Rig Veda 7.20.5: Mandala 7, Sukta 20, Mantra 5
Sukta 7.20
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वृषा जजान वृषणं रणाय तमु चिन्नारी नर्यं ससूव । प्र यः सेनानीरध नृभ्यो अस्तीनः सत्वा गवेषणः स धृष्णुः ॥
vṛ́ṣā jajāna vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ ráṇāya tám u cin nā́rī náryaṃ sasūva | prá yáḥ senānī́r ádha nṛ́bhyō ástīnaḥ sátvā gavéṣaṇaḥ sá dhṛ́ṣṇuḥ ||
വൃഷഭൻ യുദ്ധത്തിനായി വൃഷഭനെയേ ജനിപ്പിച്ചു; സ്ത്രീയും പോലും നര-വീര്യത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞ മനുഷ്യ-വീരശക്തിയെ പ്രസവിച്ചു. ബലവാന്മാർക്കായി സേനയുടെ നായകനായി മുന്നിൽ നില്ക്കുന്നവൻ—പ്രകാശമുള്ള ഗാവുകൾ (കിരണങ്ങൾ) തേടുന്ന ഗവേഷകൻ, ആ സത്ത്വൻ ധൃഷ്ണു, ധീരൻ.
Word by Word
- वृषा
- the bull (mighty one)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) / वृष (वृद्धि-आधार)
- जजान
- begot, generatedVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √जन् (जनि)
- वृषणम्
- a bull (mighty one)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- रणाय
- for battle, for combatNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot रण (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- and, indeedIndeclinableनिपातः (उद्गार/अन्वय-बलवर्धक)Root उ (निपात)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableनिपातः (अपि/एव-अर्थे)Root चित् (निपात)
- नारी
- a womanNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
- नर्यम्
- manly, belonging to menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (तम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot नर्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; नर-सम्बन्धि)
- ससूव
- gave birth to, boreVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √सू (सुव्) / √सू (प्रसवने)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गः/निपातःRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सेनानीः
- leader of the host, commanderNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (यः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन्)Root सेनानी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अध
- then, thereafterIndeclinableनिपातः (अथ/तदा-अर्थे)Root अध (निपात)
- नृभ्यः
- to/for the menNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तीनः
- being present, existent (for them)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (यः/सेनानीः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root अस्ति- (√अस् ‘to be’) + -इन (कृदन्त/विशेषण-निर्माण)
- सत्वा
- the strong one, vigorous oneNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (यः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन्)Root सत्वन्/सत्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strength, vigor’ → ‘strong one’)
- गवेषणः
- seeker of cows (booty), cattle-seekerNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root गवेषण (प्रातिपदिक; गो- + √इष्/√एष् ‘to seek’)
- स
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धृष्णुः
- bold, daring, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; √धृष् ‘to dare, be bold’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): वृषा | जजान | वृषणम् | रणाय | तम् | उ | चित् | नारी | नर्यम् | ससूव || प्र | यः | सेनानीः | अध | नृभ्यः | अस्तीनः | सत्वा | गवेषणः | स | धृष्णुः || 1) तमु → तम् + उ (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + उ)
- 2) चिन्नारी → चित् + नारी (त् + न → न्न; निग्रह/अनुनासिक-सम्भव)
- 3) सेनानीरध → सेनानीः + अध (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + अ → र्; RV-पाठे ‘र’)
- 4) गवेषण: स → गवेषणः + स (विसर्गः पदान्ते; लेखे ‘:’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A mighty Bull begets a mighty Bull for battle; even a woman bears that heroic power. He who becomes the army-leader for men, a seeker of cows, is the daring one.
Inner meaning
Indra’s force (vṛṣā) generates in the seeker another “bull”—a second birth of power within: the illumined, battle-ready will that can face inner conflict. “Even a woman” signals that this heroic capacity can arise from what seems non-martial or receptive in us (the soul-nature that conceives). The true leader (senānī) is the awakened directive intelligence in the being, driving the vital energies toward the recovery of the “cows” (rays of knowledge) held back by obscurity.
Universal truth
Spiritual strength is self-propagating: when the higher power is invoked, it reproduces itself as courage and clarity in the human instrument. True leadership is the capacity to organize one’s forces toward truth and illumination.
Themes
heroic birth, leadership, cow/ray recovery, daring force
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18, RV 7.19, RV 7.23, RV 7.24
Family tradition
Seer of Maṇḍala 7; voice of inner kingship (sovereign poise), harmony with ṛta, and the victorious guidance of the divine powers.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s Indra hymns often depict the disciplined emergence of spiritual force: power is not mere aggression but an ṛta-aligned leadership that retrieves light (go) and establishes inner order.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣā (Bull of force), Maghavan (Bounteous), Śakra (Mighty), Adrivaḥ (Wielder of the stone)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions; releases the waters and the cows (light), establishes the wideness and victorious movement of consciousness.
Inner power
Illuminating Mind-Power: decisive intelligence that strikes the coverer, mobilizes energies, and births heroic capacity in the seeker.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña sequences (praise to strengthen Indra’s force for victory and increase).
