Rig Veda 1.102.6: Mandala 1, Sukta 102, Mantra 6
Sukta 1.102
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
गोजिता बाहू अमितक्रतुः सिमः कर्मन्कर्मञ्छतमूतिः खजंकरः । अकल्प इन्द्रः प्रतिमानमोजसाथा जना वि ह्वयन्ते सिषासवः ॥
gojítā bāhū́ amítakratuḥ simáḥ kárman-karman śatámūtiḥ khajaṃkaráḥ | akálpa índraḥ pratímānam ójasā́ athā́ jánā ví hvayante sisā́savaḥ ||
Lengannya menawan kawanan bercahaya; tekadnya tiada bertepi. Dalam tiap-tiap perbuatan ia penolong beraneka rupa, pemutus simpulan yang keras. Indra tiada bandingan, menjadi ukuran dengan kekuatannya; maka manusia menyeru dengan pelbagai cara, mengingini kemenangan.
Word by Word
- गो॒जिता॑
- cow-winning, winner of cowsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root गो-जित् (√जि ‘to conquer’ + गो ‘cow’)
- बा॒हू
- (his) two armsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole Karaṇa (बल/साहाय्य-रूपेण; ‘with (his) two arms’)Root बाहु
- अमि॑तक्रतुः
- of immeasurable might/resolveAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अमित-क्रतु (अमित ‘unmeasured’ + क्रतु ‘power, resolve’)
- सि॒मः
- strong, firmAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सिम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strong/firm’—वेदिक विशेषण)
- कर्म॑न्
- in (each) deed, in actionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (स्थाने/विषये)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot कर्मन्
- कर्म॑न्
- in deed after deedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (पुनरुक्त्या ‘कर्मन्कर्मन्’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot कर्मन्
- श॒तमू॑तिः
- having a hundred helps; richly aidingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root शत-मूति (शत ‘hundred’ + मूति/ऊति ‘help, aid’)
- खजंकरः
- the shaker/striker; causing tremblingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root खजं-कर (खजं ‘shaking/striking’ + कर ‘doer/maker’, √कृ)
- अ॒क॒ल्पः
- incomparable, matchlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अकल्प (न-कल्प ‘not to be matched/without equal’; √कॢप्/कल्प ‘to be fit, to be comparable’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र
- प्रति॒मानम्
- a counterpart, a matchNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot प्रतिमान
- ओजसा
- by/with strengthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ओजस्
- अथ
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अथ
- जनाः
- people, menNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot जन
- वि
- apart, forth (intensifier/distributive)Preverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRoot वि
- ह्वयन्ते
- they call/invokeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते ‘to call, invoke’)
- सिषासवः
- desirous (of gain), eager seekersAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (जनाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सिषासु (desiderative adj. from √शास्/√सह?; RV usage: ‘seeking to win/obtain, eager’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: गो॒जिता॑ | बा॒हू | अमि॑तक्रतुः | सि॒मः | कर्म॑न् कर्म॑न् | श॒तमू॑तिः | खजंकरः | अ॒क॒ल्पः | इन्द्रः | प्रति॒मानम् | ओज॒सा | अथ | जना॒ः | वि | ह्व॑यन्ते | सिषा॒सव॑ः || 1) ‘कर्म॑न्कर्मन्’ इति नकार-सन्धिः: कर्मन् + कर्मन् (पुनरुक्ति; पदपाठे पृथक्)
- 2) ‘इन्द्र॑: प्रति॒मान॒मोज॒सा’ इति: प्रतिमानम् + ओजसा (अम् + ओ → अमो; संहितायां ‘प्रतिमानमोजसा’)
- 3) ‘अथ + जना॒’ → ‘अथा॒ जना॒’ (अ + अ = आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra’s arms win the cows; his resolve is immeasurable. In every act he is the manifold helper and the breaker of hard knots. Indra is without equal, a standard by his force; therefore people call him in many ways, desiring to win.
Inner meaning
Gojitā is not cattle-raiding but the recovery of the luminous herds—rays of knowledge—by the power of Indra’s ‘arms’ (effective force of enlightened action). Amitakratuḥ: his formative will is limitless; it can shape countless acts (karman-karman) as needed for the seeker’s progress. Khajaṃkaraḥ (knot-breaker) points to the decisive power that unties hardened formations in mind and life—fixed habits, compulsions, and subconscient tangles. Akalpaḥ: without peer or equal; pratimānam ojasā: he is the measure/standard of true force, teaching the seeker the difference between ego-force and illumined force. Hence people invoke diversely—because each part seeks victory—but the mantra subtly directs toward the one true standard of power.
Universal truth
True power is not mere intensity but illumined force that can act rightly in every situation, recover knowledge, and dissolve inner knots. Humans seek victory in many ways; the decisive key is alignment with a higher, measureless will.
Themes
Indra’s epithets and supremacy, Cow-winning (light-recovery), Manifold aid (śata-mūti)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kutsa Āṅgirasa
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.102, Rig Veda 1.103, Rig Veda 1.104
Family tradition
Angiras tradition centers on the ‘cows’ as hidden light and on the breaking of knots/caves that conceal them.
Significance
Kutsa presents Indra as the practical yogic force: not abstract divinity but the one who wins illumination, breaks knots, and becomes the inner standard for action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Gojit (winner of light), Amitakratu (measureless will), Akalpa (incomparable), Khajaṃkara (knot-breaker)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave), Soma (bliss-force supporting victory), Maruts (dynamic energies)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of hidden lights, and establisher of victorious energy in the worlds.
Inner power
Discerning force that both illumines and acts—cutting through knots and freeing the flow of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma offerings; also suitable in rites seeking release of ‘wealth’ and power.
