Rig Veda 2.36.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 36, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.36
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष स्य ते तन्वो नृम्णवर्धनः सह ओजः प्रदिवि बाह्वोर्हितः । तुभ्यं सुतो मघवन्तुभ्यमाभृतस्त्वमस्य ब्राह्मणादा तृपत्पिब ॥
eṣá syá te tanvò nṛ́mṇa-várdhanaḥ sáha ójaḥ pra-dívi bāhvór hitáḥ | túbhyaṃ sutó maghavan túbhyam ā́bhṛtas tvám asya brā́hmaṇād ā́ tṛ́pat píba ||
これは汝のため、インドラ（Indra）よ――汝の身に宿る威力を増し広げるもの。力と勢いは、最高天において汝の両腕に据えられた。施し豊かな者よ、汝のためにこれを搾り、汝のためにこれを運び来たる。ブラフマン（brahman、霊感の聖言）より満ちるまで飲み、満足せよ。
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्यः
- that (very one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिक-रूपम्)Role KartāRoot स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तन्वः
- of (your) body/personNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (वैदिक)Role Sambandha (genitive)Root तनू (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृम्णवर्धनः
- increasing manly mightAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः/स्यः का विशेषणम्)Root नृम्ण-वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ध् ‘to increase’ से)
- सहः
- strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (समुच्चित-विषयः)Root सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ओजः
- vigor, powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (समुच्चित-विषयः)Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रदिवि
- in the fore/heavenly realm; in heavenIndeclinableअव्ययम् (स्थानवाचकः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot प्र + दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा ‘दिव्’ (अव्ययीभाव)
- बाह्वोः
- in/of (your) two armsNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचनम् (वैदिक; ‘in/of the two arms’)Role Adhikaraṇa (स्थाने) / SambandhaRoot बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितः
- placed, setParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā/Predicative (स्थितिः)Root धा (धातु) → हित (कृदन्त; PPP)
- तुभ्यम्
- for youPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma)Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (पिब का कर्ता/विषयः)Root सु (धातु ‘to press’) → सुत (कृदन्त; PPP)
- मघवन्
- O bountiful one (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुभ्यम्
- for youPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद्
- आभृतः
- brought, presentedParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā/Predicative (सुतः का विशेषणम्)Root आ + भृ (धातु) → आभृत (कृदन्त; PPP)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot युष्मद्
- अस्य
- of this (Soma/rite)Pronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्राह्मणात्
- from the priestly formulation/prayerNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- unto, fullyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role Upasarga (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- तृपत्
- being satisfied / be satisfiedVerb (non-finite)वर्तमान-भावे, 2nd person singular (आदेश/विधि-भावः) — ‘be satisfied’Role Kartā (त्वम्) सह क्रियाRoot तृप् (धातु ‘to be satisfied’)
- पिब
- drinkVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role Karma (सुतः सोमः) ग्रहण-क्रियाRoot पा (धातु ‘to drink’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरास): एषः | स्यः | ते | तन्वः | नृम्णवर्धनः | सहः | ओजः | प्रदिवि | बाह्वोः | हितः || तुभ्यम् | सुतः | मघवन् | तुभ्यम् | आभृतः | त्वम् | अस्य | ब्राह्मणात् | आ | तृपत् | पिब । विशेषम्: ‘एष स्य’ = एषः + स्यः (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- ‘बाह्वोर्हितः’ = बाह्वोः + हितः
- ‘तुभ्य॒माभृतः’ = तुभ्यम् + आभृतः (म् + आ → माभ्)
- ‘ब्राह्मणादातृपत्पिब’ = ब्राह्मणात् + आ + तृपत् + पिब (त् + आ → दा; पदसीमा पर संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma is presented to Indra: it increases his embodied might; strength and force are placed in his arms in the highest heaven. It is pressed and brought for him; he should drink to fullness from this brahman (inspired utterance) and be satisfied.
Inner meaning
Indra, the divine Mind and power of illumination, is strengthened by Soma—blissful consciousness. The ‘arms in the highest heaven’ indicate that the capacity for decisive action and victorious force is seated in the supramental/upper mind plane, not in lower impulse. The Soma is pressed (purified, concentrated) and brought (made available) through disciplined practice; Indra drinks ‘from the brahman’—from the mantric inspiration and truth-word that carries the force of realization. Illumination becomes effective power when it is fed by delight and supported by the true word.
Universal truth
True strength is not brute force; it is luminous power nourished by inner joy and guided by truth. When inspiration becomes substance, the mind can act as a liberator rather than a doubter.
Themes
Indra strengthening, Soma pressing, mantra efficacy (brahman), heroic force (nṛmṇa)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12 (Indra themes in other maṇḍala), RV 7.24, RV 7.32
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s Indra hymns often frame victory as an inner event: illumination empowered by Soma, grounded in ṛta and brahman (true utterance).
Significance
The seer links mantra (brahman) and experience (Soma): the Word is not description but a channel through which Indra’s power becomes operative.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan, Vṛtrahan (implied by Indra’s function), Śatakratu (implied: many-powered)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous mind; releases the waters/cows (rays) by breaking the coverer; establishes wide space for life.
