Rig Veda 7.33.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 33, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.33
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एवेन्नु कं सिन्धुमेभिस्ततारेवेन्नु कं भेदमेभिर्जघान । एवेन्नु कं दाशराज्ञे सुदासं प्रावदिन्द्रो ब्रह्मणा वो वसिष्ठाः ॥
evén nu kaṃ síndhum ebhís tatāra evén nu kaṃ bhedám ebhír jaghāna | evén nu kaṃ dāśarājñé sudā́saṃ prā́vad índro bráhmaṇā vo vasiṣṭhāḥ ||
इंद्र ने वशिष्ठ रिशियों की मदद से एक नदी पार कराई। उन्हीं लोगों के साथ उसने भेद नाम का दुश्मन मारा। दस राजाओं की लड़ाई में इंद्र ने सुदास को बचाया। यह सब वशिष्ठ रिशियों के शब्द की शक्ति से हुआ।
Word by Word
- एव
- just so; indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic particle)Root एव
- इन्नु
- indeed now; surelyIndeclinableनिपात-समुदाय (emphatic + now/indeed)Root इद् + नु
- कम्
- whom? / someone (indef.)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्यक्त/अनिश्चित ‘कं’)Role KarmaRoot क (प्रश्न/अनिश्चित सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सिन्धुम्
- the river Sindhu; the streamNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सिन्धु
- एभिः
- with thesePronounपुं/नपुं, तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot इदम्
- ततारे
- he crossedVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √तॄ (तॄ/तॄ॒) ‘to cross’
- एव
- just so; indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot एव
- इन्नु
- indeed nowIndeclinableनिपात-समुदायRoot इद् + नु
- कम्
- whom? / someonePronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot क
- भेदम्
- a breach; cleft; (hostile) divisionNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भेद
- एभिः
- with thesePronounपुं/नपुं, तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot इदम्
- जघान
- he struck down; he slewVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √हन् ‘to strike, slay’
- एव
- just so; indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot एव
- इन्नु
- indeed nowIndeclinableनिपात-समुदायRoot इद् + नु
- कम्
- whom? / someonePronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot क
- दाशराज्ञे
- to/for Dāśarājña (the ‘Battle of Ten Kings’ context)Noun (compound) / Proper nameपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot दाशराज्ञ (दाश-राज्ञ)
- सुदासम्
- SudāsNoun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सुदास
- प्रावदत्
- he proclaimed; he spoke forthVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot प्र + √वद् ‘to speak, proclaim’
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र
- ब्रह्मणा
- by/with sacred utterance; by prayerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ब्रह्मन्
- वः
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic)Root युष्मद्
- वसिष्ठाः
- the Vasiṣṭhas; Vasiṣṭha’s (people/priests)Noun (proper name; also clan-name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वसिष्ठ
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): ए॒व इन्नु कम् सिन्धुम् एभिः ततारे | ए॒व इन्नु कम् भेदम् एभिः जघान | ए॒व इन्नु कम् दाशराज्ञे सुदासम् प्र-अवदत् इन्द्रः ब्रह्मणा वः वसिष्ठाः || मुख्य संधि: (1) एवेन्नु = एव + इन्नु (स्वर-संधि/संयोग; ‘एव’ + ‘इन्नु’ का संक्षेप) (2) सिन्धुमेभिः = सिन्धुम् + एभिः (म् + ए → मे) (3) भेदमेभिः = भेदम् + एभिः (म् + ए → मे) (4) प्रावदिन्द्रो = प्रावदत् + इन्द्रः (त् + इ → दि; तथा विसर्ग-संधि से ‘इन्द्रः’ → ‘इन्द्रो’) (5) दाशराज्ञे: दाश-राज्ञे (समास/संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, aided by certain helpers, crosses the river and strikes down Bheda; in the Battle of the Ten Kings he protects Sudās through the brahman (inspired utterance) of the Vasiṣṭhas.
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind-Power (Indra) carries the seeker across the inner ‘river’—a turbulent stream of vital and mental currents—by the supporting forces awakened through disciplined aspiration and right companions (‘these’). The hostile divider (Bheda) is the psychological power that fragments consciousness and breaks unity; it is overcome by the same allied energies. In the decisive inner conflict (daśarājña), the soul-nature that is aligned to Truth (Sudās) is protected not merely by outer strength but by brahman—mantric vision-force—released by the Vasiṣṭha-line of seers (the steady, established consciousness).
Universal truth
Crossings and victories in life are stabilized when the mind is illumined and supported by coherent inner forces; fragmentation is conquered by unity of aspiration and by the power of true speech—insight expressed with sincerity, rhythm, and alignment to Truth.
Themes
Ten Kings battle, Indra protects Sudās, Power of brahman (Word), Crossing and slaying motifs
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18 (Daśarājña context), RV 7.23–7.26 (Indra hymns of Vasiṣṭha), RV 7.33 (lineage and spiritual authority)
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭhas of the Tṛtsu-Bharata tradition; guardians of brahman (mantric efficacy) and right order (ṛta) in RV Maṇḍala 7.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha signifies the ‘most established’ state—stable wideness and clarity in consciousness. His brahman is not mere ritual speech but a settled seeing that can call down Indra’s illuminating force in moments of inner battle.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (implied), Maghavan (implied bestower), Śatakratu (implied many-powered)
- Related deities
- Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Soma (bliss that empowers Indra), Bṛhaspati (brahman-power of the Word)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions; lord of luminous intelligence who opens the paths and releases the waters/lights.
