Rig Veda 1.30.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 30, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.30
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvān Dairghatamasa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ऊर्ध्वस्तिष्ठा न ऊतयेऽस्मिन्वाजे शतक्रतो । समन्येषु ब्रवावहै ॥
ūrdhvás tiṣṭhā na ūtáye ’smín vā́je śatakrato | sam anyéṣu bravāvahai ||
ഹേ ശതക്രതു (ഇന്ദ്ര), ഞങ്ങളുടെ ഊതി (രക്ഷ)ക്കായി നേരെ എഴുന്നേൽക്കുക; ഈ വാജ (ബല-സമൃദ്ധി)യിൽ; മറ്റുപോരാട്ടങ്ങളിലും ഞങ്ങൾ ഒരുമിച്ച് (ഏകസ്വരത്തിൽ, വിജയത്തോടെ) സംസാരിക്കട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- ऊर्ध्वः
- upright, up (stand up)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (आदेश्यः/कर्तृ-भावः) — ‘(त्वं) ऊर्ध्वः’Root ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *h₃erdʰ- ‘ऊँचा/ऊपर’
- तिष्ठ
- stand!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) — आदेशःRoot स्था (धातु) ‘to stand’
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक) ‘our’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ऊतयेः सम्बन्धःRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (उद्देश्य/हित) — ‘for (our) help’Root ऊति (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, aid’
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) — ‘in this’Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजे
- in the contest; in the prize-winning (struggle)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa — ‘in the contest/prize (situation)’Root वाज (पुं. प्रातिपदिक) ‘prize, strength; contest’
- शतक्रतो
- O Śatakratu (Indra), of a hundred powersNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (address) — इन्द्रस्यRoot शतक्रतु (बहुव्रीहि-समास; प्रातिपदिक) ‘having a hundred powers/stratagems’
- सम्
- together, jointlyIndeclinableउपसर्ग; ‘together/fully’Role (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग) — ब्रवावहै इत्यस्यRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अन्येषु
- among othersAdjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole Adhikaraṇa — ‘among/with others’Root अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) ‘other’
- ब्रवावहै
- let us two speak; may we two sayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश वैदिक प्रयोग), उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (क्रिया) — कर्ता: ‘वयम् (द्वौ)’ निहितःRoot ब्रू (धातु) ‘to speak, say’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ऊर्ध्वः तिष्ठ नः ऊतये | अस्मिन् वाजे शतक्रतो | सम् अन्येषु ब्रवावहै || 1) ऊर्ध्वस्-तिष्ठ → ऊर्ध्वः तिष्ठ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: स् + त् → ः)
- 2) ऊतयेऽस्मिन् → ऊतये अस्मिन् (अ + अ → ’ अवग्रह)
- 3) समन्येषु → सम् अन्येषु (म् + अ → म् अ; संधौ लेखने ‘समन्येषु’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Stand upright for our help, O Shatakratu, in this contest/plenitude of force; and in the other contests too may we speak together.
Inner meaning
Indra is asked to ‘stand upright’—to take his station in the seeker’s consciousness as a firm, ascending power. In this present vāja (effort toward plenitude/victory) and in future struggles, may our speech and will be in harmony with that illumined force. The mantra seeks a stable verticality (ūrdhva) in the being: alignment upward to the higher Mind so that action and expression become coordinated and victorious.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires a steady upward alignment and repeated renewal of help; harmony of speech and will with higher guidance brings victory across changing life-situations.
Themes
aid, victory-force, upright ascent, collective affirmation
The seer
- Rishi
- Kakṣīvān Dairghatamasa
- Other hymns
- RV 1.30
Significance
The seer emphasizes continuity of sadhana: not a one-time victory but repeated contests. His prayer is for a stable Indra-presence that keeps the being upright and unified in speech and action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śatakratu, vīryavān (mighty), sakhā (ally)
- Related deities
- Maruts (forces that support Indra’s action), Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods in the battle for light; giver of victory in vāja.
