Rig Veda 1.175.5: Mandala 1, Sukta 175, Mantra 5
Sukta 1.175
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
शुष्मिन्तमो हि ते मदो द्युम्निन्तम उत क्रतुः । वृत्रघ्ना वरिवोविदा मंसीष्ठा अश्वसातमः ॥
śuṣmíntamo hí te mádo dyumníntama utá krátūḥ | vṛtrá-ghnā varivo-vidā maṃsī́ṣṭhā áśva-sā́tamaḥ ||
നിന്റെ മദം ഏറ്റവും ശക്തിമത്താണ്; നിന്റെ ക്രതു (സങ്കൽപ-ശക്തി) ഏറ്റവും ദ്യുമ്നമയവും. ഹേ വൃത്രഘ്ന, വരിവോവിദ (വിശാല പഥം അറിയുന്നവനേ), ഞങ്ങളിലേയ്ക്ക് ശ്രേഷ്ഠ മനീഷിയും അശ്വസാതമനും (ശക്തികളുടെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ജയകനും) ആയി വരിക—ശരിയായ വിശാലത ലഭിക്കട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- शुष्मिन्तमः
- most powerfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सुपरलेटिव -तम)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/सम्बोधन-सम्बन्धः; ‘मदः’ इत्यस्य)Root शुष्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक; शुष्म ‘बल’ + -इन्)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Role सम्बन्ध/हेतु-प्रदर्शकRoot हि (निपात)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- मदः
- intoxication; exhilaration (soma-rapture)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्य-विषयः)Root मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- द्यु्म्निन्तमः
- most glorious, most splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सुपरलेटिव -तम)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/सम्बोधन-सम्बन्धः; ‘मदः’ इत्यस्य)Root द्यु्म्निन् (प्रातिपदिक; द्यु्म्न ‘तेजस्/यशस्’ + -इन्)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे निपातRole समुच्चयRoot उत (निपात)
- क्रतुः
- resolve; power of will; ritual intelligenceNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (समुच्चितः; ‘मदः’ सह)Root क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रघ्ना
- Vṛtra-slayerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधन/विशेषण (इन्द्रम् प्रति)Root वृत्रघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + घ्न ‘हन्’ धातोः)
- वरिवोविदा
- finder/procurer of wide space (favor, room)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-स्वभावः)Role सम्बोधन/विशेषण (इन्द्रम् प्रति)Root वरिवोविद् (प्रातिपदिक; वरिवस् ‘विस्तार/अवकाश/कृपा’ + विद् ‘जानाति/विन्दति’)
- मंसीष्ठाः
- may you intend/think (to grant); be mindedVerbलोट् (वेदिक: आशीर्लिङ्/आशीर्वचन-प्रयोगः), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आह्वान/आशीः; कर्ता = त्वम्/इन्द्रः)Root मंस्/मन् (धातु; ‘मन्यते/मंसते’—वेदिक ‘सोच/इच्छ’), desiderative/benedictive formation मंसीष्
- अश्वसातमः
- best giver/winner of horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सुपरलेटिव -तम)Role सम्बोधन/विशेषण (इन्द्रम् प्रति; ‘त्वम्’)Root अश्वसातम (प्रातिपदिक; अश्व + साति ‘प्राप्ति/लाभ’ < √सा/सन् ‘to win/gain’ + -तम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शुष्मिन्तमः | हि | ते | मदः | द्युम्निन्तमः | उत | क्रतुः || वृत्रघ्ना | वरिवोविदा | मंसीष्ठाः | अश्वसातमः || 1) ते मदो → ते मदः (विसर्गः पदान्ते). 2) द्युम्निन्तमः उत → द्युम्निन्तम उ॒त (ओष्ठ्य-उकारादौ संहितायां विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-समायोजनं; पदपाठे ‘द्युम्निन्तमः | उत’). 3) क्रतुः । वृत्रघ्ना → पदान्तविसर्गः, छेदे पृथक्. 4) वरिवोविदा मंसीष्ठाः—सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न
- संहिता-उच्चारणे स्वरसंयोगः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Your ecstasy is the most mighty, and your will the most luminous. O Vṛtra-slayer, knower of the wide path, become the best thinker and best winner of horses/energies.
Inner meaning
Indra’s rapture-force is fullest of might (śuṣmin-tama), and his kratu (effective will/insight) is fullest of light (dyumnin-tama). As Vṛtra-slayer he breaks the coverer; as knower of wideness (varivovid) he opens the free space of consciousness. He is invoked to become in us the right thinking power (maṃsīṣṭhā) and the best winner of energies (aśvasātamaḥ): mastery of vital forces yoked to illumination.
Universal truth
The highest will is both powerful and luminous; when it acts, it breaks inner constriction and opens wideness, turning thought into effective guidance and energy into disciplined action.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Widening of consciousness, Empowered will and luminous force
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.175.1-5, RV 7. (varivas/uru motifs recur across Vasiṣṭha hymns)
Family tradition
A tradition of ‘wide space’ (uru/varivas) and right will (kratu) aligned with ṛta; seeks luminous effectiveness, not mere ritual success.
Significance
This is a quintessential inner-prayer: Indra is asked to become our very thinking and energy-mastery—transforming psychology from within.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- वृत्रघ्न (vṛtraghna), वरिवोविद (varivovid), शुष्मिन्तम (śuṣmintama), द्यु॒म्निन्तम (dyumnintama)
- Related deities
- Soma (ecstasy), Bṛhaspati (inspired thought), Agni (will-fire)
Cosmic role
Destroys obstruction, releases wideness, bestows luminous victory and effective will.
