Rig Veda 7.32.13: Mandala 7, Sukta 32, Mantra 13
Sukta 7.32
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
मन्त्रमखर्वं सुधितं सुपेशसं दधात यज्ञियेष्वा । पूर्वीश्चन प्रसितयस्तरन्ति तं य इन्द्रे कर्मणा भुवत् ॥
mántram ákharvaṃ súdhitaṃ supéśasaṃ dádhāta yajñíyeṣv ā́ | pū́rvīś cana prásitayas taranti táṃ yá índre kármaṇā bhúvat ||
ಯಜ್ಞಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಖಂಡ ಮಂತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿರಿ—ಸುಧಿತವಾಗಿ ರೂಪುಗೊಂಡ, ಸುಂದರ ರೂಪವಿರುವುದನ್ನು. ಯಾರು ಇಂದ್ರನಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ಮದ ಮೂಲಕ ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೋ, ಅವನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಪುರಾತನ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆಗಳೂ ಸಹ ದಾಟಿ ಬರುತ್ತವೆ.
Word by Word
- मन्त्रम्
- hymn/formulaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) < √मन् (मन्त्रणे/चिन्तने)
- अखर्वम्
- unbroken, not defectiveAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (मन्त्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अ-खर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुधितम्
- well-set, well-arrangedAdjective (Participle)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (मन्त्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot सु-धित (कृदन्त; √धा/√धि ‘धारण/स्थापन’ → धित ‘placed/arranged’)
- सुपेशसम्
- well-adorned, beautifulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (मन्त्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot सु-पेशस् (प्रातिपदिक; पेशस् ‘beauty/ornament’)
- दधात
- let him place/establishVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्ग-प्राय), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √धा (दधाति)
- यज्ञियेषु
- among the worshippers/ritualistsAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableRole (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पूर्वीः
- many former/earlierAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (प्रसितयः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot पूर्वी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘former/earlier’)
- च
- andIndeclinableRole (समुच्चय)Root च
- न
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableRole (निपात)Root न
- प्रसितयः
- impulses/advances, forward settingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot प्र-√सि/√सा (प्रसरणे) → प्रसिति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘advance/impulse/setting-forth’)
- तरन्ति
- they cross over, pass beyondVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √तॄ (तरणे)
- तम्
- him/that onePronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्रे
- in/with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्मणा
- by (his) deed/actionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवत्
- let him be / may he becomeVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √भू (भवति)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: मन्त्रम् | अखर्वम् | सुधितम् | सुपेशसम् | दधात | यज्ञियेषु | आ | पूर्वीः | च | न | प्रसितयः | तरन्ति | तम् | यः | इन्द्रे | कर्मणा | भुवत् । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) यज्ञिये॒ष्वा → यज्ञियेषु + आ (उकारान्त ‘-षु’ + ‘आ’ इति संयोगे ‘ष्वा’ रूपम्)
- (2) इन्द्रे॒ कर्म॑णा → इन्द्रे + कर्मणा (सन्धि-रहित संयोगः; पदसीमा पर उच्चारण-संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Place in the sacrificial rites the unbroken mantra, well-fashioned and of fair form. Even the ancient impulsions cross over to that one who, by works, becomes effective in Indra.
Inner meaning
The mantra is a consciously forged instrument: unbroken (akharva), well-set (sudhita), beautifully formed (supeśasa). स्थापित in the yajña (inner offering), it becomes a bridge. ‘Ancient impulsions’ (pūrvīḥ prasitayaḥ)—old samskāric drives and inherited energies—can be carried across the dangerous passage when one becomes ‘effective in Indra’: when works are done under illumined intelligence rather than under habit and desire.
Universal truth
Rightly formed speech/thought (mantra) placed in a disciplined practice transforms even deep-seated tendencies; action becomes a vehicle for crossing beyond the past.
Themes
mantra-as-force, inner yajña, crossing beyond limitation, Indra-force and effective action
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.1, RV 7.2, RV 7.23, RV 7.32
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha is famed for brahman (mantric power) and for establishing right ritual order; here the emphasis is on the craftsmanship of mantra as inner technology.
Significance
Represents the yogic priest: speech purified into mantra that carries the being across inherited limitations into effective divine action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- कर्मणा भुवत् (he in whom works become effective—contextual epithet of Indra’s field), शूर (implicit heroic power)
- Related deities
- Agni (mantra-carrier), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Soma (delight sustaining works)
Cosmic role
Makes works victorious; empowers crossing beyond old impulsions by right force.
Inner power
Illumined executive intelligence that can re-channel ancient drives into truth-action.
In ritual
Where it is used
General yajña instruction within Indra praise; supports correct placement of stotra/śastra in Soma ritual.
मन्त्र॒मख॑र्वं॒ सुधि॑तं सु॒पेश॑सं॒ दधा॑त य॒ज्ञिये॒ष्वा । पू॒र्वीश्च॒न प्रसि॑तयस्तरन्ति॒ तं य इन्द्रे॒ कर्म॑णा॒ भुव॑त् ॥
मन्त्र॑म् । अख॑र्वम् । सुऽधि॑तम् । सु॒ऽपेश॑सम् । दधा॑त । य॒ज्ञिये॑षु । आ । पू॒र्वीः । च॒न । प्रऽसि॑तयः । त॒र॒न्ति॒ । तम् । यः । इन्द्रे॑ । कर्म॑णा । भुव॑त् ॥
mantram | akharvam | su-dhitam | su-peśasam | dadhāta | yajñiyeṣu | ā | pūrvīḥ | cana | pra-sitayaḥ | taranti | tam | yaḥ | indre | karmaṇā | bhuvat
11
4 × 11; balanced descriptive epithets in first half, result-statement in second.
