Rig Veda 3.30.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 30, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.30
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उताभये पुरुहूत श्रवोभिरेको दृळ्हमवदो वृत्रहा सन् । इमे चिदिन्द्र रोदसी अपारे यत्संगृभ्णा मघवन्काशिरित्ते ॥
utā́bhaye puruhūta śrávobhir éko dṛḷhám avado vṛtrahā́ sán | imé cid índra ródasī apāré yát saṃgṛbhṇā́ maghavan kāśír ít te ||
आणि भयाच्या वेळीही, हे पुरुहूत, आपल्या यशस्वी सामर्थ्यांनी तू एकटाच—वृत्रहा होऊन—तो दृढ आधार टिकवून धरलास. हे इंद्रा, ही दोन अपार रोदसी (द्यावा‑पृथिवी)सुद्धा, हे मघवन्, तू त्यांना आपल्या कर्मासाठी एकाच प्रकाशकिरणात (काशि) एकवटतोस तेव्हा जणू एकत्र बांधल्या गेल्यासारख्या भासतात.
Word by Word
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableconj./particleRoot उत
- अभये
- in/at (a state of) fearlessness, in safetyNoun (abstract) / Adjective used substantivelyneuter locative singularRole अधिकारणRoot अभय
- पुरुहूत
- O much-invoked one (Indra)Noun (epithet)masculine vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरुहूत
- श्रवोभिः
- with glories/famesNounneuter instrumental pluralRole करणRoot श्रवस्
- एकः
- alone, single (one)Adjective (used as noun)masculine nominative singularRole कर्ताRoot एक
- दृळ्हम्
- firmly, stronglyAdjective (used adverbially)neuter accusative singular (adverbial acc.)Root दृळ्ह
- अवदः
- you spoke/utteredVerbimperfect (laṅ), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole क्रियाRoot वद्
- वृत्रहा
- Vr̥tra-slayerNoun (agent epithet)masculine nominative singularRole कर्ता (apposition to एकः)Root वृत्रहन्
- सन्
- beingParticiplemasculine nominative singular, present active participleRole कर्ता (circumstantial)Root अस् (present participle)
- इमे
- these twoPronounfeminine nominative dualRole कर्ता (of implied verb)Root इदम्
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableparticle (emphatic/concessive)Root चित्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounmasculine vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Noun (dual tantum)feminine nominative dualRole कर्ता (apposition to इमे)Root रोदसी
- अपारे
- boundless, limitlessAdjectivefeminine nominative dualRole विशेषण (of रोदसी)Root अपार
- यत्
- which, whatRelative pronounneuter accusative singularRole कर्म (of संगृभ्णाः)Root यद्
- संगृभ्णाः
- you grasp/hold together, encompassVerbpresent (laṭ), 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRole क्रियाRoot सम् + ग्रह्
- मघवन्
- O bountiful oneNoun (epithet)masculine vocative singularRole सम्बोधनRoot मघवन्
- काशिः
- brightness, shining splendorNounfeminine nominative singularRole कर्ता (of implied ‘is/exists’)Root काशि
- इत्
- just, indeedIndeclinableparticle (restrictive/emphatic)Root इत्
- ते
- of you, yourPronoungenitive singularRole षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot त्वद्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): उ॒ताभ॑ये → उत + अभये (a + a → ā). श्रवो॑भि॒रेको॑ → श्रवोभिः + एकः (visarga before vowel; RV often shows r-phonetic in saṃhitā). दृ॒ळ्हम॑वदो → दृळ्हम् + अवदः (m + a). इ॒मे चि॑दिन्द्र॒ → इमे + चित् + इन्द्र (final -t before vowel). यत्सं॑गृ॒भ्णा → यत् + संगृभ्णाः (t + s → ts). म॑घवन्का॒शिरित्ते॑ → मघवन् + काशिः + इत् + ते (n + k; and -r- in saṃhitā from काशिः + इत्). Accent marks retained from saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without explicit accent annotation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, though fear is present, alone upholds the firm foundation as Vṛtra-slayer; even the two boundless worlds seem held together when he gathers them into a single beam for his action.
Inner meaning
When the seeker is seized by inner fear (abhaya as the tested courage), the illumined Mind-Power (Indra) steadies the ‘firm base’ of the being—faith, aspiration, and the fixed support of practice—by striking the Coverer (Vṛtra), the subconscient resistance that breaks coherence. Indra’s act of ‘gathering the two worlds’ symbolizes integrating the higher consciousness (dyauḥ: ideals, intuition) and the lower field (pṛthivī: embodied nature) into one focused current (kāśiḥ: a beam/flash of light) so the will can act without division.
Universal truth
In crisis, the unifying light of awakened intelligence gathers conflicting parts of life into a single purpose; fear dissolves when consciousness becomes coherent and aligned with truth.
Themes
Cosmic support, Vṛtra-slayer, Integration of opposites, Light-binding imagery
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.1, RV 3.2, RV 3.3, RV 3.4, RV 3.30
Family tradition
Royal-turned-seer; kṣatriya tapas transmuted into brahmarṣi vision—symbol of converting power/ambition into spiritual force.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s Indra-hymns often show the yoga of heroic effort: concentrate the being, break the coverer, and establish a luminous order (ṛta) in embodied life.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Puruhūta (much-invoked), Maghavan (bounteous), Vṛtrahā (slayer of the Coverer)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who releases the waters/lights, establishes the worlds, and upholds cosmic order by defeating obstruction.
Inner power
Illuminative Mind and decisive intelligence that concentrates scattered parts, breaks inertia, and makes action truthful and effective.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise emphasizing cosmic support; used to secure fearlessness and stability in the rite and in the aspirant.
