Rig Veda 3.41.7: Mandala 3, Sukta 41, Mantra 7
Sukta 3.41
- Rishi
- Gāthin Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Vira (heroism)
वयमिन्द्र त्वायवो हविष्मन्तो जरामहे । उत त्वमस्मयुर्वसो ॥
vayám índra tvāyávo haviṣmánto jarāmahe | utá tvám asmayúr vaso ||
ഹേ ഇന്ദ്രാ, ഞങ്ങൾ നിന്നെ അന്വേഷിക്കുന്നവർ, ഹവിഷ് സമൃദ്ധരായി, നമ്മുടെ ആഹ്വാനത്തോടെ നിന്നെ ജാഗ്രതപ്പെടുത്താൻ പരിശ്രമിക്കുന്നു; ഹേ വസു-ദാതാവേ, നീയും ഞങ്ങളെ അന്വേഷിക്കുന്നവൻ—ഞങ്ങളുടെ ആഗ്രഹത്തെ നിന്റെ പ്രതികരണമായ സമീപനത്തോടെ നീ ഏറ്റെടുക്കുന്നു.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- weNoun (Pronoun)पुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Noun (Pronoun)त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यवः
- barley(-offering) people / barley-bringersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-समनाधिकरण/विशेषणभाव) अथवा उपपद-विशेष्यRoot यव (प्रातिपदिक)
- हविष्मन्तः
- possessing oblation; with offeringsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषण)Root हविष्मन्त् (हविस् + मन्त्) (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरामहे
- we invoke / we entreatVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot जर् (धातु; ‘स्तुतौ/प्रार्थनायाम्’—वेदिक प्रयोग: ‘to invoke/entreat/praise’)
- उत
- and; alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चय/अन्वयRoot उत (निपात)
- त्वम्
- youNoun (Pronoun)त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मयुः
- friendly to us / well-disposed to usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (त्वम्-विशेषण)Root अस्मयु (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक विशेषण)
- वसो
- O good one; O benefactorNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वयम् | इन्द्र | त्वा | यवः | हविष्मन्तः | जरामहे | उत | त्वम् | अस्मयुः | वसो । Sandhi: (1) वयम् + इन्द्र → वयमिन्द्र (अन्त्य ‘म्’ + स्वर आरम्भ) (2) त्वा + यवः → त्वायवः (आ + य) (3) उत + त्वम् → उत्त्वम् (त् + त् = त्त्) (4) अस्मयुः + वसो → अस्मयुर्वसो (उः + व = उर्व) । Accent note (as in saṃhitā): व॒यम्(अनुदात्त-प्रवण) इ॑न्द्र(उदात्त) त्वा॒यवो॑ (यवो उदात्त) ह॒विष्म॑न्तो (मन् उदात्त) ..
- उ॒त (उदात्त) त्वम॑ (त्वम् उदात्त/स्वरित-प्रसंग) अस्म॒युर्व॑सो (वसो उदात्त)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We who seek you, Indra, rich in offering, praise/call to you; and you, giver of wealth, also seek us.
Inner meaning
A reciprocity is affirmed: human aspiration (tvāyavaḥ—those who go toward you) offers its energies (haviṣmantah—bearing oblation) and calls Indra awake in the inner field. Indra is not distant; the higher Mind-Power itself ‘seeks’ the prepared human instrument (asmāyuḥ), moving toward the soul that turns to it. This is the yoga of mutual approach—invocation answered by descent.
Universal truth
When we sincerely orient life toward higher clarity and offer our energies, the higher clarity also moves toward us; grace meets effort.
Themes
Reciprocity, Invocation, Offering (havis), Indra as giver of vasu
The seer
- Rishi
- Gāthin Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Kauśika lineage; traditional attribution)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.41.1-8, RV 3.60-62 (aspiration and illumination themes)
Family tradition
Mantras of call-and-response between human and divine; emphasis on effective invocation and descent of power.
Significance
The rishi articulates a key yogic law: aspiration is answered. The divine is not merely summoned; it is already moving toward the soul that prepares itself.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vasu (giver of richness), Maghavan (bountiful; implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (as caller/mediator), Soma (as delight that attracts Indra)
Cosmic role
Mediator of divine riches into human life; awakener of the inner battle-force and clarity.
Inner power
Responsive illumination—an active intelligence that meets and cooperates with human effort.
