Rig Veda 10.113.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 113, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.113
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
जज्ञान एव व्यबाधत स्पृधः प्रापश्यद्वीरो अभि पौंस्यं रणम् । अवृश्चदद्रिमव सस्यदः सृजदस्तभ्नान्नाकं स्वपस्यया पृथुम् ॥
jajñānó evá vyabādhata spṛ́dhaḥ prápaśyad vīró abhí paúṃsyaṃ ráṇam | ávṛścad ádrim áva sa-syádaḥ sṛ́jad ástabhnān nā́kaṃ svapasyáyā pṛthúm ||
Terlahir dalam kedahsyatannya, seketika ia menghalau segala persaingan; sang pahlawan memandang ke hadapan pada pertempuran yang jantan. Ia membelah Batu; ia melepaskan aliran-aliran yang tertahan; ia menegakkan langit yang luas dengan karya-sempurnanya.
Word by Word
- जज्ञानः
- having been born; bornParticiple (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (agent; subject of the finite verbs)Root √जन् (jan) / प्रातिपदिक: जज्ञान- (PPP)
- एव
- indeed, justIndeclinableRole सम्बन्ध/निपात (emphasis)Root एव
- वि
- apart, asunder (intensifier with verb)PreverbRoot वि
- अबाधत
- he repelled, drove awayVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √बाध् (bādh)
- स्पृधः
- rivalries; hostile opponentsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (object of अबाधत)Root स्पृध्- (prātipadika) / from √स्पृध् (spṛdh) ‘to contend’
- प्र
- forth, forwardPreverbRoot प्र
- अपश्यत्
- he saw, beheldVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √पश् (paś) / √दृश् (semantic)
- वीरः
- the heroNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition to जज्ञानः)Root वीर-
- अभि
- towards, againstPreverb/IndeclinableRoot अभि
- पौंस्यम्
- manly, masculineAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म/विशेष्य (qualifier of रणम्)Root पौंस्य- (from पुंस् ‘man’)
- रणम्
- battle, combatNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अपश्यत्; ‘saw the battle’)Root रण-
- अव
- down, awayPreverbRoot अव
- अवृश्चत्
- he cut off, cleftVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √व्रश्च् (vraśc) ‘to cut’
- अद्रिम्
- the rock, stone (mountain)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अवृश्चत्)Root अद्रि-
- अव
- down, awayPreverbRoot अव
- सस्यदः
- the impeller/causer of flowing (epithet of the hero)Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (apposition; subject continuing)Root सस्यद्- (prātipadika; Vedic epithet, lit. ‘the one who makes (things) flow/slide down’)
- सृजत्
- he released, let looseVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √सृज् (sṛj) ‘to release, let flow’
- अस्तभ्नात्
- he propped up, made firmVerbलङ् (इम्परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √स्तभ् (stabh) ‘to prop, support, make firm’
- नाकम्
- heaven, the celestial vaultNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (object of अस्तभ्नात्)Root नाक-
- स्वपस्यया
- by skill, by good workmanshipNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (instrument: ‘by skill’)Root स्वपस्या- (from सु-√पस्/पश्य?; ‘skill, good workmanship’)
- पृथुम्
- broad, wideAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with नाकम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot पृथु-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): जज्ञानः | एव | वि | अबाधत् | स्पृधः | प्र | अपश्यत् | वीरः | अभि | पौंस्यम् | रणम् | अव | अवृश्चत् | अद्रिम् | अव | सस्यदः | सृजत् | अस्तभ्नात् | नाकम् | स्वपस्यया | पृथुम् । मुख्य सन्धि-विच्छेद: (1) व्यबाधत = वि + अबाधत्
- (2) प्रापश्यत् = प्र + अपश्यत्
- (3) अद्रिमव = अद्रिम् + अव
- (4) सृजदस्तभ्नात् = सृजत् + अस्तभ्नात् (त् + अ → द्)
- (5) अस्तभ्नान्नाकम् = अस्तभ्नात् + नाकम् (त् + न → न्न)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Born in might, he drove away rivalries; the hero beheld the manly battle. He cut the stone, released the streams, and upheld the wide heaven by perfect work.
Inner meaning
As the illumined power is born (jajñāna) in the seeker, it immediately repels inner conflicts and competing impulses (spṛdhaḥ). The heroic consciousness faces the decisive struggle. It cleaves the ‘stone’ (adri)—the hard obstruction in the being—so the imprisoned streams (waters of truth, energies of life) can flow. By right action (svapasyā), it establishes a wide, stable inner heaven (nākaṃ pṛthum): a spacious, ordered mind of light.
Universal truth
True power begins by ending inner rivalries; when the hard knot is cut, life and knowledge flow freely, and a stable inner sky of clarity is established through right work.
Themes
cosmic formation, release of rivers/waters (inner flows), driving away rivalries (inner harmonisation)
The seer
Significance
A classic Aurobindonian progression: birth of divine force → removal of division → cleaving obstruction → release of waters → establishment of wide heaven (stable luminous mind).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vīra (hero, here as quality), Vṛtrahan (implied)
- Related deities
- Parvata/Adri (symbolic stone), Āpaḥ (waters)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstacles, releaser of waters, establisher of the wide heaven/order.
