Rig Veda 4.30.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 30, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.30
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Anuṣṭubh/short meter
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सत्रा ते अनु कृष्टयो विश्वा चक्रेव वावृतुः । सत्रा महाँ असि श्रुतः ॥
satrā́ te ánu kṛ́ṣṭayo víśvā cakréva vāvṛtuḥ | satrā́ mahā́ṃ asi śrutáḥ ||
ସଦା ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରଜା ତୁମ ପଛେ ପଛେ ଚାଲନ୍ତି, ଯେପରି ଚକ୍ରର ପରିଧିକୁ ଅରାମାନେ ଅନୁସରଣ କରନ୍ତି। ସଦା ତୁମେ ମହାନ ଓ ସର୍ବତ୍ର ଶ୍ରୁତ—ତୁମ ଶକ୍ତି ଜୀବନ୍ତ ଯଶ ହୋଇ ସତ୍ତାମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏକତ୍ର କରେ।
Word by Word
- सत्रा
- always, continuallyIndeclinableअव्यय (काल/विभक्ति/वचन-रहित)Role Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण: ‘सदा/सर्वदा’)Root सत्रा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) < सत्-त्रा (परम्परागत व्युत्पत्ति)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive/genitival: ‘of you/your’)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- after, followingIndeclinableअव्यय; उपसर्गरूपेण ‘कृ’ इत्यस्य सहRole Adhikaraṇa/क्रियाविशेषण (अनुगमनार्थे)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- कृष्टयः
- peoples, tribesNounप्रथमा बहुवचन (fem. nom. pl.)Role Kartā (वावृतुः इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root कृष्टि- (स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाः
- allAdjectiveप्रथमा बहुवचन स्त्री (fem. nom. pl.), कृष्टयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role Kartā-विशेषण (कर्तृसम्बद्धम्)Root विश्व- (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- चक्रे
- in/like a wheelNounसप्तमी एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.)Role Adhikaraṇa (उपमान-आश्रय: ‘in/like a wheel’)Root चक्र- (नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableअव्यय (उपमानार्थक)Role (उपमान-निपात)Root इव (निपात/अव्यय)
- वावृतुः
- they have turned/rolled (around), have followed in a circleVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद) उत्तम? नहीं; प्रथमा बहुवचन 3rd person plural (perfect)Role Kriyā (कर्तृ: कृष्टयः)Root √वृत् (वर्तने/आवर्तने) ; reduplicated perfect
- सत्रा
- alwaysIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)Root सत्रा (अव्यय)
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveप्रथमा एकवचन पुं (masc. nom. sg.)Role Kartā-विशेषण (असि इत्यस्य कर्तृ ‘त्वम्’ का विशेषण)Root महत्- (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष एकवचन (2nd sg. pres.)Role Kriyā (कर्तृ: त्वम्)Root √अस् (भू/सत्तायाम्)
- श्रुतः
- renowned, famed (heard of)Adjective (participial)प्रथमा एकवचन पुं (masc. nom. sg.), ‘त्वम्’/‘महान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role Kartā-विशेषणRoot √श्रु (श्रवणे) → श्रुत- (कृदन्त, भूतकृत्/PPP)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सत्रा | ते | अनु | कृष्टयः | विश्वाः | चक्रे | इव | वावृतुः || सत्रा | महान् | असि | श्रुतः || 1) ‘चक्रेव’ = ‘चक्रे’ (सप्तमी एकवचन) + ‘इव’ (अव्यय). 2) ‘महाँ’ (संहितापाठ) = ‘महान्’ (पदपाठ; महत्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन पुं). 3) ‘वावृतुः’ लिट्-रूपम् (पुनरुक्त-परफेक्ट) √वृत्
- कर्ता ‘कृष्टयः’ (विश्वाः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
All peoples follow Indra continually as spokes follow the wheel; Indra is continually great and widely renowned.
Inner meaning
When the illumined Mind leads, the whole nature (kṛṣṭayaḥ—‘peoples’, the many powers and movements in us) begins to align and follow its orbit, like spokes held by the wheel’s law. Indra’s ‘fame’ is the felt, living authority of truth in consciousness: the being naturally organizes around it.
Universal truth
A rightly centered intelligence creates coherence: diverse parts of life find their place when the inner axis is true; order arises not by coercion but by a higher principle that all movements recognize.
Themes
universal sovereignty, cosmic wheel imagery
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.1, RV 4.2, RV 4.20, RV 4.23
Family tradition
The Gautamas in Maṇḍala 4 frequently portray cosmic order as an inner order: the gods are powers of consciousness to be made operative in the human field.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s Indra is the integrator: the many ‘peoples’ of the nature become a single organized sacrifice when Indra’s light is accepted as leader.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bountiful), Śatakratu (many-powered), Purandara (breaker of strongholds; later epithet, thematically consistent)
- Related deities
- Ṛta (as principle), Sūrya, Uṣas, Soma
Cosmic role
Upholds the turning of the cosmic wheel by conquering obstruction; makes the energies circulate in right order.
