Rig Veda 4.29.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 29, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.29
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ हि ष्मा याति नर्यश्चिकित्वान्हूयमानः सोतृभिरुप यज्ञम् । स्वश्वो यो अभीरुर्मन्यमानः सुष्वाणेभिर्मदति सं ह वीरैः ॥
ā́ hí ṣmā yā́ti náryaś cikitvā́n hūyámānaḥ sotṛ́bhir úpa yajñám | sváśvo yó abhī́rur mányamānaḥ suṣvāṇébhiḥ mádati sáṃ ha vī́raiḥ ||
Kerana sesungguhnya dia datang—kekuatan lelaki, sang mengetahui—dipanggil oleh para pemerah (Soma), menuju yajña (korban suci). Dia yang memiliki kuda-kuda baik, tidak gentar dalam keyakinan dirinya, menjadi mabuk (oleh Soma) bersama mereka yang memerah dengan baik, lalu berhimpun dengan para vīra (wira; tenaga-tenaga kuat).
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, forth (towards)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableअव्ययRoot हि (निपात)
- ष्मा
- surely, justIndeclinableअव्यय (बलवर्धक/निश्चयार्थक)Root ष्म (निपात; वैदिक)
- याति
- goes, comesVerbलट्, प्र. 3, एकवचनRoot या (याऽ गतौ)
- नर्यः
- manly, heroicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृसम्बन्धः)Root नर्य (प्रातिपदिक; नर-सम्बद्ध)
- चिकित्वान्
- wise, discerningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root चिकित्वस् (कृदन्त; √चित्/√चित् ‘to perceive/know’ से वैदिक परिपूर्ण/प्रज्ञावान्)
- हूयमानः
- being invoked/calledParticipleवर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण; ‘being invoked’)Root √ह्वा (ह्वा/ह्वयति ‘to call, invoke’)
- सोतृभिः
- by the Soma-pressersNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सोतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √सु ‘to press (Soma)’ से)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यज्ञम्
- the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वश्वः
- having good horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root स्वश्व (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-horsed’)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभीरुः
- fearlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root अभीरु (प्रातिपदिक; a- + भीरु)
- मन्यमानः
- thinking, deeming (himself)Participleवर्तमान आत्मनेपद कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषण)Root √मन् (मन्यते ‘to think, deem’)
- सुष्वाणेभिः
- with/by the well-pressing (Soma-pressers)Noun/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सुष्वाण (कृदन्त; √सु ‘to press (Soma)’; परिपूर्ण/वर्तमान-भाव ‘having pressed/pressing well’)
- मदति
- rejoices, is exhilaratedVerbलट्, प्र. 3, एकवचनRoot √मद् (मदति ‘to be exhilarated, rejoice’)
- सम्
- together, withIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableअव्यय (वैदिक; बल/स्मरण/निश्चयार्थ)Root ह (निपात)
- वीरैः
- with heroes/menNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (सहकारक-भावः)Root वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): आ | हि | ष्मा | याति | नर्यः | चिकित्वान् | हूयमानः | सोतृभिः | उप | यज्ञम् | स्वश्वः | यः | अभीरुः | मन्यमानः | सुष्वाणेभिः | मदति | सम् | ह | वीरैः । प्रमुख सन्धयः: (1) सोतृभिः + उप → सोतृभिरुप (रेफ-सन्धि/विसर्गाभावः वैदिक-पाठे). (2) सं + ह → सं ह (अनुस्वार-परसवर्ण/संयोग; पदपाठे ‘सम् | ह’). (3) वीरैः इति तृतीया-बहुवचन
- मन्त्रपाठे ‘वी॒रैः’ उदात्त/स्वरित-चिह्न सहित।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra indeed comes—manly, wise—when called by the Soma-pressers to the sacrifice. With good steeds, fearless, he becomes exhilarated with those who press well, together with the heroes.
Inner meaning
The illumined mind arrives when the inner faculties ‘press’ the Soma—extracting bliss/essence from experience through concentration. Indra is naryaḥ (man-power): the sovereign capacity to act from light. ‘Good steeds’ are disciplined vital energies; fearlessness is the self-confidence of the soul aligned with truth. The ‘heroes’ are strong inner powers (vīra) that collaborate when joy (soma-mada) flows.
Universal truth
Higher clarity is not random: it comes when we actively refine experience into essence and call persistently; then courage and coordinated energies arise naturally.
Themes
divine arrival, Soma-intoxication, union with heroic energies
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.20, Rig Veda 4.21, Rig Veda 4.30
Family tradition
The Gautama-Vāmadeva hymns frequently depict the cooperation of inner faculties (pressers, singers, heroes) to invite Indra’s decisive illumination.
Significance
Shows the ‘method’: call + pressing (inner extraction) + collective inner energies → descent of illumined mind and joy-power.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- naryaḥ (heroic), cikitvān (knower), svaśva (good-steeded), abhīru (fearless)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Receives Soma, increases might, leads the hosts of luminous powers to victory over limitation.
