Rig Veda 10.22.1: Mandala 10, Sukta 22, Mantra 1
Sukta 10.22
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Adbhuta (wonder)
कुह श्रुत इन्द्रः कस्मिन्नद्य जने मित्रो न श्रूयते । ऋषीणां वा यः क्षये गुहा वा चर्कृषे गिरा ॥
kúha śrutá índraḥ kásminn adyá jáne mitró na śrūyate | ṛ́ṣīṇāṃ vā yáḥ kṣáye gúhā vā cárkṛṣe girā́ ||
Di manakah Indra didengar—dalam kalangan kaum yang mana pada hari ini ia didengar, laksana seorang sahabat? Adakah ia di kediaman para ṛṣi, atau tersembunyi dalam rahsia, sehingga oleh sabda (girā) ia digerakkan?
Word by Word
- कुह
- where?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (स्थानप्रश्नः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot कुह (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- श्रुतः
- heard of / renownedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्तः; ‘heard/renowned’)Role KartāRoot √श्रु (श्रवणे) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कस्मिन्न्
- in which?Pronounपुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन (स्थाने/अधिकरणे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today / nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अद्य (अव्यय)
- जने
- among the people / in the communityNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्रः
- MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- श्रूयते
- is heardVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (‘is heard’)Root √श्रु (श्रवणे)
- ऋषीणाम्
- of the seersNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-अव्ययRoot वा (अव्यय)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षये
- in the dwelling / abodeNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
- गुहा
- secretly / in hidingIndeclinableअव्यय (गूढार्थे/रहसि)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गुहा (अव्यय/निपात; ‘in secret’)
- वा
- orIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-अव्ययRoot वा (अव्यय)
- चर्कृषे
- you have uttered/intoned (repeatedly)Verbलिट्/परिपूर्ण-भूत (वेद. प्रयोग), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (स्तुत्यर्थे ‘thou hast cried/uttered repeatedly’)Root √कृष्/√कृश् (वेद. ‘to cry out/utter’; intensive/reduplicated stem चर्कृष-)
- गिरा
- with a song / by speechNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): कुह | श्रुतः | इन्द्रः | कस्मिन्न् | अद्य | जने | मित्रः | न | श्रूयते | ऋषीणाम् | वा | यः | क्षये | गुहा | वा | चर्कृषे | गिरा । विशेषम्: (1) ‘कस्मिन्नद्य’ इति संहितायां नकारस्य परे स्वरादौ संयोगः—पदपाठे ‘कस्मिन्न् | अद्य’। (2) ‘इन्द्रः कस्मिन्न्’ इत्यत्र विसर्गः परे ककारे जिह्वामूलीय-प्रवृत्तिः सम्भवति (उच्चारण-विशेषः), पदच्छेदे विसर्गः यथावत्। (3) ‘मित्रो न’ संहितायां ओ-स्वरः (मित्रः + न) इति संधिः—पदपाठे ‘मित्रः | न’। (4) ‘गुहा’ अत्र नपुंसक/सप्तमी-रूपं न, किन्तु वेदेषु प्रायः अव्ययवत् ‘गूढे/रहसि’ अर्थे निपातः। (5) ‘चर्कृषे’ वेदिक-रूपम्
- पुनरुक्त/तीव्र (intensive) धातुरूप-सम्बन्धः, सामान्य-लौकिक-रूपेभ्यः भिन्नः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Where is Indra heard of—among which people today is he heard, like a friend? Is he in the seers’ home or hidden in secrecy, that he is made active by the word?
Inner meaning
A deliberate sense of absence: where is the illumined Power (Indra) in our present consciousness? In which part of our being is he ‘heard’—felt as a friend (mitra)? Is the divine Mind-force dwelling openly in the rishis’ home (the luminous mind), or hidden in a cave (guhā) within the subconscient/heart-depth? The mantra hints that Indra becomes operative (carkṛṣe) when the right word (girā)—the inspired mantra, truthful speech, inner call—is formed.
Universal truth
The higher power often seems absent until we learn where to listen; it responds when our speech becomes true invocation—word aligned with aspiration and sincerity.
Themes
seeking the divine presence, awakening by the word, hiddenness and revelation, Indra as inner victorious force
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.22.1-11 (Indra hymn with inquiry leading to invocation)
Significance
The hymn begins with a psychological problem-statement: the divine force is not automatically present; it must be ‘heard’ and awakened by the true word—an approach consonant with mantra as conscious practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- sakha/mitra-vat (friend-like), guhā-stha (hidden in the cave—implied), girā-codita (stirred by the word—implied)
- Related deities
- Mitra (harmony and right relation), Bṛhaspati (word-power that calls Indra forth), Agni (will that prepares the field)
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous power; breaker of the Coverer; establisher of victorious clarity in the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and force that answers sincere invocation; awakens from hidden depths into active guidance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma sacrifice settings (general) and as an invocation before acts requiring strength/clarity.
