Rig Veda 1.55.4: Mandala 1, Sukta 55, Mantra 4
Sukta 1.55
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
स इद्वने नमस्युभिर्वचस्यते चारु जनेषु प्रब्रुवाण इन्द्रियम् । वृषा छन्दुर्भवति हर्यतो वृषा क्षेमेण धेनां मघवा यदिन्वति ॥
sa íd váne namasyúbhir vacasyate cā́ru jáneṣu prabruvāṇá indríyam | vṛ́ṣā chándur bhavati haryató vṛ́ṣā kṣémēṇa dhénāṃ maghávā yád invati ||
വനാന്തരത്തിൽ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്ന ഭക്തന്മാർ അവനെ സ്തുതിയായി ഉച്ചരിക്കുന്നു; മനുഷ്യരിടയിൽ അവൻ തന്റെ ഇന്ദ്രിയം (ഇന്ദ്ര-ശക്തി) മനോഹരമായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു. വൃഷഭംപോലെ ബലവാനായി, അഭിലാഷികൾക്ക് അവൻ ആനന്ദകരമായ ഛന്ദസ്സായി മാറുന്നു; പിന്നെയും വൃഷഭംപോലെ, മഘവൻ ക്ഷേമം (ശാന്തി)കൊണ്ട് സമൃദ്ധിയുടെ ധേനുവിനെ ഓടിച്ചു—പോഷകധാരയെ ദോഹിക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (स-आदेशः)
- इत्
- indeed / justIndeclinableनिपातःRoot इत् (निपात)
- वने
- in the wood / in the forestNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot वन
- नमस्युभिः
- by worshippers / with reverent menNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot नमस्यु (नमस् + यु; ‘one who reveres’)
- वचस्यते
- is praised / is addressed with hymnsVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root वचस्य (नामधातु; from वचस्)
- चारु
- beautifully / fairAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम्; अव्ययवत् विशेषणम्Root चारु
- जनेषु
- among the peoplesNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot जन
- प्रब्रुवाणः
- proclaiming / speaking forthParticipleवर्तमानकाले, शतृ-प्रत्ययः, पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot प्र + ब्रू
- इन्द्रियम्
- Indra’s power / mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इन्द्रिय
- वृषा
- the Bull (the strong one)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वृषन्-शब्दस्य वैदिकः रूपभेदः)Role KartāRoot वृषन्
- छन्दुः
- (his) chant / hymn / metrical songNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वैदिकः रूपः: छन्दुः)Role Kartā/PredicativeRoot छन्दस्
- भवति
- becomes / isVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root भू
- हर्यतः
- of the bay-horsed one (Indra)Adjective (genitive)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root हर्यत् (हरि-सम्बद्धः; ‘bay-horsed/desired’)
- वृषा
- the Bull / the strong oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā/PredicativeRoot वृषन्
- क्षेमेण
- with welfare / safelyNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot क्षेम
- धेनाम्
- the milch-cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot धेनु
- मघवा
- the bountiful one (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मघवन्
- यत्
- when / that whichRelative pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सम्बन्धे ‘when/that which’)Role Karma/AdverbialRoot यद्
- इन्वति
- drives / impels / sets in motionVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root इन्/इन्व् (वैदिक; ‘to set in motion, drive, impel’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः इत् वने नमस्युभिः वचस्यते । चारु जनेषु प्र-ब्रुवाणः इन्द्रियम् । वृषा छन्दुः भवति हर्यतः वृषा । क्षेमेण धेनाम् मघवा यत् इन्वति ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) स इद् → सः + इत् (विसर्ग-लोपः, इकारादौ संयोगः)
- (2) प्रब्रुवाण → प्र + ब्रुवाणः (उपसर्गयोगः)
- (3) यदिन्वति → यत् + इन्वति (त् + इ → दि; वैदिक-सन्धिः/पदसंहिता-रूपम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He is praised in the forest by those who bow; he proclaims his Indra-power beautifully among men. A bull of power, he becomes a glad delight for the aspiring; the bounteous one drives the milch-cow of abundance by peace, pressing out nourishment.
