Rig Veda 6.45.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 45, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.45
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अविप्रे चिद्वयो दधदनाशुना चिदर्वता । इन्द्रो जेता हितं धनम् ॥
avipré cid váyo dádhad anā́śunā cid árvātā | índro jétā hitáṃ dhánam ||
അവിപ്രനേക്കൂടി അവൻ വർദ്ധന നൽകുന്നു; അനാശുനാ (അർപ്പിക്കാത്തവൻ)യുടെ അശ്വത്തിലൂടെയും. ഇന്ദ്രൻ ഹിതമായ, നിയതമായ ധനത്തിന്റെ ജയകനാണ്.
Word by Word
- अविप्रे
- even in an un-inspired/unsage (person)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (अविप्रे = ‘अविप्रे (जन/पुरुषे)’)Role अधिकारणRoot अ-विप्र (प्रातिपदिक; वि√प्र/विप्र ‘प्रेरित/कवि/ऋषि’ से; यहाँ ‘विप्र’ = ‘प्रेरित/कुशल’)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (emphatic particle)Root चित् (निपात)
- वयः
- strength, vigorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (वयः)Role कर्म (दधत् के साथ) / अथवा कर्म-भावRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधत्
- placing, bestowingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगRole कर्ता (इन्द्रः का विशेषण/सहचर)Root √धा (दधाति)
- अनाशुना
- with a not-swift (one), even with a slow (steed)Adjective (instrumental qualifier)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (अनाशुना)Role करण (अर्वता के साथ साधन-विशेषण)Root अ-नाशु (प्रातिपदिक; नाशु ‘शीघ्र/तत्पर’ से नकार)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (निपात)
- अर्वता
- with a steed, by means of a horseNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (अर्वता)Role करणRoot अर्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जेता
- the conqueror, winnerNoun/Agent nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (जेतृ-शब्द)Role कर्ता (इन्द्रः का विधेय/विशेषण)Root √जि (जयति) → जेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- हितम्
- set/appointed, destinedAdjective (past participle)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (धनम् का विशेषण)Root √धा (हित ‘स्थापित/निहित’)
- धनम्
- wealth, prizeNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धन (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): अविप्रे | चित् | वयः | दधत् | अनाशुना | चित् | अर्वता | इन्द्रः | जेता | हितम् | धनम् । 1) चिद्वयोः → चित् + वयः (चित् के अन्त्य ‘त्’ का परे ‘व’ से संधि; लिखित रूप ‘चिद्-’)
- 2) दधदना॒शुना → दधत् + अनाशुना (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त ‘दधत्’ का परे स्वर से ‘दधद्’ लेखन/उच्चारण)
- 3) चिदर्वता → चित् + अर्वता (त् + अ → द् + अ; ‘चिद्-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even to the unwise he gives increase; even with the non-offerer’s steed—Indra is the conqueror of the placed/destined wealth.
Inner meaning
Indra’s illumined force can begin work even in parts of us that are ‘a-vipra’—not yet inspired, not yet seer-like. He can use even an ‘an-āśu’ instrument—energy not yet offered/consecrated—to carry the movement (arvatā, the horse-force). Thus the divine Mind wins the hitaṃ dhanam: the inner riches already ‘set’ for the soul—truth, power, joy—when we consent to be led.
Universal truth
Grace can start from imperfection: the higher Light can employ even unrefined capacities and still move toward the destined good, provided there is some openness to its action.
Themes
Indra as giver, Victory and acquisition, Rayi/dhana as inner plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.45, RV 6.44, RV 6.46
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya emphasis on brahman (the Word) and inner guidance; Indra is approached as the victorious intelligence that can uplift even the unprepared.
Significance
This line highlights a key yogic reassurance: the divine Power is not limited by our present imperfection; it can begin with what we are.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Jetā (conqueror), Maghavan (giver), Vṛtrahan
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Winner of the light and the waters; distributor of boons; champion of the gods in the cosmic battle.
Inner power
Transforming intelligence that converts raw vital force into a vehicle for progress and secures the soul’s true gains.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise during Soma offerings; also suitable as a general stotra for prosperity/victory.
