Rig Veda 1.178.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 178, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.178
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एवा नृभिरिन्द्रः सुश्रवस्या प्रखादः पृक्षो अभि मित्रिणो भूत् । समर्य इषः स्तवते विवाचि सत्राकरो यजमानस्य शंसः ॥
evā nṛ́bhir índraḥ suśravasyā́ prakhā́daḥ pṛ́kṣo abhí mitríṇo bhūt | samaryé íṣaḥ stavate vívāci satrā́karo yajamānasya śáṃsaḥ ||
かくして、人のうちの諸力とともに、インドラは善き聞こえと光り輝く名声を先導して打ち破る者となり、友なる諸力に面と向かって立つ。戦いにおいて、力の衝動は多様な言葉によって讃えられ、祭主の讃歌はまっすぐに絶えず成し遂げるものとなる。
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, just soIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic particle)Root एव
- नृभिः
- with men, by menNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नृ
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र
- सुश्रवस्याः
- of good fame / of good renownNoun (abstract/feminine)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root सुश्रवस्या
- प्रखादः
- the cleaver/hew-er forth; the one who breaks open (obstacles)Noun/Adjective (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to इन्द्रः)Root प्र-खाद
- पृक्षः
- the strong one; the vigorous/bull-likeNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition to इन्द्रः)Root पृक्ष
- अभि
- towards, against, uponIndeclinable (preverb/preposition)उपसर्ग/उपपदRoot अभि
- मित्रिणः
- the allied/friendly ones; companionsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot मित्रिन्
- भूत्
- became; came to beVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; 3rd person; एकवचनRoot भू
- समर्यः
- the battle-companion; the fighterNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KartāRoot समर्य
- इषः
- refreshments; invigorations; offerings/impulsesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Vedic form)Role KarmaRoot इष् / इषा
- स्तवते
- is praised; receives praiseVerbलट् (present), आत्मनेपद; 3rd person; एकवचनRoot स्तु
- विवाचि
- in/with clear utterance; in distinct speechAdjective (kṛdanta-like, Vedic)सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative; used adverbially)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot वि-वाच्
- सत्राकरः
- one who acts straightway/always; constant doerNoun/Adjective (agentive compound)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Kartā (apposition)Root सत्रा-कर
- यजमानस्य
- of the sacrificerNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root यजमान
- शंसः
- praise; eulogyNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole Kartā (subject-noun: ‘praise’)Root शंस
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: एवा | नृभिः | इन्द्रः | सुश्रवस्याः | प्रखादः | पृक्षः | अभि | मित्रिणः | भूत् || समर्यः | इषः | स्तवते | विवाचि | सत्राकरः | यजमानस्य | शंसः । Notable: (1) इन्द्रः सुश्रवस्याः—genitive relation ‘Indra of good fame’
- (2) अभि + मित्रिणः: preposition governs accusative plural
- (3) भूत् is Vedic aorist 3sg of √भू
- (4) विवाचि is a Vedic locative used adverbially ‘in clear speech’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, supported by the human powers, becomes the forward-driving breaker who wins good hearing and fame; he meets the friendly forces face to face. In battle, the impulsions are affirmed in many utterances; the sacrificer’s praise becomes an unbroken, straight-working force toward victory.
Inner meaning
When the awakened mental power (Indra) is yoked with the “nṛbhis” (the effective faculties in us), it breaks open the sealed field of inner hearing—śravas as receptivity to higher inspiration—so that luminous reputation becomes inner clarity and confirmed experience. Indra then “meets the Mitras”: the harmonising, friendly powers of truth and right relation, so the inner being is no longer divided. In the struggle (samarya), the iṣaḥ—impulsions of divine force and right seeking—rise and are organised through vivāci, manifold but true expression (mantra, discernment, right speech). The śaṃsa (praise/affirmation) of the yajamāna (the inner doer of sacrifice) becomes satrākara: a continuous, straight, persevering formation of will that carries the consciousness toward victory over confusion and inertia.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is not random: when will and intelligence cooperate with the higher harmony, inspiration becomes steady inner hearing; right speech/affirmation consolidates force; sustained aspiration turns scattered energies into a continuous victorious movement.
