Rig Veda 2.14.5: Mandala 2, Sukta 14, Mantra 5
Sukta 2.14
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अध्वर्यवो यः स्वश्नं जघान यः शुष्णमशुषं यो व्यंसम् । यः पिप्रुं नमुचिं यो रुधिक्रां तस्मा इन्द्रायान्धसो जुहोत ॥
ádhvaryavo yáḥ svaśnáṃ jaghā́na yáḥ śúṣṇam aśúṣaṃ yó vyàṃsam | yáḥ pípruṃ námuciṃ yó rudhi-krā́ṃ tásmā indrā́yā́ndhaso juhota ||
O Adhwarju, on, który zabił Swaśnę, on, który zgładził Susznę, suszę, i Wjamsę; on, który uderzył Pipru, Namuci i Rudhikrę, ofiarujcie temu Indrze wyciśnięty esencjonalny sok Somy.
Word by Word
- अध्वर्यवः
- O Adhvaryu priestsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन (आमन्त्रण/उद्देशन) अथवा कर्तृ (वाक्य-प्रवर्तक)Root अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक) ← अध्वर
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सापेक्ष-उपवाक्ये)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वश्नम्
- Svashna (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्वश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- जघान
- slewVerbलिट् (परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- शुष्णम्
- Śuṣṇa (demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शुष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अशुषम्
- Aśuṣa (demon/foe)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अशुष (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- व्यंसम्
- Vyaṃsa (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot व्यंस (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- पिप्रुम्
- Pipru (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पिप्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमुचिम्
- Namuci (demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot नमुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्
- रुधिक्राम्
- Rudhikrā (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रुधिक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तस्मै
- to himPronounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- to IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धसः
- of soma-juice (pressed drink)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (हविषः/सोमस्य)Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुहोत
- offer (pour as oblation)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot हु (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठे: अध्व॑र्यवो॒ = अध्वर्यवः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- स्वश्नं॑ ज॒घान = स्वश्नम् + जघान (म् + ज्)
- शुष्ण॑म॒शुषं॒ = शुष्णम् + अशुषम् (म् + अ)
- यो व्यं॑सम् = यः + व्यंसम् (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- पिप्रुं॒ नमु॑चिं॒ = पिप्रुम् + नमुचिम् (म् + न)
- यो रु॑धि॒क्रां = यः + रुधिक्राम् (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॒य = तस्मै + इन्द्राय (ए + इ → अय्-प्रकृत्या संधिः/यण्-आदेशः)
- इन्द्रा॒यान्ध॑सो = इन्द्राय + अन्धसः (अ + अ; पदच्छेदे पृथक्)
- जुहोत = लोट् मध्यमबहुवचन (यज्ञकर्मणि आदेशः). उच्चारण-चिह्न (॑, ॒) वैदिक-स्वराः
- पदच्छेदे मूलरूपाणि अनुदात्त/स्वरित-नियमानुसारं भिन्नस्वरयुक्तानि स्युः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Adhvaryu priests are urged to offer Soma to Indra, celebrated as the slayer of multiple hostile beings (Svaśna, Śuṣṇa, Vyaṃsa, Pipru, Namuci, Rudhikrā).
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the illumined divine Mind-force that breaks successive layers of inner obstruction. The named “enemies” signify specific formations of resistance: drying doubt (śuṣṇa), obscuring inertia and crookedness, and the clinging powers that “do not let go” (namuci). Offering Soma is the deliberate pouring of delight and aspiration into the awakened intelligence so it can conquer these subconscient knots.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires repeated victories over many forms of inner resistance; the most effective offering is the essence of one’s purified energy and joy, given to the highest discerning power within.
Themes
Indra’s victories, Soma offering, overcoming drought/withering
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Āṅgirasa)
- Lineage
- Āṅgirasa
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 2.12, Rig Veda 2.13, Rig Veda 2.14
Family tradition
Āṅgiras seers are strongly associated with the recovery of Light (cows/rays) and the victory of the gods over the coverers; their hymns often read as a psychology of illumination.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s vision emphasizes Indra as the decisive inner conqueror: the faculty that turns aspiration into victorious insight by accepting Soma (delight) as fuel.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of the coverer), Maghavan (bountiful), Śrutá (the Heard-of / responsive)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions; releaser of waters/light; establishes wide spaces for life and thought.
