Rig Veda 7.32.22: Mandala 7, Sukta 32, Mantra 22
Sukta 7.32
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अभि त्वा शूर नोनुमोऽदुग्धा इव धेनवः । ईशानमस्य जगतः स्वर्दृशमीशानमिन्द्र तस्थुषः ॥
abhí tvā śūra nonumó 'dúgdhā iva dhenávaḥ | ī́śānam asyá jágataḥ svardṛ́śam ī́śānam indra tasthúṣaḥ ||
हे वीर, हम तुम्हारे पास आते हैं अपनी बातों से, जैसे गायें दूध देने के लिए त्यार हैं। इंद्र, तुम इस दुनिया के मालिक हो, जो चलती है। तुम उस दुनिया के भी मालिक हो जो आसमान में है, और सब पक्की चीज़ों के भी।
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (दिशा/सम्बन्ध: ‘towards/unto’)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (enclitic acc.)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शूर
- O heroNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- नोनुमः
- we repeatedly urge/praiseVerbलट् (वेदिक वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-प्रयोग: ‘नोनु-’ = ‘urge/praise repeatedly’Role Kartā (वयं) + क्रियाRoot नु (धातु; पुनःपुनः-प्रेरणे/स्तुतौ) + उपसर्ग ‘नि/नु’ (वेदिक पुनरुक्त-आकृति)
- अदुग्धाः
- unmilkedAdjective/Participleस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन (धेनवः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (धेनवः) के विशेषणरूपेणRoot दुह् (धातु) → दुग्ध (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त) + नञ्-प्रत्यय ‘अ-’
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- धेनवः
- cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (उपमान-कर्तृ)Root धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईशानम्
- ruling, sovereignAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (त्वा) के विशेषणरूपेणRoot ईश् (धातु ‘to rule, possess’) → ईशान (वर्तमानकृदन्त/विशेषण)
- अस्य
- of thisPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जगतः
- of the moving worldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive dependent on ईशानम्)Root जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वर्दृशम्
- heaven-seeing, seeing the lightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karma (त्वा) के विशेषणरूपेणRoot स्वर् (प्रातिपदिक ‘sunlight/heaven’) + दृश् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘seeing’) → समास: स्वर्दृश्
- ईशानम्
- sovereignAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; पुनरुक्ति-बलम्)Role Karma (त्वा) के विशेषणरूपेणRoot ईश् → ईशान (कृदन्त)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper, vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्थुषः
- of the standing (the stationary beings)Noun/Participle used substantivelyनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (स्थावर-जगत्: ‘of what stands’)Role Sambandha (genitive dependent on ईशानम्)Root स्था (धातु) → तस्थुष् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट-आधारित कृदन्त ‘standing’)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेद (पदपाठानुसार): नोनुमोऽदुग्धाः → नोनुमः + अदुग्धाः (अः + अ → ‘ोऽ’). अन्यत्र प्रमुख संधि-परिवर्तनं न
- ‘स्वर्दृशम्’ समासरूपम् (स्वर् + दृश्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We press toward you with hymns like unmilked cows. Indra is lord of the moving world, seeing the sun-world (svar), and lord of what stands firm.
Inner meaning
The hymns are like dhenavaḥ—cows of consciousness—still ‘unmilked’ (adugdhāḥ): latent rays of knowledge and delight not yet drawn out. By pressing them toward Indra, the illumined Mind, we seek the release of their hidden richness. Indra is īśāna of jagat (all that moves: life, mind, becoming) and of tasthuṣ (all that stands: stable being, foundations), because he is svardṛśam—he who sees and establishes the Sun-world (svar), the plane of truth-light that governs both movement and stability.
Universal truth
When we bring our unexpressed inner capacities to the light of higher intelligence, they yield their concealed riches; true mastery integrates both change and stability under a vision of the higher Truth.
Themes
cosmic sovereignty, invocation pressure, cows as light-yields, svar vision
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.2, RV 7.3, RV 7.4, RV 7.23, RV 7.32
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s hymns often ‘press’ (like Soma-pressing) the latent powers of consciousness to yield light; a school of steady illumination rather than ecstatic excess.
Significance
The seer frames Indra not only as warrior but as sovereign integrator of movement and stability—key to psychological wholeness.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śūra (hero), Īśāna (lord), Svardṛś (seer of svar)
- Related deities
- Sūrya/Savitr (svar-light), Uṣas, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Sovereign of the dynamic cosmos and its stable foundations; opener and maintainer of the sun-world (svar).