Inner power
Illuminating intelligence with victorious force; transforms inertia and doubt into clarity, courage, and right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra (Indra-pātra / Indra invitation)
ए॒ष स्य ते॑ त॒न्वो॑ नृम्ण॒वर्ध॑न॒: सह॒ ओज॑: प्र॒दिवि॑ बा॒ह्वोर्हि॒तः । तुभ्यं॑ सु॒तो म॑घव॒न्तुभ्य॒माभृ॑त॒स्त्वम॑स्य॒ ब्राह्म॑णा॒दा तृ॒पत्पि॑ब ॥
ए॒षः । स्यः । ते॒ । त॒न्वः॑ । नृ॒म्ण॒ऽवर्ध॑नः । सहः॑ । ओजः॑ । प्र॒ऽदिवि॑ । बा॒ह्वोः । हि॒तः । तुभ्य॑म् । सु॒तः । म॒घ॒व॒न् । तुभ्य॑म् । आऽभृ॑तः । त्वम् । अ॒स्य॒ । ब्राह्म॑णात् । आ । तृ॒पत् । पि॒ब॒ ॥
eṣaḥ | syaḥ | te | tanvaḥ | nṛmṇa-vardhanaḥ | sahaḥ | ojaḥ | pra-divi | bāhvoḥ | hitaḥ | tubhyam | sutaḥ | maghavan | tubhyam | ābhṛtaḥ | tvam | asya | brāhmaṇāt | ā | tṛpat | piba
44
4×11
Heroic, expansive; suitable for Indra’s strengthening and decisive action.
Energizes and clears; supports confidence and upward surge of will.
- नृम्णवर्धन (nṛmṇavardhana)
- Literal: increaser of manly might. Symbolic: augmenter of effective spiritual force in embodied life
- तन्वः (tanvoḥ)
- Literal: of the body/embodiment. Symbolic: power that must be integrated into the whole being, not only thought
- सहः (sahaḥ)
- Literal: might, impelling force. Symbolic: dynamic energy of overcoming resistance (Vṛtra-force)
- ओजः (ojaḥ)
- Literal: vigor, potency. Symbolic: concentrated spiritual strength (tejas in action)
- प्रदिवि (pradivi)
- Literal: in the highest heaven. Symbolic: in the higher mind/supramental range where truth-force is native
- बाह्वोः (bāhvoḥ)
- Literal: in the arms. Symbolic: executive power—capacity to act and to smite obstruction
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed (Soma). Symbolic: delight distilled by practice and purification
- मघवन् (maghavan)
- Literal: bountiful. Symbolic: the illumined mind that overflows in gifts—light, power, joy
- ब्राह्मणात् (brāhmaṇāt)
- Literal: from the brahman/prayer. Symbolic: from the inspired Word (mantra) carrying truth-force
- तृपत् (tṛpat)
- Literal: to fullness, satisfied. Symbolic: complete assimilation—no craving left in the mind
Soma offering to Indra; emphasis on strengthening Indra’s ‘arms’ (executive force) through Soma and brahman (mantric formulation)
At Soma pressings and Indra libations; accompanying stotra/śastra contexts.
Presenting pressed Soma; recitation as empowerment of Indra’s share.
Use before challenging action: chant to invoke clear, fearless intelligence nourished by inner joy (not agitation).
nṛ́mṇa ‘manliness/heroic might’ from nṛ́ ‘man’ + abstract; indicates force of effective action. sáhas/ójas are classic paired power-terms. brā́hmaṇa-/bráhman from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ points to the ‘expansive utterance’ that carries truth-force; psychologically, right mantra that opens and stabilizes power.
brahman as truth-word power (expansive consciousness), strengthening of divine force for victory over obstruction
Indra’s ‘arms in the highest heaven’ suggests action aligned with higher order, not lower reaction.
Brahman as truth-word: speech that is effective because it is aligned with reality.
Strength descends from higher plane into embodied life; bliss fuels the mind’s liberating action.
Integral-psychological Vedism: Indra as illumined mind-force supported by Soma and mantra.
Sky = higher consciousness; Soma = distilled delight; arms = executive capacity of will guided by light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra is armed/strengthened (‘force laid in the arms’) by Soma and brahman so he can accomplish victory: the recurring myth of empowering the champion-god through the pressed delight to overcome obstruction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- div- ‘heaven’ continues PIE *dyeu-. ojas (vital force) is Indo-Iranian; maghá ‘bounty’ resonates with the IE theme of the ‘giver’ deity. √bṛh behind brahman reflects the semantic of expansion, comparable to IE notions of ‘greatness’ as power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi provides both substance (Soma) and form (brahman) for Indra’s empowerment; Indra’s reciprocal role is to become fully strengthened and then act as victorious giver (maghavan) for the sacrificer’s ascent.
Feed the illumined mind with delight; let inspiration become forceful clarity in action.
Ājñā (illumined mind) with support from Maṇipūra (executive power)
Brisk-energetic inhale on ‘eṣa sya te…’; steady exhale on ‘piba’; brief kumbhaka to feel ‘ojas’ in the arms/shoulders releasing tension.
Clear, victorious, joy-backed determination.
Before work or conflict, recall a higher standpoint (‘pradivi’); chant, then act only from that widened clarity; let joy (Soma) prevent harshness.
Use Śākala accenting as marked in source; ensure udātta peaks on key invocatory words (e.g., maghavan).
Keep compound clarity: nṛmṇa-vardhanaḥ; avoid swallowing visarga in -aḥ before consonants.
Retroflex ṇ in nṛmṇa-., Differentiate ojas with clear ‘o’., brāhmaṇāt: long ā and retroflex ṇ., maghavan: aspirated gh.
Bright, confident, slightly forceful but not strained.
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