Rig Veda 10.29.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 29, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.29
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
कस्ते मद इन्द्र रन्त्यो भूद्दुरो गिरो अभ्युग्रो वि धाव । कद्वाहो अर्वागुप मा मनीषा आ त्वा शक्यामुपमं राधो अन्नैः ॥
kás te máda indra rántyo bhūd dúro gíro abhyùgro ví dhāva | kád vā́ho arvā́g úpa mā manīṣā́ ā́ tvā śakyām upamáṃ rā́dho annáiḥ ||
Jaka była twoja rozkosz, o Indro, która stała się rozradowaniem, tak że groźny, pędzisz przeciwko twardym barierom ze słowem? Kiedy siła przywodząca zwróci się ku nam? Niech moja myśl się zbliży, abym mógł cię dosięgnąć stosowną ofiarą pełni, z pożywieniami, które podtrzymują właściwą wymianę.
Word by Word
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot क (किम्-प्रातिपदिक) / कः (सर्वनाम)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot त्वद् (युष्मद्-सर्वनाम)
- मदः
- intoxication, exhilaration (soma-rapture)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- रन्त्यः
- delighting, gladdeningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (मदः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot रन्ति (√रम् ‘to delight, enjoy’) → रन्त्य (कृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- भूत्
- became, wasVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √भू
- दुरः
- hardly, with difficulty / farIndeclinable (prefix/adverbial)अव्ययRole (विशेषण-भावे)Root दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + (अर्थतः ‘दूर/कठिन’)
- गिरः
- songs, hymns, utterancesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, uponPreverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्ग)Root अभि
- उग्रः
- fierce, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अन्तर्निहितः कर्ता—इन्द्रः)Role KartāRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forthPreverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्ग)Root वि
- धाव
- run!, hasten!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √धाव्
- कद्
- when? how?Indeclinable/Interrogative particleअव्ययRole (प्रश्नार्थ)Root कद् (किम्-प्रातिपदिक; निपातवत्)
- वाहः
- the bearer/vehicle (steed, chariot)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वाह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह् ‘to carry’)
- अर्वाक्
- hither, towards hereIndeclinable (directional)अव्ययRole (दिशा-विशेषण)Root अर्वाक् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द)
- उप
- near, up toPreverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्ग)Root उप
- मा
- mePronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अस्मद् (1st pers. pronoun) → मा (एन्क्लिटिक)
- मनीषा
- thought, insight, inspired intentionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, hitherPreverb/Indeclinableअव्ययRole (उपसर्ग)Root आ
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (2nd pers. pronoun)
- शक्याम्
- may I be ableVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, 1 पुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √शक्
- उपमम्
- best, most excellent (lit. ‘supreme/nearest comparison’)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (राधः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
- राधः
- bounty, gift, favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्नैः
- with foods/offeringsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): कः | ते | मदः | इन्द्र | रन्त्यः | भूत् | दुरः | गिरः | अभि | उग्रः | वि | धाव । कद् | वाहः | अर्वाक् | उप | मा | मनीषा | आ | त्वा | शक्याम् | उपमम् | राधः | अन्नैः ॥ Notes: (1) कस्ते = कः + ते (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि)
- (2) रन्त्यो = रन्त्यः (पदपाठ-रूप; ओ-कारः संहितायाम्)
- (3) भू॒द्दुरो॒ = भूत् + दुरः (त् + द् संधिः)
- (4) गिरो = गिरः (संहिता-रूप)
- (5) अभ्यु॒ग्रो = अभि + उग्रः (इ/उ संधिः)
- (6) कद्वाहो = कद् + वाहः (द् + व् संधिः)
- (7) अर्वागुप = अर्वाक् + उप (क् + उ → ग् उ; संधि)
- (8) शक्यामुपमं = शक्याम् + उपमम् (म् + उ संधिः)
- (9) राधो अन्नैः = राधः + अन्नैः (विसर्गः → ओ संहितायाम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
What was your rapture, Indra, that became delighting—so that, fierce, you rush against the hard doors/barriers with the word? When will the bringing-force turn hither? Let my thought come near, that I may reach you with a fitting gift, with foods.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks what inner ecstasy (mada) empowers Indra (illumined mind) to attack the ‘hard doors’—the closed gates of consciousness—using gir (the inspired Word) as a weapon. The ‘bringing-force’ (vāhaḥ) is the carrier-power of the gods: the movement that brings higher energies into the embodied field. The rishi prays that manīṣā (inspired thought) may approach Indra so the offering (rādhas: plenitude) can be truly ‘upama’—adequate, proportionate—supported by anna (nourishing energies, right substance of exchange).
Universal truth
True breakthroughs come from a joy-powered illumination that uses truthful speech and insight to break inner barriers. The mind must turn toward the higher force, and offerings must be congruent—real energy, not mere words.
