Rig Veda 2.19.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 19, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.19
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
स माहिन इन्द्रो अर्णो अपां प्रैरयदहिहाच्छा समुद्रम् । अजनयत्सूर्यं विदद्गा अक्तुनाह्नां वयुनानि साधत् ॥
sá mā́hina índro árṇo apā́ṃ práirayat ahi-hā́cchā samudrám | ájanayat sū́ryaṃ vídad gā́ aktúnā́hnāṃ vayúnāni sādhat ||
Indra Yang Mahaperkasa, pembunuh ular, menghalau limpahan air menuju samudera. Ia melahirkan Surya, menemukan sinar-sinar (lembu-lembu), dan dengan malam serta siang menyempurnakan pekerjaan-pekerjaan tatanan dan kebijaksanaan yang teratur.
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- माहिनः
- the mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot माहिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मह्/महि’ से ‘महान्/महिमन्’ भाव)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्णः
- the flood/stream (waters)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अर्णस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गः (क्रियाविशेषकः)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ऐरयत्
- he set in motion/impelledVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot ईर्/इर् (धातु; प्रेरणे/गत्यर्थे)
- अहिहा
- slayer of the serpentNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अहि-हन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अहिं हन्ति’ बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारयः)
- अच्छा
- towardsIndeclinableदिशा/गत्यर्थक-अव्ययम्Root अच्छा (निपात/अव्यय)
- समुद्रम्
- the oceanNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role Karma (गत्यर्थे लक्ष्य) / Adhikaraṇa (लक्ष्य-देश)Root समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजनयत्
- he generated/producedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot जन् (धातु; जनने) + अ (णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक-प्रयोगः)
- सूर्यम्
- the sunNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- विदत्
- he foundVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot विद् (धातु; लम्भे/विन्दने ‘to find’)
- गाः
- the cows (rays/cattle)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अक्तुना
- with night/darknessNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot अक्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अह्नाम्
- of the daysNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयुनानि
- orderly arrangements/wise ordinancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वयुन (प्रातिपदिक)
- साधत्
- he accomplished/establishedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot साध् (धातु; साधने/निष्पत्तौ)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः माहिनः इन्द्रः अर्णः अपाम् प्र ऐरयत् अहिहा अच्छाऽ समुद्रम् । अजनयत् सूर्यम् विदत् गाः अक्तुना अह्नाम् वयुनानि साधत् ॥ 1) प्रैरयत् = प्र + ऐरयत् (उपसर्ग-सन्धिः; प्र + ए → प्रै). 2) अहिहाच्छा = अहिहा + अच्छाः/अच्छा (अन्त्य-आ + आरम्भ-अ → आच्छा; लेखन में च्छ).
- ‘अर्णो अपाम्’ में ओ/अ का संयोग पदपाठ में पृथक् (अर्णः | अपाम्) माना जाता है।
The meaning
Outer meaning
That mighty Indra, slayer of the serpent, drove forth the flood of waters toward the ocean. He brought the Sun into birth, found the cows (rays), and by night and day accomplished the workings of ordered skill/discernment.
Inner meaning
Indra’s might (māhin) is the power of illumined consciousness that not only breaks the obstruction but directs the released energies toward their true vastness (samudra): the oceanic foundation of being. Bringing the Sun to birth is the arising of a higher illumination in the mind; finding the cows is the recovery of rays of knowledge long hidden. ‘By night and day’ indicates continuous integration: in outer activity (day) and inner assimilation (night), Indra accomplishes vayunāni—ordered workings, discerning arrangements—so the being is reorganized according to truth.
Universal truth
True liberation is not only release but right direction: energies flow into the vast foundation, illumination is born, knowledge-rays are recovered, and life becomes an ordered practice in all states.
Themes
Cosmic release, Birth of the Sun, Finding the cows (rays), R̥ta in action (vayuna)
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada Śaunahotra
- Lineage
- Śaunahotra (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.19.1, RV 2.19.2, RV 2.20.6 (Indra themes, general)
Family tradition
The Gṛtsamada hymns frequently connect Indra’s victory to the birth of light (sūrya) and the recovery of cows (rays), completing the liberation cycle with ordered functioning (vayunāni).
Significance
A complete inner soteriology: obstruction slain → energies directed to vastness → illumination born → knowledge recovered → continuous day/night integration into right workings.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Māhin (the Mighty), Ahi-hā (serpent-slayer), Light-bringer (ajanayat sūryam), Go-vid (finder of cows/rays)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Apas, Soma (as preceding sweetness that empowers Indra), Uṣas (by implication of light-birth)
Cosmic role
Directs the released waters to the ocean, brings forth the Sun, recovers rays, and establishes ordered operations across time.
Inner power
Vast-making intelligence that channels energies into the infinite, births illumination, recovers knowledge, and organizes life by discernment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory and light-birth praise within Soma ritual cycles.