Inner power
Decisive illumination and courage in the mind; the capacity to cross crises and strike division with unified will and true speech.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña sequences (general applicability; not exclusive)
ए॒वेन्नु कं॒ सिन्धु॑मेभिस्ततारे॒वेन्नु कं॑ भे॒दमे॑भिर्जघान । ए॒वेन्नु कं॑ दाशरा॒ज्ञे सु॒दासं॒ प्राव॒दिन्द्रो॒ ब्रह्म॑णा वो वसिष्ठाः ॥
ए॒व । इत् । नु । क॒म् । सिन्धु॑म् ए॒भिः॒ । त॒ता॒र॒ । ए॒व । इत् । नु । क॒म् । भे॒दम् । ए॒भिः॒ । ज॒घा॒न॒ । ए॒व । इत् । नु । क॒म् । दा॒श॒ऽरा॒ज्ञे । सु॒ऽदास॑म् । प्र । आ॒व॒त् । इन्द्रः॑ । ब्रह्म॑णा । वः॒ । व॒सि॒ष्ठाः॒ ॥
eva | it | nu | kam | sindhum ebhiḥ | tatāra | eva | it | nu | kam | bhedam | ebhiḥ | jaghāna | eva | it | nu | kam | dāśa-rājñe | su-dāsam | pra | āvat | indraḥ | brahmaṇā | vaḥ | vasiṣṭhāḥ
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Heroic, forward-driving cadence suited to victory narrative and decisive action.
Builds mental firmness and confidence; the repeated ‘evén nu kam’ functions like a refrain that seals conviction and steadies the will.
- सिन्धुम् (sindhum)
- Literal: river, stream. Symbolic: the flowing current of life-energy and mind; the passage between ordinary and higher consciousness
- भेदम् (bhedam)
- Literal: Bheda (a foe), ‘the divider’. Symbolic: the force of division—doubt, dispersion, conflicting impulses that split the being
- दाशराज्ञे (dāśarājñe)
- Literal: battle of the ten kings. Symbolic: a major inner crisis where many competing tendencies contend for rule
- सुदासम् (sudāsam)
- Literal: Sudās (king). Symbolic: the ‘good-giver’ soul-nature open to right guidance; the truth-aligned personality
- ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā)
- Literal: by brahman; sacred formulation. Symbolic: mantric Word as vision-force (vāk-śakti) that establishes order and invokes higher power
- प्रावद् (prāvat)
- Literal: protected, furthered. Symbolic: the safeguarding and forward-leading action of the illumined Mind
Commemorative-assertive verse: efficacy of the Vasiṣṭha brahman in securing Indra’s aid; used to affirm the power of inspired speech within ritual conflict/competition
Invocations for Indra’s protection and victory; recited in contexts of overcoming obstacles or seeking right outcome in conflict.
Stuti (praise) emphasizing brahman’s efficacy; calling Indra to ‘protect’ the sacrificer’s cause.
Use as a ‘crossing mantra’ during transitions (career change, grief, addiction recovery): affirm unity, invoke illumination, and reject inner division.
√tṛ ‘cross’ and √han ‘smite’ are paired heroic verbs. brahman here is not later metaphysics but the potent formulation/utterance (from √bṛh ‘grow, make great’)—the Word that makes power increase. The historical frame (dāśarājña) is read inwardly as the many competing impulses (‘kings’) in the being; Sudās becomes the right-leading will supported by the Word.
brahman as power of the Word, protection by divine force through right formulation, victory over division (Bheda)
Brahman aligns the human field to ṛta, enabling Indra’s right action.
Protection of Sudās symbolizes safeguarding the truth-aligned being.
Crossing the river echoes passage from chaos to ordered becoming; victory over division restores integrality.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): mantra as consciousness-force rather than mere historical chronicle.
River = flux of prakṛti; crossing = ascent; battle = inner tapas; ‘helpers’ = awakened faculties (faith, aspiration, clarity, courage).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s heroic aid in the Ten Kings conflict, achieved through the seers’ brahman. Mythically: crossing waters and slaying an enemy; psychologically: passing beyond limiting currents and defeating the divider-force (Bheda) by the power of the Word.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṛ (PIE *terh₂) and √han (PIE *gʷhen- ‘strike, slay’; cf. Greek phónos via related field, Sanskrit ghn-) are inherited heroic-action roots. The formulaic repetition evén nu kaṃ is an Indo-European style intensifier pattern (anaphora) used to build incantatory certainty.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Vasiṣṭhas’ brahman is presented as the effective instrument through which Indra acts. The ṛṣi-devatā relation becomes co-operative: the Word (human-divine formulation) channels the god’s force into historical/inner victory.
Unify scattered energies; invoke inner Indra to cross turbulence and cut divisive thought-patterns.
maṇipūra (will/force) and ājñā (illumination)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while inwardly repeating the refrain-like cadence; exhale on ‘prāvad indraḥ’.
From agitated rajas to luminous, decisive clarity.
Before chanting, recall one ‘river’ you must cross (fear, habit, confusion). Chant 9 or 27 times; after each round, pause in silence and feel a single unified intention replacing inner debate.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per RV recensional accents; refrain-like stress on ‘evén nu kám’.
Give clear lift to udātta syllables; let svarita glide downward; keep ‘brahmaṇā’ smooth and weighty, not clipped.
Maintain retroflex ṭ/ḍ/ṣ in ‘vasiṣṭhāḥ’., Keep ‘sindhum’ with clear nasal ‘m’., In ‘jaghāna’, articulate gh as voiced aspirate (gʱ)., Do not over-separate sandhi in chanting; keep a steady flow across pāda breaks.
Firm, resonant, forward-placing (chest-to-mask resonance).
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