Rig Veda 5.40.3: Mandala 5, Sukta 40, Mantra 3
Sukta 5.40
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gayatri
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वृषा त्वा वृषणं हुवे वज्रिञ्चित्राभिरूतिभिः । वृषन्निन्द्र वृषभिर्वृत्रहन्तम ॥
vṛ́ṣā tvā vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ huve vájriñ citrā́bhir ūtíbhíḥ | vṛ́ṣann índra vṛ́ṣabhir vṛtrahantama ||
Jako Byk wzywam cię, Byka, o dzierżycielu pioruna, z twymi wielobarwnymi pomocami; o Indro, Byku, przybądź ze swymi byczymi mocami, najpotężniejszy pogromco Vṛtry, przynieś zwycięską energię do naszego istnienia.
Word by Word
- वृषा
- the Bull; the strong oneNoun (used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (vocative-like nominative of address; ‘O bull/strong one’)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) < √वृष् (वर्षणे/सेचने; ‘to rain, be strong’)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणम्
- the bull; the mighty oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (apposition to त्वा)Root वृषण (प्रातिपदिक) < √वृष्
- हुवे
- I invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Vedic form)Role क्रियाRoot √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) ‘to call, invoke’
- वज्रिन्
- O wielder of the thunderboltNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वज्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘having the vajra’
- चित्राभिः
- with splendidAdjective (used with ऊतिभिः)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (instrumental: ‘with…’)Root चित्रा (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bright, splendid, wondrous’
- ऊतिभिः
- helps; aidsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऊति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘help, aid, protection’
- वृषन्
- O Bull; O mighty oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभिः
- with bulls; with strong onesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bull; strong one’
- वृत्रहन्तम्
- the slayer of VṛtraNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (apposition to त्वा/वृषणम्)Root वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘Vṛtra-slayer’) < वृत्र + √हन् (हनने) ‘to slay’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वृषा | त्वा | वृषणम् | हुवे | वज्रिन् | चित्राभिः | ऊतिभिः || वृषन् | इन्द्र | वृषभिः | वृत्रहन्तम् । 1) वज्रि॑ञ्चि॒त्राभिः = वज्रिन् + चित्राभिः (न् + च → ञ्च्)
- 2) चित्राभिरूतिभिः = चित्राभिः + ऊतिभिः (विसर्ग-रूप/पदपाठ-प्रकारेण ‘भिः’ + स्वरारम्भः → ‘भिर्’ लेखनम्; संहितायां रूतिभिः)
- 3) वृष॑न्निन्द्र = वृषन् + इन्द्र (न् + इ → न्नि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker calls Indra the Bull, wielder of the thunderbolt, with many-colored helps; again invokes him with bull-powers as the mightiest Vṛtra-slayer.
Inner meaning
The soul calls the illumined Power not in weakness but ‘as the bull’—from a stance of awakened strength aspiring to greater strength. The ‘many-hued helps’ are the varied supports of the gods: inspirations, intuitions, protections, and right impulses in different planes. Indra’s thunderbolt is the discriminating, decisive force that shatters confusion and releases the rays.
Universal truth
When the seeker stands in courageous aspiration and welcomes help in many forms, higher discernment descends and breaks the knots of confusion and resistance.
Themes
invocation, vajra as decisive force, Indra’s varied helps
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.40.1, RV 5.40.2, RV 5.40.4
Family tradition
Atri’s refrain-driven hymns often function like concentrated invocations; the seer’s voice models the stance of strength calling greater strength.
Significance
The Atri approach emphasizes that the human can participate in divine strength; invocation is not mere request but alignment with the power invoked.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Vajrin)
- Epithets
- Vajrin, Vṛṣan, Vṛtrahantama
- Related deities
- Maruts (supporting forces), Sarasvatī (inspiration), Bṛhaspati (word of truth)
Cosmic role
Breaker of the cover; leader in battles for light; establisher of luminous order.
