Rig Veda 4.32.13: Mandala 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 13
Sukta 4.32
- Rishi
- Gautama lineage
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
यच्चिद्धि शश्वतामसीन्द्र साधारणस्त्वम् । तं त्वा वयं हवामहे ॥
yác cíd dhí śáśvatām ásīndra sā́dhāraṇas tvám | táṃ tvā vayáṃ havāmahe ||
ഹേ ഇന്ദ്രാ, നീ ശാശ്വതന്മാർക്കുപോലും പൊതുവായ ശക്തിയായിരുന്നാലും, ആ നിന്നെയേ ഞങ്ങൾ ഇവിടെ വിളിച്ചുവരുത്തുന്നു.
Word by Word
- यत्
- whatever / that whichPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (of implied verb ‘अस्ति/भवति’ in the relative clause)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यद्-शब्द
- चित्
- even / indeedIndeclinable (particle)अव्ययRoot चित् (निपात)
- हि
- for / indeedIndeclinable (particle)अव्ययRoot हि (निपात)
- शश्वताम्
- of the everlasting (ones/things)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the everlasting ones/everlasting things’)Root शश्वत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- thou artVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (copula)Root अस् (धातु) ‘to be’
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- साधारणः
- common, shared, belonging to allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (as predicate nominative with ‘असि’)Root साधारण (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- thouPronounमध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- him / that onePronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘हवामहे’)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- theePronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (enclitic/weak form)Role Karma (object of ‘हवामहे’)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हवामहे
- we invoke / call uponVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot ह्वे (धातु) ‘to call, invoke’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद: यत् + चित् + हि + शश्वताम् + असि + इन्द्र + साधारणः + त्वम् । तम् + त्वा + वयम् + हवामहे ॥ 1) यच्चिद्धि = यत्+चित्+हि (त् + च् → च्च्; निपात-संयोग)
- 2) शश्वतामसीन्द्र = शश्वताम् + असि + इन्द्र (म् + अ → म; असि+इन्द्र → असीन्द्र)
- 3) साधारणस्त्वम् = साधारणः + त्वम् (विसर्ग-लोपः/सन्धिः: ः + त् → स् + त्)
- 4) तं त्वा = तम् + त्वा (म् + त् → ं त्; अनुस्वार)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even if Indra is a common power for the eternal ones, still we call him to us.
Inner meaning
Indra is not a private possession; the illumined Mind-Power serves the ‘śaśvatām’—the enduring, higher planes and their beings (or the timeless truths). Yet the human seeker can legitimately call that universal Power into the personal field. The verse affirms a crucial yogic principle: the Divine is universal, but can be individually present by invocation and receptivity.
Universal truth
What is universal is not distant. The highest power belongs to all existence, yet becomes intimate and operative where there is sincere calling and openness.
Themes
Invocation, Universality, Personal appropriation of divine force
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama (Gautama lineage)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.18, RV 4.26, RV 4.32
Family tradition
A tradition of calling universal powers into the human sacrifice through precise mantra and strong aspiration.
Significance
The rishi’s stance is humility without self-negation: acknowledging Indra’s universality while insisting on the right of the soul to direct invocation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- sādhāraṇa (universal/common), maghavan (bountiful)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Viṣṇu (as wide stride of consciousness)
Cosmic role
A universal power of luminous governance active across worlds.
Inner power
The descent of clarity that can enter ordinary mentality when called; democratization of illumination through aspiration.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation within stotra cycles; suitable as a ‘calling’ formula.
यच्चि॒द्धि शश्व॑ता॒मसीन्द्र॒ साधा॑रण॒स्त्वम् । तं त्वा॑ व॒यं ह॑वामहे ॥
यत् । चि॒त् । हि । शश्व॑ताम् । असि॑ । इन्द्र॑ । साधा॑रणः । त्वम् । तम् । त्वा॒ । व॒यम् । हा॒वा॒म॒हे॒ ॥
yat | cit | hi | śaśvatām | asi | indra | sādhāraṇaḥ | tvam | tam | tvā | vayam | hāvāmahe
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Balanced and declarative; a philosophical assertion with devotional pull.
Creates a calm confidence that the universal can be personally contacted; steadies faith and receptivity.
- शश्वताम् (śaśvatām)
- Literal: of the everlasting. Symbolic: timeless planes of truth; enduring consciousness beyond transient mind
- साधारणः (sādhāraṇaḥ)
- Literal: common, shared. Symbolic: universal availability of the Divine Power; not limited by ego-ownership
- हवामहे (havāmahe)
- Literal: we call/invoke. Symbolic: act of aspiration; opening of the being that draws down presence
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined intelligence that can descend into the human instrument
General invocation within Soma hymn: legitimizes the call by asserting Indra’s universality (sādhāraṇa) across enduring orders
At moments of invitation (āvāhana) to Indra, especially when emphasizing his readiness to come.
Vocal invocation; mental turning toward the deity-power.
Use when feeling ‘unworthy’ or ‘too small’: it counters spiritual inferiority by affirming rightful access through sincere call.
from √hū ‘call, invoke’ (PIE *ḱlew- is ‘hear/fame’, different; √hū is Indo-Iranian call-verb), middle voice marking personal engagement: ‘we invoke for ourselves’. (sādhāraṇa) ‘shared/common’ suggests Indra’s power is not exclusive; yet the seers claim access through invocation—psychologically, the Force is universal but must be consciously called into the individual vessel.
universality of divine power and individual appropriation by invocation, access to higher planes (śaśvatām) through conscious call
A universal power that maintains Ṛta is ‘sādhāraṇa’—shared across the ordered worlds.
Truth is not sectarian; it is common to the everlasting—yet can be embodied here.
Descent: the universal entering the individual field by invocation.
Integral Vedāntic tendency: universal Divine present to individual aspiration.
The ‘call’ is the upward flame of attention; the ‘common power’ is the all-pervading light that can localize in awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of the ‘universal god who must be invoked’: Indra belongs to the ‘everlasting ones’ as a shared power, yet the human seers call him down into their immediate field. Innerly, universal Force becomes effective only when consciously summoned.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The concessive particle complex (yác cid) is an archaic Indo-Aryan discourse strategy to nuance claims (‘even if’). The middle voice in havāmahe reflects inherited Indo-European mediopassive patterns used for self-involving actions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts a right of approach: though Indra is universally shared, the seers actively claim him through invocation for their own transformation—moving from cosmic availability to personal embodiment.
Rest in the sense of a universal luminous Presence and then invite it into the heart and mind as a concrete guidance.
anāhata (heart)
Soft inhalation ‘receiving’ + exhalation with mantra; keep breath even and unforced.
From doubt/separation to intimate universality (the One present here).
Repeat 9 or 27 times, feeling each ‘havāmahe’ as an opening door; then sit 2 minutes in quiet expectancy.
Standard RV accentuation; maintain clear udātta on ‘índra’ and the verbal forms; keep cadence steady across the assertion.
Do not rush ‘śaśvatām asīndra’; keep sandhi clear (asi + indra).
śaśvatām: palatal ś, and keep -tām long, sādhāraṇaḥ: long ā in both sā- and -dhā-, retroflex ṇ, havāmahe: long ā; breathe naturally before ha-
Even, inward, faith-filled; less force, more steadiness.
27
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.
