Rig Veda 4.21.2: Mandala 4, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 4.21
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism)
तस्येदिह स्तवथ वृष्ण्यानि तुविद्युम्नस्य तुविराधसो नॄन् । यस्य क्रतुर्विदथ्यो न सम्राट् साह्वान्तरुत्रो अभ्यस्ति कृष्टीः ॥
tásyed ihá stavatha vṛ́ṣṇyāni tuvi-dyumnásya tuvi-rā́dhaso nṝ́n | yásya krátur vidathyò ná sam-rā́ṭ sā́hvān tárutraḥ abhy ásti kṛ́ṣṭīḥ ||
Tu chwal męskie moce tego o ogromnym blasku i ogromnej obfitości, przywódcy wśród ludzi; którego wola w zgromadzeniach jest jak cesarz, przezwyciężając, daleko niosąc, on stoi nad ludami, panując nad nimi ku właściwemu porządkowi.
Word by Word
- तस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed/justIndeclinableनिपातRoot इत् (निपात)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableदेशवाचक अव्ययRole अधिकरणRoot इह (अव्यय)
- स्तवथ
- praise (you all)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-समकक्ष); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √स्तु (स्तवते/स्तौति)
- वृष्ण्यानि
- manly powers/heroic deedsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वृष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वीर्य/बल’)
- तुविद्युम्नस्य
- of the much-glorious oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot तुविद्युम्न (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- तुविराधसः
- of the very-bountiful oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot तुविराधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नॄन्
- men/heroic menNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्म (apposition/object of praise) अथवा कर्म (of implied ‘to celebrate’)Root नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यस्य
- whosePronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रतुः
- resolve/wise power (plan)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of implied ‘is/acts’)Root क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- विदथ्यः
- pertaining to the assembly/ritualAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole विशेषण (of क्रतुः)Root विदथ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विदथ-सम्बद्ध/यज्ञीय’)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableनिषेध/उपमा-निपात (here: comparative ‘like/as’)Root न (अव्यय)
- सम्राट्
- a sovereign kingNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole उपमान (to क्रतुः) / कर्तृ-सम्बन्धRoot सम्राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
- साह्वा
- the mighty one/overpowererAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of अभ्यस्ति)Root साह्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘बलवान्/सहमान’)
- अन्तरुत्रः
- the one who protects/rescues in between (RV epithet)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole विशेषण (of साह्वा)Root अन्तरुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; RV epithet)
- अभ्यस्ति
- overcomes/presses uponVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अभि + √अस् (अस्ति)
- कृष्टीः
- peoples/communitiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot कृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ ‘तस्येदिह’ = तस्य + इत् + इह (द् + इ → दि; इत्-निपातः)
- ‘स्तवथ’ लोट् मध्यम-बहुवचन (RV प्रयोग)
- ‘यस्य क्रतुर्विदथ्यो न सम्राट्’ = क्रतुः + विदथ्यः (विसर्ग-सन्धि/रेफ-प्रयोगः संहितायां ‘क्रतुर्वि-’)
- ‘साह्वान्तरुत्रो’ = साह्वा + अन्तरुत्रः (आकार-सन्धि; अन्त्य-अ + अ- → आ; संहितायां ‘-आन्त-’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Praise here the virile powers of him of vast radiance and vast riches, the leader among men; whose will in the assemblies is like an emperor—overcoming, far-bearing, he stands over the peoples.
Inner meaning
The hymn turns from invitation to discernment: praise Indra’s vṛṣṇyāni—virile powers, the active strengths that make progress possible. His ‘vast radiance’ is the wide illumination; his ‘vast plenitude’ is the abundance of force and capacity. Kratu, the effective will, rules the inner assemblies (vidatha): gatherings of thoughts, impulses, and parts of the being. Like a samrāṭ (emperor), this will establishes order, overcomes resistances, and carries the being beyond immediate limitations. ‘Peoples’ (kṛṣṭīḥ) become the multiple movements in us; Indra stands above them to lead them toward right order.
Universal truth
Real freedom requires a governing will aligned with light. When the effective will becomes sovereign, the many impulses and subpersonalities are organized into a coherent, victorious life.
Themes
Indra-as-emperor, Will-and-sovereignty, Vast-bounty (rādhas)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.21.1, RV 4.21.3, RV 4.19
Family tradition
Gautama hymns often emphasize kratu (effective will) and the ordering of the inner ‘assembly’—a key Aurobindonian theme of integrating nature under a higher governance.
Significance
Shows the transition from calling the force to recognizing its law: the sovereign will must preside over the multiplicity for true transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Tuvidyumna (vast-radiant), Tuvirādhas (vast-bounteous), Samrāṭ-like (sovereign)
- Related deities
- Maruts (as energizers), Bṛhaspati (as lord of inspired word/ordering)
Cosmic role
Sovereign power in the mental realm; organizer of forces; victor over obstruction.
