Rig Veda 7.22.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 22, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.22
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
न ते गिरो अपि मृष्ये तुरस्य न सुष्टुतिमसुर्यस्य विद्वान् । सदा ते नाम स्वयशो विवक्मि ॥
ná te gíro ápi mṛṣye turásya ná suṣṭutím asuryásya vidvā́n | sádā te nā́ma svayaśo vivakmi ||
मैं तुम्हारी बातों को नहीं छुपाता, तेज़ दौड़ने वाले। मैं जानता हूँ तुम्हारी तारीफ सच है। इसलिए मैं हमेशा तुम्हारा नाम लेता हूँ। तुम खुद अपनी बड़ाई करते हो।
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- ते
- of you / to youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) / सम्प्रदान (dative) (contextual)Root त्वद्
- गिरः
- songs, praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of मृष्ये)Root गिर् (स्त्री.)
- अपि
- even, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अवधारणRoot अपि
- मृष्ये
- I endure / I bearVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot मृष्
- तुरस्य
- of the impetuous/strong oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier)Root तुर (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) / तुर (नाम)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- सु-स्तुतिम्
- good praise, fine hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of मृष्ये, understood)Root सु + स्तुति (स्त्री.)
- असुर्यस्य
- of the lordly/mighty one (asurya)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier)Root असुर्य (विशेषण/नाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्वान्
- knowing, wiseParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of implied ‘being/knowing’ with speaker)Root विद्वस् (कृदन्त, √विद्)
- सदा
- alwaysIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकारण (time)Root सदा
- ते
- of you / to youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) / सम्प्रदान (dative) (contextual)Root त्वद्
- नाम
- nameNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of विवक्मि)Root नामन् (नपुं.)
- स्वयशः
- self-glorious, of own fameNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Vedic form; object-qualifier)Role कर्म-विशेषण (qualifying ‘नाम’)Root स्वयशस् (नपुं./विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- विवक्मि
- I proclaim / I utterVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वच् (विवच्/विवक्ति as desiderative/intentive in Vedic usage)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: सु॑ष्टु॒तिम॑ → सु-स्तुतिम् (prefix सु + स्तुति, accus. sg.). Other forms are already pada-separated in the Saṃhitā reading
- enclitic ते occurs twice (gen./dat. sg. of त्वद्). The sequence ‘न … न …’ coordinates two negations: ‘I do not endure your songs … nor (do I endure) the good praise …’
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seer says to Indra: “I do not resent your words, O swift one; nor do I begrudge the well-earned praise of your lordly power, for I know its truth. I continually utter your self-glorious name.”
Inner meaning
Vasiṣṭha affirms a glad consent to the Divine Mind’s leading. The “words” of Indra are the inner promptings of illumined intelligence; the seeker does not resist them. The “well-praise of asurya” is not egoic boasting but recognition of Indra’s sovereign mastery (asura = lordly power of being). Constantly repeating Indra’s “name” means steady remembrance of the illumined consciousness so it can govern thought, speech, and action.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires joyful assent to the higher guidance. When the mind recognizes the Divine’s rightful sovereignty, remembrance becomes continuous, and speech aligns with truth rather than envy, doubt, or inner rebellion.
Themes
constancy in invocation, knowledge-based praise, divine self-glory, mastery
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18, RV 7.19, RV 7.20, RV 7.21, RV 7.23
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha family book (Maṇḍala 7) emphasizes Indra’s victorious illumination and the right ordering (ṛta) of the inner sacrifice.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha is a paradigmatic seer of steadiness and right harmony: he turns praise into a disciplined instrument for aligning human speech (vāc) with the supramental/illumined intention.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- tura (swift), asurya (lordly), svayaśas (self-glorious)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, establisher of wide luminous order; leader who releases the rays (go) and the waters (ap).
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and victorious will in the mind that compels falsehood and inertia to yield.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña (praise section accompanying offerings)
न ते॒ गिरो॒ अपि॑ मृष्ये तु॒रस्य॒ न सु॑ष्टु॒तिम॑सु॒र्य॑स्य वि॒द्वान् । सदा॑ ते॒ नाम॑ स्वयशो विवक्मि ॥
न । ते॒ । गिरः॑ । अपि॑ । मृ॒ष्ये॒ । तु॒रस्य॑ । न । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तिम् । अ॒सु॒र्य॑स्य । वि॒द्वान् । सदा॑ । ते॒ । नाम॑ । स्व॒ऽय॒शः॒ । वि॒व॒क्मि॒ ॥
na | te | giraḥ | api | mṛṣye | turasya | na | su-stutim | asuryasya | vidvān | sadā | te | nāma | sva-yaśaḥ | vivakmi
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Forward-driving, heroic cadence with emphatic caesurae suited to affirmation and victory.
