Rig Veda 4.20.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 20, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.20
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ न इन्द्रो हरिभिर्यात्वच्छार्वाचीनोऽवसे राधसे च । तिष्ठाति वज्री मघवा विरप्शीमं यज्ञमनु नो वाजसातौ ॥
ā́ na índro háribhir yā́tv ácchārvācī́no’vase rā́dhase ca | tíṣṭhāti vajrī́ maghávā vi-rapśī́ imáṃ yajñám ánu no vā́ja-sātau ||
Datanglah kepada kami, wahai Indra, dengan kuda-kuda keemasanmu, berpaling kepada kami demi pertolongan dan kelimpahan (rādhas) kami. Sang pemegang vajra, yang pemurah, berdiri dalam kekuatan yang luas menjangkau; semoga ia mengikuti yajña ini bagi kami dalam memperoleh vāja—kepenuhan daya kami.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियायोगे) / preverbRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं, षष्ठी (gen.) एकवचन-बहुवचन-समूह?; here: 1st person plural enclitic, षष्ठी बहुवचन (gen. pl.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root अस्मद् (pronoun stem)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- हरिभिः
- with the tawny (horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot हरि (prātipadika)
- यातु
- let him come / may he go (hither)Verbलोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRoot या (धातु)
- अच्छा
- towards, straight toIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अच्छा (avyaya)
- अर्वाचीनः
- facing hither, turned towards usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (इन्द्रः इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (as qualifier of subject)Root अर्वाचीन (prātipadika)
- अवसे
- for help, for aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अवस् (prātipadika)
- राधसे
- for bounty, for generosityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot राधस् (prātipadika)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्यय (समुच्चय)Root च (avyaya)
- तिष्ठाति
- stands, takes his standVerbलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRoot स्था (धातु)
- वज्री
- the wielder of the vajraNoun (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वज्रिन् (prātipadika)
- मघवा
- the bountiful oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मघवन् (prātipadika)
- विरप्शीम्
- broad/strong (Vedic epithet; lit. ‘wide-working/strong-fingered’)Adjective/Noun (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (यज्ञम् इति विशेषणवत्/सम्बद्धम्)Role कर्म (as qualifier in apposition to the object)Root विरप्शी (prātipadika; Vedic epithet, fem.)
- इमम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (pronoun stem)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice, ritual offeringNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यज्ञ (prātipadika)
- अनु
- along, following, in accordance withIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण)Root अनु (avyaya)
- नः
- for usPronoun(enclitic) 1st person plural, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन; here best as चतुर्थी बहुवचन (dat. pl.) with implied ‘for us’Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (pronoun stem)
- वाजसातौ
- in the winning of the prize (in the contest for strength)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (loc.)Role अधिकरणRoot वाजसाति (prātipadika; ‘winning of prize/strength’)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved Vedic sandhi: हरिभिर्या॒त्वच्छा → हरिभिः + यातु + अच्छा. अर्वाची॒नोऽव॑से → अर्वाचीनः + अवसे (o’ = visarga/ḥ before vowel in saṃhitā). Other words are already pada-separated
- accents not required for morphological parsing here
The meaning
Outer meaning
May Indra come to us with his tawny steeds, turned toward us for help and wealth; the thunder-bearer, bounteous, stands in wide-ranging might; may he follow our sacrifice in the winning of vāja (strength/prize).
Inner meaning
Indra’s dynamic energies (hari) are the yoked forces that carry illumination into life. When he turns ‘arvācīnaḥ’ toward us, the higher mind becomes intimate and practical—help (avase) and plenitude (rādhase) in the psychological being. Indra ‘stands’ (tiṣṭhāti) as a stable power in wide-ranging action (virapśī), and accompanies the inner yajña so that vāja—fullness of force, effective capacity—can be won.
Universal truth
Spiritual help is not only insight but empowered capacity. The higher intelligence must not merely visit; it must stand and accompany our practice until strength becomes stable possession.
Themes
invocation of Indra, bounty and help, victorious attainment
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.20.1, RV 4.20.3, RV 4.20.4
Family tradition
Vāmadeva’s Indra hymns frequently yoke ‘hari’ (energies) to the divine chariot—symbolizing the disciplined harnessing of life-force by illumined mind.
Significance
The seer asks not for a passing inspiration but a standing presence that ‘follows the yajña’—a continuous yogic companionship.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Harivān/Harivaḥ, Vajrī, Maghavā, Arvācīna
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts
Cosmic role
Bringer of victorious force and luminous power into the human field; companion of the sacrifice that aims at vāja.