Inner power
Courageous illumination—clarity that strikes, separates truth from falsehood, and frees blocked energies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña offerings to Indra (Indra-soma context)
अध्व॑र्यवो॒ यः स्वश्नं॑ ज॒घान॒ यः शुष्ण॑म॒शुषं॒ यो व्यं॑सम् । यः पिप्रुं॒ नमु॑चिं॒ यो रु॑धि॒क्रां तस्मा॒ इन्द्रा॒यान्ध॑सो जुहोत ॥
अध्व॑र्यवः । यः । सु । अश्न॑म् । ज॒घान॑ । यः । शुष्ण॑म् । अ॒शुष॑म् । यः । विऽअं॑सम् । यः । पिप्रु॑म् । नमु॑चिम् । यः । रु॒धि॒ऽक्राम् । तस्मै॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । अन्ध॑सः । जु॒हो॒त॒ ॥
adhvaryavaḥ | yaḥ | su | aśnam | jaghāna | yaḥ | śuṣṇam | aśuṣam | yaḥ | vi-aṃsam | yaḥ | piprum | namucim | yaḥ | rudhi-krām | tasmai | indrāya | andhasaḥ | juhota
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables (normative triṣṭubh cadence with strong caesura tendencies)
Martial, forward-driving, suited to proclamations of victory and command.
Builds resolve and sharpens attention; the repeated ‘yaḥ… yaḥ…’ accumulates force, like successive blows against resistance.
- अध्वर्यवः (adhvaryavaḥ)
- Literal: Adhvaryu priests (ritual operators). Symbolic: the executive faculties in us that ‘do the work’ of the inner sacrifice—disciplined action and method
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: luminous Mind, power of right discernment and victorious illumination
- अन्धस (andhas)
- Literal: pressed Soma-juice, essence. Symbolic: extracted delight/essence of experience offered upward as conscious force
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine Ananda; nectar of consciousness that empowers illumination
- शुष्ण (śuṣṇa)
- Literal: Śuṣṇa (demon of drought). Symbolic: drying force—desiccation of faith, joy, and inspiration; sterile intellect
- नमुचि (namuci)
- Literal: Namuci (a foe of Indra). Symbolic: the ‘non-releaser’—clinging habits, addictions, obsessive patterns
- वृत्र-भाव (implicit)
- Literal: covering/obstruction principle. Symbolic: general resistance of the subconscient that conceals the Light
Indra-Soma offering; combat catalogue functions as a ‘strengthening remembrance’ (smṛti-like) to call the conquering power.
During Soma pressing and offering sequences where Indra is invited to drink and empower the rite.
Pressing Soma, filtering, offering (juhota) with Indra-invocation.
Use as a mantra of inner victory: offer the ‘essence’ of one’s day (attention, gratitude, purified emotion) to the higher mind before difficult decisions.
Śuṣṇa from √śuṣ ‘dry’ → drought/withering: symbol of loss of rasa (sap/delight) and blocked flow. Namuci is traditionally ‘not releasing’ (na + muc ‘release’), a transparent mythic name for the clinging force that prevents liberation; psychologically: fixation that blocks the outflow of consciousness.
release vs. clinging (Namuci), restoration of flow (Soma essence as rasa)
Indra’s slayings symbolize restoration of ṛta by removing forces that distort or dry the flow of consciousness.
Truth is not passive; it acts—striking falsehood and freeing the held-back powers.
Release of blocked streams (waters/light) enabling expansion of the inner world.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) psychology: gods as powers of consciousness.
Drought = loss of rasa (sap/joy); Soma = restored rasa; Indra’s strike = decisive insight that reopens the flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s slaying of named obstructors—especially Śuṣṇa (drought) and Namuci (non-release). Inner sense: the illumined force restores sap and movement by breaking dryness and the psychology of clinging.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The transparent name Namuci (na + √muc) shows productive morphology typical of early Indo-Iranian mythic naming. √muc ‘release’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Skt muc-, Av. mūc-), supporting a shared liberation lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Indra as the specialist power for specific inner maladies (dryness, clinging, hostile formations). The offering of andhas is the seeker’s contribution of distilled delight so Indra can act as liberator within the human system.
Invoke the inner Indra to identify and strike one concrete obstruction (habit, doubt, dryness) while offering a felt sense of joy upward.
maṇipūra (will/fire) and ājñā (illumined mind)
Brisk but steady ujjāyī or 4-4-6 breathing while mentally repeating the ‘yaḥ…’ clauses as successive releases.
Dynamic concentration (ekāgratā) moving toward luminous clarity.
Name your ‘Śuṣṇa’ (where life feels dry). On exhale, let it fall; on inhale, ‘offer Soma’—a chosen uplifting feeling—into the brow-light of discernment.
Vedic triṣṭubh with udātta peaks on key verbs/names; maintain clear udātta rise and svarita glide where marked in pada text tradition.
Let each ‘yaḥ’ begin cleanly, with a slight lift; keep the final injunction ‘tasmā indrāyāndhaso juhota’ as the climactic offering cadence.
adhvaryavo: keep ‘dhv’ conjunct crisp, śuṣṇam: retroflex ṣ + nasal ṇ, namucim: ‘mu’ short, ‘ci’ clear, rudhikrām: aspirate ‘dh’, long ā in krām, andhasaḥ: nasal ‘n’ + dh, final visarga light
Firm, bright, commanding; avoid heaviness—aim for ‘striking clarity’.
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