Rig Veda 4.23.11: Mandala 4, Sukta 23, Mantra 11
Sukta 4.23
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shringara (love)
नू ष्टुत इन्द्र नू गृणान इषं जरित्रे नद्यो न पीपेः । अकारि ते हरिवो ब्रह्म नव्यं धिया स्याम रथ्यः सदासाः ॥
nū́ ṣṭutá índra nū́ gṛṇānó íṣaṃ jaritré nádyō na pīpeḥ | ákāri te hari-vo bráhma návyaṃ dhiyā́ syāma rathyàḥ sadā́sāḥ ||
Kini, dipuji, wahai Indra; kini, dinyanyikan—semoga engkau melimpahkan dorongan bagi penyair, sebagaimana sungai-sungai melimpahkan bahnya. Untukmu, wahai tuan kuda-kuda keperangan, suatu brahman (sabda-kuasa) yang baharu ditempa; dengan dhī (wawasan-batin) semoga kami sentiasa siap di jalan rata dan di laluan pertempuran.
Word by Word
- नू
- nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्यय (now) ; उदात्त-रहित (पदपाठे नू)Root नू (नूनम्) अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक
- स्तुतः
- praisedVerb-derived (Participle)भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रः स्तुतः)Role Kartā (of implied ‘is/has been praised’) / predicate to IndraRoot √स्तु (स्तुति)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (addressed deity)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- नू
- nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRoot नू (नूनम्) अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक
- गृणानः
- praising (singing)Verb-derived (Participle)वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अहम्/जरिता गृणानः)Role Kartā (speaker/poet)Root √गॄ/गृ (गृणाति ‘to sing/praise’)
- इषम्
- refreshment; vigor; nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (what is sought/obtained)Root इष्/इषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- जरित्रे
- to the singer (praiser)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (for/to the singer)Root जरितृ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘singer, praiser’)
- नद्यः
- riversNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (subject of comparison)Root नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableउपमा/निषेध-न (here: comparative ‘like/as’)Root न (अव्यय)
- पीपेः
- you have filled/satisfied (made to drink)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (पीपेः = ‘thou hast caused to drink / hast filled’)Role Kartā (Indra as agent)Root √पा (पिबति/पाययति; Vedic reduplicated perfect)
- अकारि
- has been made; was fashionedVerbलुङ् (अorist), आत्मनेपद; तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (अकारि = ‘was made/has been made’)Role Karma (impersonal passive: ‘it was made’)Root √कृ (करोति)
- ते
- for you; to youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic) — here best as चतुर्थी ‘for thee’ with अकारिRole Sampradāna (for you)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्) सर्वनाम
- हरिवः
- O Hariva (Indra, with tawny horses)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot हरिवत्/हरिवस् (इन्द्र-विशेषण; ‘having tawny steeds’)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred hymn; prayer-formulaNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here with अकारि as ‘a hymn/formula’ (object/subject of passive)Role Karma (thing composed) / subject in passiveRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नव्यम्
- new; freshAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्Root नव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- धिया
- with insight; by inspired thoughtNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole Karaṇa (by/with inspired thought)Root धी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘thought, insight’)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole Kartā (we)Root √अस् (भवति) — optative stem स्या-
- रथ्यः
- chariot-worthy; skilled in chariotryAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्याम इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्Root रथ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘fit for chariot/pertaining to chariot’)
- सदासाः
- attendants; companions (seated ones)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्याम इत्यस्य विधेय-नामRole Kartā (predicate nominative with ‘we’)Root सदास्/सदास (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sitter/attendant’, RV epithet of priests/companions)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: नू ष्टुत इन्द्र नू गृणान इषं जरित्रे नद्यो न पीपेः । अकारि ते हरिवो ब्रह्म नव्यं धिया स्याम रथ्यः सदासाः ॥ पदच्छेद (मुख्य): नू । स्तुतः । इन्द्र । नू । गृणानः । इषम् । जरित्रे । नद्यः । न । पीपेः । अकारि । ते । हरिवः । ब्रह्म । नव्यम् । धिया । स्याम । रथ्यः । सदासाः । विशेष: ‘ष्टुत’ = ‘स्तुतः’ (स् + तुतः; संहितायां स्-कारस्य ष्ट्-आदेशः). ‘नद्यो३ न’ इति प्लुत/स्वर-चिह्नः संहितायाम्
- पदे ‘नद्यः । न’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Now praised, now sung, O Indra, may you swell the impulsion for the singer as rivers swell. A new sacred utterance is made for you, O Hariva; by inspired thought may we be ever ready for the chariot-path.
