Rig Veda 2.20.1: Mandala 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 1
Sukta 2.20
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वयं ते वय इन्द्र विद्धि षु णः प्र भरामहे वाजयुर्न रथम् । विपन्यवो दीध्यतो मनीषा सुम्नमियक्षन्तस्त्वावतो नॄन् ॥
vayáṃ te váya indra víddhi ṣú ṇaḥ prá bharāmahe vāja-yúr ná rátham | vipanyávo dī́dhyato manīṣā́ sumnám íyakṣantas tvā́vato nṝ́n ||
Ketahuilah, wahai Indra, daya kami bagi-Mu; kami mengajukannya ke depan laksana kereta yang mendamba kelimpahan tenaga. Kami, para pencari sabda bercahaya, yang menyalakan (api pujian) dengan pikiran, rindu meraih anugerah-Mu—manusia yang ditegakkan oleh-Mu.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to youPronounचतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्, वैदिक)Role सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयः
- strength; vigorNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वयस् (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्धि
- know; take noteVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root विद् (जानने) / √विद्
- सु
- well; clearlyIndeclinableनिपात (प्रबलार्थ/सु- ‘well’)Role (विशेषण-भाव)Root सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = our/to us; अत्र षष्ठी)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भरामहे
- we bring; we bearVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया)Root भृ (धारणे/भरणे) / √भृ
- वाजयुः
- a prize-seeker; one seeking victoryNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान-कर्तृ)Root वाजयु (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; वाज + यु ‘seeking/impelling prize’)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थक निपातRole (उपमा)Root न (अव्यय)
- रथम्
- chariotNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रथ (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- विपन्यवः
- the inspired praisers; eloquent onesAdjective (substantive)प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot विपन्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्तुतिप्रिय/स्तुतिकुशल’)
- दीध्यतः
- shining; kindling (in devotion)Participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot दीधि (√धा/√ध्या? वैदिक ‘दीध्य’ = ‘to shine/blaze’; here from desiderative/intensive base of √ध्या/√दीप् sense ‘to glow’)
- मनीषा
- with thought; with inspired insightNounतृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (करणे)Role करणRoot मनीषा (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुम्नम्
- favor; graceNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सुम्न (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
- इयक्षन्तः
- worshipping; sacrificingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; वैदिक रूप ‘इयक्षन्तः’ (यज्-प्रवृत्तिः/यजनशीलाः)Role कर्तृRoot यज् (देवपूजासंगतिकरणदानेषु) / √यज्
- त्वावतः
- belonging to you; aided by youAdjectiveषष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक (अत्र षष्ठी बहुवचनस्य ‘नॄन्’ विशेषणम्—‘of/with you’)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वावत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘त्वद्-युक्त/त्वद्-सम्बद्ध’)
- नॄन्
- men; heroesNounद्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot नृ (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): वयम् | ते | वयः | इन्द्र | विद्धि | सु | नः | प्र | भरामहे | वाजयुः | न | रथम् || विपन्यवः | दीध्यतः | मनीषा | सुम्नम् | इयक्षन्तः | त्वावतः | नॄन् || 1) षु णः इति संहितायां ‘सु नः’ (निपात ‘सु’ + एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम ‘नः’)
- 2) सुम्नम् + इयक्षन्तः → सुम्नमियक्षन्तः (अ + इ = ए/य्-आगमः; संहितालक्षणेन ‘-मि-’)
- 3) त्वावतः + नॄन् → त्वावतो नॄन् (अः + न् → ओ न्; विसर्गसन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The singers ask Indra to recognize their strength for him; they bring it forward like a chariot eager for prizes. As lovers of the inspired word, kindling with thought, they seek to win his grace—men supported by him.
Inner meaning
The ‘strength’ (vayas) is the gathered energy of aspiration offered to the illumined Mind (Indra). The chariot is the organized instrument of action—life-force yoked to a clear direction—rushing toward vāja (plenitude, victory, effective power). Vipanyavaḥ are those who delight in the luminous word (inspiration/mantra), and dīdhyataḥ manīṣā indicates the inner kindling: thought made flaming, intelligence turned into a shining will. They seek sumnam (Indra’s grace/benediction): the descent of a supportive clarity that makes the human powers “tvāvataḥ”—sustained by the divine Mind rather than by ego-strain.
Universal truth
Progress requires offering one’s energies in a disciplined, directed way, and allowing a higher intelligence to support and transform effort into victorious action and authentic inspiration.
Themes
invocation of Indra’s recognition, aspiration for sumná (grace), energizing the offering as a chariot of force
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.20.2, RV 2.20.3, RV 2.20.4
Family tradition
A seer-poet whose Indra hymns emphasize energized aspiration, inspired speech, and the conversion of human effort into divine-supported victory.
Significance
Represents the ‘Arya’ movement of ascent: kindling the mind into a flame (manīṣā → dīdhyataḥ) and offering organized life-force (ratha) to Indra for transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vājín (giver of vāja), maghávan (bountiful), sakhā (friend—implied by later verse)
- Related deities
- Agni (kindling), Sarasvatī/Bṛhaspati (inspired word), Soma (delight that seals the grace)
Cosmic role
Empowers the seeker with victorious force, illumines thought, and supports the upward movement toward plenitude.
Inner power
Higher mind/illumination that recognizes sincere aspiration and converts it into effective, protected action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation in Soma praise sequences; preparatory stotra to call Indra’s recognition and support.
