Rig Veda 6.22.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.22
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तमु नः पूर्वे पितरो नवग्वाः सप्त विप्रासो अभि वाजयन्तः । नक्षद्दाभं ततुरिं पर्वतेष्ठामद्रोघवाचं मतिभिः शविष्ठम् ॥
tám u naḥ pū́rve pitáro náva-gvāḥ saptá víprāso abhí vā́jayantaḥ | nákṣad-dā́bhaṃ táturiṃ parvateṣṭhā́m ádrogha-vācaṃ matí-bhiḥ śáviṣṭham ||
Dialah yang dicapai leluhur kami—para Navagva, tujuh resi—yang maju mendesak demi kepenuhan (vāja). Mereka meraih yang tak tertembus, sang penakluk, yang tegak di puncak-puncak gunung; yang ucapannya tanpa pengkhianatan; yang terkuat—dengan pikiran-pikiran mereka yang terpusat.
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed / andIndeclinableनिपातःRoot उ (निपात)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्वे
- the former (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- पितरः
- fathers / forefathersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवग्वाः
- the NavagvasNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot नवग्व (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि-समूह-नाम)
- सप्त
- sevenNumeralअव्ययवत् (संख्याशब्दः), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थेRole कर्तृRoot सप्तन् (संख्या)
- विप्रासः
- inspired sagesNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards / uponIndeclinableउपसर्गःRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वाजयन्तः
- winning / striving for the prizeVerb (participle)वर्तमान-कृदन्तः शतृ-प्रत्ययः, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot वाजय् (धातु; नामधातु/चुरादि-प्रयोगः) अथवा वाज (प्रातिपदिक) + णिच्
- नक्षत्
- he reached / attainedVerbलुङ् (अorist) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot नश् (धातु) / नक्ष् (वैदिक रूप)
- दाभम्
- the unassailable (state/thing)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot दाभ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अदाभ’ इत्यस्य भाव/वस्तु)
- ततुरिम्
- the impetuous / rushing oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot ततुरि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ततुरि’ = वेगवान्/अतिशय-शूरः, वैदिक)
- पर्वतेष्ठाम्
- dwelling on the mountainAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः ‘पर्वते-ष्ठ’ = पर्वते स्थितःRole कर्मRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (धातु) → -ष्ठ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्रोगवाचम्
- of truthful (non-deceitful) speechAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारयः ‘whose speech is not deceitful’Role कर्मRoot अद्रोग (प्रातिपदिक; a- + द्रोग ‘deceit/hostility’) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मतिभिः
- with thoughts / hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- शविष्ठम्
- the mightiestAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot शविṣ्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘शवस्’ से बल-सम्बन्धी, अतिशय)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): तमु → तम् + उ
- न॒: = नः (अस्मदः षष्ठी-बहुवचन-एन्क्लिटिक)
- नक्षद्दाभम् → नक्षत् + दाभम् (त् + द् → द्द्)
- पर्वते॒ष्ठाम् = पर्वत-एष्ठाम् (पर्वते + ष्ठाम्; ‘ष्ठ’ from √स्था kṛdanta -ष्ठ)
- अन्यत्र पदच्छेदः यथापाठम्। Accent marks are retained from saṃhitā but not re-assigned per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient fathers—the Navagvas, the seven seers—striving for vāja attained Indra: unassailable, victorious, stationed on mountain heights, truthful in speech, most strong, by their thoughts.
Inner meaning
The rishi recalls the ancestral pioneers (navagvāḥ, sapta viprāsaḥ) as archetypes of inner yogic attainment. Through concentrated thought (matibhiḥ) and aspiration for plenitude (vāja), they reached the unassailable illuminator. ‘Mountain-seated’ indicates the high summit of consciousness; ‘adroghavāc’ shows speech that does not betray truth—purified expression aligned with inner realization.
Universal truth
Realization is repeatable: those before us attained by concentration and truth in speech; the same path—aspiration, steady thought, and integrity—opens the summit-consciousness today.
Themes
ancestral seers and attainment, summit-consciousness, unassailable divine force
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.22.1 (Indra’s sovereignty), RV 1.62-63 (Navagva/Angirasa motifs, allied tradition), RV 10.62 (Angirasa/Navagva themes)
Family tradition
Strong sense of ṛṣi-lineage: present aspiration is empowered by remembrance of the ‘fathers’ who opened the paths and released the lights.
Significance
The mantra anchors personal sādhanā in a transpersonal continuity: attainment is a rediscovery of a perennial victory achieved by the seers through dhi and truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- adābha, taturi, parvateṣṭhā, adroghavāc, śaviṣṭha
- Related deities
- Aṅgirasa Ṛṣis/Navagvas (seer-powers), Bṛhaspati, Agni
Cosmic role
Victor on the heights; releases light from the mountain/cave; establishes truthful speech and victorious force.
Inner power
Summit-illumination that cannot be deceived; conquering intelligence; integrity of expression arising from realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Ancestral-seer remembrance within Indra praise; supports rites seeking vāja and victory (especially Soma contexts).