Inner meaning
Praise (stuti) and song (gṛṇāna) are inner acts of alignment: the being turns toward the illumined Mind (Indra) and calls it forward. Then Indra increases iṣa—impulsion, initiative, right-going energy—for the jaritṛ (the aspiring soul), like rivers filling and strengthening their flow: the life-current becomes abundant, not dry or scattered. The seeker forges a navya brahma: a fresh word of power—newly illumined formulation born of dhī (seer-thought), not mechanical repetition. With that dhī we become rathyaḥ sadāsāḥ: always fit for the journey—ready for the disciplined advance and the battle against inner resistance.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes sincere praise and conscious mantra, higher intelligence responds by increasing right energy and guidance. Renewed inner speech and insight keep one continually prepared for life’s tests and the spiritual journey.
Themes
Indra praise, Mantra as power, Increase of inner force
The seer
- Lineage
- Gautama (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 4.16-4.18 (Indra praise and victory motifs in Maṇḍala 4), RV 1.80 (Indra increases strength/impulsion for the singer—parallel theme)
Family tradition
Indra hymns in this tradition stress the forging of ‘new brahman’—living mantra as an instrument of illumination and victory.
Significance
Shows the practical reciprocity: sincere praise and fresh insight evoke a tangible increase of divine impulsion for the ongoing inner journey.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- harivaḥ (tawny-steeded), maghavan (bounteous—implied by swelling gifts), vajrin (thunder-bearer—implied), ugra (fierce—echoed earlier in the sūkta)
- Related deities
- Agni (priest of aspiration), Soma (delight empowering Indra), Maruts (forces that accompany Indra)
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous mind; increases force and victorious movement; leads the battle against obscuration.
Inner power
Illumined initiative (iṣa) and executive clarity; capacity to organize energies for the journey of works.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma rites; also usable in daily praise (stotra) as invocation for strength and right initiative.
नू ष्टु॒त इ॑न्द्र॒ नू गृ॑णा॒न इषं॑ जरि॒त्रे न॒द्यो॒३॒॑ न पी॑पेः । अका॑रि ते हरिवो॒ ब्रह्म॒ नव्यं॑ धि॒या स्या॑म र॒थ्य॑: सदा॒साः ॥
नु । स्तु॒तः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । नु । गृ॒णा॒नः । इष॑म् । ज॒रि॒त्रे । न॒द्यः॑ । न । पी॒पे॒रिति॑ पीपेः । अका॑रि । ते॒ । ह॒रि॒ऽवः॒ । ब्रह्म॑ । नव्य॑म् । धि॒या । स्या॒म॒ । र॒थ्यः॑ । सदा॒ऽसाः ॥
nu | stutaḥ | indra | nu | gṛṇānaḥ | iṣam | jaritre | nadyaḥ | na | pīperitipīpeḥ | akāri | te | hari-vaḥ | brahma | navyam | dhiyā | syāma | rathyaḥ | sadāsāḥ
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4 x ~11
Invocatory and expansive; a swelling rhythm matching the river simile.
Energizes and uplifts; gives a sense of gathering momentum and readiness.
