Rig Veda 4.25.7: Mandala 4, Sukta 25, Mantra 7
Sukta 4.25
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
न रेवता पणिना सख्यमिन्द्रोऽसुन्वता सुतपाः सं गृणीते । आस्य वेदः खिदति हन्ति नग्नं वि सुष्वये पक्तये केवलो भूत् ॥
ná revátā paṇínā sakhyám índro ’súnvatā suta-pā́ḥ sáṃ gṛṇīte | ā́sya védaḥ khidáti hánti nagnáṃ ví súsve paktáye kévalo bhūt ||
Indra tidak bersekutu dengan Paṇi yang kaya; peminum Soma itu tidak merelakan orang yang tidak memerah (Soma). Pengetahuannya menekan dan menumbangkan kehampaan yang telanjang; tetapi bagi pemerah yang baik, bagi yang telah ranum, ia menjadi hadir seluruhnya.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- रेवता
- with the wealthy (one) / by a rich (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (रेवत्-शब्दः)Role KaraṇaRoot रेवत्
- पणिना
- with a Paṇi (miser/merchant-demon)Nounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot पणि
- सख्यम्
- friendshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सख्य
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र
- असुन्वता
- with one who does not press/soma-prepareAdjective (participial)पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्; नञ्-पूर्वकः: ‘न सून्वन्’Role KaraṇaRoot असु-√सु (सुनोति) + न्वत् (वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्रत्ययः)
- सुतपाः
- well-heated/strongly ardent (epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-तपस् (बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारयः)
- सम्
- together, fullyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot सम्
- गृणीते
- praises / singsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √गॄ/गृ (गृणाति ‘स्तौति’)
- आस्य
- of the mouth / of the faceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (सम्बन्धः)Root आस्य
- वेदः
- knowledge; (here) the knowing/insightNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वेद
- खिदति
- distresses / afflictsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √खिद्
- हन्ति
- strikes, slaysVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √हन्
- नग्नम्
- the naked one; the destituteAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot नग्न
- वि
- apart, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot वि
- सुष्वये
- to the well-pressing one / to the good Soma-preparerNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot सु-√श्वि/√शु (श्वयति/शुनोति) → सुष्वय (नाम/विशेषण)
- पक्तये
- for ripening/cooking; for the feast (pákti)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot पक्ति
- केवलः
- alone, exclusivelyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root केवल
- भूत्
- became / has becomeVerbलुङ् (अorist, injunctive-like), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √भू
Sandhi Notes
- सख्यमिन्द्रोऽसुन्वता → सख्यम् + इन्द्रः + असुन्वता (अन्त्य-व्यञ्जन + स्वर-सन्धिः; इन्द्रः + असुन्वता इति विसर्ग-लोपेऽवग्रहः ‘ऽ’)
- अन्यत्र पदच्छेदः: न | रेवता | पणिना | सख्यम् | इन्द्रः | असुन्वता | सुतपाः | सम् | गृणीते | आस्य | वेदः | खिदति | हन्ति | नग्नम् | वि | सुष्वये | पक्तये | केवलः | भूत् ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra does not form friendship with the wealthy Paṇi; as Soma-drinker he does not consent to the one who does not press. His knowledge afflicts and strikes down the naked emptiness; but for the good presser, the ripened, he becomes wholly present.
Inner meaning
The Paṇi is the hoarder-trader mentality in us: rich in outer means or cleverness but refusing the inner sacrifice. Indra’s illumination will not ally with that consciousness. ‘Sutapāḥ’ (Soma-drinker) signifies the power that lives on divine delight; it cannot be nourished by dry, unpressed life-force. Indra’s ‘vedaḥ’ (knowledge/seeing) becomes a force that troubles and destroys the ‘nagna’—the bare, unprotected emptiness of a life without inner truth and offering. Yet where there is true pressing and ripeness, Indra becomes kevala—entirely available as guiding light and victorious mind-force.
Universal truth
Illumination refuses compromise with inner greed and evasiveness. True knowledge is not neutral: it exposes and dismantles emptiness, while fully supporting the sincere practitioner.
Themes
Paṇi motif, anti-hoarding, knowledge-strikes-ignorance, Soma reciprocity
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.25.6-8 (same thematic unit), RV 4.18-4.20 (Indra’s victorious discernment)
Family tradition
The Vāmadeva hymns frequently oppose the Paṇi (withholding, false wealth) to the true sacrificer (inner presser), mapping outer myth to inner psychology.
Significance
Vāmadeva teaches that divine powers do not reward mere prosperity or argument; they respond to offering, ripeness, and truth-seeking intensity.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- sutapāḥ (Soma-drinker), kevalaḥ (wholly present), jñānin/vedin (by implication: possessor of vedaḥ)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Guardian of luminous order against the Paṇi forces; distributer of true riches (rays, waters, wideness) to the sacrificer.
