Rig Veda 4.20.4: Mandala 4, Sukta 20, Mantra 4
Sukta 4.20
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Shringara (love)
उशन्नु षु णः सुमना उपाके सोमस्य नु सुषुतस्य स्वधावः । पा इन्द्र प्रतिभृतस्य मध्वः समन्धसा ममदः पृष्ठ्येन ॥
uśán nu ṣú ṇaḥ su-manā upā́ke sómasya nu su-sútasya svadhāvaḥ | pā́ indra práti-bhṛtasya mádhvaḥ sám andhasā mamadaḥ pṛṣṭhyéna ||
Pragnąc tego, bądź teraz łaskawy dla nas blisko, o panie własnej mocy: pij, o Indro, z miodu ofiarowanego i przyniesionego tobie, i raduj się całkowicie w istocie somy z jej podtrzymującą siłą.
Word by Word
- उशन्
- desiring, wishingAdjective (present participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रः implied)Role KartāRoot वश् (इच्छायाम्) / उश् (कामे) → उशन्त्
- उ
- indeed, andIndeclinableनिपातRoot उ (निपात)
- षु
- verily, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot षु (निपात)
- णः
- of us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (प्रथमपुरुष-बहुवचन सर्वनाम) → नः
- सुमनाः
- kind-minded, graciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रः)Role KartāRoot सु-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) → सुमनस्
- उपाके
- nearby, in proximityNoun (locative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उपाक (प्रातिपदिक) / उप + अञ्च् (निकटे) → ‘near’
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot नु (निपात)
- सुषुतस्य
- well-pressedAdjective (past passive participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (सोमस्य)Role SambandhaRoot सु-षु (धातु: षु/सु ‘to press/express’) → सुषुत (ppp)
- स्वधावः
- O possessor of svadhā (innate power/food-offering)Noun/Adjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (इन्द्र)Role SambodhanaRoot स्वधा-वस् (प्रातिपदिक) / स्वधा (न.) + वस् (possessive) → स्वधावस्
- पा
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम? actually 2nd sg imperative: ‘पिब’ sense; परस्मैपद, एकवचनRoot पा (पाने)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रतिभृतस्य
- of what is brought/presented (to you)Adjective (ppp)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (मध्वः)Role SambandhaRoot प्रति-भृ (धातु: भृ धारणे) → प्रतिभृत (ppp)
- मध्वः
- of the sweet drink (mead/Soma-juice)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘पा’ via genitive of content)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, fullyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अन्धसा
- with the Soma-draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Soma-juice, draught’
- ममदः
- he became exhilarated / rejoicedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot मद् (हर्षे/मादने) → ममद (perfect) / injunctive-like RV usage
- पृष्ठ्येन
- with the back(-support)/with the ‘pṛṣṭhya’ (supporting chant/strength)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पृष्ठ्य (प्रातिपदिक) < पृष्ठ (back) + य (adj.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): उशन् उ षु नः सुमनाः उपाके सोमस्य नु सुषुतस्य स्वधावः । पा इन्द्र प्रतिभृतस्य मध्वः सम् अन्धसा ममदः पृष्ठ्येन ॥ प्रमुख सन्धि: (1) उशन्नु → उशन् + उ (निपात-संयोग)
- (2) षु णः → षु + नः (णः = नः, नकारस्य वैदिक-लिप्यन्तर)
- (3) उपाके सोमस्य (सन्धि-रहित)
- (4) सोमस्य नु (निपात)
- (5) पा इन्द्र (विसर्ग/स्वर-चिह्न हटाकर)
- (6) मध्वः समन्धसा → मध्वः + सम् + अन्धसा (सम् + अन्धसा = समन्धसा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Desiring it, be gracious to us nearby, O self-powered one; drink, O Indra, the honey offered to you, and rejoice fully in the soma-essence with its supporting strength.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks Indra to become ‘sumanāḥ’—benevolently disposed—close at hand (upāke), i.e., immediately present in the inner being. Soma here is not merely ritual juice but the nectar of delight-consciousness; its ‘madhu’ (honey) is the sweetness of spiritual experience offered upward. Indra’s ‘drinking’ signifies the assimilation of this delight by the illumined mind, which then becomes glad (mamadaḥ) and powerful, supported by pṛṣṭhya—backing strength, the sustaining foundation in the being.
Universal truth
When delight is consciously offered and received, the higher intelligence becomes joyous and strong, and the whole practice gains a sustaining support rather than strain.
Themes
Soma-ritual, divine intoxication (mad), inner delight-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.20.1, RV 4.20.2, RV 4.20.3
Family tradition
Vāmadeva balances the battle-call to Indra with the Soma delight: victory is sustained by bliss, not by grim effort.
Significance
This verse reveals the Aurobindonian key: Indra’s power is fulfilled when it drinks Soma—illumination must be wedded to delight for integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Svadhāvaḥ (self-powered), Sumanāḥ (gracious), Pā (drink!) as invited receiver of Soma
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Receives Soma and becomes the victorious power that can act; joy strengthens the god-force for the work of breaking resistance.
