Rig Veda 1.29.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 29, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.29
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शिप्रिन्वाजानां पते शचीवस्तव दंसना । आ तू न इन्द्र शंसय गोष्वश्वेषु शुभ्रिषु सहस्रेषु तुवीमघ ॥
śíprin vājānāṃ pate śácīvas táva daṃsánā | ā́ tú na indra śaṃsaya góṣv áśveṣu śubhríṣu sahásreṣu tuvīmagha ||
Wahai tuan kelimpahan, wahai yang berdaya-kuat, penguasa perbuatan-kuasa (śacī), nyatakanlah kepada kami kerja-kerjamu yang berkesan. Datanglah, Indra, dan tegakkan sanjungan kami yang benar di antara lembu-lembu dan kuda-kuda yang gemilang, dalam ribuan kelimpahan yang bercahaya, wahai Yang Maha Pemurah.
Word by Word
- शिप्रिन्
- O Shyprín (Indra, ‘the strong-jawed/cheeked one’)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root शिप्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘शिप्रा’ = हनु/गण्ड) अथवा विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक
- वाजानाम्
- of prizes/strengths (vajas)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्ध/निर्देश)Root वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- पते
- O lordNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- शचीवः
- O possessor of might/skillAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त)Role सम्बोधनRoot शचीवत् (प्रातिपदिक; शची = शक्ति/कौशल)
- तव
- of you/yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दंसना
- (your) two wondrous deeds/featsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग (वेदे प्रायः), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (युग्मरूप)Role कर्म/विषय (स्तुत्य-वस्तु: ‘thy wondrous deeds’)Root दंसना (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दंस’ = अद्भुतकर्म/वीर्य)
- आ
- hither, to usIndeclinableनिपात (आह्वान/आगमनार्थ)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- तु
- indeed, thenIndeclinableअवधारण/अन्वर्थ-निपातRole सम्बन्ध-निपातRoot तु (निपात)
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (वेदे ‘नः’ = ‘our/to us’)Role सम्प्रदान (to us) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (our)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शंसय
- proclaim/praise (for us), make (it) renownedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आह्वान/प्रेरणा)Root शंस् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → शंसय-
- गोषु
- among cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (in/among)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वेषु
- among horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुभ्रिषु
- among the splendid (ones/things)Adjective (substantivized)(प्रायः) नपुंसक/पुं, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot शुभ्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bright, splendid’—often of possessions/teams)
- सहस्रेषु
- among thousandsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुवीमघ
- O much-giving/bountiful oneNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot तुवीमघ (प्रातिपदिक; तुवि ‘much’ + मघ ‘bounty/gift’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): शिप्रिन् वाजानाम् पते शचीवः तव दंसना । आ तु नः इन्द्र शंसय गोषु अश्वेषु शुभ्रिषु सहस्रेषु तुवीमघ ॥ 1) शिप्रि॑न्वाजानाम् → शिप्रिन् + वाजानाम् (न् + व → न्व् संयोग)
- 2) शची॑व॒स्तव॑ → शचीवः + तव (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि: ‘ः’ + ‘त’)
- 3) आ तू न॑ → आ + तु + नः (उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न पाठभेद; सन्धि नहीं)
- 4) गोष्वश्वे॑षु → गोषु + अश्वेषु (उ + अ → व्-आगम: ‘ष्व’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Śiprin, lord of prizes, O powerful one—your mighty deeds are effective. Come, Indra, and make us praised among cows and horses, among shining thousandfold riches.
Inner meaning
Indra as the strong-organed power (śiprin) and master of plenitudes (vājānām pate) is asked to manifest his effective workings (daṃsanā). The prayer is for visible inner results: illumination (go), energized right action (aśva), and abundant luminous formations (śubhri sahasra) so the soul’s utterance becomes true and victorious.
Universal truth
Spiritual force must become operative, not merely believed. The divine Mind’s ‘works’ are known by their fruits: clearer knowledge, stronger aligned energy, and widening abundance of right capacities.
Themes
Indra epithets, mantric efficacy, plenitude of force
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.29.1, RV 1.29.3, RV 1.29.4, RV 7.32, RV 7.33
Family tradition
A refrain-based invocation to Indra typical of family hymns used to build a sustained inner call; emphasis on efficacy (daṃsanā) aligns with Vasiṣṭha’s ‘settled realization’.
Significance
The seer asks not for vague blessing but for Indra’s ‘power-acts’ to become manifest—an inner yoga of results.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śiprin, vājānām pati, śacīvas, tuvīmagha
- Related deities
- Maruts (dynamic forces), Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Giver of vāja (victorious plenitudes) through heroic action; he makes the divine energies effective in the world-order.
