Rig Veda 3.33.7: Mandala 3, Sukta 33, Mantra 7
Sukta 3.33
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
प्रवाच्यं शश्वधा वीर्यं तदिन्द्रस्य कर्म यदहिं विवृश्चत् । वि वज्रेण परिषदो जघानायन्नापोऽयनमिच्छमानाः ॥
pravā́cyaṃ śaśvadhā́ vī́ryaṃ tád índrasya kárma yád áhiṃ vivṛścát | ví vájreṇa paríṣado jaghānā́yann ā́po áyanam icchámānāḥ ||
ຄວາມພະລັງອັນກ້າວກ້ານັ້ນຕ້ອງໄດ້ກ່າວໄວ້ສະເໝີມາ ນັ້ນແມ່ນການກະທຳຂອງອິນທະ ເມື່ອພະອົງຕັດພັນງູອອກຈາກກັນ ດ້ວຍສາຟ້າຍ ພະອົງຕີບ່ອນທີ່ນັ່ງອ້ອມຮອບຂອງການຕໍ່ຕ້ານ ຈົນນໍ້າໄຫຼມາຂ້າງໜ້າ ປາຖະຫາເສັ້ນທາງຂອງຕົນ ຊອກຫາເສັ້ນທາງທີ່ເປັນອິດສະຫຼະ
Word by Word
- प्रवाच्यम्
- to be proclaimed, worthy to be spokenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; -य (यत्) प्रत्ययः: ‘वाच्य/कथ्य’Role कर्म (स्तुत्य/वक्तव्य-वस्तु)Root प्र-वच् (वच्) / प्रवाच्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- शश्वधा
- always, continuallyIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘सदा/नित्यं’ अर्थेRole अधिकारण (काल-निर्देशः)Root शश्वत् (अव्यय-निर्माण) / शश्वधा
- वीर्यम्
- heroic power, prowessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (प्रवाच्यस्य वस्तु)Root वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध/निर्देश (वीर्यस्य निर्देशः)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्म
- deed, actNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (वीर्यस्य/तत् इत्यस्य)Root कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which (that)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः (यद्…तद्)Role सम्बन्ध (यद्-तद् सम्बन्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अहिम्
- the serpent (Ahi/Vṛtra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हन्तव्यः)Root अहि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विवृश्चत्
- he cut asunder, he hewed apartVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचन; ‘अवच्छिनत्/विवृश्चत्’Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्द्रः)Root वि-व्रश्च् (व्रश्च्)
- वि
- apart, asunderIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘विशेषेण/विभागेन’Role क्रियाविशेषण (विवृश्चत्/जघान)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- वज्रेण
- with the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- परिषदः
- the encircling bands/hosts; the surrounding (forces)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (RV usage: ‘परिषदः’ = acc.pl.)Role कर्मRoot परिषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जघान
- he struck down, he slewVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: इन्द्रः)Root हन्
- आयन्
- they came, they advancedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 बहुवचन; ‘आ-यन्’ = ‘आगच्छन्/आयन्’Role क्रिया (कर्तृ: आपः)Root इ (एति) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुवचन-प्रयोगः)
- अयनम्
- a course, passage, wayNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इच्छमानानाम्)Root अयन (प्रातिपदिक; √इ ‘गमन’ से)
- इच्छमानाः
- desiring, seekingParticiple (Adjective)वर्तमान-कर्तरि शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययः (आत्मनेपद-प्रकृति), प्रथमा, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आपः इति विशेष्येण)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) → इच्छमान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: प्रवाच्यम् | शश्वधा | वीर्यम् | तत् | इन्द्रस्य | कर्म | यत् | अहिम् | विवृश्चत् || वि | वज्रेण | परिषदः | जघान | आयन् | आपः | अयनम् | इच्छमानाः || 1) तदिन्द्रस्य → तत् + इन्द्रस्य (व्यञ्जन-सन्धिः: द् + इ → दि). 2) जघानायन्नापोऽययन्… → जघान + आयन् + आपः + अयनम्…
- नापोऽय- इति: न + आपः (नकारागम/निग्रह-प्रयोगः) तथा आपोऽयनम् = आपः + अयनम् (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + अ → ऽ). 3) परिषदो (संहिता) → परिषदः (पदपाठ; RV में -दः/-दो रूप-परिवर्तन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra’s heroic deed is ever to be proclaimed: he cut apart the Serpent and struck down the enclosing barriers; then the waters came forward seeking their path and free course.
