Rig Veda 5.30.9: Mandala 5, Sukta 30, Mantra 9
Sukta 5.30
- Rishi
- Atri Bhauma
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
स्त्रियो हि दास आयुधानि चक्रे किं मा करन्नबला अस्य सेनाः । अन्तर्ह्यख्यदुभे अस्य धेने अथोप प्रैद्युधये दस्युमिन्द्रः ॥
stríyo hí dā́sá ā́yudhāni cakré kím mā karann abalā́ asya sénāḥ | antár hy ákhya̍d ubhé asya dhéne áthópa práid yudhā́ye dásyum índraḥ ||
Gdyż Dāsa czyni broń z mocy, które powinny służyć duszy; co mogły jego zastępy uczynić mi, będąc bez prawdziwej siły? Wewnątrz widziano dwa strumienie jego krów mlecznych, wtedy Indra ruszył do walki z Dasyu.
Word by Word
- स्त्रियः
- womenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- दासाः
- Dāsas (hostile people)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot दास (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयुधानि
- weaponsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
- चक्रे
- madeVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श भूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot कृ (धातु)
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (प्रश्नार्थक)Role कर्मRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्ययRoot मा (निषेध)
- अकरन्
- didVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot कृ (धातु)
- अबलाः
- the weak (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अबल (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + बल)
- अस्य
- of him/this (one)Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सेनाः
- armiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तः
- withinIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकरणRoot अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- अख्यत्
- appeared, was seenVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot ख्यै/ख्या (धातु)
- उभे
- bothPronoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (with अख्यत्)Root उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of himPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धेने
- two milch-cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वैदिक रूप: धेने < धेन्वौ)Role कर्तृRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अथ
- thenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अथ (निपात)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्गार्थ अव्ययRoot उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग)
- ऐत्
- wentVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot इ (धातु)
- युधये
- to fightVerbal noun (infinitive)चतुर्थी-एकवचन (दातिव/इन्फिनिटिव प्रयोग)Role प्रयोजन (purpose)Root युध् (धातु) → युध् + तुमुन्/अर्थे (दातिव-इन्फिनिटिव)
- दस्युम्
- the Dasyu (enemy)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): स्त्रियः | हि | दासाः | आयुधानि | चक्रे | किम् | मा | अकरन् | अबलाः | अस्य | सेनाः | अन्तः | हि | अख्यत् | उभे | अस्य | धेने | अथ | उप | प्र | ऐत् | युधये | दस्युम् | इन्द्रः । प्रमुख सन्धयः: (1) स्त्रियो॒ → स्त्रियः (ओः/अः पदान्त) (2) करन्नब॒ला → अकरन् अबलाः (न् + अ) (3) अन्तर्ह्यख्य॑त् → अन्तः हि अख्यत् (विसर्ग-लोप/र्-आदेश) (4) अथोप → अथ उप (5) प्रैद् → प्र ऐत् (एत्-रूप, प्र + ऐत्) (6) दस्यु॒मिन्द्र॑: → दस्युम् इन्द्रः (म् + इ) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Dāsa makes weapons ‘like women’; his army is weak. Inside, the two milch-cows are seen; then Indra advances to fight the Dasyu.
Inner meaning
The verse mocks the pseudo-strength of the obstructing force: it fashions ‘weapons’ out of what is not truly forceful (striyaḥ…āyudhāni)—symbolically, it turns receptive or supportive energies into instruments of confusion and entanglement. Yet these formations are abala—without real power before illumination. Crucially, within the obstruction are seen ‘two dhene’ (two milch-cows): twin streams of yield—often read psychologically as the two currents of knowledge and delight (or intuition and life-energy) held inside the darkness. Once these are perceived (antar hy akhyat), Indra moves forward: perception of the captive light becomes the trigger for the decisive inner battle against the Dasyu (the hostile divider).
Universal truth
Ignorance borrows and distorts our own energies, but it has no ultimate strength. The moment we discern the hidden resources within the problem, the power to confront and transform it awakens.
Themes
Indra-victory, Dasyu/Dāsa opposition, recovery of the cows (light/knowledge), inner warfare (adhyātma-yuddha)
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Bhauma (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.30.10 (release of cows), RV 5.31 (Indra aid)
Family tradition
Atri’s Indra hymns often reveal the ‘secret cows/light’ hidden in darkness; perception precedes liberation.
Significance
The seer underscores a key yogic move: detect the concealed luminous resources within the obstruction; then the battle becomes purposeful and winnable.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan, Maghavan, Dasyuhantā (slayer of the hostile; implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Sarasvatī (as inner flow/insight; thematic)
Cosmic role
Defender of the luminous order; advances when the hidden light is to be recovered.
Inner power
Courageous illumination that exposes the weakness of false formations and retrieves the captive yields of consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory hymns in soma settings; protective recitations against hostile influences
स्त्रियो॒ हि दा॒स आयु॑धानि च॒क्रे किं मा॑ करन्नब॒ला अ॑स्य॒ सेना॑: । अ॒न्तर्ह्यख्य॑दु॒भे अ॑स्य॒ धेने॒ अथोप॒ प्रैद्यु॒धये॒ दस्यु॒मिन्द्र॑: ॥
स्त्रियः॑ । हि । दा॒सः । आयु॑धानि । च॒क्रे । किम् । मा॒ । क॒र॒न् । अ॒ब॒लाः । अ॒स्य॒ । सेनाः॑ । अ॒न्तः । हि । अख्य॑त् । उ॒भे इति॑ । अ॒स्य॒ । धेने॒ इति॑ । अथ॑ । उप॑ । प्र । ऐ॒त् । यु॒धये॑ । दस्यु॑म् । इन्द्रः॑ ॥
striyaḥ | hi | dāsaḥ | āyudhāni | cakre | kim | mā | karan | abalāḥ | asya | senāḥ | antaḥ | hi | akhyat | ubhe iti | asya | dheneiti | atha | upa | pra | ait | yudhaye | dasyum | indraḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Sharp contrasts—derisive appraisal (weak host) turning into decisive advance (upapraid yudhaye).