- इषम् (iṣam)
- Literal: impulsion, refreshment, energy. Symbolic: right initiative and forward drive guided by illumination
- जरित्रे (jaritre)
- Literal: to the singer/praiser. Symbolic: the aspiring soul that offers itself in inner sacrifice
- नद्यः (nadyaḥ)
- Literal: rivers. Symbolic: life-currents; pranic flow that can swell with divine support
- ब्रह्म नव्यम् (brahma navyam)
- Literal: a new sacred word/formula. Symbolic: fresh mantra/insight born of living realization
- धिया (dhiyā)
- Literal: by thought, by insight. Symbolic: seer-thought (dhī) that receives and forms truth
- हरिवः (harivaḥ)
- Literal: having tawny steeds. Symbolic: Indra as master of dynamic energies (vital forces) yoked to light
- रथ्यः (rathyaḥ)
- Literal: fit for the chariot-path. Symbolic: ready, organized, capable for the path of works and inner battle
Indra-stotra in Soma ritual sequences (general); strengthening iṣ (vital-mental impulsion) for the sacrificer/singer
During Indra’s praise segments; suitable at the start of work/day as ‘readiness’ mantra.
Stuti to invoke increase of iṣa; offering of newly fashioned brahman (mantric formulation).
Use before challenging tasks, travel, exams, or any ‘battle-path’ requiring clarity and force; also before japa to ‘refresh’ mantra with living intention.
√stu, √gṛ: praise as activation of the deity. √pī ‘swell’ used with rivers: suggests increase of iṣ as an inner flood. brahman from √bṛh ‘to grow, expand’ → word that enlarges consciousness; navya ‘new’ indicates ever-renewed mantra-force. rathya ‘chariot-worthy’ connects to the journey/battle metaphor: the disciplined, mobilized being fit for Indra’s movement.
brahman as expanding word-power, dhī as inspired vision, iṣ as energizing nourishment
Indra’s increase of iṣa supports right rhythm and effective action aligned to truth.
Navya brahma implies renewed truth-expression, not rote speech.
Word (brahman) as a formative power that calls down and shapes divine force in life.
Mantric yoga of the Veda: sound-thought as instrument of consciousness-force (Aurobindonian).
Rivers = swelling life-force and movement; horses = vital energies yoked to light; chariot-path = disciplined course of action and inner battle.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as increaser of the life-force like rivers in flood, and as the charioteer-lord enabling victorious movement: the mythic image of dynamic expansion and onward journey under Indra’s power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- brahman from √bṛh ‘grow’ parallels PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high’ (cf. ‘burg’/‘berg’ in Germanic as ‘height’ in later developments). River swelling (√pī) reflects inherited metaphors of abundance. The optative syāma expresses wish/volition typical of archaic IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is explicit: the rishi fashions a new brahman (mantric formulation) for Indra; Indra in return is asked to swell iṣ for the singer and make the community ‘rathya’—fit for the divine movement and victorious action.
Invoke illumined mind to increase right initiative; renew mantra with living insight.
Maṇipūra (iṣa/drive) guided by Ājñā (Indraic clarity)
Brisk, even breathing for one minute to ‘swell the rivers’, then slow chanting on a longer exhale to stabilize the force.
Dynamic devotion moving into clear readiness.
Chant once to invoke Indra, then sit and feel where energy is low or scattered. On the next repetition, consciously ‘offer’ a fresh, sincere intention (navya brahma). Conclude by visualizing yourself harnessing the inner horses—energies aligned to light—ready for the day’s path.
Vedic accents per śākha; keep vocative ‘indra’ clear; maintain tonal rise/fall without modern stress.
Let ‘nū’ open each half with a clean onset; slight swell on ‘iṣaṃ’ to mirror meaning; keep pāda endings gently released.
harivo: pronounce as ha-ri-vo (not ‘haribo’), gṛṇāna: retroflex ṇ, long ā, pīpeḥ: long ī, final ḥ soft but audible
Bright, confident, uplifting; avoid shouting—keep resonance in chest and head.
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