Rig Veda 1.63.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 63, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.63
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वं सत्य इन्द्र धृष्णुरेतान्त्वमृभुक्षा नर्यस्त्वं षाट् । त्वं शुष्णं वृजने पृक्ष आणौ यूने कुत्साय द्युमते सचाहन् ॥
tváṃ satyá indra dhṛṣṇúr etā́ṃ tvám ṛbhukṣā́ naryás tváṃ ṣā́ṭ | tváṃ śúṣṇaṃ vṛjáne pṛkṣá āṇáu yū́ne kútsāya dyumáte sácā ahan ||
हे इंद्रा! तूच सत्य आहेस; या कर्मांत तू धृष्णु (धाडसी) आहेस; तू ऋभुक्ष (कौशल्याचा स्वामी), नर्य (वीर), आणि षाट् (विजयी) आहेस. तू वृजने (रण-संघर्षात), आणौ (आक्रमणाच्या धडकेत), तरुण व द्युमत कुत्सासह मिळून शुष्णाला पाडलेस—जेणेकरून प्रकाश-धारीचा विजय होईल.
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्यः
- true, realAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धृष्णुः
- bold, daringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धृष्’ धातु-सम्बद्ध)
- एतान्
- these (ones)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- ऋभुक्षाः
- Rbhukṣā (Indra as ‘possessing/connected with the Ṛbhus’)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot ऋभुक्षन्/ऋभुक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र-विशेषण)
- नर्यः
- manly, heroicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot नर्य (प्रातिपदिक; नर ‘man’ से)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- षाट्
- the strong/overpowering one (epithet of Indra)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot षाट् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र-विशेषण, ‘षड्/षट्’ से व्युत्पत्त्यनुगत)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- शुष्णम्
- ŚuṣṇaNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शुष्ण (प्रातिपदिक; असुर/दानव-नाम)
- वृजने
- in the battle, in the contestNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वृजन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृक्षः
- fighter, combatantNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root पृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पृच्/पृक्ष्’ से ‘संघर्ष/युद्ध’ अर्थ)
- आणौ
- on the chariot-pole/axle (i.e., at the chariot in battle)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot आणि/आणु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धुरी/अक्ष’ आदि)
- यूने
- for the young (man)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कुत्साय
- for KutsaNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot कुत्स (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषि/नर-नाम)
- द्यूमते
- for the radiant/glorious oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान-विशेषणRoot द्यूमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सचा
- together with, in company withIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रिया-विशेषण) सहार्थेRoot सच (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
- अहन्
- (you) slew, struck downVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: एतान् + त्वम् → एतान्त्वम् (न् + त् संयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is true, daring, skillful, heroic, victorious; he struck down Śuṣṇa in battle together with the young luminous Kutsa.
Inner meaning
Indra is identified with Satya—not merely truthful speech, but the truth-consciousness in action. The epithets (dhṛṣṇu, ṛbhukṣā, narya, ṣāṭ) describe capacities of the illumined mind: daring initiative, right craftsmanship of inner means, heroic leadership, and victorious overcoming. Śuṣṇa is a drying, withering power—symbol of aridity of consciousness, depression, and life-force drained of delight. Kutsa, ‘young and luminous’, is the aspiring human soul-force allied to Indra; together they smite the arid obstruction in the ‘press of battle’ (pṛkṣa āṇau), i.e., in the intense churn where energies collide and are purified.
Universal truth
When truth-consciousness joins with youthful aspiration, it can overcome the withering forces that drain joy and energy, restoring luminous vitality and right skill in living.
Themes
Śuṣṇa-slaying, truth-force, heroic aid to the aspirant, restoration of inspiration
The seer
- Rishi
- Gotama Rāhūgaṇa
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.62, RV 1.63, RV 1.64
Family tradition
Gotama’s Indra hymns stress Indra’s truth-nature and the alliance between divine illumination and human aspiration (often personified as companions).
Significance
The mantra frames inner victory as a collaboration: the divine Mind acts ‘with’ the awakened human element (Kutsa), highlighting sadhana as a joint movement of grace and effort.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- satya (Truth), dhṛṣṇu (daring), ṛbhukṣā (skilled), narya (heroic), ṣāṭ (victorious)
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss that counters aridity), Maruts (energies that accompany Indra), Agni (will that initiates the battle)
Cosmic role
Warrior of truth who overcomes drought/darkness powers and restores luminous vitality.
