Rig Veda 4.18.6: Mandala 4, Sukta 18, Mantra 6
Sukta 4.18
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Āpaḥ in service of Indra’s breakthrough
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
एता अर्षन्त्यललाभवन्तीॠतावरीरिव संक्रोशमानाः । एता वि पृच्छ किमिदं भनन्ति कमापो अद्रिं परिधिं रुजन्ति ॥
etā́ arṣanty alalā́-bhavántī ṛtā́varīr iva saṃ-króśamānāḥ | etā́ ví pṛccha kím idáṃ bhananti kám ā́po ádrim pari-dhíṃ rujanti ||
Te spływają, wołając głośno jak strażnicy Prawdy. Zapytaj ich wyraźnie: co to jest, co ogłaszają? Dla kogo Wody łamią kamienną zagrodę jako granicę?
Word by Word
- एताः
- these (f.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्षन्ति
- they rush/flowVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot ऋष् (धातु) ‘गत्यर्थे/स्रवणे’
- अललाभवन्तीः
- not obtaining (anything), unprofitableAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (एताः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अललाभवत् (प्रातिपदिक; नकार-रहित ‘अललाभ’ + वत्) अथवा ‘अललाभ’ (विशेषण-आधार) + वत्
- ऋतावरीः
- the ṛta-following women (order-keeping)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (उपमान-रूपेण)Root ऋतावरी (प्रातिपदिक; ऋत + आवरी)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमावाचक अव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/उपमाRoot इव
- संक्रोशमानाः
- crying out togetherVerb (Participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रयोगः); प्रथमा; बहुवचन (पुं.रूपेण पाठे; अर्थतः स्त्रीबहुवचन-कर्तृसम्बन्धः)Role कर्तृ (एताः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सम् + क्रुश् (धातु) ‘आक्रोशे’
- एताः
- these (f.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, distinctlyIndeclinable (Preverb)उपसर्गRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot वि
- पृच्छ
- ask (you)Verbलोट्; परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु) ‘प्रश्ने’
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म/विषयRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म/विषय (किम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भनन्ति
- they say/utterVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot भन् (धातु) ‘शब्दे/भाषणे’ (वैदिक)
- कम्
- whom?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot क (किम्-प्रातिपदिकस्य रूपम्)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्रिम्
- the rock/stoneNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- परिधिम्
- the enclosing rim/boundaryNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (अद्रिम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बद्ध-वस्तु)Root परिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
- रुजन्ति
- they break, shatterVerbलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot रुज् (धातु) ‘भङ्गे/विघाते’
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): ए॒ता अ॑र्षन्ति (no sandhi)
- अर्षन्ति + अललाभवन्तीः (hiatus)
- अललाभवन्तीः + ऋतावरीः (hiatus)
- ऋतावरीः + इव (hiatus)
- इव + संक्रोशमानाः (hiatus). Second hemistich: ए॒ता वि पृच्छ (no sandhi)
- पृच्छ + किमिदम् → किम् + इदम् (external sandhi undone)
- भनन्ति + कमापः → कम् + आपः (final -m before vowel)
- आपः + अद्रिम् (hiatus)
- अद्रिम् + परिधिम् (hiatus)
- परिधिम् + रुजन्ति (hiatus)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Certain ‘these’ (waters) rush forth crying aloud like keepers of Truth. Ask them clearly what they proclaim, and for whom the Waters break the stone enclosure as a boundary.
Inner meaning
The Waters (Āpaḥ) are the flowing powers of consciousness—streams of inspiration, intuition, and inner refreshment. They surge with a truthful cry (ṛtāvarīḥ) when the moment of release comes. The ‘stone enclosure’ (adri/paridhi) is the hard resistance of the subconscient and fixed mental formations that dam the flow. The rishi asks: what is the message of these uprushing currents, and for whom do they break the boundary? The implied answer: for Indra’s work in us—the illumined Mind-force uses these waters to shatter the obstruction and restore free movement of the inner rivers.
Universal truth
When truth-impulses arise in consciousness, they announce a transition: the breaking of inner rigidity so life can flow in a larger order. The call is to discern their message and align with their purpose.
Themes
waters released, breaking obstruction, Ṛta-bearing powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.16, RV 4.18, RV 4.26
Family tradition
Vāmadeva frequently links the release of waters/rivers with inner liberation and truth-cry; his poetry turns cosmic hydrology into psychology of flow.
Significance
The seer trains attention to the ‘announcement’ of inner movements—discrimination (viveka-like) before surrendering to the surge.
The deity
- Devata
- Āpaḥ (Waters) in Indra’s action
- Epithets
- ṛtāvarīḥ (truth-bearing), śivāḥ (auspicious; common epithet in Veda), pūtāḥ (purifying; common)
- Related deities
- Indra, Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Life-giving and purifying currents that carry the divine work, often released by Indra’s victory.
Inner power
Flow of inspiration and cleansing energy that breaks rigid boundaries and restores wideness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Water-related invocations within Soma and general rites; also thematically linked to Indra’s release of waters.