Inner meaning
In the ‘forest’ of the being (vane)—the inner, many-branched life and mind—those who submit (namasyu) to the higher truth find Indra voiced: the illumined power becomes articulate within. This Indra-force (indriyam) is a beauty among human faculties when it speaks as inspiration rather than ego. As vṛṣā (bull), he is the strong generative power that becomes chandas/joyful delight for the seeker (haryataḥ). He leads the dhenu (cow of light/abundance) not by violence but by kṣema (peace, settled harmony), so the nourishing flow is released naturally in a secure inner order.
Universal truth
When we bow the ego and listen inwardly, a higher intelligence speaks within. True abundance and knowledge-flow increase most surely when power is guided by inner peace and right rhythm (chandas).
Themes
delight and aspiration, inner invocation in the wilderness, cow-symbol as abundance of consciousness
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama Rahūgaṇa (traditional attribution for RV 1.55)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.55, Rig Veda 1.56
Family tradition
Gautama hymns often pair Indra’s battle-power with the release of light/cows/waters—psychologically, the liberation of knowledge and delight.
Significance
The rishi frames Indra not only as warrior but as the bringer of chandas (delight/rhythm) and peaceful abundance—power perfected by harmony.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavan (bounteous), vṛṣā (bull of power), vandanaśrud (hearer of praise; implied by context of invocation)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Uṣas, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Makes divine power audible among men; stimulates fertility of force; brings prosperity and right enjoyment.
Inner power
Inspired intelligence that turns aspiration into joy and releases the ‘cow’ of knowledge by establishing peace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma offerings; also prosperity/victory invocations
स इद्वने॑ नम॒स्युभि॑र्वचस्यते॒ चारु॒ जने॑षु प्रब्रुवा॒ण इ॑न्द्रि॒यम् । वृषा॒ छन्दु॑र्भवति हर्य॒तो वृषा॒ क्षेमे॑ण॒ धेनां॑ म॒घवा॒ यदिन्व॑ति ॥
सः । इत् । वने॑ । न॒म॒स्युऽभिः॑ । व॒च॒स्य॒ते॒ । चारु॑ । जने॑षु । प्र॒ऽब्रु॒वा॒णः । इ॒न्द्रि॒यम् । वृषा॑ । छन्दुः॑ । भ॒व॒ति॒ । ह॒र्य॒तः । वृषा॑ । क्षेमे॑ण । धेना॑म् । म॒घवा॑ । यत् । इन्व॑ति ॥
saḥ | it | vane | namasyu-bhiḥ | vacasyate | cāru | janeṣu | pra-bruvāṇaḥ | indri yam | vṛṣā | chanduḥ | bhavati | haryataḥ | vṛṣā | kṣemeṇa | dhenām | maghavā | yat | invati
44
4×11 (approx.)
Expansive yet forceful; alternates proclamation and release, fitting the movement from praise to abundance.
Creates uplift and gladness; steadies aspiration; encourages confident but peaceful power.
- वने (vane)
- Literal: in the wood/forest. Symbolic: Inward field of life-mind with many movements; the inner wilderness to be illumined
- नमस्युभिः (namasyubhiḥ)
- Literal: by those who bow/worship. Symbolic: Ego-surrender, receptivity, humility that allows higher guidance
- इन्द्रियम् (indriyam)
- Literal: Indra-force; Indra’s power. Symbolic: Illumined mental energy; capacity for victorious discernment
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: Generative potency; strong forward-driving force of realization
- छन्दुः (chanduḥ)
- Literal: delight, pleasure; also chandas resonance. Symbolic: Joy that becomes the rhythm of progress; the ‘right cadence’ of the soul
- हर्यतः (haryataḥ)
- Literal: of the eager/aspiring; desirous. Symbolic: The seeker who yearns upward for light and victory
- धेनाम् (dhenām)
- Literal: milch-cow. Symbolic: Cow of light/knowledge and abundance; the yielding of inner riches
- क्षेमेण (kṣemeṇa)
- Literal: by peace, security. Symbolic: Harmonized consciousness; settled poise that enables steady outflow
- मघवा (maghavā)
- Literal: the bounteous one. Symbolic: The giver-power of the illumined mind that bestows inner riches
Praise supporting the descent of delight (chandas) and the release of nourishing streams (dhenu) in the sacrifice; can be mapped to Soma praise sequences.