Inner power
Truth-force in the mind that acts boldly and skillfully, defeating inner aridity and restoring delight and luminous momentum.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma contexts; recited to invoke Indra’s victorious truth-force
त्वं स॒त्य इ॑न्द्र धृ॒ष्णुरे॒तान्त्वमृ॑भु॒क्षा नर्य॒स्त्वं षाट् । त्वं शुष्णं॑ वृ॒जने॑ पृ॒क्ष आ॒णौ यूने॒ कुत्सा॑य द्यु॒मते॒ सचा॑हन् ॥
त्वम् । स॒त्यः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । धृ॒ष्णुः । ए॒तान् । त्वम् । ऋ॒भु॒क्षाः । नर्यः॑ । त्वम् । षाट् । त्वम् । शुष्ण॑म् वृ॒जने॑ । पृ॒क्षे । आ॒णौ । यूने॑ । कुत्सा॑य । द्यु॒मते॑ । सचा॑ । अ॒ह॒न् ॥
tvam | satyaḥ | indra | dhṛṣṇuḥ | etān | tvam | ṛbhukṣāḥ | naryaḥ | tvam | ṣāṭ | tvam | śuṣṇam | vṛjane | pṛkṣe | āṇau | yūne | kutsāya | dyumate | sacā | ahan
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Compact heroism with emphatic predicates (‘tvam… tvam… tvam…’), building identity and certainty.
Instills conviction and self-alignment with truth; the repeated ‘tvam’ supports mantra as affirmation of the indwelling power.
- satya
- Literal: truth, real. Symbolic: Truth-consciousness; reality-force that makes action right and effective
- dhṛṣṇu
- Literal: daring, bold. Symbolic: Courage of illumination to confront inner darkness directly
- ṛbhukṣā
- Literal: master of skill/craft (connected to Ṛbhus). Symbolic: Power to shape inner instruments—thought, speech, will—into effective forms
- narya
- Literal: manly/heroic. Symbolic: Soul-heroism: leadership of the higher over the lower nature
- ṣāṭ
- Literal: victorious, overpowering. Symbolic: Capacity to overpass resistance and establish mastery
- śuṣṇa
- Literal: Śuṣṇa (demon). Symbolic: Withering aridity—depression, dryness, lifeless habit, joyless mind
- kutsa dyumant
- Literal: Kutsa, luminous. Symbolic: Young aspiring seeker-force carrying light (dyu) allied with Indra
Victory-stotra within Soma ritual: recalling Indra’s past deeds to activate his present aid
When seeking Indra’s aid in overcoming adversaries/obstructions
Stotra-like affirmation of Indra’s attributes and past victories
Use when facing ‘dry spells’—loss of motivation, numbness, depression; chant to reawaken truth, courage, and skill.
satya from sat ‘being’ (√as ‘to be’) → truth as ‘that which is’. ṛbhu relates to √rabh/ṛbh ‘to work skillfully, fashion’ → formative capacity. śuṣṇa linked to drying/withering semantic field; mythically a withholder, psychologically a power that dries the flow of dhi.
satya as truth-being, ṛbhu as formative skill (conscious crafting), victory as restoration of flow (dhi/ūrj implied)
Victory is the re-establishment of right functioning of energies in harmony with ṛta.
Indra is ‘Satya’—truth as an active power, not merely a moral claim.
Renewal/restoration: rain-like return of life-force after drought of consciousness.
Aurobindonian psychology: hostile forces as states/powers in consciousness; truth-force as transformative.
dry season turning toward rain (symbolic)
In intense inner conflict, truth and aspiration defeat dryness and restore luminous vitality and joy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Śuṣṇa-slaying with Kutsa: Indra overcomes the withholder allied to drought and obstruction. Innerly, the Truth-force breaks the desiccating power that prevents the flow of inspiration, acting in companionship with the youthful aspiring energy (Kutsa) that seeks the luminous state (dyumat).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- satya from sat (PIE *h₁es- ‘to be’) encodes truth as being. The persistent epithetic style (‘tvam…tvam…tvam…’) is an inherited Indo-European hymnic device of anaphora for intensification and identification between deity and function.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- By affirming ‘you are satya’, the rishi identifies Indra with the principle needed for inner victory; remembrance of Indra’s alliance with Kutsa models the needed cooperation between divine force and human aspiration in the sacrificer.
Rest in ‘Satya’ as a living presence; call forth daring clarity to cut through inner dryness.
anāhata (reviving joy) supported by ājñā (truth-vision)
Nadi Shodhana 6–6 for 5–7 rounds, then chant once slowly, feeling moisture/relief enter the system.
Clear, courageous, quietly victorious
After chanting, contemplate one truthful action (small but exact) that restores energy; treat it as ‘Kutsa’—the youthful step that allies with Indra.
Triṣṭubh with emphatic udatta on successive ‘tvam’ phrases; exact accents depend on śākhā markings.
Make each ‘tvam’ a clear reset; slightly lengthen the pause after each predicate to let the quality land (satya, dhṛṣṇu, ṛbhukṣā…).
dhṛṣṇur: retroflex ṛ, and ṣṇ cluster crisp., ṛbhukṣā: initial vocalic ṛ; keep ‘kṣ’ sharp., śuṣṇaṃ: keep both ṣ sounds retroflex; avoid ‘susna’.
Bright and steady, with confident articulation; not aggressive.
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