Inner power
Harnesses and directs vital energies toward enlightened action; stabilizes strength in the seeker.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra call in Soma offering contexts; accompaniment of yajña motif
आ न॒ इन्द्रो॒ हरि॑भिर्या॒त्वच्छा॑र्वाची॒नोऽव॑से॒ राध॑से च । तिष्ठा॑ति व॒ज्री म॒घवा॑ विर॒प्शीमं य॒ज्ञमनु॑ नो॒ वाज॑सातौ ॥
आ । नः॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । हरि॑ऽभिः । या॒तु॒ । अच्छ॑ । अ॒र्वा॒ची॒नः । अव॑से । राध॑से । च॒ । तिष्ठा॑ति । व॒ज्री । म॒घऽवा॑ । वि॒ऽर॒प्शी । इ॒मम् । य॒ज्ञम् । अनु॑ । नः॒ । वाज॑ऽसातौ ॥
ā | naḥ | indraḥ | hari-bhiḥ | yātu | accha | arvācīnaḥ | avase | rādhase | ca | tiṣṭhāti | vajrī | magha-vā | vi-rapśī | imam | yajñam | anu | naḥ | vāja-sātau
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4 × ~11
Expansive yet firm; conveys ‘standing power’ and steady accompaniment.
Grounds energy; gives a sense of supported forward momentum without agitation.
- haribhiḥ
- Literal: with tawny steeds. Symbolic: dynamic life-energies obedient to illumined mind
- arvācīnaḥ
- Literal: turned toward us. Symbolic: the higher power becoming accessible and operative in daily life
- avase
- Literal: for help. Symbolic: support in difficulty; inner rescue from confusion and weakness
- rādhase
- Literal: for wealth, bounty. Symbolic: plenitude of consciousness, abundance of right capacities
- vajrī
- Literal: thunder-bearer. Symbolic: decisive discriminative force
- maghavā
- Literal: bounteous. Symbolic: giver of inner riches—courage, clarity, strength
- virapśī
- Literal: wide-ranging, far-reaching. Symbolic: vast effective power acting across the being
- yajñam anu
- Literal: following the sacrifice. Symbolic: supporting the inner offering/practice step by step
- vājasātau
- Literal: in the winning of vāja. Symbolic: attainment of effective force, mastery, victorious capacity
Indra invited to ‘follow’ the yajña during Soma offering; supports attainment of vā́ja-sāti (winning plenitude)
When inviting Indra to attend and ‘follow’ the rite—especially in sequences seeking vāja (strength/prize)
Āhvāna and request for anugamana (accompanying) of the sacrifice.
Chant to ‘yoke’ scattered energies: before work, training, or sustained sādhanā—asking for stable, wide-ranging power guided by clarity.
hári ‘tawny’ + plural instrument háribhiḥ: Indra’s steeds as energies; rā́dhas ‘bounty’ (root √rādh ‘to succeed, prosper’); vā́ja ‘strength, vigor, plenitude’ (semantic field: force-food-prize, here ‘fullness of force’); sātí ‘winning’ from √san/√sā ‘to gain’.
yajña as inner discipline, vā́ja as plenitude of force, grace as bounty (rādhas)
Indra’s ‘following the yajña’ images divine order accompanying human effort—ṛta as an active guidance.
True plenitude (rādhas) comes when energies are aligned with truth-seeing mind.
Transformation of raw force into vāja through divine companionship of practice.
Integral Yoga orientation: descent of higher power to organize life-energies.
Horses = vital forces; standing = stable realization; vāja = effective force/competence born of alignment.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘arrival of the god with steeds’ mythologem: Indra’s coming is the descent of dynamic luminous energies that accompany and empower the sacrifice toward the winning of vā́ja (plenitude).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘follow the sacrifice’ formula (yajñam anu) parallels IE notions of gods accompanying right rite; √san/√sā ‘win/gain’ in sāti aligns with IE acquisition verbs; the chariot/steed complex is a hallmark of IE poetic tradition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Indra not only to appear but to remain aligned with the sacrificial process, granting both protection (avasa) and abundance (rādhas) so the seeker’s offering culminates in vā́ja—integral force and fullness.
Feel Indra’s presence ‘standing’ in you: a stable clarity that harnesses life-force toward one chosen right action.
Maṇipūra (will/force) guided by Ājñā (illumination)
Square breath 4-4-4-4 while mentally repeating ‘ā na indro haribhir’; then normal breathing for the remaining pādas to feel ‘anugamana’ (accompaniment).
Steady power—wide, capable, non-reactive.
Offer one inner movement (fear, restlessness) into the yajña; chant 9 or 27 times; then act immediately on one clear step—this is ‘vājasātau’ in practice.
Rigvedic accenting per śākha; keep udatta crisp on invocatory openings and deity-name; allow natural svarita glides after accented syllables.
Slight emphasis on ‘ā na indro’ and ‘tiṣṭhāti’; keep ‘virapśī’ flowing to suggest wide-ranging power.
acchārvācīnaḥ: split as acchā + arvācīnaḥ; avoid swallowing the double ā, haribhir: light aspiration in bh, tiṣṭhāti: retroflex ṣṭh cluster—ṣ + ṭh, maghavā: gh voiced aspirate, vājasātau: long ā in vāja, long ā in sātau
Full, steady, supportive; slightly broaden vowels to convey ‘plenitude’.
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