Rig Veda 10.73.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 73, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.73
- Rishi
- Likely Gaurivīti Śāktya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
द्रुहो निषत्ता पृशनी चिदेवैः पुरू शंसेन वावृधुष्ट इन्द्रम् । अभीवृतेव ता महापदेन ध्वान्तात्प्रपित्वादुदरन्त गर्भाः ॥
druho níṣattā pṛśanī cíd eváiḥ purū́ śáṃsena vāvṛdhuṣ ṭá índram | abhívṛtā́-iva tā́ mahāpadéna dhvā́ntāt prapitvā́d úd aranta gárbhāḥ ||
Bahkan Druha, yang duduk dalam kegelapan, dan Pṛśanī juga, oleh kuasa-kuasa ilahi, membesarkan Indra dengan sanjungan yang melimpah. Seolah-olah dilingkungi, rahim-rahim tersembunyi itu bangkit ke atas dengan langkah yang agung, keluar dari gelap, keluar dari kurungan bawah.
Word by Word
- द्रुहः
- the (hostile) deceivers / injurersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्रुह् (प्रातिपदिक: द्रुह्/द्रुह-)
- निषत्ताः
- having sat down; seated (in ambush)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (द्रुहः इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot नि-√सद् (कृदन्त: निषत्त-)
- पृशनी
- Pṛśnī (a divine mother/cow)Noun (Proper/Name)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot पृश्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित् (निपात)
- एवैः
- with these (very ones)Pronoun/Adjective (demonstrative-like)पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot एव- (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरू
- much; abundantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (अव्ययवत्), द्वितीया, एकवचन (शंसेन इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role करणRoot पुरु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- शंसेन
- with praise; by laudationNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot शंस- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधुः
- they have increased; they strengthenedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √वृध् (वर्धते) (लिट्)
- उष्टे
- the desired/pleasingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot उष्ट- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘desired/pleasing’)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभीवृतेव
- as if covered/overwhelmedAdverbial phrase (Participle + indecl.)अभीवृत-: नपुंसक/पुं (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः), इव: अव्ययRoot अभि-√वृ (कृदन्त: अभीवृत-) + इव
- ताः
- those (fem.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- महापदेन
- with a great step/strideNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot महा-पद- (समास)
- ध्वान्तात्
- from darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot ध्वान्त- (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रपित्वात्
- from close kinship/near connection (i.e., from what was intimate/entangling)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादानRoot प्र-पितृ/पितु- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘kinship/parentage’, ‘near relation’)
- उद्
- up; outIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRoot उद् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अरन्त
- they set in motion; they raised/producedVerbलुङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √ऋ (अरति/अरन्ति) (लुङ्/इम्पर्फ.)
- गर्भाः
- embryos; inner beings (germs)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot गर्भ- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): द्रुहः निषत्ताः | पृशनी चित् एवैः | पुरू शंसेन वावृधुः उष्टे इन्द्रम् | अभीवृता इव ताः महापदेन | ध्वान्तात् प्रपित्वात् उद् अरन्त गर्भाः || 1) चिदेवैः = चित् + एवैः (त् + ए → द्). 2) वावृधुष्ट इन्द्रम्: संहितायां -ष्ट- संयोगः
- पदे उष्टे + इन्द्रम्. 3) अभीवृतेव = अभीवृता + इव (आ + इ → ए). 4) ध्वान्तात्प्रपित्वात् = ध्वान्तात् + प्रपित्वात् (त् + प् संयोगः). 5) प्रपित्वादुदरन्त = प्रपित्वात् + उद् + अरन्त (त् + उ → द्; उद् उपसर्गः क्रियायाः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Even Druha, seated, and Pṛśanī too, by the divine powers, increased Indra with many praises. As if enclosed, those embryos rose up by the great stride from darkness, from the nether region.
Inner meaning
Forces associated with obstruction or mixed nature (Druha—deceptive/hostile tendency; Pṛśanī—variegated, the mixed field of prakṛti) can, when taken up ‘by the divine powers’, be converted into supporters of Indra through repeated affirmations (śaṃsa). The ‘garbhāḥ’ are latent formations—inner potentials enclosed in subconscient darkness (dhvānta, prapitva). By Indra’s ‘great stride’ (mahā-pada: decisive expansive movement of illumination), these hidden potentials rise into conscious manifestation.
Universal truth
Nothing in the nature is irredeemable. Even obstructive or mixed energies can be transformed into allies when harnessed by higher consciousness; what is hidden in the subconscient can ascend through a decisive widening step.
Themes
Indra-strengthening, release from darkness, inner emergence, victory of light
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.73.1, RV 10.73.3
Significance
The verse reflects a yogic psychology: conversion of adverse/mixed forces and the ascent of subconscient formations through the ‘great step’ of illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Mahāpada (implied: of the great stride), Vṛtrahan (implied: slayer of darkness/covering)
- Related deities
- Maruts (life-forces), Agni (inner will working in the depths), Sarasvatī (flow of right inspiration, thematic)
Cosmic role
Releaser of hidden lights and powers; raises what is concealed in the depths into the open day.