During stotra recitations; suitable before communal undertakings seeking harmony and success.
Praise (stuti) to ‘voice’ Indra in the rite and invite his bounteous action.
Use for cultivating ‘power with peace’: chant before work to align ambition with calm, and to invite a nourishing flow of ideas/means.
vana ‘forest’ can denote the untamed inner field; praise ‘in the forest’ suggests invocation in the subconscient/vital thickets. chándas here read as ‘delight/rhythm’—from √chand ‘to please/shine’, the metrical force becomes an inner cadence of Ananda. dhénu ‘milch cow’ symbolizes a stream of nourishing light/energy/knowledge; √inv ‘to set in motion, impel’ indicates Indra’s role in driving forth the flow, but ‘by kṣema’—in a settled peace, not in turmoil.
Ananda (chandas as delight), Kṣema (peaceful stability), release of inner nourishment/knowledge (dhenu-stream)
Kṣema (peace) indicates ṛta in the vital—order that allows abundance to flow.
Indra-force becomes ‘cāru’ (beautiful) when it expresses truth rather than ego-display.
Release and ‘milking’ of abundance—manifestation of inner riches into life.
Integral Yoga psychology: joy (ānanda) as a power of progress, not mere pleasure.
Forest = complex inner nature; bull = potent force; cow = rays/abundance of knowledge; peace = stable field for the flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cow driven forth’ mythologem in a pacified form: Indra impels the dhenu (abundance-stream) by kṣema. Innerly, once peace is established, the nourishing flow of knowledge/energy is drawn out for the aspirant; delight (chandas) becomes the experiential sign of Indra’s presence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The cow-as-abundance metaphor is pan-Indo-European (cattle = wealth/power), but the Vedic development internalizes it into ‘streams of nourishment/light’. √inv ‘impel’ resonates with IE motion/drive semantics; the bull image (vṛṣā) is likewise a widespread IE emblem of potency.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s praise (vacasyate) is itself a technology: by voicing Indra’s indriya, the worshipper transforms the ‘forest’ of the being into a field where delight arises. Indra reciprocates by driving the dhenu—making abundance flow under the condition of kṣema (inner settledness).
Hear the ‘Indra-force’ speaking within the forest of thoughts; let power become joy and harmony.
anāhata (heart)
Coherent breathing ~5–6 breaths/min while repeating ‘vṛṣā chandur bhavati’ to unite strength and delight.
Receptive inspiration with calm joy.
Begin with a small bow inward (namas): relax the chest, soften the tongue, listen. Then act from the ‘peaceful power’ state—firm, but unhurried—so the ‘cow’ (knowledge/resources) yields naturally.
Three-tone Vedic chanting; exact accenting to be taken from an accented Saṃhitā edition for RV 1.55.4.
Keep ‘cāru janeṣu’ smooth and lyrical; emphasize ‘vṛṣā’ with a firm lift; soften into ‘kṣemeṇa’ to convey peace.
namasyubhiḥ: pronounce ‘syu’ as consonant cluster (s-yu), not ‘shu’., prabruvāṇaḥ: keep long ‘ā’ in vā; ‘ṇ’ retroflex clear., indriyam: ‘dr’ crisp; final ‘am’ nasalized lightly., kṣemeṇa: ‘kṣ’ cluster clean; long ‘e’ held.
Warm, bright, and steady; strength without harshness.
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