Inner power
Discriminative illumination that refuses egoic bargaining and actively dissolves inner hollowness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise in Soma-yajña; didactic reinforcement of who is fit for Indra’s help
न रे॒वता॑ प॒णिना॑ स॒ख्यमिन्द्रोऽसु॑न्वता सुत॒पाः सं गृ॑णीते । आस्य॒ वेद॑: खि॒दति॒ हन्ति॑ न॒ग्नं वि सुष्व॑ये प॒क्तये॒ केव॑लो भूत् ॥
न । रे॒वता॑ । प॒णिना॑ । स॒ख्यम् । इन्द्रः॑ । असु॑न्वता । सु॒त॒ऽपाः । सम् । गृ॒णी॒ते॒ । आ । अ॒स्य॒ । वेदः॑ । खि॒दति॑ । हन्ति॑ । न॒ग्नम् । वि । सुस्व॑ये । प॒क्तये॑ । केव॑लः । भूत् ॥
na | revatā | paṇinā | sakhyam | indraḥ | asunvatā | suta-pāḥ | sam | gṛṇīte | ā | asya | vedaḥ | khidati | hanti | nagnam | vi | susvaye | paktaye | kevalaḥ | bhūt
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4 × ~11 syllables
Argumentative and incisive; the cadence supports negation (na…na…) and decisive turning toward the true presser.
Creates moral-spiritual clarity; energizes renunciation of inner hoarding and strengthens commitment to practice.
- paṇi
- Literal: niggard/trafficker/hoarder. Symbolic: the bargaining ego that withholds offering and seeks gain without inner transformation
- revatā
- Literal: wealthy, opulent. Symbolic: outer abundance or mental cleverness that can mask inner poverty
- asunvatā
- Literal: one who does not press Soma. Symbolic: one who refuses inner work, purification, and offering
- sutapāḥ
- Literal: Soma-drinker. Symbolic: consciousness nourished by divine Ananda; the force that thrives on inner delight
- vedaḥ
- Literal: knowledge, sacred seeing. Symbolic: illumined discernment that exposes falsehood and compels purification
- nagnam
- Literal: naked. Symbolic: bare emptiness—life without covering of truth, without psychic warmth or protection
- suṣvaye paktaye
- Literal: for the good presser, for the ripened. Symbolic: for the sincere aspirant whose nature is matured by tapas and offering
- kevalaḥ bhūt
- Literal: became wholly (present). Symbolic: full descent/availability of the illumined Mind
Polemic against non-offering/hoarding tendencies; affirmation of Soma-based reciprocity in the rite
During Soma pressing sequences; also as a cautionary recitation against miserliness and improper offering.
Stuti emphasizing eligibility (adhikāra) of the sacrificer; aligns the rite with right intention.
Use to break patterns of ‘spiritual consumerism’—seeking results without offering; chant before meditation to renew sincerity.
paṇí- ‘trader/hoarder’ becomes a psychological type: one who possesses but does not offer; thus ‘revat’ (rich) is not praised if wealth is closed. védaḥ from √vid ‘to know’ (PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’): Indra’s knowing is a force that exposes and destroys the ‘nagná’ (bare, unformed, unoffering consciousness). suta-pā́-: Soma-drinker—Indra’s nature is sustained by the pressed essence; hence refusal of asúnvat.
right exchange (offering and grace), knowledge as power (vedaḥ as a force), critique of hoarding (Paṇi as anti-ṛta)
Paṇi is anti-ṛta (withholding); Indra supports ṛta by refusing alliance with it.
Vedaḥ as truth-knowledge that ‘strikes’ the naked falsehood.
Purification by knowledge: false coverings removed; the being becomes a fit vessel for divine delight.
Aurobindonian psychological exegesis: Paṇi as egoic hoarding; Indra as illumined mind acting as purifier.
Soma = inner delight; nakedness = lack of psychic warmth/covering; striking = decisive action of discernment removing void and pretence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Paṇi mythologem: the hoarder of wealth/light who refuses exchange. Indra refuses friendship with the Paṇi and the non-presser, while his ‘knowledge’ destroys the ‘naked’ barrenness—an inner version of recovering light/wealth from miserliness and inertia.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- védaḥ (√vid) is a direct continuation of PIE *weyd- ‘see/know’ (Lat. vidēre, Eng. wit). √han ‘strike/kill’ is widely attested across IE. The semantic coupling of ‘know’ and ‘see’ is distinctly Indo-European and central to Vedic epistemology.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asserts a law of approach: Indra is drawn by offering (Soma pressed) and by ripeness (paktí). Where there is hoarding or refusal (Paṇi/asunvat), Indra’s response is not intimacy but a clarifying, even destructive, knowledge-force that strips the false.
Detect the Paṇi in oneself: where you bargain, hoard, or postpone inner work; offer that tendency into the fire of aspiration.
anāhata (truthful relation/inner sincerity)
nāḍī-śodhana with a brief kumbhaka after inhale, mentally offering ‘what I withhold’
Purified alertness; courageous honesty
After chanting, sit 5 minutes in silence; let ‘vedaḥ’ be felt as a pressure of truth in the mind that dissolves hollow self-justifications.
Vedic accents per Saṃhitā; maintain udatta on key negations and nouns; do not flatten the repeated ‘na’.
Crisp articulation of na revatā… na…; emphasize sutapāḥ, vedaḥ, hanti, suṣvaye, paktaye, kevalaḥ.
paṇinā: retroflex ṇ, asunvatā: keep ‘nv’ conjunct clean, sutapāḥ: long ā before ḥ, khidati: clear kh + i; no aspiration loss, nagnam: hard g; short a
cutting-clear, like a bell; avoid melodrama—let clarity do the work
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