Rig Veda 10.178.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 178, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.178
- Devata
- Tārkṣya with Indra as comparative exemplar
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
इन्द्रस्येव रातिमाजोहुवानाः स्वस्तये नावमिवा रुहेम । उर्वी न पृथ्वी बहुले गभीरे मा वामेतौ मा परेतौ रिषाम ॥
índrasyeva rātím ā́johuvānāḥ svastáye nā́vam ivā́ ruhema | urvī́ ná pṛthvī́ bahulé gabhī́re mā́ vām etáu mā́ parétau riṣāma ||
ហៅឱ្យបាននូវអំណោយដូចពីឥន្ទ្រ សូមឱ្យយើងឡើងជិះវាដូចជាទូកមួយដើម្បីសុខភាពរបស់យើង។ ធំទូលាយដូចផែនដីដ៏ជ្រៅទូលាយ សូមកុំឱ្យយើងត្រូវបានបំផ្លាញ ទាំងក្នុងការមក និងក្នុងការទៅ លើការឆ្លងកាត់នេះ។
Word by Word
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- रातिम्
- gift, bountyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (object of implied ‘to obtain/receive’)Root राति (प्रातिपदिक; √रा/√दा ‘to give’ से ‘gift’)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ
- जोहुवानाः
- repeatedly invokingVerb (participle)वर्तमान/परिपूर्ण-भाव (intensive/frequentative sense); कर्तरि; प्रथमा-बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (subject)Root √हू (जुहोति) ‘to call/invoke’
- स्वस्तये
- for well-being, for safetyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (purpose/beneficiary)Root स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- नावम्
- a boatNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (object with verb of mounting)Root नाव्/नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- रुहेम
- may we mount/ascendVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः प्रार्थना); उत्तम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (main verb)Root √रुह् ‘to mount, ascend’
- उर्वी
- broad, wide (one)Adjective/Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (subject/predicate term)Root उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot न
- पृथ्वी
- the EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole उपमान (standard of comparison)Root पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
- बहुले
- in abundance, manifoldAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; लोकेटिव/सप्तमी-एकवचन (वेदे ‘बहुले’ = ‘in abundance/many-fold’)Role अधिकरण (locative circumstance)Root बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
- गभीरे
- in the deep (place), deepAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (समासार्थे/विशेषणे)Role अधिकरण/विशेषणRoot गभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive particle, esp. with injunctive/imperative)Root मा
- वाम्
- you two / of you twoPronounद्वितीया/षष्ठी-द्विवचन (enclitic) ‘you two/your two’Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (contextual)Root युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- एतौ
- these twoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (subject)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot मा
- परेतौ
- having gone away, departedVerb (participle)भूतकृदन्त (क्त); प्रथमा-द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (with ‘एतौ’)Root √इ (to go) with preverb परा-; ‘परेत’ (gone forth)
- रिषाम
- may I be harmed / let (me/us) not be harmedVerbवेदिक injunctive/लुङ्-प्रायः; उत्तम-पुरुष; एकवचन (speaker’s wish/avoidance under ‘मा’)Role क्रियाRoot √रिष् ‘to be harmed, to suffer injury’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (principal): रातिमाजोहुवानाः → रातिम् + आ + जोहुवानाः
- स्वस्तये नावमिव → स्वस्तये + नावम् + इव
- उर्वी न → उर्वी + न
- पृथ्वी बहुले → पृथ्वी + बहुले
- गभीरे मा → गभीरे + मा
- वामेतौ → वाम् + एतौ
- परेतौ रिषाम → परेतौ + रिषाम. Accent marks in the saṃhitā (e.g., इन्द्र॑स्य, जोहु॑वानाः, नाव॑म्) are noted but not separately encoded per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Calling for a gift like Indra’s, may we mount it like a boat for well-being. Vast as broad deep earth—may we not be harmed, neither in coming nor going, on this passage.
Inner meaning
The ‘gift of Indra’ is illumination-power (strength of clear mind) granted to the seeker. This becomes a ‘boat’—a means of crossing inner waters (transition, uncertainty). The ‘broad deep earth’ is the stable foundation of being (patient, enduring consciousness) that supports the crossing. The prayer is for protection from harm in both directions: entering new states and returning to ordinary action—so the passage remains integral.
Universal truth
True progress is a protected crossing: receive higher strength, use it as a vehicle, and remain grounded in a vast steadiness so that transitions do not injure the being.
Themes
Svastī (well-being), Crossing, Protection in transitions, Indra-like grace
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.178.1
Significance
Completes the ‘safe passage’ theme by adding Indra’s empowering gift and the image of crossing—highly suited to inner-journey practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Tārkṣya (with Indra as exemplar of giving)
- Epithets
- svastaye (for well-being), Indrasyeva rātim (gift like Indra’s)
- Related deities
- Indra, Varuṇa (safe passage/order), Sūrya (path)
Cosmic role
Tārkṣya as carrier across; Indra as giver of force/illumination enabling the crossing.
