Rig Veda 9.52.3: Mandala 9, Sukta 52, Mantra 3
Sukta 9.52
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
चरुर्न यस्तमीङ्खयेन्दो न दानमीङ्खय । वधैर्वधस्नवीङ्खय ॥
carúr ná yas tám īṅkhayéndo ná dā́nam īṅkhaya | vadháir vadhasnó īṅkhaya ||
सोम रस जैसे अच्छा बना हुआ प्रसाद हो। कोई भी उसे हिला न सके। जो तुमपे हाथ उठाएगा, तुम उसे गिरा दोगे। तुम देना में कोई कमी नहीं रखते।
Word by Word
- च॒रुः
- (like) a cooked offering; pleasant/choice (charu)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (उपमान/वर्णन-प्रधानः)Root चरु- (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *ker- ‘to cook/heat’ (semantic)
- न
- like/as; (here) comparative ‘as’Indeclinableनिषेध/उपमा-निपातःRoot न (निपात)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शकः)Root यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तमी
- darkness; gloomNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तमि- (प्रातिपदिक; RV-विशेषः)
- ईङ्खय
- shake; drive awayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root ईङ्ख् (धातु; चलने/कम्पने ‘to shake, set in motion’)
- इन्दो
- O Indu (Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्दु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRoot न (निपात)
- दानम्
- gift; giving; donationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot दान- (प्रातिपदिक) < √दा ‘to give’
- ईङ्खय
- shake; impelVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root ईङ्ख् (धातु)
- व॒धैः
- with blows; with slayings/strikesNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot वध- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वधस्नव
- O slayer; O strikerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (इन्दो इति सम्बोधितस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणम्Root वधस्नु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘slaying/striking’)
- ईङ्खय
- shake; smite; drive (away)Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root ईङ्ख् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): चरुः | न | यः | तमी | ईङ्खय | इन्दो | न | दानम् | ईङ्खय | वधैः | वधस्नव | ईङ्खय । 1) तमी॑ङ्ख॒य = तमी + ईङ्खय (स्वर-सन्धिः/संहितायाम् दीर्घ-समासः; इ-ई संयोगे ‘ई’ दीर्घः, लेखने ‘मीङ्ख’ इव दृश्यते)। 2) दान॑मीङ्खय = दानम् + ईङ्खय (म् + ई → मी; संहितायां ‘मी’ रूपम्)। 3) व॒धैर्व॑धस्नवीङ्खय = वधैः + वधस्नव + ईङ्खय (वधैः + वधस्नव → वधैर्वधस्नव (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः ‘ः’→‘र्’ परे घोषे/वर्णे); वधस्नव + ईङ्खय → वधस्नवीङ्खय (इ-ई संयोगे दीर्घः/संहितारूपम्))
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whoever tries to shake him—like a well-cooked offering—cannot shake, O Indu, your giving; with your strokes, shake down the striker.
Inner meaning
Purified Soma (inner delight) is ‘well-cooked’ (caru)—matured by inner heat and rightly prepared; therefore it cannot be disturbed by external agitation or inner turbulence. No hostile force can diminish the soul’s true giving (dāna)—the spontaneous outflow of joy, strength, and generosity from a clarified consciousness. Instead, Soma’s own power strikes down the ‘striker’ (vadhasnu): the aggressive impulsion in us (or hostile formations) that tries to assault and disrupt the inner sacrifice.
Universal truth
What is ripened in truth and offered rightly becomes stable; authentic inner joy and generosity are unshakable, and they disarm the forces that attack from fear, envy, or violence.
Themes
Protection, Anti-hostile forces, Soma-ritual, Victory over obstruction
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.52.2, Rig Veda 9.52.4, Rig Veda 9.52.5
Significance
The seer speaks from a tested inner stability: the mantra is a protective formula for keeping the purified state undisturbed and for reversing attacks of turbulence.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (Indu)
- Epithets
- Indu (bright drop), Pavamāna (purifying)
- Related deities
- Indra (drinker of Soma; power against Vṛtra-type obstruction), Agni (cooking/transforming tapas)
Cosmic role
Stabilizer of the offering; sustainer of divine exchange (dāna) between human aspiration and higher consciousness.
Inner power
Unshakable Ananda that resists disturbance and turns back hostile impacts; a sattvic ‘armor’ of joy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma purification chants during pressing; protective/apotropaic intent within the Soma rite
च॒रुर्न यस्तमी॑ङ्ख॒येन्दो॒ न दान॑मीङ्खय । व॒धैर्व॑धस्नवीङ्खय ॥
च॒रुः । न । यः । तम् । ई॒ङ्ख॒य॒ । इ॒न्दो॒ इति॑ । न । दान॑म् । ई॒ङ्ख॒य॒ । व॒धैः । व॒ध॒स्नो॒ इति॑ वधऽस्नो । ई॒ङ्ख॒य॒ ॥
caruḥ | na | yaḥ | tam | īṅkhaya | indo iti | na | dānam | īṅkhaya | vadhaiḥ | vadhasno itivadha-sno | īṅkhaya
Likely Triṣṭubh (vigorous, protective tone common in such imperative/combative lines), though confirmation depends on full pada syllable audit in the specific recension
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4×11 (Triṣṭubh-type)
Firm, striking rhythm matching the theme of resisting agitation and striking down the assailant.
