Rig Veda 5.32.12: Mandala 5, Sukta 32, Mantra 12
Sukta 5.32
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
एवा हि त्वामृतुथा यातयन्तं मघा विप्रेभ्यो ददतं शृणोमि । किं ते ब्रह्माणो गृहते सखायो ये त्वाया निदधुः काममिन्द्र ॥
evā́ hí tvām ṛtuthā́ yātáyantaṃ maghā́ víprebhyo dádhataṃ śṛṇómi | kíṃ te bráhmāṇo gṛháte sákhāyo yé tvāyā́ ní-dadhuḥ kā́mam indra ||
Tak oto słyszę o tobie, o Indro, popychanym naprzód we właściwych porach i miarach Prawdy, gdy kładziesz swoją pełnię darów w widzących. Czemu więc twoi współpracownicy, którzy podtrzymują Słowo, starają się cię powstrzymać, ci przyjaciele, którzy złożyli na tobie pragnienie jako żądanie?
Word by Word
- ए॒वा
- thus, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root एव (निपात)
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- त्वाम्
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- ऋतुथा
- in due season, orderlyIndeclinableअव्यय (प्रकारवाचक)Root ऋतु + -था (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव)
- यातयन्तम्
- driving/impelling, setting in motionVerb-participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/अन्त), पुं. द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यातय् (धातु; caus./intens. sense in Vedic)
- मघा
- bounty, generosityNounप्रथमा एकवचन (स्त्रीलिङ्ग)Role KartāRoot मघा (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक; ‘दान/समृद्धि’)
- विप्रेभ्यः
- to the inspired poets/seersNounचतुर्थी बहुवचन (पुं.)Role SampradānaRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ददतम्
- givingVerb-participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/अन्त), पुं. द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot दा (दाने)
- शृणोमि
- I hearVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot श्रु (श्रवणे)
- किम्
- what?Pronounद्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (नपुं.)Role KarmaRoot किम् (प्रश्नसर्वनाम)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- ब्रह्माणः
- the priests/chanters (brahmans)Nounप्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot ब्रह्मन् (नपुं./पुं. Vedic; here ‘ब्रह्माणः’)
- गृहते
- takes/graspsVerbलट्, मध्यम/प्रथम? (Vedic usage), आत्मनेपद, एकवचन; here best taken as 3rd sg. ĀtmanepadaRole KarmaRoot गृह्/ग्रह् (ग्रहणे)
- सखायः
- friendsNounप्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- whoPronounप्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)Role KartāRoot यद् (सम्बन्धसर्वनाम)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role KarmaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- आया
- towards, hitherIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्गीय/क्रियाविशेषण)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + या (धातु ‘या’ गत्यर्थे) / or ‘आया’ as Vedic adverbial form
- निदधुः
- they have placed, have setVerbलिट् (परोक्स), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot धा (धारणे) + नि (उपसर्ग)
- कामम्
- desire, wishNounद्वितीया एकवचन (पुं.)Role KarmaRoot काम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)सम्बोधन एकवचन (पुं.)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (main): त्वाम्+ऋतुथा → त्वामृतुथा
- मघा+विप्रेभ्यः → मघा विप्रेभ्यः (no further fusion in pada)
- ददतम्+शृणोमि → ददतं शृणोमि (anusvāra/ṃ before ś)
- ते+ब्रह्माणः → ते ब्रह्माणो (o from aḥ before vowel in saṃhitā)
- गृहते+सखायः → गृहते सखायो (o from aḥ before vowel)
- त्वा+आया → त्वाया (vowel coalescence)
- निदधुः+कामम् → निदधुः कामम्. Accent marks retained as in saṃhitā
- pada-forms given without explicit accent annotation beyond the supplied orthography
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet hears Indra being urged forward in right seasons/measures, giving his gifts to the seers. Why do the brahmāṇas, his friends and co-workers, seek to restrain him—those who lay a desire upon him as a demand?