Cuts through intimidation; evokes fearless clarity and readiness to confront inner falsehood.
- स्त्रियः (striyaḥ)
- Literal: women. Symbolic: receptive/supportive powers (energies meant to serve the soul) misused by ignorance
- आयुधानि (āyudhāni)
- Literal: weapons. Symbolic: defensive/aggressive formations: rationalizations, cravings, fears turned into ‘arms’
- अबला (abalā)
- Literal: without strength. Symbolic: ultimately powerless nature of falsehood before truth
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: inner field where the secret light is held
- उभे धेने (ubhe dhene)
- Literal: the two milch-cows. Symbolic: twin streams of luminous yield: knowledge-rays and delight/energy; or mind-light and life-juice
- दस्यु (dasyu)
- Literal: robber, hostile. Symbolic: dividing, perverting forces that steal clarity and joy
- युधये (yudhaye)
- Literal: to battle. Symbolic: inner confrontation and purification
Indra-stotra usage in Soma sacrifice contexts (e.g., Indra-praises within Agniṣṭoma/Ukthya recitations); general application: strengthening Indraic force for overcoming obstruction
When seeking protection, victory, and recovery of ‘lost’ prosperity/light
Recitation to strengthen Indra-force and expose the enemy’s weakness
Use when facing anxiety or self-doubt: chant to recognize the inner ‘two dhene’ (resources) and move forward.
Key roots: √kṛ ‘to make/do’ (cakre, karan); √i ‘to go’ (ait); √yudh ‘to fight’ (yudhaye). dāsa/dasyu denote hostile powers; in the inner reading they are formations of ignorance/ego that ‘weaponize’ the sense-energies (striyaḥ). dhénu ‘milch-cow’ (from √dhā/√dhe ‘to nourish, to yield’) supports the symbolic sense of ‘that which yields’—here rays/streams of knowledge and plenitude recovered by Indra.
Ṛta (restoration of right order through victory over obstruction), inner battle of knowledge vs. ignorance, recovery of light/vision from within
Indra’s advance restores rightful possession of the luminous yields stolen by the dasyu.
Seeing within (antar…akhyat) is satya’s function: truth-revelation precedes liberation.
Recovery of the hidden cows/light from within darkness—classic Vedic manifestation motif.
Psychological Veda: ignorance as perversion of energies; liberation by discernment and force.
Cows/milk = nourishing yields of consciousness (knowledge and delight); battle = purification; ‘within’ = subconscious storehouse.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘battle with the Dasyu’ coupled with the ‘finding/seeing of the cows’ (gāvaḥ/dhénu imagery): the hostile power hides the luminous yields; Indra advances to war once the concealed light is perceived ‘within’ (antár). Mythically it echoes the recurring pattern: obstruction → concealment of light/wealth → revelation/vision → Indraic assault → release.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Core verbal system uses inherited PIE roots: √kṛ (PIE *kwer-/*ker- ‘make/do’ in Indo-Iranian developments), √i (PIE *h₁ei- ‘go’), √yudh (often compared within Indo-Iranian for ‘fight’). The opposition terms dāsa/dasyu align with an Indo-Iranian poetic register of ‘hostile/other’ (cf. Avestan dahi-/dasa- discussions in scholarship), while senā ‘host’ continues an old martial lexicon.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker’s stance is one of inner assurance: the hostile host is ‘abalāḥ’ (without true force) because the seer relies on Indra as the awakened power of victorious intelligence. The reciprocity is implicit: the seer’s perception (‘within he saw’) prepares the ground; Indra responds by advancing to battle—vision invites the divine action, and divine action confirms the vision by restoring the concealed plenitudes (the ‘two dhénus’).
Notice how ignorance weaponizes your own receptive energies (attention, imagination, emotion). Reclaim them as allies.
svādhiṣṭhāna (desire/imagination purified) + ājñā (inner seeing)
Slow meditative breathing with a gentle internal pause after ‘antar’ to ‘look within’; then chant the remaining pādas with firmer exhale.
From intimidation/entanglement to inner seeing and courageous advance.
After chanting, name the ‘two dhene’ you can access now (e.g., one insight + one supportive feeling). Act on one small step immediately—Indra’s ‘advance’.
Vedic accents as per recensional marking; emphasize the shift at ‘antar’ (inner seeing) and the forward motion ‘upapra it’.
Deliver the first half with slight irony (controlled), then intensify on ‘antar’ and culminate strongly on ‘yudhaye dasyum índraḥ’.
‘striyo’—clear ‘tr’ cluster; keep ‘yo’ open., ‘abalā’—long ā at end., ‘dhene’—retroflex not involved; keep ‘dh’ aspirated., ‘dasyum’—keep ‘sy’ conjunct crisp.
Focused, slightly edged; firm concluding cadence.
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