Rig Veda 3.45.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 45, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.45
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
स्वयुरिन्द्र स्वराळसि स्मद्दिष्टिः स्वयशस्तरः । स वावृधान ओजसा पुरुष्टुत भवा नः सुश्रवस्तमः ॥
svayúr indra sva-rā́ḷ asi smád-diṣṭiḥ sváyaśas-taraḥ | sá vāvṛdhānó ójasā puru-stuta bhávā naḥ su-śrávas-tamaḥ ||
Dengan daya dari dirimu sendiri engkau bergerak, wahai Indra; engkau memerintah diri, dituntun oleh hukum-mu sendiri, melampaui dalam kemuliaanmu sendiri. Bertumbuh oleh kekuatanmu, wahai yang banyak dipuji, jadilah bagi kami yang paling sempurna membawa kemasyhuran—mendengar dan membuat terdengar kebenaran kami.
Word by Word
- स्वयुः
- self-impelled; self-aidingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्वयु (प्रातिपदिक) < स्व (स्वयं) + यु (यु ‘मिश्रणे/योजने’ से व्युत्पन्न, ‘स्वयमेव प्रेरित/स्वयंसहायक’)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वराट्
- self-ruling; sovereignNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्वराट् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + राट् ‘राजन्/शासक’)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root अस् (धातु) ‘भू/अस्ति’
- स्मत्-दिष्टिः
- whose gaze/aim is toward us; having regard for usNoun (compound)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणरूपेण)Root दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; √दिश् ‘दर्शने/निर्देशे’ से ‘दृष्टि/दिशा/निग्रह-शक्ति’), स्मत् = अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-आधारः (‘हमसे/हमारा’)
- स्वयशस्तरः
- more glorious by oneself; most self-renownedAdjective (comparative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्वयशस् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + यशस् ‘यश’), -तर (तुलनार्थक प्रत्यय)
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (भवा इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधानः
- growing strong; increasingParticiple (present, intensive/reduplicated sense in RV usage)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्तः (‘वर्धमानः/वर्धयन्’)Role Kartā (सः … भवा)Root √वृध् ‘वर्धने’ (वृध्/वर्ध्)
- ओजसा
- by strength; with mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुष्टुत
- O much-praised oneAdjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot पुरु-स्तुत (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु ‘बहु’ + स्तुत ‘स्तुत/प्रशस्त’ < √स्तु ‘स्तुतौ’)
- भवा
- be; becomeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-समकक्षः), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया) —Root √भू ‘सत्तायाम्’
- नः
- for us; to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्; अत्र प्रायः चतुर्थी (अस्मभ्यं) ‘हमारे लिये’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुश्रवस्तमः
- most famed; of best renownAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्; ‘भवा’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्)Role Kartā/Predicate-nominative (भव-क्रियायाः विधेयविशेषणम्)Root सु-श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक; सु ‘सु-’ + श्रवस् ‘कीर्ति/यश’), -तम (अतिशय/श्रेष्ठार्थक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स्वयुः | इन्द्र | स्वराट् | असि | स्मत्-दिष्टिः | स्वयशस्तरः | सः | वावृधानः | ओजसा | पुरुष्टुत | भवा | नः | सुश्रवस्तमः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) स्वराळसि → स्वराट् + असि (ट् + अ → ड्/ळ्-आदेशः वैदिके; संहितायां ‘स्वराळसि’)
- (2) स्मद्दिष्टिः → स्मत् + दिष्टिः (त् + द → द्द्)
- (3) स वावृधानः → सः + वावृधानः (विसर्गलोपः पदान्ते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is praised as self-driven, self-ruling, guided by his own ordinance, surpassing in glory. Growing by his force, he is asked to become for the worshippers the best bearer of good fame and effective hearing.
Inner meaning
Indra is the autonomous light of the awakened mind—self-moved (svayúḥ), self-sovereign (svarāṭ), guided not by external compulsion but by inner law (smaddiṣṭiḥ: ‘by his own direction/ordinance’). The mantra calls the seeker to align with that inner governance: let the illumined intelligence grow by its own force (ojas) and become in us ‘suśravastamaḥ’—the power of right hearing and right expression: receiving the Truth and making it audible in thought, speech, and action.
Universal truth
True guidance is self-authenticating: when consciousness is aligned to inner law, it grows in strength and becomes capable of accurate listening and truthful expression, creating a life that naturally radiates good report (integrity, coherence, trust).
Themes
Indra’s self-sovereignty, Increase by inner force, Invocation for śravas (inspired renown)
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 3.45.4, Rig Veda 3.45.6 (contextual continuation in the hymn, if present in recension), Rig Veda 3.46.1
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 3 Viśvāmitra tradition emphasizing inner kingship, victory of light, and the law of truth (ṛta) as guide.
Significance
The seer’s voice here is that of the aspirant seeking not merely gifts but the establishment of a self-governed luminous intelligence—an inner polity ruled by truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- svayúḥ, svarāṭ, purustuta, suśravastama
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (word/illumination), Agni (will), Soma (bliss)
Cosmic role
Sovereign power of the luminous mind ordering the human being according to ṛta; breaker of falsehood and distributor of true powers.
Inner power
Inner governance: the capacity to self-correct, self-direct, and grow in strength without dependence on external validation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Śrauta recitation sequences; also suitable as a stotra-like affirmation of Indra’s sovereignty.