Crafted and measured; feels like ‘forging’ then ‘crossing’.
Centers speech and intention; creates a sense of ordered potency and continuity.
- मन्त्रम् (mantram)
- Literal: mantra, sacred formulation. Symbolic: truth-word shaping consciousness; focused intention
- अखर्वम् (akharvam)
- Literal: unbroken, uninjured. Symbolic: continuous, undivided aspiration; integrity of practice
- सुधितम् (sudhitaṃ)
- Literal: well-set, well-forged. Symbolic: carefully formed thought/speech aligned to truth
- सुपेशसम् (supeśasam)
- Literal: of fair form/beauty. Symbolic: harmonious vibration that fits the inner rhythm
- यज्ञियेṣu (yajñiyeṣu)
- Literal: in the sacrificial acts. Symbolic: in all offerings of life and practice
- प्रसितयः (prasitayaḥ)
- Literal: impulsions, goads, instigations. Symbolic: drives of nature, habitual pushes, inherited energies
- तरन्ति (taranti)
- Literal: they cross over. Symbolic: transformation and passage beyond limitation
- कर्मणा (karmaṇā)
- Literal: by works. Symbolic: by disciplined action as yoga
- इन्द्रे भुवत् (indre bhuvat)
- Literal: becomes in/for Indra. Symbolic: becomes an effective instrument under illumined mind
Indra-stotra in Soma-yajña contexts (general: Indra invocations at Soma pressings; applicable as praise to strengthen Indra’s force in the offering and the sacrificer’s inner work)
At points emphasizing correct formulation/recitation and efficacy of works for Indra’s victory.
Deliberate recitation with attention to form; ‘placing’ the mantra as an offering.
Mantra-japa as craftsmanship: refine one’s chosen mantra and place it into daily actions, transforming habits.
Key terms: mantra (√man ‘think, measure’ → ‘formed thought/word-power’); dadhāta (impv. √dhā ‘place/establish’); taranti (√tṛ ‘cross’ → ‘pass beyond limitation’); karmaṇā (karman from √kṛ ‘do, make’ → ‘effective forming action’); indre (Indra as power of illumined force, ‘to be strong’ √ind often linked with ‘drop/strength’ traditions). ‘prasiti’ is a ‘sending forth/impulsion’ (pra- + verbal notion of setting in motion), here read as movements of energy that can ‘cross over’ into a higher effectiveness when yoked to Indra through right action.
ṛta (right arrangement in yajña/action), vāc/mantra as creative ordering power, karma as conscious formation (inner discipline)
‘Well-forged’ mantra is speech aligned to ṛta; it re-orders impulsions.
Mantra as satya-vāc: a formulation that makes truth effective in action.
Transformation of the old (pūrvīḥ) into the new by the power of truth-speech and right works.
Mantra-yoga/Karma-yoga synthesis (Aurobindonian): speech, will, and action unified under higher mind.
Forging = refining mental substance; crossing = passage over samskāra-stream; yajña = life as offering-field.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘crossing over’ (√tṛ) of the prasiti-s (impulsions) to the doer who ‘becomes in Indra by works’ recasts the heroic passage motif: not an external ford, but the transition of energies from older habitual movements into a higher, Indra-empowered efficacy through the rightly placed mantra in yajña.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṛ ‘cross’ aligns with PIE *terh₂- ‘to cross over, overcome’ (cf. Avestan tar- ‘cross’, Latin trans ‘across’). √bhū ‘become’ reflects PIE *bʰuH- ‘become, grow’ (cf. Greek phýō ‘grow’, English ‘be’ via Germanic developments). The verse’s syntax links instrumentality (karmaṇā) with locative sphere (indre), mapping ‘means’ + ‘field of power’ → ‘becoming/effectiveness’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer positions mantra and yajña as the human side of reciprocity: when the mantra is intact and rightly established, Indra’s force becomes the enabling field in which the practitioner’s works turn effective. The ‘gift’ is not merely wealth but the successful transmutation of impulsions into victorious energies aligned with ṛta.
Refine and ‘place’ a mantra into the heart of action; let it re-channel old impulses into conscious works.
viśuddha (speech/mantra) with ājñā (right direction)
Japa on exhale; keep inhale silent and receptive; maintain unbroken flow (akharva).
Quietly potent concentration; continuity of aspiration.
Choose one mantra; attend to its sound-shape (supeśasa). ‘Place’ it before any task for 1–3 breaths. Observe how old impulsions lose urgency when action is done ‘in Indra’ (with clear intelligence leading).
Rigvedic accents; keep the compound epithets (akharvaṃ sudhitaṃ supeśasaṃ) smoothly linked without losing accent peaks.
Slightly lengthen at mantra descriptors; pause lightly after ‘yajñiyeṣv ā’ to ‘place’ the mantra sonically.
(akharvam): kh aspirated; rv cluster clean, (sudhitaṃ): dental dh; final anusvāra as light nasal, (supeśasam): ś as palatal; keep e long/clear, (prasitayaḥ): pr- cluster; ti as dental t
Even, well-rounded, ‘crafted’ tone; minimal harshness.
7
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