तमु॑ न॒: पूर्वे॑ पि॒तरो॒ नव॑ग्वाः स॒प्त विप्रा॑सो अ॒भि वा॒जय॑न्तः । न॒क्ष॒द्दा॒भं ततु॑रिं पर्वते॒ष्ठामद्रो॑घवाचं म॒तिभि॒: शवि॑ष्ठम् ॥
तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । नः॒ । पूर्वे॑ । पि॒तरः॑ । नव॑ऽग्वाः । स॒प्त । विप्रा॑सः । अ॒भि । वा॒जय॑न्तः । न॒क्ष॒त्ऽदा॒भम् । ततु॑रिम् । प॒र्व॒ते॒ऽस्थाम् । अद्रो॑घऽवाचम् । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । शवि॑ष्ठम् ॥
tam | oṃ iti | naḥ | pūrve | pitaraḥ | nava-gvāḥ | sapta | viprāsaḥ | abhi | vājayantaḥ | nakṣat-dābham | taturim | parvate--sthām | adrogha-vācam | mati-bhiḥ | śaviṣṭham
44
4×11 (approx.)
Narrative-heroic with ancestral gravitas; steady ascent-like cadence.
Connects the listener to lineage-strength; evokes confidence that obstacles are conquerable and truth is attainable.
- pūrve pitaro
- Literal: former fathers/ancestors. Symbolic: earlier states of the soul; lineage of realizers within the tradition
- navagvāḥ
- Literal: the nine-cowed (name of a group). Symbolic: initiatory pioneers of the inner quest; powers that recover hidden lights
- sapta viprāsaḥ
- Literal: seven seers. Symbolic: seven illumined faculties/planes of inspired cognition
- vājayantaḥ
- Literal: pressing forward for vāja. Symbolic: intense striving for plenitude of force and realization
- adābhaṃ
- Literal: unassailable, not to be deceived. Symbolic: truth-power immune to ignorance and distortion
- taturim
- Literal: overcomer, conqueror. Symbolic: victorious consciousness that surpasses resistance
- parvateṣṭhām
- Literal: standing on the mountain. Symbolic: summit of being; higher mind/overmind poise
- adroghavācam
- Literal: whose speech is without treachery. Symbolic: word perfectly aligned with truth; mantra that does not mislead
- matibhiḥ
- Literal: by thoughts, intentions. Symbolic: concentrated cognition (dhi) shaping realization
- śaviṣṭham
- Literal: most strong. Symbolic: maximum spiritual efficacy and steadiness
Ancestral validation stanza in Indra hymns; used to link current sacrificer with the forefathers’ attainment in Soma worship
When invoking Indra as the proven goal of the fathers; as a strengthening recollection before major offerings or contests.
Recitation as stotra; may accompany soma pressing themes of Navagva/Angirasa achievement.
Use when motivation flags: chant as ‘lineage mantra’ to recall exemplars; also for integrity in speech (adroghavāc) before commitments.
dabh- ‘to deceive/hurt’ (dābha) marks what cannot be overreached. taturí- from √tṛ ‘to cross’ (cf. ‘tāraṇa’), hence ‘overcomer/crosser’. parvata ‘mountain’ symbolizes fixed heights of consciousness; ‘standing on the mountain’ is a standard RV image for stable luminous station. drogha ‘treachery’ negated in adrogha-vāc: truth-speech aligned with ṛta.
lineage of realization (pitaraḥ, viprāsaḥ), truthful speech (adrogha-vāc), crossing/overcoming (taturi)
Adroghavāc implies speech aligned with ṛta; attainment is by right thought (mati) moving in right order.
Unassailable Indra = satya-power immune to falsehood; truth as strength.
Release of light from the mountain/cave motif (implicit in parvata symbolism); ascent to higher planes.
Psychological Veda with evolutionary ascent: mountain = higher consciousness; seers = faculties of revelation.
Mountain = summit-poise of consciousness; rock = fixed subconscient resistance; released rays/cows = recovered knowledge.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ancestral attainment myth: the Navagvas/seven seers reach Indra as the unassailable overcomer ‘on the mountain’. This condenses the RV theme of ascent to the luminous summit and recovery of power through concentrated mati.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṛ ‘cross’ (taturi) corresponds to PIE *terh₁- ‘cross over’ (cf. Latin trāns, English through—distantly related semantic field). √dabh (harm/deceive) has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan dab-). The formulaic superlative śáviṣṭha reflects archaic IE poetic intensification via -iṣṭha.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi legitimizes his present invocation by citing the forefathers’ success: the same Indra is attainable now by the same inner means—mati (concentrated thought) and vāja-seeking aspiration. Devatā becomes both goal and empowering presence validated by lineage.
Contemplate the ‘mountain-seat’ within: a still high point above thought. Invoke Indra there as unassailable clarity.
sahasrāra (summit) with ājñā support
silent kumbhaka (gentle) after exhale for 2–4 seconds while holding the image of a mountain peak; then chant softly
Ascent to quiet, firm clarity; remembrance (smṛti) turning into aspiration.
Choose one habit of ‘adroha’ (self-betrayal in speech/action) to renounce today. Chant, then practice one act of exact truth—simple, kind, and firm.
Keep strong accent on achievement verbs and epithets: ‘nakṣat’, ‘adābhaṃ’, ‘parvateṣṭhām’, ‘adroghavācam’.
Slightly lift the voice on lineage terms (pūrve pitaro, navagvāḥ, sapta viprāsaḥ) to invoke continuity; settle into a firm tone on ‘adābhaṃ’.
‘navagvāḥ’: pronounce gv cluster clearly (na-va-gvāḥ), long āḥ ending., ‘nakṣaddābhaṃ’: articulate kṣ; avoid ‘naksad’., ‘adroghavācam’: keep gh aspirated; vācam with long ā.
Grave, steady, ancestral; clear consonants for the epithets.
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