Rig Veda 6.21.7: Mandala 6, Sukta 21, Mantra 7
Sukta 6.21
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
अभि त्वा पाजो रक्षसो वि तस्थे महि जज्ञानमभि तत्सु तिष्ठ । तव प्रत्नेन युज्येन सख्या वज्रेण धृष्णो अप ता नुदस्व ॥
abhi tvā pājo rakṣaso vi tasthe mahi jajñānam abhi tat su tiṣṭha | tava pratnena yujyena sakhyā vajreṇa dhṛṣṇo apa tā nudasva ||
നിനക്കെതിരേ രാക്ഷസീയ ശത്രുശക്തികൾ തങ്ങളുടെ ബലം നിരത്തി നിൽക്കുന്നു; ഹേ മഹാജന്യനേ, അതിന്മേൽ ദൃഢമായി നിലകൊൾ. ഹേ ധൃഷ്ണുവേ, നിന്റെ പ്രാചീനമായ, യുക്തമായ സഖ്യതകൊണ്ട്, വജ്രംകൊണ്ട് അവരെ തുരത്തുക—അവരെ അകറ്റിത്തള്ളുക.
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards; against; overIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; governs acc. sense ‘towards/against/over’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/relational) / UpasargaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पाजः
- might; strength; powerNounप्रथमा एकवचन (नपुंसक)Role KartāRoot पाजस् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- रक्षसः
- of the Rākṣasa; of the demonNounषष्ठी एकवचन (नपुंसक) — ‘of the demon/evil being’Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root रक्षस् (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; forth; asunderIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘apart, asunder, forth’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/relational) / UpasargaRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तस्थे
- has stood; took its standVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRole Kriyā (finite verb)Root स्था (धातु)
- महि
- greatly; mightilyIndeclinableअव्यय; intensifier ‘greatly/strongly’Role Viśeṣaṇa (adverbial modifier)Root महि (अव्यय; also related to मह्/महान् semantic ‘great’)
- जज्ञानम्
- the newly-born/one who has arisen (mighty one)Participle (Adjective) / Kṛdantaभूतकृत्/परफेक्ट-भागवत् (PPP-like perfect participial stem), द्वितीया एकवचन (पुं.) — ‘the one who has been born/has arisen’Role Karma (object of implied/understood action ‘(approach)’) / Viśeṣya of त्वा in appositionRoot जन् (धातु) → जज्ञा- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards; againstIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘towards/against’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/relational) / UpasargaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तत्
- thatPronounद्वितीया एकवचन (नपुंसक)Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सु
- well; thoroughlyIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘well, good; thoroughly’ (often intensifier)Role Viśeṣaṇa (adverbial modifier)Root सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- तिष्ठ
- stand!; take your stand!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनRole Kriyā (imperative)Root स्था (धातु)
- तव
- of you; yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रत्नेन
- with the ancient (one); with the formerAdjective (used substantively)तृतीया एकवचन (पुं./नपुं.)Role KaraṇaRoot प्रत्न (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- युज्येन
- with the yoked/fit/appropriate (bond)Adjectiveतृतीया एकवचन (पुं./नपुं.)Role KaraṇaRoot युज्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; from युज् ‘to yoke/join’)
- सख्या
- with friendship; by allianceNounतृतीया एकवचन (नपुंसक) — instrumental of ‘friendship/alliance’Role KaraṇaRoot सख्य (नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रेण
- with the thunderboltNounतृतीया एकवचन (पुं.)Role KaraṇaRoot वज्र (पुं-प्रातिपदिक)
- धृष्णो
- O bold one!; O daring one!Adjective (vocative)सम्बोधन एकवचन (पुं.)Role Sambodhana (address)Root धृष्णु (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अप
- away; offIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘away, off’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/relational) / UpasargaRoot अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ता
- those (them)Pronounद्वितीया बहुवचन (नपुंसक/स्त्री—here ‘those (ones)’ as objects)Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now; indeedIndeclinableअव्यय; enclitic particle ‘now/indeed’Role Nipāta (discourse particle)Root नु (अव्यय)
- नुदस्व
- drive away!; thrust away!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (वेदिक रूप) — ‘drive away for yourself/drive away’Role Kriyā (imperative)Root नुद् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi/pada-division: अभि त्वा | पाजो रक्षसो | वि तस्थे | महि जज्ञानम् | अभि तत् सु तिष्ठ | तव प्रत्नेन युज्येन सख्या | वज्रेण धृष्णो | अप ता नु नुदस्व. Notable: पाजो = पाजः (nom. sg. n.) before r-
- तत्सु = तत् + सु
- धृष्णो is voc. sg.
