Rig Veda 7.32.9: Mandala 7, Sukta 32, Mantra 9
Sukta 7.32
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मा स्रेधत सोमिनो दक्षता महे कृणुध्वं राय आतुजे । तरणिरिज्जयति क्षेति पुष्यति न देवासः कवत्नवे ॥
mā́ srédhata somino dákṣatā mahé kṛṇudhvám rāyá ātúje | taraṇír íj jayati kṣéti púṣyati ná devā́saḥ kavatnávé ||
सोम निकालने वालो, हिम्मत मत हारो। काम करो बड़े लोगों के लिए, धन के लिए जो जल्दी आता है। जो आगे बढ़ता है वो जीतता है, वहीं रहता है, बढ़ता भी है। देवता लोग डरने वाले का साथ नहीं देते।
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) / मा (अव्यय)
- स्रेदथ
- be negligent / fail / be slackVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Vedic injunctive/imperative nuance)Root स्रिध् (स्रिधँ) / स्रेदथ < स्रिध्
- सोमिनः
- O Soma-pressers / Soma-offerersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (स्रेदथ इत्यस्य)Root सोमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षत
- be capable / be strong / be efficientVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRoot दक्ष् (दक्षँ) / दक्षत < दक्ष्
- महे
- for the great (goal) / greatlyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (or adverbial use), चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन; here adverbial-dative senseRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root मह्/महत् (प्रातिपदिक: महत्)
- कृणुध्वम्
- do / makeVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot कृ (डुकृञ्)
- रायः
- of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Vedic: gen. sg. रायः)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation with आतुजे)Root राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक: रायि ‘wealth’)
- आतुजे
- for the impeller/urging (one)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (लाभार्थ/प्रयोजन)Root आतुज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘impelling/urging, hastening’)
- तरणिः
- the overcomer / the crosserNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (जयति/क्षेति/पुष्यति इत्यस्य)Root तरणि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘overcomer, crosser’)
- ऋक्
- a hymn / verseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Vedic form: ऋक्)Role Karaṇa (instrumental sense: ‘by/with the hymn’ as idiomatically used)Root ऋच्/ऋक् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hymn, verse’)
- जयति
- wins / conquersVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot जि (जि॒)
- क्षेति
- dwells / rules / abidesVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot क्षि (क्षि॒) / क्षे (Vedic present)
- पुष्यति
- thrives / prospersVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot पुष् (पुषँ)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot न (अव्यय)
- देवासः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (अध्याहृत: ‘(they) are not…’)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- कवत्नवे
- for poetic inspiration / for poethoodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (दत्त्यर्थ/उद्देश्य: ‘for poetic inspiration/poethood’)Root कवत्नु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘poetic skill/poethood, inspiration’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): मा | स्रेदथ | सोमिनः | दक्षत | महे | कृणुध्वम् | रायः | आतुजे | तरणिः | ऋक् | जयति | क्षेति | पुष्यति | न | देवासः | कवत्नवे । Notes: (1) ‘सोमिनो’ = सोमिनः (प्रथमा बहुवचन)
- (2) ‘तरणिरिज्जयति’ is taken as ‘तरणिः ऋक् जयति’ (Vedic sandhi/orthography: ऋक् + जयति → ऋग्/ऋक्-जयति; text shows इज् as a graphic/phonetic bridge)
- (3) ‘देवास:’ normalized to ‘देवासः’
- Accents retained as in Saṃhitā but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Do not fail, O Soma-pressers; be capable—work for the great, for the swiftly coming wealth. The overpassing power conquers, dwells, and prospers; the gods are not for the faint-striving.
Inner meaning
A direct exhortation to the practitioners: do not slip into negligence (mā sredhata). Become skillful and strong in your inner work (dakṣatā). Act for the ‘Great’ (mahe)—the higher divine realization—and for the swiftly arriving plenitude (rāya ātuje) that comes when aspiration is sustained. The taraṇi (the crossing, conquering power) is the soul’s victorious energy supported by the gods; it wins, establishes a stable dwelling in the being (kṣeti), and increases (puṣyati). But the luminous powers do not ally with half-hearted effort (kavatnava): faint, wavering striving cannot hold the descent.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth demands steady competence and wholehearted effort; higher help responds to sincerity and endurance, not to wavering or self-indulgent weakness.
Themes
exhortation, spiritual effort, plenitude (rāyas), gods aid the strong-striving
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.31, RV 7.32, RV 7.33, RV 7.60, RV 7.88
Family tradition
A pedagogy of steadfastness: the seer instructs the ‘Soma-pressers’ as inner workers, insisting on competence and perseverance.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha here becomes a guide of practice: he links divine response to human steadiness, making the yoga of the Veda explicit—effort (tapas) cooperating with grace.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (and the Devas collectively as luminous powers)
- Epithets
- Indra as leader of the Devas, Devas as luminous powers (not merely anthropomorphic gods)
- Related deities
- Agni (will), Soma (bliss), Maruts (energies), Bṛhaspati (truth-word)
Cosmic role
Devas uphold ṛta and aid the ascent; Indra leads illumination and victory.