Inner meaning
This is the archetypal psychological victory. The ahi (serpent) is the coiled obstruction of the subconscient—habit-energy that binds and circles (pariṣad) the being with limiting formations. Indra’s vajra is the concentrated illumination that cuts the knot, shatters the ‘enclosing seats’ of resistance, and restores the natural forward movement of the waters—our life-force and consciousness—longing for their true path (ayanam). When the obstruction breaks, the energies themselves ‘desire the way’: the being spontaneously turns toward freedom once the cover is removed.
Universal truth
Freedom is not manufactured; it is the natural movement of consciousness once ignorance’s knot is cut. The decisive act is illumination that breaks the enclosing formations.
Themes
Dragon-slaying, Release of waters, Praise as power, Rita and right path
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.33.6 (Indra makes the way; Savitṛ leads), RV 3.33.4–5 (invocation to rivers for consent), RV 3.62.10
Family tradition
Heroic tapas transformed into mantric illumination; celebration of Indra’s act as inner paradigm.
Significance
The rishi insists the victory must be ‘ever spoken’: remembrance and repetition of the inner conquest stabilizes it in the collective and individual being.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛtra-han (implicit), ahi-bhid (serpent-splitter, implied), vajrin (wielder of vajra, implied)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ/Nadyaḥ (released currents), Savitṛ (impels the liberated movement), Agni (prepares and sustains the inner sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who releases the waters and establishes the possibility of ordered flow and wideness.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence with dynamic force: it can strike the root-formation of resistance and liberate the blocked energies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra/uktha contexts celebrating vṛtra-slaying; recited to secure unobstructed progress of rite and journey.
प्र॒वाच्यं॑ शश्व॒धा वी॒र्यं१॒॑ तदिन्द्र॑स्य॒ कर्म॒ यदहिं॑ विवृ॒श्चत् । वि वज्रे॑ण परि॒षदो॑ जघा॒नाय॒न्नापोऽय॑नमि॒च्छमा॑नाः ॥
प्र॒ऽवाच्य॑म् । श॒श्व॒धा । वी॒र्य॑म् । तत् । इन्द्र॑स्य । कर्म॑ । यत् । अहि॑म् । वि॒ऽवृ॒श्चत् । वि । वज्रे॑ण । प॒रि॒ऽषदः॑ । ज॒घा॒न॒ । आय॑न् । आपः॑ । अय॑नम् । इ॒च्छमा॑नाः ॥
pra-vācyam | śaśvadhā | vīryam | tat | indrasya | karma | yat | ahim | vi-vṛścat | vi | vajreṇa | pari-ṣadaḥ | jaghāna | āyan | āpaḥ | ayanam | icchamānāḥ
48
4 x ~12 syllables
Proclamatory and heroic; strong narrative thrust moving from deed to consequence.
Builds confidence and ‘victory-memory’; energizes the listener to confront inner resistance.