स माहि॑न॒ इन्द्रो॒ अर्णो॑ अ॒पां प्रैर॑यदहि॒हाच्छा॑ समु॒द्रम् । अज॑नय॒त्सूर्यं॑ वि॒दद्गा अ॒क्तुनाह्नां॑ व॒युना॑नि साधत् ॥
सः । माहि॑नः । इन्द्रः॑ । अर्णः॑ । अ॒पाम् । प्र । ऐ॒र॒य॒त् । अ॒हि॒ऽहा । अच्छ॑ । स॒मु॒द्रम् । अज॑नयत् । सूर्य॑म् । वि॒दत् । गाः । अ॒क्तुना॑ । अह्ना॑म् । व॒युना॑नि । सा॒ध॒त् ॥
saḥ | māhinaḥ | indraḥ | arṇaḥ | apām | pra | airayat | ahi-hā | accha | samudram | ajanayat | sūryam | vidat | gāḥ | aktunā | ahnām | vayunāni | sādhat
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4×~11; expansive phrasing with strong narrative progression.
Majestic and sweeping; the cadence widens on ‘samudram’ and brightens on ‘sūryam’.
Creates a felt expansion (toward oceanic vastness) and a luminous uplift (sun-birth), ending in steady integration (night/day).
- माहिन (māhin)
- Literal: mighty. Symbolic: greatness of illumined consciousness capable of re-ordering the being
- अहि-हा (ahi-hā)
- Literal: serpent-slayer. Symbolic: conqueror of subconscious resistance
- अर्णः अपाम् (arṇaḥ apām)
- Literal: flood of waters. Symbolic: released plenitudes of consciousness-energy
- समुद्र (samudra)
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: vast foundational consciousness; the infinite receptacle
- सूर्य (sūrya)
- Literal: Sun. Symbolic: higher illumination; truth-light in the mind
- गा: (gāḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of knowledge/illumination recovered
- अक्तुना अह्नाम् (aktunā ahnām)
- Literal: by night and by day. Symbolic: inward and outward states; subconscious and conscious life
- वयुनानि (vayunāni)
- Literal: workings, skills, ordinances. Symbolic: right discernments and ordered operations of the truth-mind
- साधत् (sādhat)
- Literal: accomplished, perfected. Symbolic: established as stable functioning in the nature
Indra myth-cycle within Soma praise: release of waters, birth of Sun, recovery of cows—invoked for illumination and ordered functioning (vayuna) in the sacrificer.
When celebrating Indra’s cosmic acts—release and ordering—often after Soma offerings and during Indra stotras.
Recitation with visualization of waters flowing to the ocean and sun arising; supports the rite’s aim of establishing ṛta.
A meditation verse for integrating insights into daily life: direct energies to the ‘ocean’ of awareness; practice discernment in both active and restful states.
samudra: 'gathering of waters' (sam-udra); symbolically the vast totality. sūrya: from √/? connected with light (svar). gāḥ: beyond cattle, RV frequently uses 'cows' as rays/illumined knowledges (root √ 'to go' sometimes linked in symbolic tradition; philologically go 'cow' but mythic function is light). vayuna: from √/√ 'to weave, work out, discern'; denotes orderly functioning, skill of arrangement—close to r̥ta in operation.
manifestation of illumination (Sūrya) after obstruction is removed, recovery of hidden knowledge (gāḥ as rays), ordered workings (vayuna) as operative R̥ta
Vayunāni are ṛta in operation—right arrangements that govern day/night functioning.
Birth of Sūrya symbolizes emergence of satya-illumination; finding cows is recovery of true knowledge.
Creation as emergence of light and ordered processes after release of hidden plenitudes; directing energies into the vast base.
Vedic integralism: liberation + illumination + organization (not escape, but transformation of functioning).
night_and_day (explicit)
Waters = energies of consciousness; ocean = infinite awareness; sun = illumined truth; cows = rays/knowledges; night/day = inner/outer cycles to be harmonized.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A composite mythologem: after serpent-slaying, the waters are driven to the ocean (restored totality), the Sun is born (illumination manifests), and the cows are found (rays/knowledges recovered). It narrates the soul’s passage from blockage to illumination and ordered functioning (vayuna).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The sequence 'dragon slain → waters released → light restored' matches a widespread Indo-European narrative grammar. Terms for sun/light (sūrya/svar) and oceanic totality (samudra as gathered waters) fit inherited cosmopoetic motifs of ordering chaos into a structured world.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi recounts Indra’s archetypal acts as a template for inner transformation: Indra is invoked not merely as a warrior but as the power that restores flow, births illumination, and establishes right workings across alternating states (night/day), i.e., through all conditions of the seeker.
Direct released energy into vast awareness; invite the ‘inner sun’ to rise; recover specific rays of insight; establish discernment routines day and night.
sahasrāra (oceanic vastness) and ājñā (sun/illumination)
Alternate-nostril breathing (nāḍī-śodhana) to balance ‘night/day’ currents; then chant once, resting in spacious awareness.
Expansive, luminous integration—steady right-order in action and rest.
After a breakthrough, don’t scatter the energy—offer it to the ‘samudra’ (vast witness). Then note one ‘cow’ (ray) of knowledge gained and apply it in a small daytime action; at night, review quietly to let vayunāni consolidate.
Tri-svara; highlight udātta on ‘índraḥ’, ‘samudrám’, ‘sū́ryam’, ‘gā́ḥ’, and ‘vayúnāni’.
Sustain a slightly wider vowel space on ‘samudram’ to evoke vastness; brighten tone on ‘sūryam’.
‘prairayat’: keep the diphthong ai clear (pra + irayat)., ‘vidad gāḥ’: separate d + g cleanly; long ā in gāḥ., ‘aktunā ahnām’: keep kt cluster crisp; hn not ‘han’., ‘vayunāni’: y glide clear; long ā.
Majestic, expansive, luminous; steady breath to carry long images.
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