Inner power
Lightning-like discernment and executive force; converts inspiration into victorious action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation at Soma pressing
वृषा॑ त्वा॒ वृष॑णं हुवे॒ वज्रि॑ञ्चि॒त्राभि॑रू॒तिभि॑: । वृष॑न्निन्द्र॒ वृष॑भिर्वृत्रहन्तम ॥
वृषा॑ । त्वा॒ । वृष॑णम् । हु॒वे॒ । वज्रि॑न् । चि॒त्राभिः॑ । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । वृष॑न् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । वृष॑ऽभिः । वृ॒त्र॒ह॒न्ऽत॒म॒ ॥
vṛṣā | tvā | vṛṣaṇam | huve | vajrin | citrābhiḥ | ūti-bhiḥ | vṛṣan | indra | vṛṣa-bhiḥ | vṛtrahan-tama
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3 × 8 (approx.)
Invocatory and bright; the refrain gives a rallying cadence.
Strengthens confidence and receptivity to guidance; sharpens will and clarity.
- हुवे (huve)
- Literal: I call/invoke. Symbolic: aspiration that summons the higher power
- वज्रिन् (vajrin)
- Literal: wielder of the vajra. Symbolic: decisive discriminative force; lightning of insight
- चित्राभिः ऊतिभिः (citrābhiḥ ūtibhiḥ)
- Literal: with variegated helps. Symbolic: multi-modal aids—intuitions, protections, impulses across mind/vital/body
- वृषा / वृषणम् (vṛṣā / vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: bull / the bull. Symbolic: abundant strength in the seeker and in the divine responder
- वृत्रहन्तम (vṛtrahantama)
- Literal: most Vṛtra-slaying. Symbolic: supreme breaker of inner covering
Invocation at Soma: calling Indra with vajra and varied helps; reinforces the refrain ‘vṛtrahantama’ as the operative function sought.
Recited in sequences praising Indra’s powers and aids.
Praise and invitation; aligns offering with Indra’s protective and conquering help.
Use before difficult decisions: invoke ‘vajrin’ to cut through ambiguity and act from truth.
√hū ‘call’ is the direct ritual-psychological act of invocation: summoning a power into presence. vajra ‘thunderbolt’ (weapon of decisive illumination) symbolizes the concentrated force that cleaves obstruction. citra ‘many-hued’ indicates multiplicity of aids—Indra’s help adapts to varied inner needs. ūti- ‘help’ is a recurrent Vedic term for protective guidance and active support.
invocation (āhvāna) as inward calling of a consciousness-power, multiplicity of divine aids (citrā ūti) for integral transformation
Vajra restores Ṛta by destroying false formations and coverings.
‘Citrā’ helps are expressions of Satya in manifold forms—truth adapting to the planes.
Differentiation of light (many-hued) after the breaking of darkness.
Yoga of transformation through higher mind and truth-force (Aurobindonian reading).
Thunderbolt = decisive insight; bull = abundant force; many-hued helps = varied inner supports and faculties awakening.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The invoked thunderbolt-bearer: Indra comes with vajra and many aids to perform the decisive cleaving of obstruction. The bull-epithet frames this as a surge of generative force; psychologically, it is the summoning of concentrated illuminating power to cut through resistant darkness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √hū ‘call’ reflects an inherited sacral vocabulary of invocation (Indo-Iranian parallels). vajra as thunder-weapon parallels the broader Indo-European storm-god armament (e.g., Zeus’ thunderbolt, Thor’s hammer), indicating a shared mythic grammar even where the lexeme differs.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi performs an intentional ‘calling’ (hūve) that is meant to actualize Indra’s presence. The devatā responds through ‘citrā ūti’—adaptive supports—culminating in the essential act: vṛtra-slaying as inner liberation.
Invoke decisive discernment (vajra) and receive guidance in many forms without losing central aim.
ājñā
4-4 breathing (inhale 4, exhale 4) while chanting; on ‘vajrin’ feel a ‘flash’ in the brow center.
Alert, luminous, ready-to-act calm.
After chanting, note the ‘most colored’ help arriving—an intuition, a warning, a calm certainty—and follow it as Indra’s ūti.
Svara details not supplied; keep a slight pitch-rise on ‘vajrin’ and ‘indra’ to mark invocation; maintain refrain cadence at the end.
Do not rush ‘citrābhir ūtibhiḥ’; articulate consonant clusters clearly.
vajrin: j is soft (not ‘z’), ṛ vocalic, citrābhih: aspirated bh, ūtibhiḥ: long ū; dental t, huve: ‘hu’ breathy, not ‘hoo-vey’
Clear, bright, slightly penetrating on ‘vajrin’.
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