Themes
Indra-victory, inner battle (knowledge vs obstruction), mantric speech as force, friend-powers (Mitraic harmony)
The seer
- Rishi
- Agastya
- Lineage
- Agastya (Maitrāvaruṇa/Āgastya lineage in later tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.165–1.191 (traditional Agastya group, includes 1.178–1.179)
Family tradition
Agastya hymns often present a compact, forceful yoga of conquest: turning struggle into ordered victory through will, right speech, and divine help.
Significance
Agastya represents the seer of concentrated power: mastery over inner and outer obstacles by disciplined aspiration, harmonising forces (Mitra), and the illumined breaker (Indra).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavan (bountiful), vṛtrahan (slayer of the coverer), purandara (breaker of strongholds), śatakratu (of a hundred powers/strategies)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Agni, Soma, Maruts
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who releases the waters/light, establishes wideness, and leads the victory of ṛta over obstruction.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence united with force: the decisive mind that breaks inner knots and organises energies into a victorious movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yāga/Indra-focused śastra-stotra sequences (general)
ए॒वा नृभि॒रिन्द्र॑: सुश्रव॒स्या प्र॑खा॒दः पृ॒क्षो अ॒भि मि॒त्रिणो॑ भूत् । स॒म॒र्य इ॒षः स्त॑वते॒ विवा॑चि सत्राक॒रो यज॑मानस्य॒ शंस॑: ॥
ए॒व । नृऽभिः॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । सु॒ऽश्र॒व॒स्या । प्र॒ऽखा॒दः । पृ॒क्षः । अ॒भि । मि॒त्रिणः॑ । भू॒त् । स॒ऽम॒र्ये । इ॒षः । स्त॒व॒ते॒ । विऽवा॑चि । स॒त्रा॒ऽक॒रः । यज॑मानस्य । शंसः॑ ॥
eva | nṛ-bhiḥ | indraḥ | su-śravasyā | pra-khādaḥ | pṛkṣaḥ | abhi | mitriṇaḥ | bhūt | sa-marye | iṣaḥ | stavate | vi-vāci | satrākaraḥ | yajamānasya | śaṃsaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (with possible Vedic resolution/lengthening)
Driving, martial, forward-thrusting cadence suited to conquest and affirmation.
Builds inner momentum; supports decisive will and clear articulation of intention.
- नृभिः (nṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: with men/with human powers. Symbolic: with the active inner faculties (will, discernment, courage) made conscious and cooperative
- इन्द्रः (indraḥ)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind-force that breaks obstruction and leads the inner conquest
- सुश्रवस्या (suśravasyā)
- Literal: of good hearing/fame. Symbolic: capacity to hear the higher truth; luminous recognition of the soul’s progress
- प्रखादः (prakhādaḥ)
- Literal: breaker, cleaver, forward-driving splitter. Symbolic: power that opens blocked passages in mind and life-energy
- मित्रिणः (mitriṇaḥ)
- Literal: friendly, Mitra-like forces. Symbolic: harmonising powers of right relation, clarity, consent to truth
- समर्ये (samarye)
- Literal: in battle. Symbolic: inner conflict with resistance, inertia, falsehood
- इषः (iṣaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions, eager forces. Symbolic: right-directed energies of aspiration and effective will
- विवाचि (vivāci)
- Literal: in manifold speech. Symbolic: multiple forms of true expression: mantra, insight, discriminating articulation
- शंसः (śaṃsaḥ)
- Literal: praise, proclamation. Symbolic: affirmation that aligns the being with the divine working
- सत्राकरः (satrākaraḥ)
- Literal: making continuous/straight-working. Symbolic: unbroken perseverance of the inner sacrifice toward victory
Indra-stotra used in Soma contexts to increase vāja (victorious plenitude) and secure aid in contest; broadly applicable in Agniṣṭoma/Soma praise cycles (generalized, not a strict viniyoga claim).
