Rig Veda 10.113.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 113, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.113
जज्ञान एव व्यबाधत स्पृधः प्रापश्यद्वीरो अभि पौंस्यं रणम् । अवृश्चदद्रिमव सस्यदः सृजदस्तभ्नान्नाकं स्वपस्यया पृथुम् ॥
jajñānó evá vyabādhata spṛ́dhaḥ prápaśyad vīró abhí paúṃsyaṃ ráṇam | ávṛścad ádrim áva sa-syádaḥ sṛ́jad ástabhnān nā́kaṃ svapasyáyā pṛthúm ||
ജന്മം മുതലേ പരാക്രമിയായ അവൻ ഉടൻ തന്നെ വൈരസ്പർധകൾ (സ്പൃധഃ) അകറ്റി; വീരൻ പുരുഷാർത്ഥഭരിതമായ രണത്തെ അഭിമുഖമായി നോക്കി. അവൻ അദ്രി (ശില) വെട്ടി; തടഞ്ഞുവെച്ച പ്രവാഹങ്ങളെ ഒഴുക്കിവിട്ടു; തന്റെ സുകൃത പ്രവർത്തി (സ്വപസ്യാ) കൊണ്ടു വിശാലമായ ആകാശത്തെ താങ്ങിനിർത്തി.
Recitation of Indra’s cosmically formative deeds (cutting stone, releasing flows, upholding heaven) to stabilise the rite’s ascent and the sacrificer’s inner order.
Rita as right workmanship (svapasyā), establishment of higher plane (nāka), vision preceding victorious action (pra-apaśyat)
Svapasyā is action aligned with ṛta that stabilizes the wide heaven of consciousness.
Waters/streams signify truth released from concealment.
Creation as liberation: heaven broadened and upheld after obstruction is cleaved.
Integral Yoga/Vedantic symbolism: higher birth and establishment of luminous mind.
Rock = hardened samskāra; waters = freed inspiration and life-force; sky = clear, spacious mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s formative victory: on arising he dispels rivalries, breaks the stone, releases the pent-up flows, and establishes the wide heaven. This is the classic sequence of obstruction-breaking leading to the freeing of life-waters and the stabilisation of a higher order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā ‘uphold/stand’ (astabhnāt < √stambh, but the ‘stand/prop’ semantic field is IE-wide) resonates with PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’. The mythic grammar—cutting the stone, releasing waters—matches an Indo-European poetic inheritance of dragon/obstruction vs. liberating hero.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents Indra not only as warrior but as cosmic artisan: by ‘svapasyā’ (right workmanship) he establishes the higher expanse. The implied boon is inner architecture—stability of the higher mind/sky—after the release of blocked energies.
Identify one ‘rock’ (a rigid belief or habit). On recitation, visualize the vajra of discernment cleaving it; feel a stream of quiet energy releasing upward into a wide, clear sky-mind.
Viśuddha (release/flow) and Ājñā (clear sky-mind)
Slow-meditative 4–8 breathing; exhale longer while imagining ‘cutting’ and releasing
From constriction to spacious clarity; from divided will to unified direction.
Do not fight many rivalries at once—name them (spṛdhaḥ), then return to one decisive cut (adri). After release, rest in wideness (nākaṃ pṛthum) without rushing to new struggle.
Neutral Vedic tone with udātta on marked syllables; keep strong pāda endings for Triṣṭubh cadence.
Make the verbs crisp: vy abādhata / avṛścat / sṛjat / astabhnāt; slight pause after each action to ‘feel’ the opening.
vyabādhata: conjunct vy, long ā, pauṃsyaṃ: nasalized auṃ, keep ‘sya’ clear, avṛścat: vocalic ṛ, palatal ś, cluster śc, astabhnāt: cluster st, retroflex/aspirate as written
Clear, cutting articulation; then soften into openness on nākaṃ pṛthum.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
