Rig Veda 7.37.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 37, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.37
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
सनितासि प्रवतो दाशुषे चिद्याभिर्विवेषो हर्यश्व धीभिः । ववन्मा नु ते युज्याभिरूती कदा न इन्द्र राय आ दशस्येः ॥
sánitāsi praváto dāśúṣe cid yā́bhir víveṣo hary-aśva dhī́bhiḥ | vávann mā́ nú te yújyābhir ūtī́ kadā́ na indra rāyá ā́ daśasyeḥ ||
इंद्र, तुम आगे बढ़ने वाली ताकात जीते हो। जो लोग तुम्हे देंगे, उनके लिए भी तुम जीते हो। तुम्हारे भूरे रंग के घोड़े हैं। तुम सोच के चलते हो। हम तुम्हारी मदद माँग रहे हैं। इंद्र, कब तुम हमें धन और खुशाली दोगे?
Word by Word
- सनि॑ता
- winner, bestower (gainer)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (स्तुत्य-कर्ता/विशेष्य) / संबोधन-सम्बन्ध (अगले ‘असि’ के साथ विधेय)Root सनि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सनि’ = लाभ/प्राप्ति) अथवा √सन् (to gain) से बना नाम
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम? नहीं; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (असि = ‘thou art’ वास्तव में मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन, पर वैदिक में ‘असि’ = 2sg)Role (क्रिया) विधेयRoot √अस् (भू)
- प्रवतः
- from/among the slopes, from the descents (streams)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक प्रयोग), षष्ठी, एकवचन (या बहुवचन; यहाँ सामान्यतः षष्ठी बहुवचन ‘प्रवतः’ = slopes/descents)Role Apādāna/Adhikaraṇa (स्रोत/क्षेत्र: ‘from/among the slopes/streams’)Root प्रवत्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘ढाल/प्रवाह/उतार’
- दाशुषे
- to the worshipper/giverNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot √दाश् (to worship/give) → दाशुष् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) ‘दाता/यजमान’
- चिद्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चिद् (निपात)
- याभिः
- with which (with those)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विवेषो
- you have entered/come (approached)Verbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन (विवेषो = ‘thou hast entered/approached’)Role (क्रिया)Root √विश् (to enter) with वि-; परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट रूप
- हर्यश्व
- O you of tawny horsesNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot हरि-अश्व (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- धीभिः
- with hymns/insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot धी- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘धिया/प्रज्ञा/स्तोत्र’
- ववन्मा
- winning/striving, nowParticiple + Indeclinableववन्: वर्तमान कृदन्त (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (इन्द्र के लिए); मा: निपातRole Kartā (ववन्) + निपातRoot ववन् (√वन् ‘to win/desire’ का कृदन्त/अव्ययभाव; यहाँ ‘ववन्’ = ‘winning/striving’) + मा (अव्यय ‘now/indeed’ वैदिक)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot नु (निपात)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- युज्याभिः
- with your yoking/ready (helping) [powers]Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot युज्य- (√युज् ‘to yoke/join’ से निष्पन्न विशेषण ‘युक्त/योग्य’)
- ऊती
- with (your) helpNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऊति- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘सहायता/रक्षा’
- कदा
- when?Indeclinableअव्ययRoot कदा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- नः
- our, for usPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- of wealthNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive with ‘दशस्येः’—‘bestow of wealth’)Root राय्/रायि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘धन’
- आ
- towards, forthIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दशस्येः
- may you grant/favour (bestow)Verbलृट्/लोट्? वैदिक रूप: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन (प्रार्थना: ‘may you bestow/favour’)Role (क्रिया)Root √दशस्/दशस्य (denom. ‘to show favour, to bestow’)
Sandhi Notes
- मुख्य संधि-विच्छेद: दाशुषे चिद् (चिद् निपात)
- हर्यश्व (समास, संबोधन)
- ववन्मा = ववन् + मा (वैदिक निपात ‘मा’)
- ते युज्याभिः ऊती (ते = त्वदः षष्ठी एकवचन, एनक्लिटिक)
- कदा नः (नः = अस्मदः षष्ठी बहु.)
- राय आ = रायः + आ (विसर्ग लोप/पद-संधि)
- दशस्येः वैदिक प्रार्थनात्मक 2sg रूप।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is praised as the victorious one who wins the forward-moving flows; the worshipper cries for his yoked help and asks when Indra will grant riches.
Inner meaning
Indra (illumined mind) is the conqueror of the upward-driving currents of consciousness (pravataḥ): even for the one who offers (dāśuṣe), he wins the progressive movements by the inspired thoughts (dhī) that “move” him within us. The seeker calls for Indra’s yujyābhir ūtī—help that yokes our scattered energies into a single directed force—so that the ‘rāyaḥ’ becomes not mere wealth but fullness of being and power of realization.
Universal truth
Progress comes when higher intelligence is invited by sincere offering and sustained right thought; illumination then harnesses life-forces and opens an abiding plenitude.
Themes
Petition, Indra as winner, Invocation of help (ūtí)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Āditya/solar-aligned seer tradition in later memory)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.37, RV 7.38, RV 7.33, RV 7.82
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha family of RV Maṇḍala 7; hymns often emphasize ṛta, right guidance, and the kingly powers (Indra/Varuṇa/Mitra) as inner governors.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s vision is characteristically ‘governed’—seeking stable alignment with ṛta; Indra here is invoked as the organizer of ascent and the granter of integral plenitude.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Haryaśva (tawny-steeded), Sanitā (winner), Maghavan (bountiful, implied by rāyaḥ)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, opener of the luminous worlds, leader of victorious expansion.