Inner power
Master illumination that governs both action (jagat) and poise (tasthuṣ); draws out hidden knowledge from the ‘cows’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation in Soma context; hymns as offerings (stotra/śastra)
अ॒भि त्वा॑ शूर नोनु॒मोऽदु॑ग्धा इव धे॒नव॑: । ईशा॑नम॒स्य जग॑तः स्व॒र्दृश॒मीशा॑नमिन्द्र त॒स्थुष॑: ॥
अ॒भि । त्वा॒ । शू॒र॒ । नो॒नु॒मः॒ । अदु॑ग्धाःऽइव । धे॒नवः॑ । ईशा॑नम् । अ॒स्य । जग॑तः । स्वः॒ऽदृश॑म् । ईशा॑नम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । त॒स्थुषः॑ ॥
abhi | tvā | śūra | nonumaḥ | adugdhāḥ-iva | dhenavaḥ | īśānam | asya | jagataḥ | svaḥ-dṛśam | īśānam | indra | tasthuṣaḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Strong ‘pressing’ rhythm, with a sovereign closing affirmation.
Energizes aspiration, then settles into a sense of vast lordship and stability.
- अदुग्धाः (adugdhāḥ)
- Literal: unmilked. Symbolic: undrawn inner potential; knowledge/bliss not yet extracted by practice
- धेनवः (dhenavaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge; also fruitful powers of consciousness
- नोनुमः (nonumaḥ)
- Literal: we press, urge, drive toward. Symbolic: intense aspiration and insistence of the mantra-force
- ईशानम् (īśānam)
- Literal: lord, ruler. Symbolic: governing consciousness that can order the nature
- जगतः (jagataḥ)
- Literal: of the moving world. Symbolic: the dynamic field of life-mind-becoming
- तस्थुषः (tasthuṣaḥ)
- Literal: of that which stands. Symbolic: stable being, law, and established parts of the nature
- स्वर्दृशम् (svardṛśam)
- Literal: seeing svar (sun/heaven). Symbolic: vision of the truth-world; illumined perception that guides mastery
Closing exaltation: establishes Indra as lord of all realms (moving and fixed), invoked to release the ‘milk’ (yield) of abundance/illumination in the rite and in the seeker.
When calling Indra to ‘come’ and rule the sacrifice; can accompany offerings seeking mastery and illumination.
Recitation as ‘pressing’ of hymns; mentally offer latent energies to be illumined and organized.
A mantra for drawing out dormant talents/insights—use when feeling ‘uninspired’ or scattered.
jagat (from √gam) contrasts with tasthuṣ (from √sthā): moving vs. standing—totality of existence. svardṛś (‘sun-world-seeing’) ties Indra to the luminous plane (svar), not merely atmospheric storm. dhenavaḥ as ‘cows’ are inner yieldable energies/illuminations; ‘unmilked’ indicates latent powers drawn forth by praise and contact with Indra.
svar (luminous world, truth-consciousness), totality of becoming (jagat) and being (tasthuṣ), lordship (īśāna) as inner mastery
Indra’s lordship over jagat and tasthuṣ implies ṛta as the harmonizing governance of change and stability.
Svardṛś: truth is first a vision that then becomes rule in the nature.
Extraction and release of hidden light-powers (cows) into manifested order.
Vedic integralism: sovereignty of illumined mind as mediator between higher light and lower nature.
dawn-to-sunrise (implied by svar-vision)
Cows/milk = latent knowledge and delight; milking = drawing it into mind-life; Sun-world = plane of illumined truth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The cows-to-be-milked and the lordship of all existence: the latent abundance (unmilked cows) is drawn out by pressing praise toward Indra, who governs both movement and stability and is oriented to svar (luminous truth).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go’ (jagat) aligns with PIE *gʷem- ‘go, come’ (cf. Greek baínō via different root, but Indo-Iranian keeps gam-; Germanic ‘come’ from *gʷem-). √sthā ‘stand’ is PIE *steh₂- (cf. Latin stō). The moving/standing binary is an archaic IE cosmological and grammatical pairing.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s community approaches as ‘unmilked cows’—full of potential but needing release. Indra, as īśāna of both jagat and tasthuṣ and as svardṛś, is invoked to convert latent energies into yielded light and power through the act of praise.
Offer ‘unmilked’ potentials to the illumined Mind; invoke governance over both restless movement and inert stability.
maṇipūra (will) / ājñā (illumination)
Bhastrikā light (if suitable) for 30–60 seconds, then quiet breathing; chant with a sense of ‘pressing’ on exhale.
Energized aspiration opening into sunlit wideness.
Identify one dormant capacity (clarity, courage, insight). On ‘adugdhā iva dhenavaḥ’ feel it as a ‘cow’ brought forward; on ‘īśānam…’ allow a higher governance to organize your day.
Keep udatta prominence on key invocatory words (tvā, śūra, īśānam); let svarita soften the transitions; maintain even Triṣṭubh flow.
Make ‘abhi tvā’ a forward push; pause lightly after each pāda; broaden tone on ‘īśānam asya jagataḥ’.
: pronounce no-nu-maḥ (clear retroflex? none) with final ḥ, : keep dgdh cluster—‘a-dug-dhāḥ’ without inserting vowels, : pronounce svar-dṛ-śam; retroflex ṛ, : tas-thu-ṣaḥ; keep ṣ retroflex
Pressing, bright, then widening and sovereign on the last two pādas.
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