- अप ता shows preverb + pronoun object
The meaning
Outer meaning
Hostile forces (rakṣasas) have set themselves against Indra’s power. Indra is urged to stand firm in his greatness and, with his ancient allied friendship and thunderbolt, to drive them away.
Inner meaning
When illumination is born strongly (mahi jajñānam), the forces of distortion and inertia (rakṣasaḥ—hostile formations) mass against it. The mantra calls the Indra-force to take its stand upon its own luminous might (pājas) and, supported by the ‘ancient yoked friendship’—the perennial alliance of higher faculties already harnessed (pratnena yujyena sakhyā)—to strike with the vajra: the decisive discriminative will that shatters coverings and expulses intruding suggestions.
Universal truth
Every genuine awakening provokes resistance; victory comes by steadfastness in the awakened power and by decisive discernment that rejects hostile movements.
Themes
Rakṣas-repulsion, Indra’s vajra, Protection and victory
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.18-6.22 (Indra cluster), RV 6.47 (victory/strength themes)
Family tradition
A line of seers emphasizing victory over obstruction through brahman-guided force; Indra hymns often pair illumination with battle against coverings.
Significance
Bharadvāja articulates the psychological battle: illumination must be defended and made effective against hostile suggestions.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- dhṛṣṇu (bold), mahi jajñāna (greatly born)
- Related deities
- Maruts (storm of thought-forces aiding Indra), Agni (will that sustains the fight)
Cosmic role
Champion who repels anti-cosmic forces and restores the path for the waters and light.
Inner power
Courageous, discriminating intelligence that stands firm and expels falsehood and inertia.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective/expulsive Indra stotra within Soma rites; general apotropaic (warding) usage.
अ॒भि त्वा॒ पाजो॑ र॒क्षसो॒ वि त॑स्थे॒ महि॑ जज्ञा॒नम॒भि तत्सु ति॑ष्ठ । तव॑ प्र॒त्नेन॒ युज्ये॑न॒ सख्या॒ वज्रे॑ण धृष्णो॒ अप॒ ता नु॑दस्व ॥
अ॒भि । त्वा॒ । पाजः॑ । र॒क्षसः॑ । वि । त॒स्थे॒ । महि॑ । ज॒ज्ञा॒नम् । अ॒भि । तत् । सु । ति॒ष्ठ॒ । तव॑ । प्र॒त्नेन॑ । युज्ये॑न । सख्या॑ । वज्रे॑ण । धृ॒ष्णो॒ इति॑ । अप॑ । ता । नु॒द॒स्व॒ ॥
abhi | tvā | pājaḥ | rakṣasaḥ | vi | tasthe | mahi | jajñānam | abhi | tat | su | tiṣṭha | tava | pratnena | yujyena | sakhyā | vajreṇa | dhṛṣṇo iti | apa | tā | nudasva
44
4 × ~11
Martial and percussive; strong caesuras support ‘strike and drive away’.
Energizes courage; creates a protective boundary in the listener’s field.
