Rig Veda 5.34.7: Mandala 5, Sukta 34, Mantra 7
Sukta 5.34
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Karuna (compassion)
समीं पणेरजति भोजनं मुषे वि दाशुषे भजति सूनरं वसु । दुर्गे चन ध्रियते विश्व आ पुरु जनो यो अस्य तविषीमचुक्रुधत् ॥
sám īṃ paṇér ajati bhójanaṃ múṣe ví dāśúṣe bhajati sūnáraṃ vásu | dúrge caná dhriyate víśva ā́ purú jánō yó asya táviṣīm ácukrudhat ||
On odpędza od Paṇiego zgromadzoną przyjemność dla szukającego; rozdziela dającemu silne i promieniste bogactwa. Nawet w trudnych przejściach cała wielość jest podtrzymywana - kto tylko nie rozgniewał się przeciwko jego mocy. Tak Boska Siła odzyskuje skradzioną rozkosz i przydziela ją duszy, która ofiaruje.
Word by Word
- समीम्
- him/it (altogether, fully)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? द्वितीया एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘इम्’), ‘समीम्’ = ‘सम्’ उपसर्गयुक्त ‘इमम्’Role कर्मRoot सम् + इम (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → इमम्
- पणेः
- of the Paṇi (miser/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजति
- drives/impelsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्र.पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अज् (धातु)
- भोजनम्
- food, provision, enjoymentNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भोजन्/भोजन (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् ‘to enjoy/consume’ से)
- मुषे
- steals/robsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्र.पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot मुष् (धातु)
- वि
- apart, forth, distributivelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दाशुषे
- to the giver (worshipper)Noun (participle used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग चतुर्थी एकवचन (दाशुष्- ‘giver’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot दाश्वांस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा ‘to give’)
- भजति
- allots, shares, bestowsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्र.पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot भज् (धातु)
- सूनरम्
- excellent/very manly, nobleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole विशेषण (वसोः)Root सूनर (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसु
- wealth, goodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दुर्गे
- in difficulty, in a hard straitNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- चन
- even, alsoIndeclinableअव्ययRole समुच्चय/अवधारणRoot चन्/च (निपात; ‘चन’ = ‘च’ का वैदिक रूप)
- ध्रियते
- is sustained, holds firmVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्र.पुरुष, एकवचन (कर्मणि/मध्यार्थे: ‘is held/stands firm’)Role क्रियाRoot धृ (धातु)
- विश्वः
- everyone, the whole (man)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, up toIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पुरु
- many, muchAdjectiveअव्ययवत् विशेषण (बहु/अनेक अर्थे), ‘जनः’ का विशेषणRole विशेषणRoot पुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
- जनः
- people, folkNounपुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विश्वः जनः) / कर्तृसमूहRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उपवाक्ये)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him (of this one)Pronounपुं/नपुं षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तविषीम्
- might, forceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तविषी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अचुक्रुधत्
- became angry at / raged againstVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, प्र.पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘अ-चु-क्रुध-त्’ (अभ्यासयुक्त अोरिस्ट)Role क्रियाRoot क्रुध् (धातु) + अ (अङ्गवृद्धि/अभ्यास; लुङ्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): समीं पणेः अजति भोजनम् मुषे | वि दाशुषे भजति सूनरम् वसु || दुर्गे चन ध्रियते विश्वः आ पुरु जनः यः अस्य तविषीम् अचुक्रुधत् || 1) ‘समीं’ = ‘सम्’ + एन्क्लिटिक ‘इम्’ (इमम्) । 2) ‘दाशुषे’ वैदिक कृदन्त (दाश्वांस्) का चतुर्थी एकवचन। 3) ‘चन’ = ‘च’ का वैदिक रूप। 4) ‘अचुक्रुधत्’ अभ्यासयुक्त लुङ् (अोरिस्ट) रूप: अ-चु-क्रुध-त्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra drives away from the Paṇi the hoarded enjoyment for the seeker and distributes strong radiant wealth to the giver. Even in difficult passages the whole multitude is upheld—whoever has not grown angry at his might.
Inner meaning
Paṇi is the inner miser-force: the part of the being that hoards delight, knowledge, and power for egoistic enjoyment, refusing the sacrifice. Indra ‘drives off’ (ajati) that stolen bhojana—enjoyment/food of consciousness—and restores it to the true seeker (muṣe: one who strives to obtain). To the dāśuṣ (the giver/offerer) he apportions sūnaraṃ vasu—strong, luminous riches: clarified energies, joy, capacity. In durga (hard crossings: inner crises, narrow passages), the collective of movements in the being (viśva ā puru jano) can be held together if one does not revolt in anger against the divine pressure (taviṣī). Acceptance of the transforming force is itself protection.
Universal truth
What is hoarded by ego and fear must be reclaimed by a higher power and redistributed to the consecrated life; endurance in difficult transitions depends on trust in the transforming force rather than resentment toward it.
Themes
Paṇi as hoarder, Redistribution to the sacrificer, Perseverance through difficulty
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri (Ātreya)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.34, RV 5.40
Family tradition
Atri’s imagery often includes Paṇi and the recovery of stolen riches (light/delight) through Indra’s intervention, aligning with the Vedic theme of reclaiming the ‘cows’.
Significance
The seer emphasizes surrender to the divine intensity: do not ‘grow angry’ at the force that breaks the inner miser and restores true enjoyment.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavā (Bountiful—implicit through distribution), Vajrin (Thunderbolt-bearer—implicit in driving off Paṇi)
- Related deities
- Soma (delight reclaimed), Bṛhaspati (recovery of cows by the Word), Agni (sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Reclaimer of stolen riches from hostile powers; distributor of strength and luminous wealth to the sacrificer; supporter in difficult crossings.