Inner power
Collective support of higher consciousness that strengthens the crossing power (taraṇi) when effort is sincere.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma rite exhortation to maintain correct pressing and offering; general encouragement in Indra-Soma context
मा स्रे॑धत सोमिनो॒ दक्ष॑ता म॒हे कृ॑णु॒ध्वं रा॒य आ॒तुजे॑ । त॒रणि॒रिज्ज॑यति॒ क्षेति॒ पुष्य॑ति॒ न दे॒वास॑: कव॒त्नवे॑ ॥
मा । स्रे॒ध॒त॒ । सो॒मि॒नः॒ । दक्ष॑त । म॒हे । कृ॒णु॒ध्वम् । रा॒ये । आ॒ऽतुजे॑ । त॒रणिः॑ । इत् । ज॒य॒ति॒ । क्षेति॑ । पुष्य॑ति । न । दे॒वासः॑ । क॒व॒त्नवे॑ ॥
mā | sredhata | sominaḥ | dakṣata | mahe | kṛṇudhvam | rāye | ātuje | taraṇiḥ | it | jayati | kṣeti | puṣyati | na | devāsaḥ | kavatnave
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4×11 (variable)
Admonitory and strengthening; balanced cadence suited to instruction and resolve.
Builds determination; cuts through doubt; instills a ‘no-excuses’ clarity.
- मा स्रेधत (mā sredhata)
- Literal: do not fail/slack. Symbolic: do not relapse into inertia or discouragement
- सोमिनः (sominaḥ)
- Literal: Soma-pressers. Symbolic: practitioners extracting inner delight/essence
- दक्षत (dakṣata)
- Literal: be capable, skillful. Symbolic: develop disciplined capacity—right practice and right discernment
- महे (mahe)
- Literal: for the great. Symbolic: for the higher realization and vast consciousness
- राय आऽतुजे (rāya ā-tuje)
- Literal: for wealth swiftly coming. Symbolic: for the quick descent of plenitude when the channel is open
- तरणिः (taraṇiḥ)
- Literal: the overpassing/crossing power. Symbolic: the victorious force that crosses limitation (psychic/inner dynamism)
- क्षेति (kṣeti)
- Literal: dwells. Symbolic: stable establishment of higher consciousness in life
- पुष्यति (puṣyati)
- Literal: thrives, increases. Symbolic: progressive growth of the divine life within
- कवत्नव (kavatnava)
- Literal: faint-striving, weakly endeavoring. Symbolic: half-hearted sadhana; divided will
Exhortation to the Soma-workers; functions as a motivational injunction within the Soma session and as a sādhanā maxim
During Soma preparations/pressings; also as a morale and discipline injunction within the ritual sequence
Urging skill, steadiness, and continued offering to attract divine aid
A mantra for consistency: use when beginning a discipline (meditation, study, recovery, training) to renew resolve and reject faint striving.
√sredh ‘slacken/fail’ marks psychological discouragement. dakṣata from √dakṣ ‘be able, skillful’ grounds the inward requirement of competence. taraṇi from √tṛ ‘cross’ (PIE *terh₂- ‘cross over’; cf. Latin trans). ā-tuj from √tuj ‘impel, hasten’ indicates swift dynamic movement of rāyas/effort. kavátna is a rare term indicating weak striving; the verse sets a law of spiritual effort.
tapas/effort as prerequisite, victory-growth-abiding (jayati-kṣeti-puṣyati) as stages of realization
Ṛta favors the steady and capable; the gods support the law of sincere effort leading to establishment (kṣeti).
Wholehearted striving is a form of satya; faint striving is inner untruth (division).
Establishment and increase: consciousness ‘dwells’ and ‘prospers’ once won—creation as progressive embodiment.
Karma-yoga-like emphasis within Vedic frame: right effort as condition for descent; compatible with Aurobindo’s integral synthesis.
Swift wealth = quick descent of force when channels are clear; crossing power = evolutionary thrust beyond limitation; dwelling/prospering = stabilization of higher consciousness in nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A ‘law of attainment’ rather than a narrative myth: the gods side with the strong-striving. The taraṇi (crossing force) is the inner power that carries one over limitation; it conquers, then establishes a settled dwelling, then increases—an implicit soteriology.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- taraṇi from √tṛ ‘cross’ aligns with PIE *terh₂- (cf. trans, through). jayati from √ji ‘conquer’ is Indo-European (cf. Latin vincō is different root; but the victory lexicon is pervasive). The triad of present indicatives (jayati/kṣeti/puṣyati) is a formulaic, almost gnomic IE style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi mediates a covenant: divine powers are available, but only to disciplined and capable effort (dakṣa). The verse makes the human side of reciprocity explicit—steadfast aspiration is the ‘key’ that admits the devas’ help.
Cultivate steadfast effort and skill; reject faint striving; invoke the crossing power that establishes and increases the divine state.
maṇipūra (will/steadiness) and mūlādhāra (stability/dwelling)
Steady, grounding breath: 6-0-6 for 3 minutes; then chant with firm diaphragmatic support.
From wavering to resolute endurance; from scattered effort to stable growth.
Make one clear vow for the day (time, place, minimum practice). Chant as an inner contract. After chanting, sit silently and feel ‘kṣeti’—the intention to let the higher consciousness dwell and become habitual.
Vedic accentuation; keep the prohibitive ‘mā’ crisp; emphasize the instructional cadence across pādas.
Pause after ‘somino’; give weight to ‘dakṣatā’; keep the triad ‘jayati kṣeti puṣyati’ as a rising, affirmative sequence.
sredhata: cluster ‘sr’ clear; dental ‘dh’ voiced, dakṣatā: retroflex ṣ; long ā at end, ātuje: long ā; ‘tu’ light, kavatnave: keep ‘va-tn’ cluster distinct; do not insert extra vowel
Firm, grounding, instructive; end with decisive closure on ‘kavatnave’.
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