वृषा॑ जजान॒ वृष॑णं॒ रणा॑य॒ तमु॑ चि॒न्नारी॒ नर्यं॑ ससूव । प्र यः से॑ना॒नीरध॒ नृभ्यो॒ अस्ती॒नः सत्वा॑ ग॒वेष॑ण॒: स धृ॒ष्णुः ॥
वृषा॑ । ज॒जा॒न॒ । वृष॑णम् । रणा॑य । तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । चि॒त् । नारी॑ । नर्य॑म् । स॒सू॒व॒ । प्र । यः । से॒ना॒ऽनीः । अध॑ । नृऽभ्यः॑ । अस्ति॑ । इ॒नः । सत्वा॑ । गो॒ऽएष॑णः । सः । धृ॒ष्णुः ॥
vṛṣā | jajāna | vṛṣaṇam | raṇāya | tam | oṃ iti | cit | nārī | naryam | sasūva | pra | yaḥ | senānīḥ | adha | nṛ-bhyaḥ | asti | inaḥ | satvā | go--eṣaṇaḥ | saḥ | dhṛṣṇuḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Martial, forward-driving cadence with emphatic lifts suited to declarations of power and conquest.
Builds courage and a sense of command; the rhythm supports ‘leading’ energy—useful for energizing japa and inner resolve.
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull, powerful one. Symbolic: Indra-force; the intensest dynamic power that fertilizes and awakens the inner being
- वृषणम् (vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: bull/virile power. Symbolic: newly-born heroic energy in the seeker; strengthened will for the inner battle
- रणाय (raṇāya)
- Literal: for battle. Symbolic: for the inner conflict against inertia, fear, and ignorance
- नारी (nārī)
- Literal: woman. Symbolic: receptive soul-nature / prakṛti that conceives the divine force into manifestation
- नर्यं (naryam)
- Literal: manly, heroic power. Symbolic: the human-divine heroism (nṛtva) that acts from illumination
- सेनानीः (senānīḥ)
- Literal: leader of the host. Symbolic: governing will/intelligence coordinating thought-life-body toward the goal
- गवेषणः (gaveṣaṇaḥ)
- Literal: seeker of cows. Symbolic: seeker of rays of knowledge/illumination (go = light)
Indra as senānī and go-eṣaṇa; used to invoke courageous leadership in the sacrifice and inner conquest
During Soma pressing/praise cycles; also adaptable as a victory and protection invocation.
Recitation as stotra/śastra praising Indra’s might and asking for the release of ‘cows’ (boons/lights).
For inner strength before difficult decisions; to organize one’s energies and reclaim clarity when feeling scattered or oppressed.
go-eṣaṇa: √iṣ ‘seek, desire’ → ‘seeking the cows’; inner sense justified by go ‘ray/light’ (common RV polyvalence). dhṛṣṇu from √dhṛṣ ‘dare, be bold’ indicates the fearless energy needed to recover light from concealment.
embodied nature (nārī) birthing heroic consciousness, quest for illumination (go)
Indra’s ‘battle’ is the restoration of ṛta by breaking inner disorder and freeing the luminous powers.
Truth manifests as effective power when the being is ‘begotten’ by the higher force.
Second birth: divine force reproducing itself in the human as heroic capacity.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): deities as powers of consciousness.
Generation and mobilization of force in consciousness: the ‘birth’ of courage from receptivity, then its organization into a victorious movement toward light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cow-seeking’ mythologem: the hero-power as go-eṣaṇa, seeker of the cows/rays. Inner sense: the daring leader-force in us seeks and recovers illuminations from the subconscient, and embodied nature itself can bring forth this manly power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The bull/virility metaphor is pan-IE in heroic diction. √jan ‘beget’ and √sū ‘bear’ preserve archaic birth imagery central to IE mythopoetics (divine power generated and born into the world).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- By praising Indra as senānī and go-eṣaṇa, the rishi invokes these functions within the sacrificer: the deity becomes an inner commander leading the faculties toward recovered light, requiring dhṛṣ (fearless intensity).
Invoke Indra as the inner commander: feel a concentrated force in the forehead and heart that organizes life-energies toward truth.
ājñā (clarity/command) with support from maṇipūra (heroic will)
Brisk-energetic recitation on exhale; brief kumbhaka after each pāda to ‘seal’ resolve.
Vigilant, uplifted, battle-ready wideness (not aggression, but luminous firmness).
Before chanting, recall a specific inner ‘covering’ (fear, doubt, tamas). During ‘gaveṣaṇaḥ’, visualize rays returning into the mind; end by sitting silently, sensing leadership over impulses.
Triṣṭubh with Vedic accents: preserve udatta on key verbs/nouns (e.g., vṛṣā́, jajā́na, vṛ́ṣaṇam); observe svarita where marked by sandhi; use the provided saṃhitā accenting as primary guide.
Lean slightly on accented syllables; keep unaccented syllables light to maintain the marching triṣṭubh flow.
vṛṣā: vocalic ṛ is short and crisp, jajāna: double ‘j’ is not doubled in time, but keep clarity of syllables, gaveṣaṇaḥ: ‘ṣ’ retroflex; ‘ṇa’ retroflex nasal, dhṛṣṇuḥ: dhṛ (aspirated) + retroflex ṣṇ cluster—articulate without rushing
Firm, bright, forward-placed tone; avoid shouting—aim for controlled power.
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