Inner power
Power that breaks egoistic hoarding and restores ānanda and force to the consecrated nature; protector during inner crisis.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra hymns for protection and recovery of wealth in Soma rites; also relevant to rites seeking prosperity and victory over opponents (symbolic).
समीं॑ प॒णेर॑जति॒ भोज॑नं मु॒षे वि दा॒शुषे॑ भजति सू॒नरं॒ वसु॑ । दु॒र्गे च॒न ध्रि॑यते॒ विश्व॒ आ पु॒रु जनो॒ यो अ॑स्य॒ तवि॑षी॒मचु॑क्रुधत् ॥
सम् । ई॒म् । प॒णेः । अ॒ज॒ति॒ । भोज॑नम् । मु॒षे । वि । दा॒शुषे॑ । भ॒ज॒ति॒ । सू॒नर॑म् । वसु॑ । दुः॒ऽगे । च॒न । ध्रि॒य॒ते॒ । विश्वः॑ । आ । पु॒रु । जनः॑ । यः । अ॒स्य॒ । तवि॑षीम् । अचु॑क्रुधत् ॥
sam | īm | paṇeḥ | ajati | bhojanam | muṣe | vi | dāśuṣe | bhajati | sūnaram | vasu | duḥ-ge | cana | dhriyate | viśvaḥ | ā | puru | janaḥ | yaḥ | asya | taviṣīm | acukrudhat
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4 × ~11
Dynamic push-pull: ‘drives off’ then ‘distributes’; ends with a stabilizing cadence about endurance.
Invokes courage in hardship; encourages generosity and surrender; dispels inner resentment.
- पणि (paṇi)
- Literal: miser, hoarder (often demon). Symbolic: egoistic withholding, denial of sacrifice; hoarding of delight/knowledge
- भोजनम् (bhojanam)
- Literal: food/enjoyment. Symbolic: delight of consciousness, life-energy meant to nourish the soul
- मुषे (muṣe)
- Literal: to the seeker/one who would obtain. Symbolic: aspiring consciousness that seeks the true enjoyment (ānanda)
- दाशुषे (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: one who offers works, energies, and gains to the Divine
- सूनरं वसु (sūnaraṃ vasu)
- Literal: strong/radiant wealth. Symbolic: luminous strength—clarity, courage, joy, right powers
- दुर्गे (durge)
- Literal: in difficult passage/fort. Symbolic: inner crisis, constriction, transition zone in sādhanā
- तविषी (taviṣī)
- Literal: might, vehemence. Symbolic: divine pressure that compels growth; transformative intensity
Soma ritual and ‘Paṇi’ myth-cycle: reclaiming the treasures for the sacrificer; used to affirm that offering aligns one with Indra’s redistributive victory
In stotra sequences where Indra is invoked as protector and giver; metaphorically in moments of ‘durga’ (difficult passage).
Praise and offering to secure Indra’s aid and redistribution of gains to the sacrificer.
Chant during periods of inner ‘dryness’ or when joy feels blocked; to release hoarded emotions and restore delight through offering.
Paṇi as ‘withholder’ is central to RV myth (keepers of cows/treasures). √aj ‘to drive’ (ajati) expresses expulsive force. dāśuṣ from √dāś/√dā ‘to give’ indicates the offering attitude. durga ‘hard to go’ (dur- + √gam) marks the inner passage through difficulty.
Rita as harmony with divine force (non-revolt), Ananda (bhojana as delight), Recovery of light/wealth from subconscient hoarding
Right distribution (bhajati) is Ṛta in social and inner economy: energies return to the true order of offering.
Truth of possession: what is ‘stolen’ by ego is not truly ours; it returns through consecration.
Recovery and redistribution: delight is reclaimed from denial and becomes nourishment for collective inner movements.
Integral yoga reading: Paṇi as psychological obstruction; Indra as transformative force.
Mountain pass = crisis; food/enjoyment = inner nourishment; storm-drive = force that clears blockage.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Paṇi-hoard myth: Indra drives away the hoarder and reallocates the treasure to the dāśuṣ. Innerly, the divine force breaks the subconscient withholding of delight/knowledge and gives it to the offering, receptive consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- durga (dur- + √gam ‘go’) shows inherited IE prefixing and verbal compounding; √gam < PIE *gʷem- ‘to go/come’ (cf. Latin venīre ‘come’ is different root; but Tocharian/Indo-Iranian preserve *gʷem-). √dā ‘give’ is PIE *deh₃- (cf. Greek didōmi).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes alignment: those who do not ‘grow wrathful against’ Indra’s pressure are upheld through durga. The devata’s gift is reclaimed delight and strong riches, conditioned by the giver’s attitude and endurance.
Offer the hoarded parts of the being; reclaim blocked joy and redirect it as nourishment for the path.
anāhata (blocked joy/withholding)
Long exhale 4–8 for 10 rounds; on exhale release ‘Paṇi-hoarding’, on inhale receive ‘sūnaraṃ vasu’.
From constriction and resentment to generous flow and protected endurance.
Identify where you withhold (time, love, truth, effort). Chant, then do one concrete act of offering that day; observe how ‘bhojana’ (joy) returns as inner ease.
Keep udatta on action verbs ‘ajati’, ‘bhajati’, and on ‘taviṣīm’; soften the final cadence to convey support rather than aggression.
Contrast ‘paṇeḥ’ (slightly darker tone) with ‘dāśuṣe’ (brighter, offering tone).
‘paṇer’—retroflex ‘ṇ’ clear., ‘dāśuṣe’—long ‘ā’; ‘ṣ’ retroflex., ‘acukrudhat’—keep ‘kr’ cluster crisp; avoid inserting extra vowel.
Strong in first half, reassuring and steady in second half.
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