Themes
invocation and approach, breaking obstacles, inner offering
The seer
Significance
The seer is a diagnostician of inner resistance: he identifies the ‘doors’ and the need for a joy-powered, word-armed illumination, while insisting on adequacy (upama) of offering—integrity in exchange with the higher.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ugra (fierce), nṛtama (most victorious, implied in hymn), vṛtra-han (slayer of the coverer, implied), purandara (breaker of strongholds, implied)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of the Word that breaks caves), Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Soma (source of mada/rapture)
Cosmic role
Breaker of barriers; releaser of the Light and the waters; leader of victorious consciousness.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that, energized by bliss (mada), uses the Word to pierce subconscient and mental blockages.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation before/within offering; questioning hymns used to intensify call
कस्ते॒ मद॑ इन्द्र॒ रन्त्यो॑ भू॒द्दुरो॒ गिरो॑ अ॒भ्यु१॒॑ग्रो वि धा॑व । कद्वाहो॑ अ॒र्वागुप॑ मा मनी॒षा आ त्वा॑ शक्यामुप॒मं राधो॒ अन्नै॑: ॥
कः । ते॒ । मदः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । रन्त्यः॑ । भू॒त् । दुरः॑ । गिरः॑ । अ॒भि । उ॒ग्रः । वि । धा॒व॒ । कत् । वाहः॑ । अ॒र्वाक् । उप॑ । मा॒ । म॒नी॒षा । आ । त्वा॒ । श॒क्या॒म् । उ॒प॒ऽमम् । राधः॑ । अन्नैः॑ ॥
kaḥ | te | madaḥ | indra | rantyaḥ | bhūt | duraḥ | giraḥ | abhi | ugraḥ | vi | dhāva | kat | vāhaḥ | arvāk | upa | mā | manīṣā | ā | tvā | śakyām | upa-mam | rādhaḥ | annaiḥ
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4×~11 syllables
Interrogative urgency with sharp consonantal clusters; suited to breaking ‘doors’.
Provokes intensity and aspiration; helps concentrate will against inner blocks.
- मदः (madaḥ)
- Literal: rapture, intoxication. Symbolic: ecstatic force of illumination; joy-energy that empowers victory
- दुरः (duraḥ)
- Literal: doors, gates. Symbolic: closed formations in consciousness; mental-vital barriers
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: words, utterances. Symbolic: mantric speech / truth-word that breaks obstruction
- उग्रः (ugraḥ)
- Literal: fierce, strong. Symbolic: decisive force of illumined will
- वि धाव (vi dhāva)
- Literal: rush forth, run out. Symbolic: sudden breakthrough movement in yoga
- वाहः (vāhaḥ)
- Literal: bringing, carrier-force. Symbolic: the descending current that brings higher powers into the system
- मनीषा (manīṣā)
- Literal: inspired thought. Symbolic: intuitive intelligence aligning with Indra
- राधः (rādhaḥ)
- Literal: gift, bounty. Symbolic: plenitude of consciousness/force offered and received
- अन्नैः (annaiḥ)
- Literal: with foods. Symbolic: nourishing energies: right works, right substance, steady practice
Indra-invocation with offering language (annaiḥ, rādhah); Soma-rite ambience likely.
When seeking Indra’s intervention for breakthroughs; also in sequences of Indra-stotra
Recitation with offering (ghee/soma/oblations) to call Indra near
Use when stuck: chant as a ‘breakthrough prayer’ before difficult work or during inner inertia; accompany with a concrete offering (time, discipline, service).
mada from √mad ‘be exhilarated’ is the divine intoxication of force (often Soma-linked). ranti/rantya from √ram ‘delight’ expresses the Ananda aspect of power. duras ‘doors/hard barriers’ indicates resistances in the path. manīṣā denotes inspired intelligence (not mere thinking). rādhah is spiritual abundance bestowed/formed by right relation.
mada (divine rapture) as empowering consciousness, speech (giraḥ) as instrument against resistance, reciprocity of offering and boon (rādhah)
The insistence on ‘upama’ offering implies ṛta as proportion, right measure, right reciprocity.
Word must be true and forceful to open the gates.
Opening doors/caves is a creation-motif: releasing hidden light and waters from enclosure.
Mantra-yoga and tapas guided by illumined intelligence.
Doors = thresholds of consciousness; storm-rush = sudden descent of force; food = steady sustaining energy for transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s rapturous force rushing against ‘doors’ (dúraḥ): the god breaks resistances by the empowered Word. The seeker asks for the ‘bringing-force’ (vāhaḥ) to turn toward him, enabling right contact and exchange.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad ‘intoxicate/exult’ and √ram ‘delight’ show a shared archaic poetic psychology where ecstasy powers victory. √vah ‘carry’ is strongly IE (vehicular metaphors). The interplay of preverbs (vi-, abhi-, ā-, upa-) encodes spatial-to-psychological mapping typical of early IE poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks proximity (upa) through manīṣā and a fitting offering (upamaṃ rādhah). Indra’s side is dynamic: he answers by turning his conveyance toward the caller and by breaking the resistances that block the seeker’s advance.
Invoke the joy-powered illumination that breaks inner gates through truthful speech and concentrated thought.
Maṇipūra (breakthrough force) and Viśuddha (truth-word)
Kapalabhāti 3 rounds (gentle), then slow exhale chanting; feel ‘giraḥ’ as a blade of clarity.
From blockage-awareness → concentrated tapas → opening/arrival of higher force.
Name the ‘door’ you face (habit, fear, inertia). Chant once with emphasis on duraḥ/giraḥ. Pause: offer a concrete ‘anna’—a practical discipline. Then sit silently for the ‘vāhaḥ’ (descending current) to turn toward you.
Vedic svara required; interrogatives (kas/kad) often carry a lifted, searching tone in practice though exact udātta positions need śākhā notation.
Let the questions ‘kas…kad…’ be clearly articulated; keep strong stress on indra, duraḥ, giraḥ, ugraḥ, vāhaḥ.
kas te: keep short vowels; avoid ‘kaas’, rantyo: palatal ny; do not simplify to ‘n’, abhy ugro: pronounce abhy as ‘abhy’ (no extra vowel), śakyām: palatal ś; long ā, upamaṃ: anusvāra on -maṃ nasal, not ‘mam’
Focused, penetrating, slightly forceful; soften at the offering/request phrases.
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