Rig Veda 10.166.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 166, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.166
अहमस्मि सपत्नहेन्द्र इवारिष्टो अक्षतः । अधः सपत्ना मे पदोरिमे सर्वे अभिष्ठिताः ॥
ahám asmi sapatnahé́ndra ivā́riṣṭo ákṣataḥ | adháḥ sapátnā me padór imé sárve abhíṣṭhitāḥ ||
われは対抗者を殺す者、インドラ（Indra）のごとく——害されず、砕かれず。わが両足の下に、これらすべての対抗者は踏みつけられ、押さえつけられている。
Self-empowerment formula for contests, debates, and rivalries; inwardly, affirmation for mastery over obstructive impulses.
Indra as victorious consciousness-force, Integrity of being (ariṣṭa, akṣata) as spiritual wholeness, Subjugation of lower forces (rivals) under the feet
Mastery is establishment of right order: lower impulses take their place below, not on the throne.
Truth of identity: the soul can stand in the Indra-nature—luminous, unconquered.
Victory creates ‘space’ for the descent of light; subduing rivals is clearing the field.
Integral yoga reading: identification with divine power as practical psychology.
Feet = grounding in the body and stability of consciousness; rivals = turbulent movements; Indra = illumined mind-power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Identification with Indra: the speaker assumes the Indra-function (victory over obstructors), declaring inviolability (ariṣṭa/akṣata) and placing rivals beneath the feet—an image of inner hierarchy where higher will governs lower movements.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā in abhíṣṭhitāḥ continues PIE *steh₂- ‘to stand’ (cf. Latin stāre, Greek hístēmi). The ‘under the feet’ dominance idiom is widely attested across IE poetics as a metaphor of mastery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi does not merely petition; he embodies the devatā’s function by identification (‘Indra iva’). The reciprocity is internalization: divine force becomes self-force, establishing unbroken integrity and command over opposition.
Practice ‘Indra-stance’: feel a bright, calm force in the forehead/heart; keep awareness rooted in the soles; let negative impulses remain ‘below’.
muladhara
4-count inhale, 6-count exhale; on exhale recite/mentally repeat akṣataḥ to seal integrity.
Grounded luminous strength; non-reactive dominance over lower movements.
When a rival impulse arises (anger, craving, doubt), do not argue; shift to the feet, feel stability, affirm ‘ariṣṭo akṣataḥ’, and let the movement lose its footing.
Chant evenly in anuṣṭubh; emphasize ‘aham asmi’ and ‘indra iva’; drop gently on ‘abhiṣṭhitāḥ’.
Keep sandhi clear: indraḥ-iva (not merged into one blur); padōr ime with distinct vowels.
aham: soft h, short a, sapatnahā: long ā at end, ariṣṭo: retroflex ṣṭ, akṣataḥ: kṣ cluster clean; final ḥ, abhiṣṭhitāḥ: bh + i; retroflex ṣṭh; long āḥ ending
Grounded, resonant, steady; avoid haste.
21
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