व॒यं ते॒ वय॑ इन्द्र वि॒द्धि षु ण॒: प्र भ॑रामहे वाज॒युर्न रथ॑म् । वि॒प॒न्यवो॒ दीध्य॑तो मनी॒षा सु॒म्नमिय॑क्षन्त॒स्त्वाव॑तो॒ नॄन् ॥
व॒यम् । ते॒ । वयः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । वि॒द्धि । सु । नः॒ । प्र । भ॒रा॒म॒हे॒ । वा॒ज॒ऽयुः । न । रथ॑म् । वि॒प॒न्यवः॑ । दीध्य॑तः । म॒नी॒षा । सु॒म्नम् । इय॑क्षन्तः । त्वाऽव॑तः । नॄन् ॥
vayam | te | vayaḥ | indra | viddhi | su | ṇaḥ | pra | bharāmahe | vāja-yuḥ | na | ratham | vipanyavaḥ | dīdhyataḥ | manīṣā | sumnam | iyakṣantaḥ | tvāvataḥ | nṝn
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4 × ~11
Energetic launch-and-drive; strong caesura supports the ‘bringing forward’ gesture.
Elicits initiative and forward motion; helps align breath with a sense of uplift and purposeful momentum.
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: strength, vigor. Symbolic: collected energy of aspiration offered upward
- प्र भरामहे (pra bharāmahe)
- Literal: we bring forward. Symbolic: active offering/placing of energies into the inner sacrifice
- वाजयुः (vājayuḥ)
- Literal: seeking vāja (prize/strength). Symbolic: aspiration toward plenitude and victorious power
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: organized life-instrument; directed action-force
- विपन्यवः (vipanyavaḥ)
- Literal: admiring, praising, inspired. Symbolic: seekers of the luminous word; lovers of mantra-illumination
- दीध्यतः (dīdhyataḥ)
- Literal: kindling, shining. Symbolic: thought becoming flame—concentrated luminous intelligence
- मनीषा (manīṣā)
- Literal: thought, intelligence. Symbolic: the discerning mind turned toward illumination
- सुम्न (sumnam)
- Literal: grace, favor. Symbolic: supporting descent of harmony and right force from Indra
- त्वावतः (tvāvataḥ)
- Literal: possessed of you, supported by you. Symbolic: human faculties upheld by the divine Mind
Soma praise to Indra: preparation/invocation of Indra’s support for the sacrificers and their energized offering
At the start of a hymn sequence: establishing the singers’ offering-force and requesting grace.
Chant with mental ‘offering’ of energy; in ritual, accompanies libation/oblations and praise.
Before demanding tasks or sādhanā sessions: chant to place your energies ‘in front’ of the higher mind and act from supported clarity.
: ‘vigor’ related to youth/strength; in Vedic often the life-force offered. √bhṛ in : ‘to bear/bring’ (PIE *bʰer-). : vāja from √vaj/√vāj ‘strength, prize, plenitude’; not merely ‘food’ but force-fullness. from √man ‘to think’ (PIE *men-), indicating inspired mentality. from su- + √man/√mnā ‘to think/favor’ → benevolent disposition/grace.
inner yajña as offering of life-force (vayaḥ), manīṣā (inspired intelligence) as kindling power
Rightly directed energy becomes a vehicle of ṛta—movement that is effective because it is aligned.
Vipanyavaḥ: speech that is not mere praise but a carrier of luminous truth.
The human instrument (chariot) is fashioned/organized to carry the divine force into life—microcosmic creation of a new order.
Integral-psychological reading: aspiration + illumination + organized life-force yields transformation.
Chariot = disciplined instrument; kindling = concentrated tapas in thought; prize (vāja) = achieved potency/fulfilment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The chariot-of-force mythologem: the offering and aspiration are figured as a ratha driven by vāja (plenitude of strength). Indra is the lord who recognizes and empowers this advance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Key roots show archaic IE inheritance: √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ (PIE *bʰer-), √man ‘think’ in manīṣā (PIE *men-). The verse’s compact injunctive/imperative style (víddhi) is also characteristically early Indo-European poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi-community offers its consolidated life-force (vayaḥ) and awakened thought (manīṣā) and asks Indra to ‘know’—i.e., accept and inwardly ratify—the offering, returning sumná (supportive grace) so the human powers become ‘tvāvataḥ’ (sustained by Indra).
Offer your gathered energy to the higher Mind; visualize your life-force as a chariot aligned to a single luminous aim.
maṇipūra (will/drive) coordinated with ājñā (illumined direction)
3 rounds: inhale 4, exhale 6 while mentally repeating ‘pra bharāmahe’; then chant on extended exhale.
Collected aspiration moving into illumined, supported dynamism.
Chant 3, 9, or 12 times before work/meditation; pause after each recitation to feel the ‘chariot’ align and the mind brighten.
Rigvedic mixed accents; emphasize udātta on índra; keep the cadence strong on pra bharāmahe and vājayúr.
Maintain a forward push in pāda 1–2; soften slightly in pāda 3–4 to express longing for sumnam.
vayaṃ: nasal ṃ, light y, viddhi: double ddh (stop+aspirate), vājayur: long ā; roll r lightly, vipanyavo: keep ny as palatal cluster, dīdhyataḥ: long ī; dhy cluster clear, tvāvato: long ā; v not w
Bright, confident, projecting; keep consonants crisp for the ‘chariot’ feel.
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