Inner power
Divine Mind/illumination that slays the coverer (vṛtra) in us and converts aspiration into realizable force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma-yajña contexts (general praise/śastra style usage)
सनि॑तासि प्र॒वतो॑ दा॒शुषे॑ चि॒द्याभि॒र्विवे॑षो हर्यश्व धी॒भिः । व॒व॒न्मा नु ते॒ युज्या॑भिरू॒ती क॒दा न॑ इन्द्र रा॒य आ द॑शस्येः ॥
सनि॑ता । अ॒सि॒ । प्र॒ऽवतः॑ । दा॒शुषे॑ । चि॒त् । याभिः॑ । विवे॑षः । ह॒रि॒ऽअ॒श्व॒ । धी॒भिः । व॒व॒न्म । नु । ते॒ । युज्या॑भिः । ऊ॒ती । क॒दा । नः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । रा॒यः । आ । द॒श॒स्येः॒ ॥
sanitā | asi | pra-vataḥ | dāśuṣe | cit | yābhiḥ | viveṣaḥ | hari-aśva | dhībhiḥ | vavanma | nu | te | yujyābhiḥ | ūtī | kadā | naḥ | indra | rāyaḥ | ā | daśasyeḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Firm, forward-driving, suited to assertion and invocation.
Builds a sense of upward push and victorious insistence; supports a will-to-realize rather than passive devotion.
- सनि॑ता (sanitā)
- Literal: winner, conqueror. Symbolic: the victorious power of illumined mind that overcomes resistance
- प्र॒वतः॑ (pravataḥ)
- Literal: forward slopes/currents. Symbolic: upward-pressing streams of aspiration and evolutionary movement
- दा॒शुषे॑ (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: the consecrated seeker who offers ego and energy into the inner yajña
- धी॒भिः (dhībhiḥ)
- Literal: by thoughts/insights. Symbolic: inspired discernments that call and shape the descent of light
- हर्यश्व (haryaśva)
- Literal: having tawny steeds. Symbolic: illumined mind carried by purified vital energies
- युज्या॑भिः ऊ॒ती (yujyābhiḥ ūtī)
- Literal: help with yokings. Symbolic: grace that unifies faculties—mind, life, body—into a single yoga of action
- रा॒यः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: riches. Symbolic: plenitude of being: light, force, joy, and effective power
Petition to Indra for rāy (abundance) in a Soma praise sequence (general)
During Indra-related recitations in Soma pressing sequences; also suitable as a general invocation for strength and success.
Stotra/śastra praise to attract Indra’s aid and ‘wealth’.
Use as a mantra for aligning aspiration with clear thought and for invoking decisive inner help in periods of inertia or obscurity.
sanitā: √san ‘win, gain’ (PIE *sen- ‘gain/reach’ possible). yujyā-: √yuj (PIE *yeug- ‘yoke, join’). dhī: from √dhī/√dhā ‘to set, place’ → ‘placed insight’, the formed thought-power. rāy-: ‘richness, abundance’ as inner plenitude rather than material wealth.
Yoking (yuj) as integration of powers, Rāy as fullness of being
Indra’s ‘winning’ of pravataḥ suggests conquest of the right progressive movement against deviation and obstruction.
Rāyaḥ as fullness of being—truth manifesting as plenitude.
Release and increase: expansion of consciousness through victorious illumination.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo: ascent + descent; illumination organizing life)
Currents = movements of aspiration; steeds = vital energies carrying the mind’s light; ‘winning’ = overcoming subconscious drag.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as ‘the winner’ who masters the forward-driving streams (pravataḥ): mythically, the god conquers and directs the rushing powers; psychologically, he governs the surging life-energies and turns them toward attainment (san).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (yoking) is a classic IE root (PIE *yeug-) with broad ritual and psychological application (joining powers, harnessing energies). The agentive -tā in sanitā is a productive Indo-Aryan formation for ‘doer/winner’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi offers dhī (insight) and voiced aspiration (vavanma) and asks for Indra’s ūtí that ‘yokes’ the human to divine force. The exchange is: thought-offering for empowered abundance (rāy).
Invoke Indra as the luminous intelligence that organizes aspiration into effective action.
ājñā (illumined mind)
Moderate japa with steady nasal breathing; slight emphasis on exhalation during ‘kadā na indra’.
Active concentration moving toward illumined clarity.
Offer a difficulty (dāśuṣe) inwardly; then repeat the verse focusing on ‘yujyābhiḥ ūtī’—feel scattered energies yoke into one current; end in silent receptivity for rāyaḥ as wideness and strength.
Use standard Rigvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per śākhā tradition; key lifts often fall on invocatory names (índra, haryaśva).
Sustain the cadence at pāda ends; keep ‘kadā naḥ indra’ as a clear interrogative rise then settle.
Differentiate dental ‘n’ in naḥ from retroflex when applicable (here dental)., : split as har-ya-śva; keep ‘śva’ crisp., yujyābhiḥ: pronounce ‘yuj-yā’ with a clear double consonant.
Bright, firm, invoking; not harsh—‘victory’ with clarity.
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