Inner power
Joyous illumination—clarity that is nourished by bliss and thus becomes stable, supported, and effective.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma libation to Indra (pā—drink)
उ॒शन्नु॒ षु ण॑: सु॒मना॑ उपा॒के सोम॑स्य॒ नु सुषु॑तस्य स्वधावः । पा इ॑न्द्र॒ प्रति॑भृतस्य॒ मध्व॒: समन्ध॑सा ममदः पृ॒ष्ठ्ये॑न ॥
उ॒शन् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । नः॒ । सु॒ऽमनाः॑ । उ॒पा॒के । सोम॑स्य । नु । सुऽसु॑तस्य । स्व॒धा॒ऽवः॒ । पाः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । प्रति॑ऽभृतस्य । मध्वः॑ । सम् । अन्ध॑सा । म॒म॒दः॒ । पृ॒ष्ठ्ये॑न ॥
uśan | oṃ iti | su | ṇaḥ | su-manāḥ | upāke | somasya | nu | su-sutasya | svadhāvaḥ | pāḥ | indra | prati-bhṛtasya | madhvaḥ | sam | andhasā | mamadaḥ | pṛṣṭhyena
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4 × ~11
Smoother and more flowing than the battle verses; sweetness and fullness in cadence.
Soothes while empowering; shifts the listener from effort to supported joy.
- uśan
- Literal: desiring. Symbolic: ardent aspiration that calls the divine response
- sumanāḥ
- Literal: good-minded, gracious. Symbolic: benign, harmonizing presence of higher mind
- upāke
- Literal: near at hand. Symbolic: immediate inner proximity—felt presence
- svadhāvaḥ
- Literal: possessing own power. Symbolic: self-existent divine force; not dependent on outer conditions
- soma
- Literal: Soma juice. Symbolic: divine bliss/immortal delight in consciousness
- madhu
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: sweet rasa of spiritual experience offered to the divine
- pratibhṛta
- Literal: brought/placed before, offered. Symbolic: consciously prepared offering—refined inner experience
- andhas
- Literal: Soma essence/juice. Symbolic: the concentrated delight-substance of consciousness
- pṛṣṭhya
- Literal: backing/supporting. Symbolic: the sustaining foundation-force that holds the experience steady
Soma-offering verse: invitation to drink the pressed soma; inner sense—assimilation of delight to empower victory
At moments of Soma offering/invitation to drink; also as a concluding softening after victory petitions
Offering Soma (madhu/andhas) and inviting Indra’s enjoyment; reinforcing divine-human exchange.
Use after intense practice or conflict: offer the day’s experiences to the Divine and invoke a supportive sweetness to stabilize the mind.
sóma from √su ‘press’ (ritual) but psychologically ‘distilled delight’; mádhu ‘honey/sweetness’ (PIE *médʰu); svadhā ‘self-power’ (sva ‘self’ + √dhā ‘place’ → established own-law); andhás in RV often ‘soma-plant/juice’.
svadhā as self-law of power, ananda-like delight as force, grace (su-manāḥ) as opening
Delight properly offered and received becomes a power that sustains right order in action—ṛta supported by ananda.
The sweetness is ‘pratibhṛta’—consciously prepared, not mixed with falsehood or indulgence.
Nectar of immortality as sustaining substance for divine action in the world.
Ananda-centered Vedantic trajectory: bliss as a fundamental power of consciousness enabling transformation.
Honey/Soma = sweetness of awakened consciousness; drinking = assimilation; near at hand = intimate presence; support/backing = stable foundation in the nerves and mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-drinking mythologem: Indra’s strength and victory are renewed by drinking the pressed Soma—psychologically, the divine force is intensified by assimilating purified delight in the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- máḍhu/mádhu ‘honey’ is a strong IE inheritance (Skt madhu, Av. maδu, Gk méthy ‘wine’); svá ‘self’ is IE; the drink/rejoice lexicon (√pā, √mad) reflects a shared ritual-poetic complex of sacred intoxication.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers the prepared sweetness (mádhu/andhas) and asks Indra to become su-manāḥ (gracious), i.e., to enter near and empower the human work; the exchange is delight for force, offering for victorious presence.
Offer inner sweetness to the Divine Mind: let joy nourish clarity; cultivate a supported, glad strength rather than tense striving.
Anāhata (sweetness/devotion) supporting Ājñā (clarity)
Bhrāmarī (5 rounds) to generate inner ‘madhu’ sweetness, then chant; end with long exhale imagining Soma as a cooling nectar in the head and heart.
Quiet joy, supported clarity, intimate presence.
After chanting 9 times, sit and ‘receive’—do not chase experiences. Let the supportive backing (pṛṣṭhya) be felt as a stable calm behind thoughts.
Rigvedic accents per tradition; keep the opening ‘uśann’ gentle but clear; let the cadence soften on Soma/madhu phrases while preserving accent integrity.
Do not rush ‘somasya nu suṣutasya’; keep ‘pā indra’ as a clear invitation; allow a fuller vowel on ‘madhu’ and ‘mamadaḥ’.
uśann: ś palatal, double n held lightly, sumanā: long ā at end, upāke: long ā, clear k, suṣutasya: retroflex ṣ, short u; avoid ‘sushoota’, svadhāvaḥ: dh aspirated, long ā, madhvaḥ: dhv cluster; keep v light, andhasā: ndh cluster, short a, long ā
Warm, resonant, slightly softer; sustain vowels to evoke sweetness.
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