गो॒जिता॑ बा॒हू अमि॑तक्रतुः सि॒मः कर्म॑न्कर्मञ्छ॒तमू॑तिः खजंक॒रः । अ॒क॒ल्प इन्द्र॑: प्रति॒मान॒मोज॒साथा॒ जना॒ वि ह्व॑यन्ते सिषा॒सव॑: ॥
गो॒ऽजिता॑ । बा॒हू इति॑ । अमि॑तऽक्रतुः । सि॒मः । कर्म॑न्ऽकर्मन् । श॒तऽमू॑र्तिः । ख॒ज॒म्ऽक॒रः । अ॒क॒ल्पः । इन्द्रः॑ । प्र॒ति॒ऽमान॑म् । ओज॑सा । अथ॑ । जनाः॑ । वि । ह्व॒य॒न्ते॒ । सि॒सा॒सवः॑ ॥
go--jitā | bāhū iti | amita-kratuḥ | simaḥ | karman-karman | śata-mūrtiḥ | khajam-karaḥ | akalpaḥ | indraḥ | prati-mānam | ojasā | atha | janāḥ | vi | hvayante | sisāsavaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Hammering and incisive; fits the imagery of breaking knots and repeated action.
Stimulates decisive clarity; helps cut through lethargy and mental rigidity.
- gojitā
- Literal: cow-winner. Symbolic: winner of rays of light/knowledge; recovery of illumination
- bāhū
- Literal: arms. Symbolic: effective power of action; executive force of the illumined mind
- amitakratuḥ
- Literal: of immeasurable resolve/plan. Symbolic: limitless formative will and intelligence
- karman-karman
- Literal: act after act. Symbolic: progressive stages of sadhana; repeated right action
- śatamūtiḥ
- Literal: hundred-helps/many-formed aid. Symbolic: multiform assistance of the divine power in diverse circumstances
- khajaṃkaraḥ
- Literal: breaker of hard knots/obstructions. Symbolic: dissolver of rigid psychological formations and subconscient tangles
- akalpaḥ
- Literal: without equal, incomparable. Symbolic: unique standard of true force beyond ego
- pratimānam ojasā
- Literal: a standard by energy. Symbolic: measure of right power; criterion for authentic strength
Eulogistic verse strengthening Indra’s epithets (gojit, amitrakratu, akalpa) to secure his aid in the sacrifice and in contests; typical of Indra-stotras in Soma rites.
When invoking Indra’s strength to overcome impediments and to win ‘cows’ (riches/illumination).
Recitation with offerings; emphasis on Indra as incomparable force and helper in every act.
Use during periods of stuckness: chant to ‘break knots’—addiction patterns, recurring anxieties, mental loops—and to invite fresh insight.
go-jit ‘cow-winner’ combines go (cow/light-ray/illumination) with √ji ‘conquer’, a classic Vedic symbol for recovering knowledge. kratu is a key term: not mere ‘intelligence’ but effective will-power (decisive cognition). ojas is concentrated vigor (often contrasted with śavas as more expansive force). khajaṃkaráḥ is difficult; taken here functionally as ‘breaker-up of compacted resistance’ (an Indra-epithet consistent with his role as disruptor of obstruction).
kratu (effective will), recovery of light/knowledge (go-jit), ojas (concentrated energy)
Indra’s force becomes the ‘standard’ that aligns action with Ṛta rather than impulsive ego-movement.
Winning the ‘cows’ symbolizes emergence of true knowledge from concealment.
Release of concealed lights; transformation through dissolution of hardened formations.
Vedic yoga of illumination and dynamic action (Aurobindo’s interpretation).
Hidden light is recovered by decisive force; bonds in the psyche are untied by illumined action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cow-winning’ mythologem (go-jit) explicitly: Indra as recoverer of the hidden rays/knowledges. The verse generalizes the myth into a doctrine of power: his immeasurable kratu and peerless ojas make him the standard, hence all seekers call him when they desire victory.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ji ‘conquer’ and the heroic epithet structure (‘X-winner’, ‘peerless’, ‘standard by force’) align with inherited Indo-European praise-poetry. The distributive reduplication karman-karman is an archaic stylistic device paralleled by iterative formulae in other early IE poetries.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra through a chain of functional epithets (gojit, amitrakratu, śatamūti, akalpa), effectively ‘building’ Indra’s presence; the human desire-to-win (sisāsavaḥ) is answered by Indra’s benchmark force—divine power as the enabling counterpart to aspiration.
Invoke the ‘knot-breaker’ force to dissolve rigid patterns; open to the descent of light (go).
maṇipūra (knot-breaking will) and anāhata (heart-knot release)
Exhale-focused practice: on each exhale feel a ‘knot’ loosening; brief pause after exhale to sense release.
Forceful clarity; liberation from fixation into freer movement.
Name one ‘knot’ (habit/thought-loop). Chant with attention at the navel/heart. After chanting, take one concrete action aligned with the new clarity.
Keep strong udatta emphasis on epithets (gojitā, amitakratuḥ, indraḥ); let the third pāda land with weight on ‘akalpa’.
Chant with crisp pāda breaks; the rhythm should feel like repeated strikes (karman-karman).
gojitā: ‘go-ji-tā’ with long ‘ā’, amitakratuḥ: keep ‘kratu’ clear, do not blur consonants, śatamūtiḥ: retroflex ‘ṭ’ not present—use dental ‘t’; lengthen ‘ū’, khajaṃkaraḥ: pronounce ‘jaṃ’ with anusvāra; keep ‘karaḥ’ with visarga, pratimānam: articulate ‘ti’ lightly; long ‘ā’ in ‘mā’
Bright, cutting, confident; not shouted—like a sharpened edge.
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