उ॒ताभ॑ये पुरुहूत॒ श्रवो॑भि॒रेको॑ दृ॒ळ्हम॑वदो वृत्र॒हा सन् । इ॒मे चि॑दिन्द्र॒ रोद॑सी अपा॒रे यत्सं॑गृ॒भ्णा म॑घवन्का॒शिरित्ते॑ ॥
उ॒त । अभ॑ये । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒त॒ । श्रवः॑ऽभिः । एकः॑ । दृ॒ळ्हम् । अ॒व॒दः॒ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽहा । सन् । इ॒मे । चि॒त् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । अ॒पा॒रे इति॑ । यत् । स॒म्ऽगृ॒भ्णाः । म॒घ॒व॒न् । का॒शिः । इत् । ते॒ ॥
uta | abhaye | puru-hūta | śravaḥ-bhiḥ | ekaḥ | dṛḷham | avadaḥ | vṛtra-hā | san | ime | cit | indra | rodasī iti | apāre iti | yat | sam-gṛbhṇāḥ | maghavan | kāśiḥ | it | te
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, martial cadence with strong caesura—suited to assertion and conquest over resistance.
Builds inner courage and cohesion; the rhythm ‘gathers’ attention and supports a unified, decisive mental state.
- abhaye
- Literal: in fear / (amid) fearlessness-testing conditions. Symbolic: the trial-point where courage and trust must replace panic; the threshold of inner security
- puruhūta
- Literal: much-invoked. Symbolic: the ever-callable inner power of illumination, responsive to sincere aspiration
- śravobhiḥ
- Literal: by glories/fames. Symbolic: by effective powers and accomplished energies of consciousness that ‘make one heard’ in the worlds
- dṛḻham
- Literal: firm, solid. Symbolic: the stable psychic/inner foundation (śraddhā, steady will, inner seat)
- vṛtrahā
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: the force that breaks obstruction, inertia, and subconscient covering
- rodasī
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: higher and lower nature; mind/ideal and body-life; subjective and objective planes
- saṃgṛbhṇāḥ
- Literal: you gather/collect. Symbolic: you integrate, concentrate dispersed energies into unity
- kāśiḥ
- Literal: beam/shine (light-ray). Symbolic: a single concentrated illumination that becomes directive will for action
Indra praise emphasizing cosmic support; used to secure fearlessness and stability in the rite and in the aspirant.
Indra stotras/śastras in Soma-yajña settings; also as general victory/strength invocation in recitation cycles.
Praise to Indra to uphold the ‘foundation’ and overcome obstacles; mental offering of intention and strength.
Use when anxiety scatters the mind: recite to re-center, unify priorities, and act from a single clear light.
pūru-hūta ‘much-called’ (√hu). śravas ‘glory/fame’ (audible renown → manifested power). dṛḷha ‘firm’ (from √dṛh ‘make firm’). saṃgṛbhṇāḥ from sam-√grabh (PIE *gʰrebʰ- ‘grasp’ cf. German greifen). kāśi from √kāś ‘shine’ → inner ‘ray/beam’ as knowledge-light binding the worlds.
Fearlessness (abhaya as goal; here ‘in fear’ as condition to be transformed), Cosmic integration (holding together the worlds), Light as knowledge (kāśi)
Indra’s gathering of the two worlds symbolizes establishing ṛta as coherence between higher law and earthly execution.
Truth as unifying beam—action becomes true when divided motives are collected into one luminous intention.
Worlds are ‘held together’ by consciousness that integrates planes; stability arises from victorious illumination.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): planes of consciousness and integration of nature.
The storm of fear is met by a single ray of discernment; heaven-earth become higher-lower nature unified in one directive illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as cosmic binder/supporter: beyond slaying Vṛtra, he ‘holds together’ the two boundless worlds, suggesting the mythic function of integrating heaven and earth—psychologically, unifying higher and lower consciousness by a beam of light (kāśi).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sam-√grabh ‘grasp together’ corresponds to PIE grasping lexemes (cf. Germanic *greif-). √kāś ‘shine’ parallels IE light/shine roots used for knowledge metaphors. The dual rodasī preserves an archaic cosmological pairing (two-world structure).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi presents Indra as the sole stabilizer in fear and disorder: invocation (puru-hūta) draws the power that makes the foundation firm (dṛḷha) and binds the divided worlds into unity—an inner assurance granted to the sacrificer.
Unify the divided being: gather thoughts, emotions, and will into one luminous intention that can act without fear.
ājñā (focus/clarity)
Nadi-śodhana or simple 4-4-6 breathing to collect attention before japa.
Ekāgratā (one-pointedness) moving toward integrated poise (sthiti).
Begin with awareness of fear as ‘scattering’; on each exhale imagine Indra’s beam (kāśiḥ) collecting the mind; end with a single chosen action aligned to truth.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; maintain udātta peaks on key verbs (avado, saṃgṛbhṇāḥ) and names (indra).
Keep each pāda’s main lift near the mid-point; avoid flattening ‘rodasī apāre’—let it open and widen, then tighten on ‘saṃgṛbhṇā’.
ṛ in dṛḻham: short vocalic ‘ri’ (not ‘ru’), ḻh in dṛḻham: retroflex lateral cluster—articulate gently, don’t over-roll, vṛtra: keep ṛ clear; avoid ‘virtra’, saṃgṛbhṇā: nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘g’; keep ‘bhṇ’ conjunct crisp
Steady, resonant, heroic; end each pāda with controlled firmness.
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