ए॒ता अ॑र्षन्त्यलला॒भव॑न्तीॠ॒ताव॑रीरिव सं॒क्रोश॑मानाः । ए॒ता वि पृ॑च्छ॒ किमि॒दं भ॑नन्ति॒ कमापो॒ अद्रिं॑ परि॒धिं रु॑जन्ति ॥
ए॒ताः । अ॒र्ष॒न्ति॒ । अ॒ल॒ला॒ऽभव॑न्तीः । ऋ॒तव॑रीःऽइव । स॒म्ऽक्रोश॑मानाः । ए॒ताः । वि । पृ॒च्छ॒ । किम् । इ॒दम् । भ॒न॒न्ति॒ । कम् । आपः॑ । अद्रि॑म् । प॒रि॒ऽधिम् । रु॒ज॒न्ति॒ ॥
etāḥ | arṣanti | alalābhavantīḥ | ṛtavarīḥ-iva | sam-krośamānāḥ | etāḥ | vi | pṛccha | kim | idam | bhananti | kam | āpaḥ | adrim | pari-dhim | rujanti
44
4 × ~11
Rapid, rushing feel matching ‘arṣanti’; interrogative turns create alertness.
Stirs a sense of movement and inquiry; good for awakening discernment about inner impulses.
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness, inspiration, purifying and energizing forces
- ऋतवरीः (ṛtāvarīḥ)
- Literal: keepers/possessors of ṛta. Symbolic: truth-bearing movements in the being; impulses aligned with the cosmic order
- संक्रोशमानाः (saṃkrośamānāḥ)
- Literal: crying aloud, clamoring. Symbolic: insistent inner call of truth seeking expression
- अद्रिम् (adrim)
- Literal: stone, rock. Symbolic: inertia, obstruction, the hard cover (akin to Vṛtra/stone cave)
- परिधिम् (paridhim)
- Literal: enclosure, boundary, fence. Symbolic: limiting formations—habits, fixed mind-walls, constricting self-definition
- रुजन्ति (rujanti)
- Literal: they break, shatter. Symbolic: breakthrough of consciousness; liberation of blocked energies
Water/Soma-flow imagery applicable to Soma rite and to invocations for opening the 'rock' (obstruction) to release inspired streams.
Around libations/purifications and Indra narratives; not strictly confined.
Praise/inquiry to align the rite with truth-bearing flow; supports the ‘release’ motif in sacrifice.
Use when feeling stuck: chant to invite truthful inner flow and ask for clarity about what the rising energy is ‘saying’.
√ṛṣ 'to flow, rush' expresses released movement. √ruj 'to break, shatter' marks forceful opening. ṛtavarī (ṛta + √vṛ 'to choose/cover/guard' or 'bearing') indicates powers that carry/guard Ṛta—inner discernment that recognizes lawful truth in dynamic phenomena. The imperative 'vi pṛccha' frames a hermeneutic: phenomena are to be questioned for their inner intent.
Ṛta as lawful truth in motion, revelation through inquiry (prach)
Waters are ‘ṛtāvarīḥ’: their flow is the movement of ṛta breaking false boundaries.
Truth announces itself as a living movement, not mere concept.
Release of the life-streams from stone enclosure—cosmic and psychological creation-through-liberation.
Integral-psychological Vedic exegesis (Aurobindo/Kashyap): waters as consciousness-forces.
Waters = inspiration/psychic energy; rock/boundary = subconscious inertia and rigid ego-structures; breaking = awakening/liberation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The release of the Waters that break the rock-enclosure—an echo of Indra’s world-liberating action. Psychologically, the pent-up life-currents and inspired streams break the hard ring of limitation (adrí/paridhi) to serve the awakening consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ruj 'break' may align with PIE *reug-/*leug- notions of breaking/tearing (cf. Latin rūmpō 'break' is different root, but Indo-European semantic field is comparable). √prach 'ask' reflects PIE *prek̑-. The rhetorical double question (kím…kám) is an inherited poetic device for unveiling agency and purpose.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The R̥ṣi instructs the listener-seeker to treat the Devatā’s movements (waters) as meaningful signals of Ṛta. The relationship is pedagogic: divine phenomena are not merely observed but interrogated until their inner intention aligns with the seeker’s work.
Listen inwardly for the ‘truth-cry’ of rising energies; ask: what do these movements proclaim, and to what divine work do they belong?
svādhiṣṭhāna (water/flow) to ājñā (discernment)
wave breathing: inhale imagining upward flow, exhale releasing boundary; keep it gentle
Flowing clarity—mobile yet ordered awareness.
After chanting, sit quietly and note the strongest inner ‘current’ (emotion, idea, impulse). Name its message; offer it to Indra (clarity) to break any rigid boundary around it.
Maintain clear accent contrasts; the repeated ‘etā’ benefits from consistent pitch placement; consult accented recension for exact udatta positions.
Let ‘arṣanti’ feel like a forward surge; make the questions ‘kim idam… kam…’ crisp and inquisitive.
arṣanti: retroflex ṣ clearly., alalābhavantīḥ: articulate repeated l and long īḥ ending., ṛtāvarīḥ: keep ṛta distinct; long īḥ., rujanti: soft j, not ‘zh’.
Clear, flowing, lightly urgent
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