Inner meaning
Indra’s action must move according to ṛtu—right timing and right measure in the unfolding of consciousness. When illumination gives its plenitudes to the vipras (seers within), a lower mental-vital insistence can still try to ‘bind’ the descent by turning aspiration into demand (kāma). The mantra distinguishes pure receptivity to ṛta from egoic pressure that attempts to control the divine working.
Universal truth
Genuine growth follows right timing; when we try to force outcomes through desire, we obstruct the very power we invoke. The highest help comes when aspiration is aligned with truth-measure, not impatience.
Themes
Indra-as-giver, right-timing-and-measure, tension-between-aspiration-and-demand, mantric-force-and-reciprocity
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya tradition)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.2 (Agni as priest of the inner sacrifice), RV 5.40 (Sūrya: illumination), RV 5.33 (Indra: victory)
Family tradition
Ātreyas are known for harmonizing inspired speech (brahman) with the dynamic victories of Indra, emphasizing right measure (ṛta/ṛtu).
Significance
This verse is a subtle yogic caution: even ‘friends’—our helpful mental forms—can become limiters if they impose desire on the divine working.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- मघवान् (Bountiful), ऋतु-यातयन् (Moved by right timing)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (brahman/word), Agni (will), Soma (delight that can be distorted into desire)
Cosmic role
Distributor of plenitudes to the seers; executor of truth’s victory in the right measure.
Inner power
Illumination that gives gifts when consciousness is ready; refuses coercion by ego-demand.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stuti within Soma ritual discourse on right performance and right timing of offerings.
ए॒वा हि त्वामृ॑तु॒था या॒तय॑न्तं म॒घा विप्रे॑भ्यो॒ दद॑तं शृ॒णोमि॑ । किं ते॑ ब्र॒ह्माणो॑ गृहते॒ सखा॑यो॒ ये त्वा॒या नि॑द॒धुः काम॑मिन्द्र ॥
ए॒व । हि । त्वाम् । ऋ॒तु॒ऽथा । या॒तय॑न्तम् । म॒घा । विप्रे॑भ्यः॑ । दद॑तम् । शृ॒णोमि॑ । किम् । ते॒ । ब्र॒ह्माणः॑ । गृ॒ह॒ते॒ । सखा॑यः । ये । त्वा॒ऽया । नि॒ऽद॒धुः । काम॑म् । इ॒न्द्र॒ ॥
eva | hi | tvām | ṛtu-thā | yātayantam | maghā | viprebhyaḥ | dadatam | śṛṇomi | kim | te | brahmāṇaḥ | gṛhate | sakhāyaḥ | ye | tvāyā | ni-dadhuḥ | kāmam | indra
44
4×11 (approx.)
Measured and reflective; contains an interrogative turn that sharpens discernment.
Cultivates patience and right timing; exposes egoic forcing and restores a calm alignment with ṛta.
- ऋतुथा (ṛtuthā)
- Literal: according to seasons/right times. Symbolic: according to truth-timing and right measure in sadhana
- यातयन्तम् (yātayantam)
- Literal: urging forward, impelling. Symbolic: the push of inner forces that accelerate awakening when the time is ripe
- मघा (maghā)
- Literal: bounty, plenitude. Symbolic: divine abundance of light/power/joy bestowed to the seer-faculty
- विप्र (vipra)
- Literal: seer, inspired sage. Symbolic: illumined parts of mind that receive revelation
- ब्रह्माणः (brahmāṇaḥ)
- Literal: priests of the Word. Symbolic: formative speech/thought powers—can aid or constrain by rigid forms
- सखा (sakhā)
- Literal: friend, companion. Symbolic: supporting powers allied to illumination
- काम (kāma)
- Literal: desire. Symbolic: egoic demand that tries to bind the divine action
Indra-invocation within Soma offerings (general: Indra stotras/śastras in Soma-yajña contexts; precise Śrauta placement requires pada/pravargya mapping not provided)
When emphasizing correct sequence/timing (ṛtu) and proper intention in praise and offering.