Inner power
Decisive illumined intelligence that executes; the ‘doer’ aspect of higher mind-force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma ritual cycles; recited to strengthen Indra’s presence for victory and abundance
शिप्रि॑न्वाजानां पते॒ शची॑व॒स्तव॑ दं॒सना॑ । आ तू न॑ इन्द्र शंसय॒ गोष्वश्वे॑षु शु॒भ्रिषु॑ स॒हस्रे॑षु तुवीमघ ॥
शिप्रि॑न् । वा॒जा॒ना॒म् । प॒ते॒ । शची॑ऽवः । तव॑ । दं॒सना॑ । आ । तु । नः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । शं॒स॒य॒ । गोषु॑ । अश्वे॑षु । शु॒भ्रिषु॑ । स॒हस्रे॑षु । तु॒वी॒ऽम॒घ॒ ॥
śiprin | vājānām | pate | śacī-vaḥ | tava | daṃsanā | ā | tu | naḥ | indra | śaṃsaya | goṣu | aśveṣu | śubhriṣu | sahasreṣu | tuvī-magha
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4 × ~12; first pāda sets epithet cluster, followed by refrain-pādas
Forceful opening (epithets) then rolling, expansive refrain; suited to calling down effective power.
Energizes will: the repeated refrain works like a ‘seal’ that imprints confidence and victorious aspiration.
- śiprin
- Literal: strong-lipped/strong-jawed; having prominent lips. Symbolic: power of decisive expression and forceful affirmation; strong instrument of speech and command
- vājānām pate
- Literal: lord of vāja (prizes, strengths, plenitudes). Symbolic: master of divine energies and fulfillments
- śacīvas
- Literal: possessing śacī (power, skill). Symbolic: effective will and luminous skill in action (śakti-like efficacy)
- daṃsanā
- Literal: wondrous deeds, effective acts. Symbolic: transformative operations of illumination in the being
- śaṃsaya
- Literal: make us praised/commended. Symbolic: make our mantra/word efficacious; establish right recognition in consciousness
- goṣu / aśveṣu
- Literal: cows / horses. Symbolic: rays of knowledge / forces of action
- śubhriṣu sahasreṣu
- Literal: in shining thousands. Symbolic: in vast luminous plenitudes of realized powers
Soma-lit praise of Indra’s śacī and daṃsas; repeated refrain indicates responsorial/iterative recitation
Indra-Soma sessions; also as protective/strengthening recitation before undertaking difficult action
Chant with offerings (oblations/libations); refrain enables group response
Use as a ‘work mantra’ before demanding tasks: invoke effective action (daṃsanā) and alignment of speech with outcome.
vāja from √vaj/√vij semantic field 'strength, prize, impetus'—inner sense: plenitude of force. śacī 'power/skill' is Indra’s executive capacity. daṃsanā (neut. pl.) from √daṃs 'to perform wondrously'. śiprin is an epithet emphasizing the mouth/jaw: speech-force and consuming energy, linking mantra and power.
effective speech (vā́c as śaṃs), plenitude (vāja, sahasra as abundance), divine agency (śacī as executive power)
Indra’s daṃsanā are ṛta in action—truth becoming event and capability.
Truthful efficacy: speech and will produce luminous results, not distortion.
Manifestation of powers: the hidden plenitudes (vāja) become expressed in the human field.
Integral yoga: siddhi as consequence of alignment with higher mind-force (Indra) and delight (Soma).
Cows = light-knowledges; horses = life-force in right motion; vāja = capacities/realizations; ‘thousands’ = multiplicity of perfected movements.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the doer of daṃsas (wondrous decisive acts) who, by Soma-force, turns the field of the sacrificer from inadequacy into victorious plenitude—restoring light and dynamic energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati 'lord' continues PIE *pótis (cf. Greek pósis). The formulaic epithet chain (śiprin…pate…śacīvas) parallels IE heroic hymn style: accumulation of titles to activate the deity’s functional powers.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes Indra’s śacī (capacity) and daṃsas (accomplishments) as the needed complement to human aspiration: the hymn’s goal is to align human speech and energy with Indra’s victorious execution so that plenitude becomes stable in the seekers.
Invoke effective divine action in you: let thought become power-acts aligned with truth.
Maṇipūra (executive force) guided by Ājñā (illumined direction)
Kapalabhāti (mild, if suitable) followed by steady chanting of the refrain; feel ‘daṃsanā’ as inner ignition.
Dynamic steadiness; will-power infused with light.
On inhale feel Soma-strength rising; on exhale chant the refrain, offering the action to Indra; watch for concrete shifts: clearer decisions, cleaner energy, fewer hesitations.
Standard Vedic accenting; keep the refrain identical in pitch each time for mantra-effect.
Epithet cluster: śíprin vājānā́m pate śacī́vas—articulate clearly before entering the refrain.
śiprin: palatal ś, short i; do not turn into ‘shiprin’ with English sh heaviness, vājānām: long ā; retroflex ṇ in nām, śacīvas: long ī in śacī-, daṃsanā: anusvāra before s; long ā at end
Firm and resonant; slightly stronger attack on the first pāda, then flowing refrain.
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