Inner power
Centralizing illumination that gathers scattered faculties into a single rhythm of purpose.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma contexts; also suitable as a general stotra for leadership and cohesion.
स॒त्रा ते॒ अनु॑ कृ॒ष्टयो॒ विश्वा॑ च॒क्रेव॑ वावृतुः । स॒त्रा म॒हाँ अ॑सि श्रु॒तः ॥
स॒त्रा । ते॒ । अनु॑ । कृ॒ष्टयः॑ । विश्वा॑ । च॒क्राऽइ॑व । व॒वृ॒तुः॒ । स॒त्रा । म॒हान् । अ॒सि॒ । श्रु॒तः ॥
satrā | te | anu | kṛṣṭayaḥ | viśvā | cakrāiva | vavṛtuḥ | satrā | mahān | asi | śrutaḥ
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4 × ~8 (approx.)
Circular, rolling cadence matching the wheel simile.
Induces a sense of inner coordination; the mind ‘rounds’ into steadiness rather than darting.
- satrā
- Literal: continually, unceasingly. Symbolic: steady practice; uninterrupted aspiration and guidance
- kṛṣṭayaḥ viśvāḥ
- Literal: all peoples/tribes. Symbolic: all parts of the being—mind, life, body, impulses—seeking leadership
- cakrā-iva
- Literal: like a wheel. Symbolic: Ṛta as an organizing law; the psychic axis around which movements harmonize
- vāvṛtuḥ
- Literal: have turned/rolled, have followed in a circle. Symbolic: alignment and repetition that becomes rhythm of right living
- mahān asi
- Literal: you are great. Symbolic: the vastness of illumined consciousness over narrow ego
- śrutaḥ
- Literal: heard of, renowned. Symbolic: the inner voice of truth that becomes unmistakable
Praise formula emphasizing Indra’s universal following and fame
During offerings to Indra or at the start of collective undertakings.
Stuti to draw Indra’s ‘hearing’ (śrutaḥ) and support.
For teams/communities: recite to invoke alignment around a clear shared intention; for individuals: to unify scattered attention.
cakrá- ‘wheel’ from PIE *kʷékʷlos (cf. Greek kýklos) showing inherited imagery. kṛ́ṣṭi- ‘people’ from √kṛṣ ‘to draw/plough’ → settled community; inner extension: organized powers. śrutá- from √śru ‘hear’ → fame as ‘that which is heard’.
universal order of forces around the central power, śruti as heard truth/fame
Wheel imagery evokes Ṛta as the circling law that holds multiplicity together.
‘Śrutaḥ’ as truth that is heard/recognized inwardly.
Organization of multiplicity around a central light; the many become one movement.
Integral yoga resonance: integration of nature around the psychic and illumined mind.
The wheel is the law of right movement; spokes are faculties; the hub is the inner light that keeps all in place.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the axis of collective movement: all kṛṣṭis revolve after him like a wheel—mythic sovereignty expressed as cosmic centripetal order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- cakrá- directly reflects the famous PIE wheel word *kʷékʷlos, a key Indo-European cultural and poetic inheritance; the simile ‘like a wheel’ is a shared archaic trope for ordered motion.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra as universally ‘heard’ (śruta) so that the inner ‘peoples’—the many movements of the nature—can be gathered into a single ordered following behind the victorious divine intention.
Bring all parts of the being to revolve around a single intention of truth; feel the ‘hub’ in the heart or brow.
Anāhata (heart) or Ājñā (brow)
Equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) to establish rhythmic coherence.
Collectedness; unified attention; inner governance.
On ‘cakrāiva’, visualize scattered energies becoming spokes that settle into one wheel; let thoughts align without strain.
Follow Śākala accenting as marked in saṃhitā (e.g., satrā́, víśvā, cakréva where applicable); keep the cadence ‘turning’ rather than clipped.
Sustain ‘satrā’ with a smooth line; make ‘cakrāiva vāvṛtuḥ’ roll as one unit; land gently on ‘śrutaḥ’.
Pronounce kṛṣṭayaḥ with clear retroflex ṣṭ (kriṣ-ṭa-yaḥ)., Keep ‘cakrāiva’ as cakrā-iva (two parts), not ‘chakrai’., In vāvṛtuḥ, articulate vāvṛ- with light v and vocalic ṛ.
Even, rounded, mildly resonant; avoid aggressive force.
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