Inner power
Protection in transition + illumined strength; grounding vastness to prevent disturbance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protection for crossings (journey/river/transition)
इन्द्र॑स्येव रा॒तिमा॒जोहु॑वानाः स्व॒स्तये॒ नाव॑मि॒वा रु॑हेम । उर्वी॒ न पृथ्वी॒ बहु॑ले॒ गभी॑रे॒ मा वा॒मेतौ॒ मा परे॑तौ रिषाम ॥
इन्द्र॑स्यऽइव । रा॒तिम् । आ॒ऽजोहु॑वानाः । स्व॒स्तये॑ । नाव॑म्ऽइव । आ । रु॒हे॒म॒ । उर्वी॒ इति॑ । न । पृथ्वी॒ इति॑ । बहु॑ले॒ इति॑ । गभी॑रे॒ इति॑ । मा । वा॒म् । आऽइ॑तौ । मा । परा॑ऽइतौ । रि॒षा॒म॒ ॥
indrasya-iva | rātim | ājohuvānāḥ | svastaye | nāvam-iva | ā | ruhema | urvī iti | na | pṛthvī iti | bahuleiti | gabhīreiti | mā | vām | āitau | mā | parāitau | riṣāma
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables; prayerful cadence with protective refrain-like negatives (mā...).
Steady and expansive; the ‘earth-breadth’ is felt in the longer, grounding flow.
Creates confidence for crossings; the repeated ‘mā’ (may-not) works as a protective seal on the nervous system.
- इन्द्रस्य रात्रि/राति (rāti)
- Literal: gift, giving. Symbolic: bestowal of illumination-force; empowering clarity
- नावम् (nāvam)
- Literal: boat. Symbolic: means of crossing; support through inner change
- स्वस्ति (svasti)
- Literal: well-being/safe-going. Symbolic: right passage aligned with truth
- उर्वी पृथ्वी (urvī pṛthvī)
- Literal: broad earth. Symbolic: vast stable consciousness; grounding base
- गभीर (gabhīra)
- Literal: deep. Symbolic: depth of being; calm endurance
- एतौ/परेतौ (etau/paretau)
- Literal: coming/going (approach/depart). Symbolic: entry into new consciousness and return to action without loss or injury
- रिष् (riṣ)
- Literal: to harm/injure. Symbolic: disturbance, setback, loss of inner poise
Svastivācana (well-being formula) in transitional contexts (journey, crossing, rite-to-rite movement), emphasizing protection in both directions (etau/paretau).
Before travel; at liminal moments (starting/ending a project, moving house, beginning a retreat).
Invocation + protective prayer; can accompany ācamana/sankalpa or a simple offering of water/light.
Use during anxiety about change: chant, then visualize boarding a boat of light powered by clear mind (Indra) and protected by carrier-force (Tārkṣya).
rāti: from √rā ‘to give, grant’; Indra’s rāti is archetypal empowering increase. nāu/nāva ‘boat’ is a common IE term (cf. Latin nāvis). urvī ‘wide’ and pṛthvī ‘broad earth’ encode the semantic field of expansion/stability; √riṣ ‘harm’ with privative mā expresses protective prayer for transitions (arrival/departure).
safe passage through transitions, vastness and depth as spiritual stability
Implied: safe passage depends on ordered movement and stable foundation—ṛta as right rhythm of transition.
Non-injury in coming/going indicates truth as continuity of consciousness through change.
Sustaining order through movement rather than origin-creation; preserving integrity across passages.
Psychological yoga: illumination (Indra) + carrier-force (Tārkṣya) + grounding (Pṛthvī).
Boat = inner support; earth = stable being; passage = transition between states; ‘coming/going’ = integration of higher experience into life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The crossing motif: mounting the divine gift like a boat to pass safely through dangerous passages. It encodes a rite-of-passage mythologem—safe transition between states—secured by vast stable being (earth) and divine largesse (Indra-like rāti).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nāva ‘boat’ matches PIE *neh₂u- (cf. Latin nāvis). asti in svasti reflects PIE *h₁es-. The arrival/departure pair (etau/paretau) reflects a pervasive IE concern with liminality and boundary-crossing encoded in verbal preverbs (ā-, parā-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s repeated invocation (ājohuvānāḥ) seeks a stable support for movement: the Devata is asked to become the vehicle itself (nāva), ensuring that neither approach nor withdrawal harms the seeker—i.e., safety in all phases of inner change.
Crossing practice: receive Indra’s clarity, board the ‘boat’ of steady breath, remain grounded in vast earth-consciousness.
mūlādhāra (grounding) with maṇipūra (Indra-force)
Lengthen exhale (e.g., 4-6) while repeating the ‘mā’ phrases; feel settling into the pelvic floor.
Safe liminality: poised transition without destabilization.
When entering or leaving meditation/retreat, chant 3 times; on ‘nāvam ivā ruhema’ visualize stepping into a boat of light; on ‘urvī na pṛthvī…’ feel vast grounded presence; end with a protective resolve: ‘no harm in entry or return’.
Three-tone Vedic delivery; exact svara requires accented Saṃhitā.
Give clear stress to svastaye and the repeated mā; keep gabhīre elongated for ‘depth’.
indrasyeva: sandhi smooth, do not over-separate, rātim: long ā, ājohuvānāḥ: aspirate h; keep long āḥ ending, nāvam ivā: keep ivā as two vowels i-vā, ruhema: ‘h’ audible, not silent, urvī: long ī, pṛthvī: vocalic ṛ; long ī, bahule: bh aspiration, gabhīre: gh aspiration; long ī, riṣāma: retroflex ṣ; long ā
Grounded, soothing, protective; slightly lower pitch on ‘mā’ phrases.
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