During Indra invocations seeking victory, strength, and the breaking of obstacles (especially in Soma contexts)
Recitation/praise to empower the offering and invoke Indra’s help in overcoming rivals/obstructions.
Use as a mantra of inner victory: before difficult work, during periods of resistance, or to stabilise truthful speech and sustained effort.
Key roots: √bhū ‘to become’ (bhūt: aorist/injunct ‘became’); √stu ‘to praise’ (stavate: middle/passive ‘is praised/affirms itself as praise’); √vac ‘to speak’ (vāc, vi-vāc: differentiated utterance); √śaṃs ‘to proclaim/praise’ (śaṃsaḥ: the recited affirmation). su-śravasyā: su- ‘good’ + śravas ‘hearing/fame’ (from √śru ‘hear’), indicating both receptivity to the inspired word and its luminous renown. satrā-karaḥ: satrā ‘together/continuously’ (adverbial) + kara ‘maker’ from √kṛ ‘to do/make’, implying an unbroken, decisive effective action of the mantra/praise. mitriṇaḥ: from mitra ‘friend, harmony, covenant’, denoting concordant powers rather than human allies.
Rita as right ordering of forces through true speech (vāc/śaṃsa), Satya-in-action as continuous effective will (satrā-kara)
Indra’s breaking opens the path for ṛta to act; Mitra-like harmony indicates alignment with cosmic order.
Truth becomes effective when articulated and affirmed; speech is a power that shapes reality.
Release and organisation: breaking obstruction to let higher energies form a stable movement.
Proto-yogic/psychological reading aligned with Aurobindo’s ‘inner sacrifice’ hermeneutic.
The ‘battle’ is the inner field; ‘breaking’ is piercing subconscious resistance; ‘speech’ is mantra-thought that organises consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indra-mythologem of the ‘path-opener’ and ‘victory-maker’ in the contest: Indra becomes prakhādaḥ, the breaker-through who clears the way for the seeker. The outer ‘battle’ is the inner confrontation with resisting powers; the ‘friendly ones’ (mitriṇaḥ) are harmonizing forces that Indra brings into alignment for the advance of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Central action is encoded in inherited verbal roots: √bhū (PIE *bʰuH- ‘become, grow’) in bhūt; √wekʷ- ‘speak’ reflected in √vac (vi-vāc ‘manifold speech’); √ḱlew- ‘hear, fame’ reflected in śravas (su-śravasyā). The verse ties ‘hearing/fame’ (śravas) to efficacious speech (vāc/śaṃs), a common Indo-European poetic nexus: renown arises from rightly spoken praise.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The yajamāna’s śaṃsa (proclaimed praise) is not mere description but a formative reciprocity: the human offers ordered speech and aspiration (iṣaḥ, vi-vāc), and Indra responds by becoming an effective power in the human field—opening passages, strengthening energies, and aligning friendly harmonies. The ‘gift’ is the mantric act; the ‘return’ is continuous victorious working (satrā-kara).
Invoke Indra within as decisive illumined mind; feel the ‘breaker’ opening blocked places; affirm a single continuous movement of effort.
ājñā (clarity of mind) and maṇipūra (will-force)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana 6–6 or 6–6–6 (inhale–exhale–hold) before chanting to stabilise speech and will.
Active concentration (tapas) with clear discernment; ‘battle-ready’ steadiness.
Before chanting, name the inner obstacle; during chanting, feel the mantra as a straight line of force; after chanting, sit silently and listen inwardly (suśravas) for guidance.
Use Vedic tri-svara rendering (udātta/anudātta/svarita) per śākhā tradition; exact accents require pada-based svara marking from a verified recitation source.
Keep udātta as the pitch lift; avoid flattening compounds like suśravasyā, satrākaraḥ; maintain cadence across caesura after bhūt |.
indraḥ: clear visarga (ḥ) before pause, suśravasyā: śr- cluster clean; avoid ‘sushra-’ blur, prakhādaḥ: aspirate kh distinctly, mitriṇaḥ: retroflex ṇ audible, vivāci: long ā held; v not as English w
Firm, forward, and clear (not shouted); let the last syllables land with decisiveness.
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