Inner power
Imperial kratu: the will of illumination that commands, integrates, and carries beyond limitation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise (stotra) highlighting Indra’s powers and leadership
तस्येदि॒ह स्त॑वथ॒ वृष्ण्या॑नि तुविद्यु॒म्नस्य॑ तुवि॒राध॑सो॒ नॄन् । यस्य॒ क्रतु॑र्विद॒थ्यो॒३॒॑ न स॒म्राट् सा॒ह्वान्तरु॑त्रो अ॒भ्यस्ति॑ कृ॒ष्टीः ॥
तस्य॑ । इत् । इ॒ह । स्त॒व॒थ॒ । वृष्ण्या॑नि । तु॒वि॒ऽद्यु॒म्नस्य॑ । तु॒वि॒ऽराध॑सः । नॄन् । यस्य॑ । क्रतुः॑ । वि॒द॒थ्यः॑ । न । स॒म्ऽराट् । स॒ह्वान् । तरु॑त्रः । अ॒भि । अस्ति॑ । कृ॒ष्टीः ॥
tasya | it | iha | stavatha | vṛṣṇyāni | tuvi-dyumnasya | tuvi-rādhasaḥ | nṝn | yasya | kratuḥ | vidathyaḥ | na | sam-rāṭ | sahvān | tarutraḥ | abhi | asti | kṛṣṭīḥ
44
4 × ~11
Authoritative and declarative; strong mid-pāda stresses suit ‘samrāṭ’ imagery.
Instills governance and resolve; helps gather scattered energies into a single direction.
- vṛṣṇyāni
- Literal: virile powers. Symbolic: active strengths of consciousness that confront resistance and accomplish works
- tuvidyumna
- Literal: of vast radiance. Symbolic: wide illumination; abundant light in the mind
- tuvirādhas
- Literal: of vast bounty/means. Symbolic: plenitude of inner resources—force, joy, capacity
- kratuḥ
- Literal: will, resolve, intelligence-in-action. Symbolic: effective spiritual will that executes what light perceives
- vidathyaḥ
- Literal: belonging to the assemblies. Symbolic: operating in inner councils where parts of nature meet
- samrāṭ
- Literal: emperor. Symbolic: sovereign governance of consciousness
- sāhvān
- Literal: overcoming. Symbolic: victorious energy that persists through resistance
- tarutro
- Literal: far-bearing/overpassing. Symbolic: capacity to carry the being beyond limits; endurance and transcendence
- kṛṣṭīḥ
- Literal: peoples. Symbolic: multiplicity of inner movements needing right leadership
Stotra emphasizing Indra’s kṣatra/sovereignty and kratu in vidatha (ritual-assemblies)
After invocation, to magnify the deity’s capacities and establish the sacrificer’s confidence
Recitation of attributes to strengthen the rite’s ‘command’ over obstacles
Use when indecision or fragmentation dominates; chant to invoke sovereign will and inner order.
kratu is a key RV term: not mere ‘resolve’ but effective will-intelligence (possibly from √kar/√kṛ with sense of ‘making’ power). sam-rāṭ from √rāj ‘rule’ (PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to rule’, cf. Latin rēx). dyumna relates to √dyut ‘shine’.
Kratu (effective will), Integral rulership (samrāṭ), Ordering of multiplicity (kṛṣṭīḥ) under ṛta
Kratu as samrāṭ is the instrument of ṛta in the mental-vital field—ordering multiplicity into right action.
Sovereign will must be founded on truth-seeing (dyumna), not egoic control.
From multiplicity to unity: the many are governed by a higher principle, enabling a new order.
Vedic psychology of governance; anticipates later yogic emphasis on buddhi as ruler when illumined.
Assembly = inner forum of thoughts/impulses; peoples = diverse drives; emperor = central illumined will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as Samrāṭ: the archetype of the victorious ruler whose kratu governs the assemblies and brings the many peoples/powers under a higher mastery—an inner empire of ordered energies.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rāṭ/rāj from PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to rule’ (Latin rēx, Gaulish rīx). dyut ‘shine’ corresponds to PIE *deiw-/ *dyeu- ‘sky, shine’ (Skt dyauḥ). The political-sacral lexicon is deeply Indo-European and Indo-Iranian.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi praises Indra’s vṛṣṇyāni and asks implicitly for that same governing kratu to preside over the human multiplicity. Praise is a means of aligning the community’s energies with Indra’s imperial order.
Establish kratu as sovereign: a single clear intention aligned with truth, governing the inner assembly.
maṇipūra (will) supported by ājñā (discernment)
kapālabhāti-light (if suitable) then quiet sitting; or steady 5-5 breathing to consolidate will
commanding clarity; integrated direction
After chanting, write one ‘imperial’ instruction for the day (a dharmic priority) and practice saying no to dispersive impulses; feel Indra ‘standing above’ the inner crowd as calm authority.
Maintain strong udātta on power-words (vṛṣṇyāni, dyumna, kratu); svarita falls should be clean to keep regal cadence.
Deliver as proclamation rather than supplication; keep pāda 2 expansive, pāda 3-4 commanding.
vṛṣṇyāni: vṛ (ṛ vocalic), ṣṇy cluster carefully, tuvidyumnasya: keep dyu as ‘dyu’ not ‘ju’, kratuḥ: short a; final ḥ soft, samrāṭ: long ā; retroflex ṭ, kṛṣṭīḥ: kṛ (vocalic ṛ), ṣṭ cluster clear; long īḥ
regal, steady, declarative
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