In ritual
Where it is used
Invocation of Indra to come to the offering; welcoming formula within Soma/oblations
व॒यमि॑न्द्र त्वा॒यवो॑ ह॒विष्म॑न्तो जरामहे । उ॒त त्वम॑स्म॒युर्व॑सो ॥
व॒यम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । त्वा॒ऽयवः॑ । ह॒विष्म॑न्तः । ज॒रा॒म॒हे॒ । उ॒त । त्वम् । अ॒स्म॒ऽयुः । व॒सो॒ इति॑ ॥
vayam | indra | tvāyavaḥ | haviṣmantaḥ | jarāmahe | uta | tvam | ama-yuḥ | vaso iti
44
4 × ~11
Dialogic and forward-moving; a ‘meeting’ rhythm—call then answer.
Creates confidence in reciprocity; energizes aspiration and receptivity together.
- त्वायवः (tvāyavaḥ)
- Literal: those who go toward you. Symbolic: aspirants whose movement is Godward—orientation of life and mind
- हविष्मन्तः (haviṣmantaḥ)
- Literal: possessing oblation. Symbolic: those who can offer—discipline, attention, breath, works, emotions as fuel
- जरामहे (jarāmahe)
- Literal: we praise, invoke, call (intensively). Symbolic: persistent mantra-calling that awakens the higher force in the field
- अस्मयुः (asmāyuḥ)
- Literal: desiring us, seeking us. Symbolic: the divine response—higher power’s choosing of the prepared nature
- वसो (vaso)
- Literal: O wealthy one; giver of riches. Symbolic: giver of inner plenitude—strength, clarity, wideness, joy
Mutual invocation formula within Soma rite: emphasizes reciprocity between sacrificer and Indra
At moments of inviting the deity to the seat/offerings; during Indra-stotras
Calling Indra and affirming his approach; strengthening the sacrificer’s sense of divine participation
Use before work or decision: offer intention (havis) and invite clarity; then pause to receive the answering movement.
tvāyú- ‘desiring you’ from pronoun tvā + √yu/√yav ‘to join, desire, seek’ (Vedic desiderative nuance). haviṣmant- from havís ‘oblation’ (possibly from √hu ‘pour/offer’) + -mant ‘possessing’. jarāmahe: from √jar ‘to sing, praise, call’ (Vedic); also associated with ‘aging’ in later Sanskrit but here ‘to praise/urge’. vásu ‘good, wealth’ (PIE *wesu- ‘good’).
reciprocity (yajña as exchange under ṛta), divine response to aspiration (call-and-answer structure of mantra)
Right relationship: human offering and divine giving are complementary movements within Ṛta.
Truth manifests when aspiration and response align; the ‘seeking’ becomes mutual.
Descent of divine riches into the human vessel through cooperative exchange.
Bhakti-jnana synthesis (Aurobindonian): aspiration + receptivity as twin powers.
Offering = energy given upward; Indra’s seeking = downward movement of light-force; meeting-point = heart-mind field prepared by sincerity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘mutual seeking’: the god is not distant; Indra is portrayed as asmayú—one who in turn seeks the human. This frames yajña as a meeting-point where aspiration draws down force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vásu ‘good/wealth’ continues PIE *wesu- ‘good’ (cf. Avestan vohu). The reciprocal desire terms (tvāyú-/asmáyú-) display the Indo-Iranian poetic habit of encoding relationship through paired adjectives.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi asserts a symmetrical bond: humans offer (havis) and call (jarāmahe); Indra answers by turning toward them as giver of vasu (inner plenitude), validating the ṛṣi’s role as mediator of a real exchange of powers.
Two-way movement: exhale-offer (havis), inhale-receive (Indra’s approach).
Anāhata (mutuality/devotion) with Ājñā (illumined guidance)
Breath-paired japa: first hemistich on exhale (offering/call), second on inhale (receive/answer).
Receptive strength; trustful alertness.
After chanting, sit 1–2 minutes in silence as the ‘answering approach’; notice subtle shifts of clarity or courage.
Rigvedic accents; keep clear separation of pādas; slight lift on vocative ‘indra’.
Make ‘tvāyavo’ flow (aspiration), then ‘uta tvam’ as a distinct answering turn.
tvāyavo: consonant cluster tv; long ā, haviṣmantaḥ: ṣ retroflex; final ḥ light, jarāmahe: long ā; aspirate h, vaso: soft v; short o
Invocatory then receptive; second hemistich slightly softer to embody ‘answer’.
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