Inner power
Luminous-forceful consciousness that both thinks rightly and commands life-energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise; concluding or strengthening verse in an Indra hymn
शु॒ष्मिन्त॑मो॒ हि ते॒ मदो॑ द्यु॒म्निन्त॑म उ॒त क्रतु॑: । वृ॒त्र॒घ्ना व॑रिवो॒विदा॑ मंसी॒ष्ठा अ॑श्व॒सात॑मः ॥
शु॒ष्मिन्ऽत॑मः । हि । ते॒ । मदः॑ । द्यु॒म्निन्ऽत॑मः । उ॒त । क्रतुः॑ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽघ्ना । व॒रि॒वः॒ऽविदा॑ । मं॒सी॒ष्ठाः । अ॒श्व॒ऽसात॑मः ॥
śuṣmin-tamaḥ | hi | te | madaḥ | dyumnin-tamaḥ | uta | kratuḥ | vṛtra-ghnā | var ivaḥ-vidā | maṃsīṣṭhāḥ | aśva-sātamaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables
Majestic and affirming; superlatives (तम) give a climactic rise.
Instills confidence in luminous strength; good for concluding a sequence with a sense of accomplished widening.
- शुष्मिन्-तम (śuṣmin-tama)
- Literal: most forceful. Symbolic: Maximum dynamic strength for transformation
- द्यु॒म्निन्-तम (dyumnin-tama)
- Literal: most full of splendor. Symbolic: Highest luminous intelligence and victorious radiance
- क्रतु (kratu)
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligence. Symbolic: Effective spiritual will guided by insight (not mere desire)
- वृत्रघ्न (vṛtraghna)
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: Breaker of the coverer—destroys subconscious resistance and constriction
- वरिवोविद (varivovidā)
- Literal: knower/finder of wide space. Symbolic: Opener of wideness—freedom, vastness, unobstructed path
- मंसीष्ठाः (maṃsīṣṭhāḥ)
- Literal: most thoughtful/best thinker. Symbolic: Right discernment and inspired thought in the seeker
- अश्वसातम (aśvasātama)
- Literal: best winner of horses. Symbolic: Best winner/master of vital energies for the journey and works
Praise emphasizing Indra’s mada and krátu; supports invocation for victory and widening (varivas) in Soma rites
To intensify Indra’s empowerment and request inner gifts (thought, wideness, energy).
Recitation with offering; intention for obstacle-breaking and widening of the sacrificer’s ‘field’.
Daily recitation for clarity + stamina: before meditation, study, creative work, or any task needing both light and force.
śuṣma ‘might’ relates to intensification/force; dyumna ‘luminous power’ (dyu ‘sky/light’). krátu is a key Vedic term: effective will/insight that accomplishes (not mere ‘ritual’). vṛtra-ghnā: Vṛtra from √vṛ ‘to cover, obstruct’—the Coverer; Indra breaks coverings to release light/waters. varivas ‘wide space, free course’ signals liberation/widening of consciousness. aśva ‘horse’ often symbolizes energies; √san ‘to win’ in sā́tamaḥ indicates attainment.
Kratu as effective truth-will, Varivas (wideness) as liberation into bṛhat, R̥ta established by breaking coverings
Varivas is the ‘wide path’ of ṛta; Indra knows and opens it by slaying the coverer.
Dyumna indicates truth’s victorious radiance in mind.
From constriction (Vṛtra) to wideness (varivas): creation as progressive release of light and space in consciousness.
Aurobindonian: Vṛtra as subconscient resistance; Indra as illumined mind-force opening the vast.
Horses = vital energies; wideness = free consciousness; Vṛtra = constriction/covering; dyumna = radiance of truth in mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Vṛtra-slaying and the finding of ‘wide room’ (varivas): the archetype of breaking the coverer to release space, waters, and light. Inner-shell: removal of constriction in consciousness, opening the free course for r̥ta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The coverer/obstructor myth (Vṛtra) matches an IE poetic pattern of the hero who breaks constriction to release life-giving flow. The paired lexemes of might (śuṣma) and light (dyumna) reflect an archaic dichotomy of force + illumination as heroic completeness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer asks Indra not only for external victory but for inner capacities: inspired thought (maṃsīṣṭhāḥ) and winning energies (aśva-sāti), implying that the god’s attributes must become active functions within the aspirant.
Unite luminous discernment (dyumna/kratu) with dynamic strength (śuṣma); open inner wideness (varivas).
maṇipūra (force), anāhata (wideness), ājñā (luminous thought)
Slow-moderate breathing with emphasis on long exhale to feel ‘wideness’; brief pause after inhale to stabilize light in the brow.
Wide, lucid, capable—effective peace.
Chant, then sit sensing space around thoughts (varivas). If resistance arises, name it ‘Vṛtra’ and return to the feeling of luminous strength in the will.
Tri-svara; superlatives ending in -तम often carry a natural rhetorical lift; follow accented text for exact udātta.
Keep long vowels distinct in dyumnin-tama; articulate compound varivovidā clearly (va-ri-vo-vi-dā).
(vṛtraghnā): retroflex ṛ, clear ‘ghn’ cluster, (kratuḥ): dental t, light visarga, (maṃsīṣṭhāḥ): nasalization on ‘maṃ’, long ī, retroflex ṣṭh, (aśvasātamaḥ): ‘śv’ cluster clean; avoid inserting extra vowel
Luminous and steady; strength expressed as calm authority.
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