Rig Veda 3.34.11: Mandala 3, Sukta 34, Mantra 11
Sukta 3.34
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
शुनं हुवेम मघवानमिन्द्रमस्मिन्भरे नृतमं वाजसातौ । शृण्वन्तमुग्रमूतये समत्सु घ्नन्तं वृत्राणि संजितं धनानाम् ॥
śunáṃ huvema maghávānam índram asmín bháre nṛ́tamaṃ vā́jasātau | śṛṇvántam ugrám ūtáye samátsu ghnántaṃ vṛtrā́ṇi saṃjítam dhánānām ||
Moga kami menyeru Indra, Yang Pemurah, demi tuah, dalam perjuangan ini—yang paling perkasa dalam merebut vāja (kemenangan dan kelimpahan). Mendengar kami, dia yang garang untuk menolong dalam pertempuran, yang menewaskan Vṛtra-Vṛtra, sang penakluk yang menghimpun kekayaan.
Word by Word
- शुनम्
- well, auspiciouslyIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Role विशेषण (क्रियाविशेषण)Root शुनम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < PIE *suH-no- (cf. सु- ‘well’)
- हुवेम
- may we invoke / let us callVerbलोट् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रायः वैदिक), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √हू (ह्वे) ‘to call, invoke’
- मघवानम्
- the bountiful oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हुवेम् का?)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bountiful, giver’
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हुवेम् का?)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भरे
- in the battle/contestNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot भर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bearing; battle, contest’
- नृतमम्
- most manly / best of menAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot नृतम (प्रातिपदिक) < नृ ‘man’ + तम (श्रेष्ठार्थ)
- वाजसातौ
- in the winning of the prizeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वाजसाति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘winning of prize/strength’
- शृण्वन्तम्
- hearing, listeningParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot √श्रु ‘to hear’
- उग्रम्
- fierce, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for helpNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (for aid)Root ऊति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, aid’
- समत्सु
- in battlesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकारणRoot समत्सु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘battles’ (सम्+अत्सु/अत्सु-समूह)
- घ्नन्तम्
- slayingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot √हन् ‘to strike, slay’ (वैदिक: घ्न- present stem)
- वृत्राणि
- obstacles / VṛtrasNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (घ्नन्तम् किम्?)Root वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक) ‘obstacle; Vṛtra’
- संजितम्
- fully victorious, having conqueredParticipleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot सम्+√जि ‘to conquer’
- धनानाम्
- of riches/wealthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: of wealth)Root धन (प्रातिपदिक) ‘wealth’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): शुनम् | हुवेम | मघवानम् | इन्द्रम् | अस्मिन् | भरे | नृतमम् | वाजसातौ | शृण्वन्तम् | उग्रम् | ऊतये | समत्सु | घ्नन्तम् | वृत्राणि | संजितम् | धनानाम् । प्रमुख-सन्धि: (1) अस्मिन्+भरे → अस्मिन्भरे (न् + भ)
- (2) उग्रम्+ऊतये → उग्रमूूतये (म् + ऊ)
- (3) समत्सु+घ्नन्तम् → समत्सु घ्नन्तम् (पद-सीमा; संहितायां सन्धि-प्रभाव न्यून)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seer calls upon Indra, the bounteous and most heroic, in this conflict/effort for winning abundance; may he hear, come fiercely to aid in battles, slay the Vṛtras, and conquer and gather riches.
Inner meaning
The soul calls the illumined Divine Mind (Indra) to act within the present inner struggle (bhara/samatsu). Indra is invoked as the most ‘manful’ power—courage of consciousness—who hears the aspiration, breaks the coverings (vṛtrāṇi) of ignorance and inertia, and wins the true plenitude (vāja) and inner riches (dhanāni: powers, joys, capacities) for the being.
Universal truth
Progress is not secured by wish alone but by a higher clarity-force that answers to sincere call, confronts resistance, and turns struggle into a harvest of enduring inner wealth.
Themes
invocation, battle-aid, vṛtra-slaying, winning-plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.33, RV 3.34, RV 3.35, RV 3.36
Family tradition
Royal-turned-brahmarṣi; hymn-vision emphasizes dynamic conquest of inner obstacles through Indra’s illumined force.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s Indra-hymns often present yoga of aspiration and victory: the human seeker invokes a higher mental power to break the covers and establish a larger order (ṛta) in life.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavān (bounteous), nṛtama (most heroic), ugra (fierce), vṛtrahan (slayer of Vṛtra—implied), saṃjit (conqueror, gatherer)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Lord of the luminous Mind and wielder of the thunderbolt-force that releases the hidden Light and Waters; champion of the gods in the cosmic battle for ṛta.
Inner power
Decisive illumination—clarity that becomes force; the will-to-victory in consciousness that breaks limiting formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma offerings within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra stotra usage)
शु॒नं हु॑वेम म॒घवा॑न॒मिन्द्र॑म॒स्मिन्भरे॒ नृत॑मं॒ वाज॑सातौ । शृ॒ण्वन्त॑मु॒ग्रमू॒तये॑ स॒मत্সु॒ घ्नन्तं॑ वृ॒त्राणि॑ सं॒जितं॒ धना॑नाम् ॥
शु॒नम् । हु॒वे॒म॒ । म॒घवा॑नम् । इन्द्र॑म् । अ॒स्मिन् । भरे॑ । नृऽत॑मम् । वाज॑ऽसातौ । शृ॒ण्वन्त॑म् । उ॒ग्रम् । ऊ॒तये॑ । स॒मत्ऽसु॑ । घ्नन्त॑म् । वृ॒त्राणि॑ । स॒म्ऽजित॑म् । धना॑नाम् ॥
śunam | huvema | maghavānam | indram | asmin | bhare | nṛ-tamam | vāja-sātau | śṛṇvantam | ugram | ūtaye | samat-su | ghnantam | vṛtrāṇi | sam-jitam | dhanānām
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Strong, forward-driving cadence suited to invocation and victory-formulas.