अ॒वि॒प्रे चि॒द्वयो॒ दध॑दना॒शुना॑ चि॒दर्व॑ता । इन्द्रो॒ जेता॑ हि॒तं धन॑म् ॥
अ॒वि॒प्रे । चि॒त् । वयः॑ । दध॑त् । अ॒ना॒शुना॑ । चि॒त् । अर्व॑ता । इन्द्रः॑ । जेता॑ । हि॒तम् । धन॑म् ॥
avipre | cit | vayaḥ | dadhat | anāśunā | cit | arvatā | indraḥ | jetā | hitam | dhanam
24
3×8
Assertive, aphoristic; each pāda delivers a compact claim about Indra’s capacity.
Builds faith and momentum; helpful when the mind doubts its readiness.
- अविप्र (a-vipra)
- Literal: not a vipra (not inspired/poet-seer). Symbolic: uninspired mind; ordinary consciousness not yet illumined
- वयः (vayaḥ)
- Literal: vigor, growth, vitality. Symbolic: increase of life-force and inner capacity through illumination
- अनाशुना (an-āśunā)
- Literal: by the non-offerer / not pouring (libation). Symbolic: unconsecrated vital energy; action not yet surrendered to the Divine
- अर्वता (arvatā)
- Literal: by the steed/horse. Symbolic: dynamic life-force that can be harnessed for the inner journey
- हितं धनम् (hitaṃ dhanam)
- Literal: placed/appointed wealth. Symbolic: destined inner riches—truth-knowledge, right power, fulfilled being
Indra praise for winning wealth/force; adaptable in offerings seeking increase
When seeking Indra’s ‘dhanam’—success, strength, winning of light—especially amid obstacles.
Recitation with offering (soma/oblations) in traditional context; inwardly, offering of effort and breath.
For practitioners feeling ‘not ready’: use as a mantra of encouragement that the path can start now, with present capacities.
viprá from √vip/√vep ‘tremble, be inspired’ → inspired seer-mind; avipra indicates absence of that illumination. √dhā ‘place/give’ → dadhat ‘giving’. jetā from √ji ‘conquer’ (PIE *gʷei̯h₃- / *gʷei̯- proposed) → victorious acquisition. dhana from √dhan ‘to run/flow?; wealth’ in Vedic becomes ‘store of powers’. hita ‘set/placed’ suggests destiny arranged by ṛta.
grace exceeding merit (Indra gives beyond the ideal sacrificer), ṛta as allocator of 'hita' (the set portion)
Indra’s ‘winning’ is the victory of ṛta over confusion; the right order asserts itself even through imperfect instruments.
Hitaṃ dhanam suggests truth as something ‘set’ in the being—recoverable, not invented.
Conversion: raw energies become carriers of a higher purpose.
Integral Yoga resonance: divine Shakti uses mixed nature to evolve toward truth.
Horse = prāṇic drive; wealth = stored light/power in the subtle being; ‘increase’ = growth of inner life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as universal victor and allocator of the ‘set’ wealth: he can increase even those not yet illumined or ritually perfect—psychologically, the divine force can uplift imperfect nature and still win for it a destined growth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Agent noun jetā from √ji ‘conquer’ matches a common IE heroic vocabulary of winning/overcoming. The opposition a- (negation) in avipra/anāśu is a standard IE morphological strategy for privatives.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes Indra’s sovereignty over distribution of force and wealth: the god is not mechanically bound to ritual correctness but acts as free victorious power, capable of granting growth and winning the ‘hita’ portion for the aspirant.
Offer imperfect mind and mixed vital energy to the illumined Power; ask it to harness the ‘horse’ within.
Maṇipūra (will/energy) guided by Ājñā (discernment)
Bhrāmarī 5 rounds to calm, then mantra-japa on a steady 1:1 inhale/exhale rhythm.
From self-doubt to confident aspiration; from scattered prāṇa to harnessed force.
Name one ‘unoffered’ habit-energy. On each repetition, feel it becoming a steed for the soul’s aim; end with a brief silence sensing the ‘hita’ gift already present.
Follow śākhā-specific accents; keep udātta lifts crisp on key words (índro, jétā) as marked in svara texts.
Do not over-lengthen enclitics (cid); maintain Gāyatrī’s even three-beat feel.
avipre: v as English ‘v’, not ‘w’; short a- at start, anāśunā: long ā; ś as palatal ‘sh’, arvatā: clear ‘rv’ cluster; long ā at end, hitaṃ: anusvāra as light nasal before consonant/pause
Firm, encouraging, victory-toned; clean articulation of consonant clusters.
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