Inner power
Awakens fearless discernment and coordinated life-force under the governance of light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma yajña—inviting Indra to drink Soma
आ हि ष्मा॒ याति॒ नर्य॑श्चिकि॒त्वान्हू॒यमा॑नः सो॒तृभि॒रुप॑ य॒ज्ञम् । स्वश्वो॒ यो अभी॑रु॒र्मन्य॑मानः सुष्वा॒णेभि॒र्मद॑ति॒ सं ह॑ वी॒रैः ॥
आ । हि । स्म॒ । याति॑ । नर्यः॑ । चि॒कि॒त्वान् । हू॒यमा॑नः । सो॒तृऽभिः॑ । उप॑ । य॒ज्ञम् । सु॒ऽअश्वः॑ । यः । अभी॑रुः । मन्य॑मानः । सु॒ऽस्वा॒णेभिः॑ । मद॑ति । सम् । ह॒ । वी॒रैः ॥
ā | hi | sma | yāti | naryaḥ | cikitvān | hūyamānaḥ | sotṛ-bhiḥ | upa | yajñam | su-aśvaḥ | yaḥ | abhīruḥ | manyamānaḥ | su-svāṇebhiḥ | madati | sam | ha | vīraiḥ
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4 × ~11
Energetic and marching; suited to describing arrival and collective force.
Creates a sense of ‘approach’ and gathering momentum; stimulates courage and coherence.
- नर्य (narya)
- Literal: manly, belonging to men/heroic. Symbolic: The soul’s heroic capacity—divine virility of conscious action
- चिकित्वान् (cikitvān)
- Literal: knowing, discerning. Symbolic: Illumined discernment; intuitive intelligence
- सोतृ (sotṛ)
- Literal: Soma presser/priest. Symbolic: Inner workers: faculties that extract delight/essence through practice
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: The inner offering of thoughts, desires, actions into the higher Fire/Truth
- स्वश्व (svaśva)
- Literal: having good horses. Symbolic: Well-governed vital energies and capacities of action
- अभीरु (abhīru)
- Literal: fearless. Symbolic: Courage born of alignment with the higher self
- मदति (madati)
- Literal: is exhilarated/intoxicated. Symbolic: Ecstasy/energized joy of consciousness when Soma is active
- वीर (vīra)
- Literal: heroes. Symbolic: Strong inner forces—will, courage, disciplined energies
Soma-yajña: Indra’s arrival and exhilaration with well-pressed Soma
At Soma pressing/offerings; also in invocations for strength before challenges.
Calling (hūyamāna) with chants; offering pressed Soma.
Use before study/decision-making: ‘press Soma’ as mindful reflection, then invite clear discernment to act.
nárya- from nṛ́ ‘man/hero’ (PIE *h₂nḗr) → ‘heroic/manly’. cikitvā́n from √cit ‘to perceive, notice, know’ → awakened discernment. mad- (madati) from √mad ‘to be exhilarated/intoxicated’ → Soma-joy as intensification of consciousness and power.
consecrated action (yajña), discernment (cit) allied to force (nṛ)
Right calling and right pressing align the forces; then Indra’s coming is orderly and effective.
Discernment (cikitvān) is truth-seeing intelligence.
Transformation of raw experience into conscious delight that empowers action.
Integral psychological reading: delight (Soma) fuels illumined action (Indra).
unspecified
unspecified
Pressing = extracting subtle joy from life; horses = vital energies trained to carry consciousness forward.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the ‘knowing hero’ comes when invoked and is strengthened by Soma among the vīras—mythic motif of the god joining the human heroic band to win victories.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nṛ́ ‘man/hero’ continues PIE *h₂nḗr (cf. Greek anḗr), showing inherited heroic diction. √mad ‘exhilarate’ reflects an old Indo-European theme of sacred intoxication/rapture energizing warrior-divinity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the sacrifice as a call that draws the divine force; Indra responds by entering the yajña and ‘maddening’ with the rightly prepared Soma—an inner exchange where human aspiration prepares the delight that empowers the god-force in the being.
Coordinate inner faculties: let joy (Soma) energize discernment (Indra) rather than impulse.
maṇipūra (will) with support from ājñā (clarity)
Inhale ‘ā hi ṣmā yāti’; exhale ‘indraḥ’ mentally—smooth 6-6 breathing.
From effortful striving to confident, illumined action.
Do a short ‘pressing’: recall one experience, extract its lesson and gratitude; chant 3–7 times; then act from the quiet certainty that follows.
Tri-svara chanting; emphasize udātta on key nouns (indra, yajñam) and verbs of coming (yāti).
Keep consonant clusters crisp: cikitvān, hūyamānaḥ, suṣvāṇebhiḥ.
ṣmā (retroflex ṣ), cikitvān (short i’s; clear ‘tvān’), hūyamānaḥ (long ū; ‘y’ glide), svaśvo (sv- cluster; śv), abhīruḥ (long ī), suṣvāṇebhiḥ (retroflex ṣ; long ā)
Confident, grounded; let the tone ‘arrive’ rather than push.
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