Recitation as admonitory praise—affirming Indra’s giving while correcting the sacrificer’s attitude.
Helpful for practitioners who ‘push’ results: use to reframe aspiration as surrender to right timing and measure.
ṛtuthā: from ṛtú (season, right time/measure) < √ar/ṛ (to fit, move in order) connected with ṛta (cosmic rightness). yātayantam: causative/iterative of √yā (to go) with intensifying sense ‘to set going, impel’. maghā: from maghá ‘gift, bounty, power to give’ (semantic field: fullness, abundance). vipra: from √vip (to tremble, vibrate) → inspired ‘vibrant’ seer. brahman/brahmāṇaḥ: from √bṛh (to grow, expand) → the expansive mantric formulation/power. gṛhate: from √grah (to seize, grasp) → also ‘to appropriate/hold’. ni-dadhus: from √dhā (to place) with ni- ‘down, into’ → fixing/implanting. kāma: from √kam (to desire, love, intend) → will-desire; can be luminous aspiration or binding craving depending on alignment with ṛta.
Ṛta (cosmic order and right measure), Brahman (mantric power as formative speech), Kāma (will/desire—either aspiration or binding demand)
Indra’s movement is governed by ṛta through ṛtu; forcing it is a breach of order.
Satya is effective only when received in right measure; otherwise it is warped by desire.
Unfolding by stages: the divine gives as consciousness becomes capable.
Yoga of works/knowledge in Vedic form: alignment to ṛta over egoic will.
seasonal order (ṛtu principle)
Seasons = stages of ripening; rain/gift-flow = descent of illumination; restraint = rigid mental form and impatience.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic action is not an outer battle but the regulated descent of Indra’s bounty into the seers ‘according to ṛtu’ (right measure). The counter-motif is obstruction-by-grasping: even ‘friends’ (supporting powers/ritual agents) can constrain the divine force by imposing kāma (a binding demand) rather than aligning aspiration with ṛta.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Key verbal roots show archaic Indo-European inheritance: √yā ‘go’ (cf. PIE *h₁ey- ‘go’) in yātayantam ‘impelling to go’; √grah ‘seize’ (cf. PIE *gʰrebʰ- ‘grasp’) in gṛhate; √dhā ‘put, place’ (PIE *dʰeh₁-) in ni-dadhus; √bṛh ‘grow, expand’ (PIE *bʰerǵʰ- ‘rise, high’) in brahman as ‘expansive word/power’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents himself as a hearer of the divine movement (śṛṇomi), recognizing Indra’s true mode of giving as ṛtuthā. The reciprocity is subtle: the seers receive maghā through inspired speech, yet the same circle of ‘brahmāṇaḥ/sakhāyaḥ’ may attempt to bind Indra with a fixed demand (kāma). The verse insists the correct exchange is alignment with ṛta, not coercive grasping.
Release impatience; align aspiration to right timing (ṛtu). Observe where desire turns prayer into demand.
anāhata (surrender/faith)
Lengthen exhale (e.g., 4-in/6-out) while repeating ‘ṛtuthā’; feel the nervous system accept measure.
Quiet trust with discerning vigilance against egoic grasping.
Before practice, set an intention: ‘Let the divine work in its own rhythm.’ If craving arises, name it ‘kāma’ and return to measured breathing.
Use the saṃhitā accent marks; keep ‘ṛtuthā’ clean and slightly highlighted; interrogative ‘kiṃ te’ carries a questioning lift.
Maintain measured cadence; do not rush the question pādas—let the inquiry land clearly.
ṛtuthā: vocalic ṛ distinct; aspirate th clearly., yātayantam: long ā; keep ‘tayan’ articulated, not swallowed., nidadhuḥ: final ḥ is light; avoid hard ‘h’.
Calm, reflective, slightly admonitory; steady pitch to embody ‘measure’.
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