- वीर्य (vīrya)
- Literal: heroic power. Symbolic: spiritual force of breakthrough—courage and luminous potency
- अहि (ahi)
- Literal: serpent. Symbolic: coiled subconscient obstruction; binding habit-energy
- विवृश्चत् (vivṛścat)
- Literal: cut apart, severed. Symbolic: disentangling the knot of ignorance; decisive separation from compulsive patterns
- वज्र (vajra)
- Literal: thunderbolt. Symbolic: focused illumination-force that breaks fixed formations
- परिषदः (pariṣadaḥ)
- Literal: enclosing seats/assemblies; surrounding barriers. Symbolic: structures of resistance—thought-forms and vital formations that hem in the flow
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: released currents of consciousness, life, delight
- अयन (ayana)
- Literal: path, course. Symbolic: the true direction of the soul’s journey; the channel of ṛta in the being
Mythic recitation to empower the act of crossing and to affirm Indra’s archetypal release of blocked flows (outer rivers/inner currents)
During Indra praises, especially when seeking removal of impediments and release of ‘waters’ (resources, vitality).
Recitation as heroic praise; symbolic ‘breaking open’ gestures (loosening, opening, stepping through).
Use as a ‘breakthrough mantra’ before tackling entrenched habits; pair with a single concrete action that breaks the loop.
pravācya ‘to be spoken forth’ (pra- + √vac ‘speak’, PIE *wekʷ-). vivṛścat from vi-√vṛśc ‘cut’ (PIE *wersk- ‘cut’ is proposed in some etymologies). parīṣad ‘sitting around’ (pari + √sad ‘sit’) → encircling positions/obstructive establishments. jaghāna from √han (PIE *gʷhen-). ayanam ‘path’ from √i ‘go’ with nominal formation. āpaḥ ‘waters’ as both physical and subtle life-streams.
Ahi/Vṛtra as the covering resistance, Speech (vac) as invocation that sustains divine action, Ayanam (path) as ordained course in ṛta
When the enclosing barriers fall, the waters find their ayana—right course—indicating ṛta restored.
Truth is the ‘ever speakable’ deed: the archetype that must be remembered to keep the being aligned with victory.
Creation as liberation of blocked potential; the waters ‘come’ once the knot is cut.
Psychological Veda (Aurobindo/Kashyap): myth as inner event; serpent as subconscient.
Breaking the coiled resistance releases the natural flow of life and consciousness toward its destined path.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The dragon/serpent cutting (ahiṃ vivṛścat) and the consequent release of waters seeking their path: a core Indo-European storm-god mythologem expressed as psychological liberation of blocked currents.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac ‘speak’ (pravācya) reflects PIE *wekʷ- (voice/speech). √han ‘strike’ (jaghāna) reflects PIE *gʷhen-. The formula ‘slay serpent → waters flow’ matches a widespread Indo-European narrative pattern (e.g., Vedic Indra, Iranian and later Indo-European parallels).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s proclamation (pravācya) keeps the divine deed present and operative: by speaking the mythic victory, he invites Indra’s same force into the current situation so the waters—outer and inner—may find their free ayanam (course).
Identify the ‘serpent’ pattern (one recurring compulsion). On inhale gather clarity; on exhale imagine the vajra cutting the loop; then sit quietly and feel the ‘waters’ move forward on their own.
Ājñā (cutting insight) acting on Mūlādhāra/subconscient patterns to free the upward flow
Short, steady exhale-focused practice (e.g., 1:2 inhale:exhale) to support release; then normal breathing to allow flow.
Victorious clarity—forceful release followed by spontaneous forward movement.
After the ‘cut’, immediately choose the true ayana (one right next step). Do not negotiate with the old enclosure; let the waters ‘come’ by following the new course.
Proclamatory udatta on ‘pravācyaṃ’, ‘vīryaṃ’, ‘índrasya’, ‘vájreṇa’; keep the narrative momentum through pāda breaks.
Deliver the first pāda like an announcement; intensify on ‘ahiṃ vivṛścat’; release into a smoother flow on ‘āyan āpo…’.
pravācyaṃ: keep ‘vāc’ clear; do not blur into ‘prachya’., vivṛścat: articulate vṛ and śc cluster carefully., pariṣadaḥ: retroflex ṣ; keep final ḥ audible but light.
Heroic, ringing, with a clean ‘strike’ on consonant clusters; then flowing resonance for the waters.
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