Inner power
Transformative illumination that converts obstruction into support and brings the subconscient into conscious order.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma context (general)
द्रु॒हो निष॑त्ता पृश॒नी चि॒देवै॑: पु॒रू शंसे॑न वावृधु॒ष्ट इन्द्र॑म् । अ॒भीवृ॑तेव॒ ता म॑हाप॒देन॑ ध्वा॒न्तात्प्र॑पि॒त्वादुद॑रन्त॒ गर्भा॑: ॥
द्रु॒हः । निऽस॑त्ता । पृ॒श॒नी । चि॒त् । एवैः॑ । पु॒रु । शंसे॑न । व॒वृ॒धुः॒ । ते । इन्द्र॑म् । अ॒भिवृ॑ताऽइव । ता । म॒हा॒ऽप॒देन॑ । ध्वा॒न्तात् । प्र॒ऽपि॒त्वात् । उत् । अ॒र॒न्त॒ । गर्भाः॑ ॥
druhaḥ | ni-sattā | pṛśanī | cit | evaiḥ | puru | śaṃsena | vavṛdhuḥ | te | indram | abhivṛtāiva | tā | mahāpadena | dhvāntāt | pra-pitvāt | ut | aranta | garbhāḥ
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4 × ~11
From heavy, enclosed consonants (dhvāntāt, prapitvāt) to an upward release (ud aranta).
Moves the listener from a sense of compression to expansion; helpful for working with fear, inertia, or subconscious heaviness.
- द्रुह (druha)
- Literal: deceiver/hostile force. Symbolic: Obstructive tendency; crooked movement in the nature
- पृशनी (pṛśanī)
- Literal: speckled/variegated. Symbolic: Mixed prakṛti; nature with interwoven lights and shadows
- शंसेन (śaṃsena)
- Literal: by praise/affirmation. Symbolic: Mantric affirmation; right naming that increases the god-power
- ध्वान्त (dhvānta)
- Literal: darkness. Symbolic: Subconscient obscurity; ignorance-covering
- प्रपित्व (prapitva)
- Literal: nether region/hidden depth. Symbolic: Inconscient basis; buried store of formations
- गर्भाः (garbhāḥ)
- Literal: embryos/wombs. Symbolic: Latent inner formations/powers awaiting birth
- महापदेन (mahāpadena)
- Literal: by the great step/stride. Symbolic: Expansive leap of illumination that releases what is enclosed
Indra-invocation in Soma context (general); strengthening the Indra-power through stoma/śaṃsa during pressing and offering (broad Śrauta usage, not uniquely fixed here)
When invoking Indra as releaser and uplifter; suitable in rites aimed at overcoming obstacles.
Stotra recitation; offering with intention of removing darkness and raising latent powers.
For shadow-work: chant before journaling or therapy/inner inquiry to invite illumination into the subconscient.
Key roots: (1) vavṛdhuḥ < √vṛdh ‘to increase, strengthen’: indicates the psychological law that luminous affirmation (śaṃsa) augments the Indra-force in the human. (2) dhvānta ‘darkness’ is a lexical marker for ignorance/covered consciousness. (3) garbha ‘womb/embryo’ from the semantic field of ‘enclosure/hidden growth’; here, inner potentials not yet born into clarity. (4) pada ‘step’ (mahāpadena) connects to the Indo-European poetic motif of the ‘stride’ as expansion/measure of worlds; psychologically, a widening leap of awareness that releases what is held below.
Rita (order through right movement/‘great step’), unveiling from ignorance to knowledge, latent becoming (garbha) into manifestation
The ‘great stride’ is ṛta’s victory: ordered consciousness lifting formations out of the inconscient.
Truth acts as a raising power—bringing what is concealed into right manifestation.
Birth of forms (garbha) out of darkness through divine stride/expansion.
Yoga of transformation: integration of subconscient and conversion of adverse forces.
night-to-dawn transition (suggested)
Inner night (subconscient) yields new capacities when illumination takes a decisive widening step.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘release from darkness’ mythologem: concealed ‘wombs/embryos’ (garbhāḥ) rise out of dhvānta and the nether enclosure through a decisive ‘great stride’ (mahāpadena). In the inner reading, Indra’s force enables the birth of hidden truth-formations into conscious light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow, increase’ aligns with PIE *werdh- ‘to grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ via Germanic developments, and broader IE growth semantics). The ‘step/measure’ lexeme pada relates to PIE *ped- ‘foot’ (Latin pēs, Greek pous), supporting the archaic Indo-European poetic image of world-order measured by divine steps.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse encodes reciprocity via śaṃsa (affirming speech): the seer’s luminous utterance increases Indra (vavṛdhuḥ indram), and Indra’s widened power effects liberation—bringing upward the bound potentials from the subconscient. The exchange is inner: mantra-strengthening yields transformative release.
Bring awareness to a ‘sealed’ area (fear, shame, inertia). Invoke Indra’s great stride to widen and lift it into conscious light.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (subconscious/emotional depths) rising toward Maṇipūra (transformative power).
Slow exhale emphasis (1:2 inhale:exhale) to soothe depths; then a few stronger breaths to symbolize ‘ud aranta’ (rising).
From enclosed heaviness to expanding clarity.
Chant, then sit 5 minutes noticing any ‘hidden impulse’ (garbha) surfacing. Do not analyze immediately; simply name it (śaṃsa) and offer it upward with the exhale.
Triṣṭubh (probable). Follow śākhā audio/text for exact udatta/anudatta placements; keep natural Vedic accenting on dhvāntāt/prapitvāt and the lift on ud aranta.
Slightly weight ‘dhvāntāt prapitvāt’ (downward feel), then brighten and lift on ‘ud aranta garbhāḥ’.
Pronounce dhvānta with clear dhv cluster, Keep prapitvāt with crisp -tv-, Differentiate pṛśanī ( vowel) clearly
Begin low and contained; open into a clearer, brighter tone in the final pāda.
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