- पाजः (pājaḥ)
- Literal: strength, brilliance, might. Symbolic: luminous force of consciousness; energetic radiance of the awakened mind
- रक्षसः (rakṣasaḥ)
- Literal: demons, harmful beings. Symbolic: hostile thoughts, depressions, falsehoods, subconscious resistances
- महि जज्ञानम् (mahi jajñānam)
- Literal: greatly born. Symbolic: a major emergence of higher consciousness in the seeker
- सु तिष्ठ (su tiṣṭha)
- Literal: stand well/firmly. Symbolic: steady poise in the soul; unshaken inner station
- प्रत्नेन युज्येन सख्या (pratnena yujyena sakhyā)
- Literal: by ancient yoked friendship. Symbolic: established alliance of higher powers harnessed to the work—faith, aspiration, intuition, will
- वज्रेण (vajreṇa)
- Literal: with the thunderbolt. Symbolic: decisive illumined discernment; force that breaks the Coverer
- धृष्णो (dhṛṣṇo)
- Literal: bold one. Symbolic: fearless spiritual courage in confrontation
Protective and exorcistic efficacy within Soma rites; also suitable for apotropaic recitation against rakṣas (inner/outer obstruction).
When obstacles, fear, or hostile influences are felt; before decisive action in the rite.
Recitation as protective invocation; mental ‘casting out’ of negativity with Indra’s vajra.
Use as a short protection mantra before difficult conversations, travel, or when intrusive thoughts intensify—pair with firm posture and steady gaze.
rakṣas from √rakṣ ‘harm/protect’ (ambivalent; here hostile beings). vajra ‘thunderbolt’ symbolically the focused will-force that breaks obstruction. √sthā ‘stand’ in tiṣṭha, tasthe. dhṛṣṇu ‘bold’ from √dhṛṣ ‘dare’.
Battle of Light vs obstruction (rakṣas), Steadfastness (sthiti) as prerequisite for victory
Rakṣasas represent anṛta; Indra’s firm stance restores ṛta in the field of consciousness.
Truth must be defended by force of clarity; otherwise it is overrun by distortion.
Emergence of the ‘great-born’ light and the inevitable counter-pressure from the subconscient.
Yoga of inner battle (Aurobindonian): rejection + steadfastness + invocation of higher power.
Thunderbolt = sharp discriminative flash; rakṣasas = mists/parasites in the vital-mental atmosphere; standing firm = mountain-like steadiness of the soul.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The confrontation with rakṣas and their expulsion by vajra: the classic Vedic combat-pattern, here directly invoked. Psychologically, hostile formations (fear, falsehood, inertia) ‘array themselves’ against the aspiring force; Indra’s concentrated will breaks them.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā (tiṣṭha/tasthe) < PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’. vajra is Indo-Iranian thunder-weapon lexeme (cf. Avestan vazra-). √dhṛṣ ‘dare’ has Indo-European parallels in semantic field of boldness/firmness.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi does not merely narrate; he commands and collaborates: ‘stand firmly’ and ‘drive away’. The ‘ancient yoked friendship’ suggests a long-established inner alliance—Indra responds where the human keeps the bond (sakhyā) active.
Rejection (apohana) of hostile thoughts; establish firm inner seat (āsana of consciousness).
maṇipūra (force/courage) and ājñā (discernment)
Brisk bhastrikā 20–30 strokes (if suitable), then calm exhale and chant once or thrice.
Strong, defended, luminous vigilance.
Chant, then practice: (1) name the hostile movement, (2) refuse consent, (3) invoke Indra’s vajra as a descending flash clearing the field, (4) rest in steadiness.
Keep strong udatta lifts on key force-words: pājaḥ, rakṣásaḥ, su tíṣṭha, vájreṇa, núdasva (per śākhā).
Strike the consonants on vajreṇa, dhṛṣṇo, nudasva; maintain a firm cadence—no trailing endings.
Pronounce rakṣaso with clear kṣ (rak-ṣa-so)., Keep jajñānam with palatal nasal: ja-jñā-nam (not ‘gya’)., nudasva: nu-das-va, keep ‘sv’ crisp.
Forceful, steady, slightly louder than normal; end each pāda cleanly.
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