Builds mental steadiness and confident assent; the rhythm ‘lifts’ speech into a more potent, directive vāc.
- giraḥ (गिरः)
- Literal: words, hymns, utterances. Symbolic: inner inspirations and formative thoughts that shape consciousness
- turasya (तुरस्य)
- Literal: of the swift one. Symbolic: the rapid, decisive movement of illumined mind-force
- suṣṭutim (सुस्तुतिम्)
- Literal: good praise, right eulogy. Symbolic: true recognition of the Divine Power’s action in us
- asuryasya (असुर्यस्य)
- Literal: of lordship/Asura-hood. Symbolic: sovereign mastery of being; effective command of consciousness (not “demonic”)
- nāma (नाम)
- Literal: name. Symbolic: the essential vibration/idea-force of the deity; mantra as constant remembrance
- svayaśaḥ (स्वयशः)
- Literal: self-glorious, self-famed. Symbolic: self-existent light that needs no external validation
Affirmation of continual nāma-japa-like proclamation within Soma praise; stabilizes the relationship through constant utterance.
During Soma pressing/offerings and Indra invocations in the Soma liturgy
Recitation to strengthen Indra’s presence and secure victorious increase (vṛddhi)
Use as a daily ‘remembrance verse’ to replace inner complaint with consent to higher guidance.
√vid 'know' (vidvān) from PIE *weyd- 'see/know' (cf. Latin videō). nāma as 'name' is more than label: in Vedic poetics it is the power-sign of the deity invoked. asurya again denotes mastery rooted in asu (life-force), emphasizing sovereignty as a spiritual fact known by experience.
nāma as power-vibration, vidyā/knowing as basis of praise, asurya as mastery
Assent to Indra’s ‘words’ aligns thought and speech with ṛta rather than reactive ego.
Truth is recognized (“vidvān”) and therefore spoken as steady remembrance.
Manifestation through Word (giraḥ/vāc) guided by luminous sovereignty.
Proto-Vedāntic/Vedantic symbolism as read by Sri Aurobindo (psychological deities and inner sacrifice).
Storm-force becomes the mind’s victorious illumination; spoken hymn becomes the shaping power of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is 'the name that sustains the god’s presence': continual utterance of Indra’s nāma is presented as an act of stable communion grounded in knowledge (vidvān), affirming Indra’s self-glory and mastery.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid (vidvān) is PIE *weyd- 'see/know' (Latin videō, English wit). √vac (vivakmi) is PIE *wekʷ- 'speak' (Latin vox, English voice). These show inherited Indo-European emphasis on knowing and speaking as linked cognitive-sacral acts.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s bond is based on inner certainty: he praises because he knows Indra’s asurya. The reciprocity is subtle—by proclaiming the name, the rishi maintains the channel; Indra’s self-glory is thereby made active in the human sphere.
Consent to the higher guidance in thought and speech; repeat Indra’s name as luminous remembrance.
ājñā (brow)
simple japa on exhale; brief pause after each pāda to feel ‘assent’ in silence
From restless mental reaction to settled illumined will.
Before speaking or deciding, inwardly offer the moment to Indra (illumined mind) and let speech arise only after a felt clarity.
Triṣṭubh recitation with Vedic udātta peaks on key verbs/nouns (e.g., mṛṣye, vidvān, vivakmi); anudātta grounding between accents; occasional svarita glide after udātta.
Keep each pāda as a single breath-unit if possible; emphasize the negations ‘na…na…’ without harshness; let ‘sadā’ open into continuity.
mṛṣye: vocalic ṛ, not ‘ri’, suṣṭutim: retroflex ṣṭ, crisp cluster, asuryasya: clear ‘su’ in ‘asurya’, avoid ‘asūrya’ lengthening unless taught by your śākhā, vivakmi: light ‘v’ and clean ‘km’ cluster
steady, bright, declarative
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