Inner power
Breakthrough force of illumination that turns struggle into liberated flow and stable clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory/release recitations in Soma contexts (general)
ज॒ज्ञा॒न ए॒व व्य॑बाधत॒ स्पृध॒: प्राप॑श्यद्वी॒रो अ॒भि पौंस्यं॒ रण॑म् । अवृ॑श्च॒दद्रि॒मव॑ स॒स्यद॑: सृज॒दस्त॑भ्ना॒न्नाकं॑ स्वप॒स्यया॑ पृ॒थुम् ॥
ज॒ज्ञा॒नः । ए॒व । वि । अ॒बा॒ध॒त॒ । स्पृधः॑ । प्र । अ॒प॒श्य॒त् । वी॒रः । अ॒भि । पौंस्य॑म् । रण॑म् । अवृ॑श्चत् । अद्रि॑म् । अव॑ । स॒ऽस्यदः॑ । सृ॒ज॒त् । अस्त॑भ्नात् । नाक॑म् । सु॒ऽअ॒प॒स्यया॑ । पृ॒थुम् ॥
jajñānaḥ | eva | vi | abādhata | spṛdhaḥ | pra | apaśyat | vīraḥ | abhi | paiṃsyam | raṇam | avṛścat | adrim | ava | sa-syadaḥ | sṛjat | astabhnāt | nākam | su-apasyayā | pṛthum
44
4 × ~11
Decisive, cutting rhythm with strong caesuras—mirrors ‘cleaving’ and ‘releasing’.
Produces a felt ‘opening’ in the chest/forehead; helpful for dissolving mental congestion.
- jajñānaḥ
- Literal: born. Symbolic: Awakening/birth of the higher power in consciousness
- spṛdhaḥ
- Literal: rivalries, conflicts. Symbolic: Competing desires, doubts, divided will
- vīraḥ
- Literal: hero. Symbolic: The courageous soul-force guided by illumination
- adri
- Literal: stone, rock. Symbolic: Hard obstruction; fixed inertia; sealed subconscient formation
- āpaḥ (implied by streams)
- Literal: waters/streams. Symbolic: Flow of truth, inspiration, and liberated energies
- nāka
- Literal: heaven, firmament. Symbolic: Luminous mind-plane; clarified consciousness
- svapasyā
- Literal: good work, perfect action. Symbolic: Right practice—skillful inner discipline aligned with ṛta
Recitation of Indra’s cosmically formative deeds (cutting stone, releasing flows, upholding heaven) to stabilise the rite’s ascent and the sacrificer’s inner order.
When celebrating Indra’s release of waters and establishment of heaven
Praise accompanying offerings; inner analogue: offer effort and receive release
Use during transitions: when seeking to end inner conflict and establish clarity (decision-making, habit change, recovery from overwhelm).
spṛdh ‘rivalry’ relates to √ ‘contend’. avṛścat from √ (vraśc) ‘cut’ (PIE *(s)werd- ‘cut’ is often proposed; cross-branch correspondences exist). nāka ‘heaven’ as the higher firmament/plane. apas ‘work’ (also ‘waters’ elsewhere) here in svapasyā ‘good work’ indicates right effectiveness—action aligned with rita—by which the higher consciousness (wide nāka) is upheld.
Rita as right workmanship (svapasyā), establishment of higher plane (nāka), vision preceding victorious action (pra-apaśyat)
Svapasyā is action aligned with ṛta that stabilizes the wide heaven of consciousness.
Waters/streams signify truth released from concealment.
Creation as liberation: heaven broadened and upheld after obstruction is cleaved.
Integral Yoga/Vedantic symbolism: higher birth and establishment of luminous mind.
Rock = hardened samskāra; waters = freed inspiration and life-force; sky = clear, spacious mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s formative victory: on arising he dispels rivalries, breaks the stone, releases the pent-up flows, and establishes the wide heaven. This is the classic sequence of obstruction-breaking leading to the freeing of life-waters and the stabilisation of a higher order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā ‘uphold/stand’ (astabhnāt < √stambh, but the ‘stand/prop’ semantic field is IE-wide) resonates with PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’. The mythic grammar—cutting the stone, releasing waters—matches an Indo-European poetic inheritance of dragon/obstruction vs. liberating hero.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Indra not only as warrior but as cosmic artisan: by ‘svapasyā’ (right workmanship) he establishes the higher expanse. The implied boon is inner architecture—stability of the higher mind/sky—after the release of blocked energies.
Identify one ‘rock’ (a rigid belief or habit). On recitation, visualize the vajra of discernment cleaving it; feel a stream of quiet energy releasing upward into a wide, clear sky-mind.
Viśuddha (release/flow) and Ājñā (clear sky-mind)
Slow-meditative 4–8 breathing; exhale longer while imagining ‘cutting’ and releasing
From constriction to spacious clarity; from divided will to unified direction.
Do not fight many rivalries at once—name them (spṛdhaḥ), then return to one decisive cut (adri). After release, rest in wideness (nākaṃ pṛthum) without rushing to new struggle.
Neutral Vedic tone with udātta on marked syllables; keep strong pāda endings for Triṣṭubh cadence.
Make the verbs crisp: vy abādhata / avṛścat / sṛjat / astabhnāt; slight pause after each action to ‘feel’ the opening.
vyabādhata: conjunct vy, long ā, pauṃsyaṃ: nasalized auṃ, keep ‘sya’ clear, avṛścat: vocalic ṛ, palatal ś, cluster śc, astabhnāt: cluster st, retroflex/aspirate as written
Clear, cutting articulation; then soften into openness on nākaṃ pṛthum.
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