘breaking-through’ and stabilization—first a push of force (Indra), then a settling sweetness (Soma) as the inner light is gathered.
- पक्वम् (pakvam)
- Literal: ripe, cooked, matured. Symbolic: spiritually matured consciousness; integrated realization
- आमासु (āmāsu)
- Literal: in the unripe/raw. Symbolic: unformed, subconscient or immature parts of nature
- गवाम् (gavām)
- Literal: of the cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge, illuminations
- वक्षणासु (vakṣaṇāsu)
- Literal: in the stalls/pens. Symbolic: secure inner hold/containment; stable mental-vital formations that can retain light
- अनपिनद्धम् (anapinaddham)
- Literal: not fastened/bound. Symbolic: free, unknotted energies; unconditioned movements released from bondage
- रुशत् (ruśat)
- Literal: shining, bright. Symbolic: inner radiance of awakened consciousness
- चित्रासु जगतीषु (citrāsu jagatīṣu)
- Literal: in many-coloured moving worlds. Symbolic: varied life-movements (mind, life, body; circumstances) made luminous inwardly
Soma-pressing victory hymns; also relevant to themes of finding/recovering 'cows' (lights) and maturing the offering (inner ripeness).
During Soma pressing/recitation cycles invoking victory and exhilaration; also as supportive verses in Indra-centered offerings.
Recitation with offering (havis) and Soma libation; intent of removing obstacles and securing increase.
Use as a meditation-affirmation for ‘ripening the raw’: bring awareness into immature reactions, invite clarity (Indra) and quiet joy (Soma) to stabilize inner light in daily activity.
Key terms: pakva- 'ripe' vs āma- 'raw' (contrast of maturity/immaturity). go- 'cow' as light-ray/illumination (root √gā/√gam 'to go' also supports 'ray that goes' in later Vedic symbolism; Vedic usage strongly links cows with rays/knowledges recovered from darkness). vakṣaṇā- 'enclosure/pen' (contextually: a holding place) → psychological 'forms' that contain energies. √grah 'seize' → capturing free luminous essence (anapi-naddham). √nah 'bind' in naddha: bondage vs freedom.
maturation (pakva) of being, release from bondage (anapi-naddha), inner transformation
Indra–Soma establish ṛta within jagat (movement), turning life into ordered luminous motion.
The ‘unbound shining within’ hints at truth-light free of knotting by falsehood or limitation.
Evolutionary emergence: concealed light gathered and placed into forms capable of holding it.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo): ascent of illumination and descent of ananda into life-nature.
Ripening = maturation of consciousness; cows = illuminations; stall = inner steadiness; shining within movement = stable witness-light in action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of 'finding/placing the cows (lights) in their pens' combined with maturation: the gods establish ripeness within raw nature and secure the rays of knowledge within ordered forms. Inwardly, this is the conversion of immature energies into mature consciousness and the stabilization of illuminations so they can be held and used.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The raw/ripe opposition (āma/pakva) reflects an archaic Indo-European metaphor of maturation as spiritual readiness. √grah 'grasp' aligns with widespread IE notions of 'seizing' a boon/insight. The 'cows' as valuables to be recovered parallels IE poetic tropes where wealth/brightness is concealed and then won back through heroic action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges the gods as inner artisans: they do not merely grant external spoils but work 'within' (antaḥ) the moving worlds of experience to ripen the being and secure illuminations. The implied reciprocity is the seeker’s readiness to be transformed; the gods respond by stabilizing light and freeing what is unbound within.
Invite Indra’s clear discerning force into confused areas; then bathe them in Soma’s sweetness to ‘ripen’ reactions into conscious response.
Ājñā (Indra/illumined mind) with support of Sahasrāra/Anāhata (Soma-bliss as descending peace/joy)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana; on inhale ‘gather the cows’ (light), on exhale ‘place them in the pen’ (stabilize).
From rajasic dispersion to sattvic luminosity with a subtle ananda undertone.
Work with one ‘raw’ pattern daily; chant once, observe the knot; chant again, feel light gather; sit 5–7 minutes letting the inner shine enter the day’s movements.
Vedic accent as in the Saṃhitā text: observe marked udātta on, etc.; maintain relative pitch for udātta/anudātta/svarita per śākhā tradition.
Keep the udātta syllable slightly raised; svarita as a fall from raised tone; avoid flattening accents across compounds (e.g., ).
Retroflex ṇ in (vakṣaṇāsu), Cluster clarity: (jagṛbhathur) with vocalic ṛ, anapinaddham: keep double d(h) articulation—na-ddham, Do not turn into ‘gavān’; keep long ā nasalized (ām̐) if trained
Steady, bright, slightly forceful at first half; more inward and resonant on अन्तः / अन्तरिति.
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