Builds steadiness and a contained power; helpful when the mind is harassed or emotionally shaken.
- च॒रुः (caruḥ)
- Literal: cooked oblation (porridge offering). Symbolic: a ripened, prepared consciousness; emotions ‘cooked’ by tapas into maturity
- ईङ्खय (īṅkhaya)
- Literal: shake, agitate, disturb. Symbolic: vital restlessness, mental perturbation, hostile suggestion
- इन्दो (indo)
- Literal: O Indu (Soma drop). Symbolic: the concentrated point of delight/essence in consciousness
- दानम् (dānam)
- Literal: giving, gift. Symbolic: free outflow of Ananda and strength; soul’s generosity and plenitude
- वधैः (vadhaiḥ)
- Literal: with blows/strokes. Symbolic: decisive luminous impacts of purified force cutting through obstruction
- वधस्नवीङ्खय (vadhasnav īṅkhaya)
- Literal: shake down the striker. Symbolic: overthrow the violent impulsion/hostile formation that attacks the inner work
Apotropaic (protective) Soma praise: Soma’s gift is unassailable; Soma overthrows hostile forces (rakṣas/ari)
When invoking Soma’s power to preserve the offering and repel hostile influences
Recitation alongside straining/handling Soma; symbolic ‘warding off’ of rakṣas/hostile forces
Use when feeling mentally attacked or destabilized: affirm unshakable generosity and invoke inner force to drop reactive aggression.
(caru) ‘cooked offering’ from √car? (uncertain; ritual term) → symbolically ‘ripened substance’. (īṅkhaya) causative/imperative from √īṅkh ‘to swing, shake’ → agitation/overthrow. (dāna) from √dā ‘give’ (PIE *deh₃-) → gift/bestowal. (vadha) ‘slaying, stroke’ from √vadh ‘strike/kill’ → force that removes obstruction. (vadhasna) ‘striker’ (agent noun) → hostile force of violence/obstruction.
Stability of divine giving against disturbance, Battle of light/delight vs hostile violence, Removal of obstruction to ṛta
Rightly prepared offering follows ṛta and thus cannot be dislodged by disorderly forces.
Dāna grounded in truth remains intact; false agitation cannot ‘shake’ it.
Integral-psychological: transformation (tapas) yields stable Ananda that becomes power against inner hostility.
Heat of practice ripens the substance of experience; agitation symbolizes rajasic disturbance; ‘blows’ symbolize decisive illuminative interventions.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The inviolability of Soma’s boon and the overthrow of the violent adversary. Inner sense: hostile impulses may try to disturb the prepared offering (ripened consciousness), but cannot shake the divine bestowal; rather, Soma’s force shakes down the aggressor in the being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dāna from √dā ‘give’ reflects PIE *deh₃- (Greek didōmi, Latin dōnum). vadha from √vadh ‘strike’ is Indo-Iranian (Av. vad-) and fits a widespread IE ‘strike’ semantic field though exact PIE reconstruction is debated.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi entrusts defense to Soma: the hymn asserts a covenant—Soma’s giving remains firm for the worshipper, while Soma actively turns its force against inner/outer assailants that would disrupt the sacrifice (inner work).
Stabilize Ananda; refuse agitation; transmute reactive violence into calm force.
Manipura (steady power) and Anahata (generous giving)
Box-breath (4-4-4-4) to build steadiness; on exhale, release agitation; on inhale, draw in clear Soma-like sweetness
Protected sattva with a warrior-like steadiness (vira) rather than reactive anger.
When disturbance arises, pause; feel the ‘cooked’ maturity of your offering; repeat the mantra to affirm: ‘my true giving cannot be shaken’; then direct a quiet, decisive will to drop the hostile impulse (in yourself first).
Follow Rigvedic accent marks from the saṃhitā edition; keep imperatives (īṅkhaya) crisp while preserving Vedic pitch contour.
Slightly emphasize the negation ‘na’ and the stability words (dānam) through clarity, not volume; let ‘vadhaiḥ’ land with a firm cadence.
caruḥ: ‘c’ as ‘ch’ (palatal), final visarga lightly before pause, īṅkhaya: long ī; nasal ‘ṅ’ before ‘kh’, indo: short o; keep ‘nd’ clean, dānam: long ā, vadhaiḥ: aspirated ‘dh’; diphthong ai, vadhasno: keep ‘dh’ aspirated; cluster ‘sn’ clear
Firm, contained, slightly percussive articulation (without shouting).
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