Inner power
Uplifting force that straightens the being, dispels collapse/confusion, and coordinates the faculties toward luminous action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation for victory and protection in ritual ‘contests’ (vāja)
ऊ॒र्ध्वस्ति॑ष्ठा न ऊ॒तये॒ऽस्मिन्वाजे॑ शतक्रतो । सम॒न्येषु॑ ब्रवावहै ॥
ऊ॒र्ध्वः । ति॒ष्ठ॒ । नः॒ । ऊ॒तये॑ । अ॒स्मिन् । वाजे॑ । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । सम् । अ॒न्येषु॑ । ब्र॒वा॒व॒है॒ ॥
ūrdhvaḥ | tiṣṭha | naḥ | ūtaye | asmin | vāje | śatakrato itiśata-krato | sam | anyeṣu | bravāvahai
44
4 × 11 (typical)
Commanding and exhortative; strong upward cadence suited to ‘ūrdhva’.
Energizes posture and will; encourages spinal uplift and mental clarity, producing a ‘standing’ consciousness.
- ऊ॒र्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ)
- Literal: upright, upward. Symbolic: vertical ascent; alignment to higher consciousness
- ऊ॒तये॑ (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help, protection. Symbolic: saving grace/support of the illumined power
- वाजे॑ (vāje)
- Literal: prize, contest, strength. Symbolic: inner battle for plenitude; dynamic progress
- शतक्रतो (śatakrato)
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: multi-potent divine intelligence-force capable of many effective operations
- सम् ... ब्रवावहै (sam ... bravāvahai)
- Literal: may we speak together. Symbolic: harmonized expression—inner parts unified under light
Prayer for Indra’s upright presence and aid in vāja (victory/force) during competitive/agonistic ritual frames (Soma pressing; also generalized to life-struggles)
Before/within sequences seeking strength, success, protection; adaptable across rites
Recitation as a call for Indra’s presence and coordinated speech among priests/chanters
Use before difficult conversations or tasks: chant, then stand/sit upright and commit to aligned action and truthful speech.
ūrdhvá: from √ṛdh/urdh 'to rise' (Indo-European verticality symbolism). ūtí: 'help, protection' from √av/√ūt? Vedic noun for saving force. vājá: from √vaj 'be strong, impel' → not mere 'food/prize' but 'plenitude of force'. śatakratu: śata 'hundred' + krátu 'will, resolve, intelligent power' (√kṛ 'do' with mental-force nuance in Vedic). bravāvahai: optative 1pl of √brū 'to speak'.
kratu as intelligent will, vāja as force-plenitude for realization, collective harmony of utterance (saṃ brav-)
Upright alignment symbolizes placing oneself in right order; harmony in speech reflects ṛta in expression.
Speaking together under Indra implies truth-consensus of the illumined mind, not ego-argument.
Repeated victories build a stable ascending formation of consciousness.
Karmic-yogic Vedic line: right action supported by illumined mind.
Upright stance = ascent and stability; vāja = life’s field of effort where light must win repeatedly.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the 'upright pillar' of victorious ascent: the god is asked to stand up within the action as stabilizing and elevating power, enabling success in the present vāja and future struggles.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √brū 'speak' connects to PIE *mrewh₂-/ *bʰreh₂? (complex), but the inherited prominence of 'speech-act' as efficacious is Indo-European. krátu (will/intelligence) reflects the archaic IE linking of mental resolve with ritual efficacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks Indra’s stationed presence (tiṣṭha) as inner support (ūti). In return, the human collective promises unified articulation (saṃ bravāvahai): right speech aligned with the god’s many kratus.
Upright alignment practice: invoke Indra, feel a vertical current from base to crown; unify speech and intention.
suṣumṇā axis; emphasis on ājñā for guidance
Inhale imagining ascent (ūrdhva), exhale stabilizing (tiṣṭha).
Steady, upright vigilance; coordinated will.
Chant standing for 3 rounds; then sit and keep the same inner ‘standing’. Before speaking, recall ‘sam ... bravāvahai’: speak from alignment, not reaction.
Ṛgvedic accenting; give a clear lift on ‘ūrdhvaḥ’ and ‘śatakrato’.
Keep ‘’smin vāje’ connected; let ‘sam anyeṣu bravāvahai’ flow as a single intention of harmony.
ūrdhvaḥ: long ū; cluster rdhv, ūtaye: long ū; dental t, śatakrato: clear śa; retroflex ṭ not present—keep dental t, bravāvahai: vāvā long ā; final hai as diphthong
Erect, bright, rallying.
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