स्व॒युरि॑न्द्र स्व॒राळ॑सि॒ स्मद्दि॑ष्टि॒: स्वय॑शस्तरः । स वा॑वृधा॒न ओज॑सा पुरुष्टुत॒ भवा॑ नः सु॒श्रव॑स्तमः ॥
स्व॒ऽयुः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । स्व॒ऽराट् । अ॒सि॒ । स्मत्ऽदि॑ष्टिः । स्वय॑शःऽतरः । सः । व॒वृ॒धा॒नः । ओज॑सा । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒त॒ । भव॑ । नः॒ । सु॒श्रवः॑ऽतमः ॥
sva-yuḥ | indra | sva-rāṭ | asi | smat-diṣṭiḥ | svayaśaḥ-taraḥ | saḥ | vavṛdhānaḥ | ojasā | puru-stuta | bhava | naḥ | suśravaḥ-tamaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables; praise-structure with strong caesura supports epithets.
Stately and declarative; a ‘royal’ cadence matching themes of sovereignty and self-rule.
Instills uprightness and inner authority; supports a shift from seeking outer approval to abiding by inner law.
- स्वयुः (svayúḥ)
- Literal: self-impelled. Symbolic: autonomous aspiration and inner drive of higher mind
- स्वराट् (svarāṭ)
- Literal: self-ruling, sovereign. Symbolic: inner sovereignty—mind ruled by truth, not by impulses or social pressure
- स्मद्दिष्टिः (smaddiṣṭiḥ)
- Literal: directed by his own ordinance. Symbolic: guidance from within (ṛta-buddhi): the law of truth acting as inner compass
- स्वयशस्तरः (svayaśastaraḥ)
- Literal: more glorious by himself. Symbolic: self-luminous excellence—clarity that does not borrow authority
- ओजसा (ojasā)
- Literal: by force, vigor. Symbolic: spiritual strength/energetic intensity supporting illumination
- पुरुष्टुत (puruṣṭuta)
- Literal: much-praised by many. Symbolic: widely affirmed inner power—repeated confirmations of truth in experience
- सुश्रवस्तमः (suśravastamaḥ)
- Literal: most good-famed / best of good-hearing. Symbolic: capacity to hear the inner word (śruti) and to make one’s truth effective in the world
Indra-stuti in Soma liturgy: affirmation of Indra’s autonomous sovereignty and request for empowering renown/śravas in the sacrificer
When seeking right guidance, victory of clarity, and strengthening of resolve; before decisions or leadership responsibilities.
Recitation as praise (stuti) accompanying offerings; reinforces the ‘self-ruled’ quality sought in the sacrificer.
Affirmation/mantra for cultivating inner compass, ethical clarity, and truthful communication (deep listening + right speech).
svá-yu- ‘self-impelled’ (sva ‘self’ + yu related to movement/impulsion); sva-rā́ṭ ‘self-ruler’ (rā́j ‘to rule’); √diś ‘to point/direct’ in diṣṭi- ‘direction/ordinance’; √vṛdh ‘to grow’ in vavṛdhāna-; ójas- ‘vigor’ from √vaj/√uj semantic field of strength; śrávas- ‘fame/hearing’ (also ‘that which is heard’ = inspired word), intensified in su-śravas-tama-.
Sovereignty (svarāj) as inner self-rule aligned to Ṛta, Autonomy of divine power (svayu) within the practitioner, Śravas as inspired hearing/utterance and luminous renown
Indra’s ‘own law’ is a form of ṛta operating as inner guidance rather than external rule.
Good hearing (su-śravas) implies receptivity to satya/śruti and fidelity in expression.
Self-organization of consciousness: sovereignty emerging as the mind aligns with truth.
Psychological Veda; resonant with Upaniṣadic inner ruler (antaryāmin) concept without asserting direct identity.
Sovereignty and self-impulsion are treated as cosmic principles manifesting in the psyche: the ‘king’ is the illumined mind ruling the faculties.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the self-sovereign champion: Indra as autonomous, self-directed power who increases by inherent ojas. Rather than a single exploit, the verse foregrounds the archetype of divine sovereignty that establishes inner rule and victorious capacity in the human being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rā́ṭ/rāj ‘to rule’ sits in an IE kingship lexicon (cf. Lat rēx < *h₃rḗǵs). √vṛdh ‘grow’ aligns with an IE growth semantic field (cf. Eng. ‘worth’ historically related to growth/value concepts via Germanic developments). śrávas (‘fame/hearing’) parallels IE poetic concern with ‘what is heard’ and immortal fame (kleos in Greek), suggesting a shared Indo-European poetics of renown.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer praises Indra’s independence (svayu, svarāj) to invoke the same principle within the aspirant: a consciousness no longer ruled by outer compulsions. The requested ‘suśravas’ is the divine confirmation that the inner word and hearing become luminous and effective—Indra’s fame becomes the sacrificer’s empowered utterance and victorious standing in Ṛta.
Rest in ‘inner sovereignty’: let decisions arise from quiet clarity rather than reactive impulse.
viśuddha (truthful expression)
nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) for 6–8 rounds, then chant once, listening inwardly to the after-sound.
Centered, self-governed clarity; receptive hearing of inner instruction.
After chanting, practice 2 minutes of ‘inner listening’: note the clearest next action that feels lawful (ṛta-aligned), then commit to one concrete step.
Triṣṭubh with accent peaks on epithets (svayúḥ, svarāṭ, ojasā); exact udatta/anudatta mapping requires pada-svara notation.
Let ‘स्वयुः’ and ‘स्वराट्’ carry a dignified lift; keep ‘ओजसा’ firm; soften into ‘सुश्रवस्तमः’ with a listening quality.
: final ṭ is retroflex and clipped, : pronounce as ‘smad-diṣṭiḥ’ with clear double consonant, : long ā in -dhā-, : ‘śra’ with palatal ś, not dental s
Steady, royal, composed; avoid rushing—let sovereignty be felt in pacing.
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