Builds resolve and uplift; the rhythm supports a ‘battle-march’ of aspiration culminating in release and acquisition of inner wealth.
- शुनम् (śunam)
- Literal: good fortune, auspiciously. Symbolic: right opening/benediction of consciousness; the fortunate turn toward the Divine
- मघवान् (maghavān)
- Literal: bounteous, giver of gifts. Symbolic: the luminous Power that bestows inner riches—strength, clarity, joy
- भरे (bhare)
- Literal: bearing, conflict, battle, effort. Symbolic: the present inner load/ordeal; tapasya of transformation
- नृतमम् (nṛtama)
- Literal: most manly/heroic. Symbolic: courageous consciousness-force that leads the ascent
- वाजसाति (vājasāti)
- Literal: winning of vāja (prize, strength, plenitude). Symbolic: attainment of integral power and fullness of being
- समत्सु (samatsu)
- Literal: in battles. Symbolic: repeated inner confrontations with habitual darkness
- वृत्राणि (vṛtrāṇi)
- Literal: Vṛtras, obstructers. Symbolic: coverings/resistances of the subconscient that imprison light
- धनानाम् (dhanānām)
- Literal: of riches. Symbolic: spiritual wealth: energies, illuminations, stable joys, right actions
Direct invocation for aid in contests (samat); typical of Soma-liturgies and martial/protective recitations seeking Indra’s ūtí
During Indra invocations for strength/victory and for winning ‘vāja’ (prize/plenitude)
Recitation to invite Indra’s aid; offering of soma and oblations while affirming Vṛtra-slaying power
Use as a mantra of inner courage before difficult work, conflict-resolution, or when confronting inertia/addiction patterns—invoking clarity-force to ‘strike the cover’.
√hū ‘call’ is old Indo-Iranian ritual vocabulary. maghá ‘gift, bounty’ relates to ‘magn-’ semantic field (though direct PIE linkage is debated). vāja is a complex Vedic term: ‘strength, nourishment, prize’—rooted in notions of vigor/fullness; sam-√ji (saṃjitam) from √ji ‘conquer’ (PIE *gʷʰey- ‘live’ is different; √ji is IE but exact PIE reconstruction debated). vṛtra from √vṛ ‘cover’—obstruction/covering.
vāja as plenitude of force, ūtí (grace/help) as divine response, Vṛtra as psychological obstruction
Indra’s victory restores ṛta by breaking obstructive formations and releasing right movement.
Hearing the call implies responsiveness of the Truth-Power to sincere aspiration.
Release of hidden powers/wealth from confinement; conquest as a mode of manifestation.
Proto-Vedāntic yoga of inner ascent (Aurobindonian psychological reading); also resonant with Sāṃkhya-like struggle of light vs. inertia.
The ‘battle’ is the psychic-mental effort; ‘riches’ are recovered powers of consciousness; Vṛtra is the constricting subconscient habit-energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Explicit Vṛtra-slaying invoked as present help: Indra is called as the striker of obstructions in the human struggle (bhara), enabling the winning of vāja—plenitude of force and fulfilled being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The participial chain (śṛṇvantam… ghnantam… saṃjitam) is an archaic poetic strategy, stacking epithets in a single syntactic frame—comparable to IE hymn style. vṛtra ‘coverer’ encodes the old metaphor of blockage/covering as evil, widespread in IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks for śuna (well-being) through a reciprocal contract: the call (hū) and hymn invite Indra’s hearing; Indra’s answering aid (ūtí) manifests as the removal of inner Vṛtras and the gathering of dhana—treasures of consciousness and power.
Invoke the inner Indra: a clear, courageous seeing that cuts through confusion and tamas.
maṇipūra (will/force)
Brisk, steady ujjāyī or 4-4-6 breathing while mentally repeating key words (ugram, vṛtrāṇi ghnantam).
Dynamic concentration (ekāgratā) leading to decisive inner shift.
1) Recall the present ‘bhara’ (inner burden). 2) Call Indra with sincerity. 3) Visualize a single luminous strike breaking a dark knot. 4) Rest in the gained space as ‘dhanāni’—new capacities—descend.
Vedic svara as in Śākala tradition: udatta on accented syllables (e.g., húvema, índram), with anudatta background and svarita transitions; follow pada-based accenting.
Keep the verb accents clear: húvema; preserve the emphatic compounds: vṛtrā́ṇi saṃjítaṃ.
(śunaṃ): short u, anusvāra as light nasal, (huvema): ‘hu’ aspirate, not ‘hū’, (maghavānam): gh as voiced aspirate, (vṛtrāṇi): clear ṛ (vṛ), retroflex ṭr cluster, (saṃjitam): anusvāra before j as nasalized ‘ñj’ tendency
Bright, firm, forward-projected; end of each pāda slightly lifted to carry invocation.
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