कुह॑ श्रु॒त इन्द्र॒: कस्मि॑न्न॒द्य जने॑ मि॒त्रो न श्रू॑यते । ऋषी॑णां वा॒ यः क्षये॒ गुहा॑ वा॒ चर्कृ॑षे गि॒रा ॥
कुह॑ । श्रु॒तः । इन्द्रः॑ । कस्मि॑न् । अ॒द्य । जने॑ । मि॒त्रः । न । श्रू॒य॒ते॒ । ऋषी॑णाम् । वा॒ । यः । क्षये॑ । गुहा॑ । वा॒ । चर्कृ॑षे । गि॒रा ॥
kuha | śrutaḥ | indraḥ | kasmin | adya | jane | mitraḥ | na | śrūyate | ṛṣīṇām | vā | yaḥ | kṣaye | guhā | vā | carkṛṣe | girā
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Interrogative, searching; the cadence carries a ‘quest’ feeling before resolution in later verses.
Turns attention inward; creates a contemplative tension that prepares receptivity to Indra’s descent.
- कुह (kuha)
- Literal: where?. Symbolic: self-inquiry that turns consciousness inward to locate the divine power
- श्रुतः (śrutaḥ)
- Literal: heard. Symbolic: intuitively perceived/received; inner audition of truth
- इन्द्रः (indraḥ)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind-force; illumined power that breaks obstruction
- अद्य (adya)
- Literal: today, now. Symbolic: present-moment sādhanā; immediacy of realization
- मित्रः (mitraḥ)
- Literal: friend; deity Mitra. Symbolic: harmonizing presence; the divine as intimate ally
- ऋषीणाम् क्षये (ṛṣīṇāṃ kṣaye)
- Literal: in the dwelling of seers. Symbolic: in the clarified luminous mind where intuition resides
- गुहा (guhā)
- Literal: cave, secrecy. Symbolic: hidden heart-depth or subconscient recess where light is veiled
- गिरा (girā)
- Literal: by the word. Symbolic: mantric speech; inspired expression that activates the power
Invocatory search for Indra’s presence: suited to moments when the power seems withdrawn; the mantra functions as a call to awaken Indra by inspired speech.
At the opening of Indra praise; also suitable when the practitioner feels lack of force or guidance.
Recitation as ‘calling’ Indra; paired with offerings in śrauta context.
Use as a diagnostic mantra: chant when feeling spiritually ‘dry’ and ask sincerely where the higher force is hidden; then sit in listening.
√śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu̯- ‘hear’, cf. Greek kleos ‘fame’); Indra as name is Indo-Aryan specific but functions as archetype of victorious force; mitra ‘friend’ (PIE *mei- ‘bind’ often proposed; Mitra as covenant/harmony); guhā ‘cave/hidden place’ from √guh ‘hide’ (cf. ‘conceal’ semantics); cárkṛṣe from √kṛ ‘do/make’ (PIE *kwer-?; √kṛ is central Indo-Iranian ‘make/do’); girā from √gṛ/√gir ‘utter/sing’.
hidden god (guhā) as inner latency, śruti as inner hearing/revelation, friendship/harmony (Mitra-like accessibility)
Mitra comparison suggests Indra’s force should act in harmony, not egoic aggression.
śruta indicates truth as something received/heard, not fabricated.
Revelation from concealment: power emerges from guhā when called by the word.
Mantra-epistemology: knowledge as śruti (heard revelation) activated by inspired speech.
Cave = hidden subconscient/heart-depth; hearing = receptivity to intuition; friend = intimate divine guidance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hidden Indra’ mythologem: the god of victorious force is not automatically present but must be ‘heard’ and awakened—either dwelling with seers or concealed in the cave of the being—stirred into action by the inspired word (girā).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The repeated √śru ‘hear’ reflects PIE *ḱleu̯- (kleos/‘fame’ as ‘that which is heard’). This supports an Indo-European poetics where the deity’s presence is mediated by audition and renown—here internalized as śruti: the soul’s hearing of power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches Indra through inquiry, implying a dynamic reciprocity: Indra’s force can withdraw into secrecy (guhā), and the rishi’s task is to make him active (carkṛṣe) through the mantra-word, re-establishing Indra as a ‘friend’ in the present human field (adya jane).
Inquiry + listening: ‘Where is the Indra-force in me now?’
ajna (inner hearing/intuition)
slow_meditative
Receptive inward listening; subtle contact-seeking.
Chant 7 times slowly. After each repetition, pause and listen in the heart-cave (guhā). Notice where strength or clarity is blocked; then offer a simple truthful sentence (girā) as invocation: ‘Let the light act here’.
Rigvedic accentuation (udatta/anudatta/svarita) as per śākhā; exact svara requires marked text.
Keep interrogatives (kuha, kasmin) clear; slightly lift on ‘indraḥ’ and ‘guhā’ to mark the search points; end pādas with a soft fall to sustain inquiry.
kuha: short u, light aspiration absent, śruta: retroflex ṭ not present—use dental t; śru- cluster clean, indraḥ: light visarga at end, mitro: keep short i, dental t, guhā: hard g, long ā, carkṛṣe: vocalic ṛ; keep kṛ conjunct crisp, girā: hard g, long ā
Questioning, inward, not forceful; prioritize clarity of consonants.
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