Rig Veda 6.17.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 17, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.17
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स ईं पाहि य ऋजीषी तरुत्रो यः शिप्रवान्वृषभो यो मतीनाम् । यो गोत्रभिद्वज्रभृद्यो हरिष्ठाः स इन्द्र चित्राँ अभि तृन्धि वाजान् ॥
sá īṃ pāhi yá ṛjīṣī tárutro yáḥ śípravān vṛṣabhó yó matīnā́m | yó gotra-bhíd vajra-bhṛ́d yó hari-sthā́ḥ sá indra citrā́ṃ abhí tṛndhi vā́jān ||
Chroń i pielęgnuj tę Somę dla nas, ty, który jesteś gwałtowny, przechodzący ponad, silny-byk, pan natchnionych myśli; ty, który kruszysz zagrody, nosisz piorun, stoisz na lśniących rumakach: o Indro, poprowadź ku nam różnorodne pełnie mocy.
Word by Word
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (स- सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईम्
- indeed; him (emphatic particle)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Root ईम् (निपात/सर्वनामिक-अव्यय)
- पाहि
- protect!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Root पा (पाने/रक्षणे)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (य- सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋजीषी
- (Indra) with the pressed soma/with the soma-juiceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot ऋजीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तरुत्रः
- overcoming; victoriousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तरुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्
- शिप्रवान्
- strong-jawed; with prominent jawsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शिप्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक) < शिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभः
- bull (mighty one)Nounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्
- मतीनाम्
- of thoughts; of devotionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः षष्ठी बहुवचनम्Root मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्
- गोत्रभित्
- splitter of the cow-pen (Vṛtra’s enclosure)Nounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot गोत्रभिद् (प्रातिपदिक) < गोत्र + भिद् (√भिद्) (कृदन्त-समास)
- वज्रभृत्
- bearer of the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot वज्रभृत् (प्रातिपदिक) < वज्र + भृत् (√भृ) (कृदन्त-समास)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्
- हरिष्ठाः
- standing on/with the bays (bay-horsed)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम् (वैदिके दीर्घ-आन्तः रूपम्)Role KartāRoot हरिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) < हरि + स्था (√स्था) (कृदन्त/समास)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्रान्
- bright; splendidAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards; againstIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तृन्धि
- strike down; cleaveVerbलोट् मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Root तृन्द्/तृध् (वैदिक) (हिंसायाम्/छेदने)
- वाजान्
- prizes; strengths; spoilsNounपुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): सः ईम् पाहि | यः ऋजीषी तरुत्रः | यः शिप्रवान् वृषभः यः मतीनाम् | यः गोत्रभित् वज्रभृत् यः हरिष्ठाः | सः इन्द्र चित्रान् अभि तृन्धि वाजान् || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) स ईम् → सः + ईम् (विसर्ग-लोपः स्वरादौ) । (2) पाहि यः → पाहि + यः (सन्धिः न विशेषः) । (3) गोत्रभिद्वज्रभृद्यो → गोत्रभित् + वज्रभृत् + यः (त्/द्-परिवर्तनं पदसंहितायाम्; पदपाठे पृथक्) । (4) स इन्द्र → सः + इन्द्र (विसर्ग-लोपः) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is asked to protect this Soma for the worshippers; he is praised as impetuous, victorious, bull of strength, lord of inspirations, breaker of pens, bearer of the thunderbolt, rider of the tawny steeds; he should drive to the singers diverse spoils/strengths.
Inner meaning
Protect and mature in us the Soma-delight (the inner offering) so the illumined Mind can act with swift overpassing force. Indra is the master of inspired thoughts (matīnām), the breaker of limiting enclosures (gotra-bhid), and the wielder of decisive discrimination (vajra). Mounted on the shining life-energies (harī), he drives toward us varied ‘vājāḥ’—powers of effective action and realizations.
Universal truth
When joy and aspiration are safeguarded, intelligence becomes fearless and creative; it breaks limiting patterns and brings a diverse abundance of capacities into life.
Themes
epithet-chain, invocation for plenitude, release of knowledge, divine protection
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.17 (whole sūkta), RV 6.18, RV 6.47
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya emphasis on brahma (inspired word) as a force that calls down Indra’s illumination and victory.
Significance
The seer’s psychology: keep Soma (Ananda) protected within, so the illumined mind can marshal life-energies and bring ‘citrā vājāḥ’—many-formed fulfillments.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ṛjīṣī, tarutro, śipravān, vṛṣabhaḥ, matīnām pati (lord of inspirations), gotrabhid, vajrabhṛt, hariṣṭha
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts (as allied forces), Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Champion who releases the hidden light and leads the gods’ victory; distributor of powers and plenitudes.
Inner power
Intuitive-intellectual sovereignty that guards delight, breaks limiting formations, and directs vital energies toward right accomplishment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña Indra-stotra; protective invocation over Soma and the sacrificer’s gain.
स ईं॑ पाहि॒ य ऋ॑जी॒षी तरु॑त्रो॒ यः शिप्र॑वान्वृष॒भो यो म॑ती॒नाम् । यो गो॑त्र॒भिद्व॑ज्र॒भृद्यो ह॑रि॒ष्ठाः स इ॑न्द्र चि॒त्राँ अ॒भि तृ॑न्धि॒ वाजा॑न् ॥
सः । ई॒म् । पा॒हि॒ । यः । ऋ॒जी॒षी । तरु॑त्रः । यः । शिप्र॑ऽवान् । वृ॒ष॒भः । यः । म॒ती॒नाम् । यः । गो॒त्र॒ऽभित् । व॒ज्र॒ऽभृत् । यः । ह॒रि॒ऽस्थाः । सः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । चि॒त्रान् । अ॒भि । तृ॒न्धि॒ । वाजा॑न् ॥
saḥ | īm | pāhi | yaḥ | ṛjīṣī | tarutraḥ | yaḥ | śipra-vān | vṛṣabhaḥ | yaḥ | matīnām | yaḥ | gotra-bhit | vajra-bhṛt | yaḥ | hari-sthāḥ | saḥ | indra | citrān | abhi | tṛndhi | vājān
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Ebullient and propulsive; suitable for enumerating epithets and building invocation-power.
Creates a sense of mounting force and confident calling; supports summoning of inner resources.
- पा॒हि (pāhi)
- Literal: protect, guard. Symbolic: preserve the inner delight/aspiration from dispersion and doubt
- ऋजीषी (ṛjīṣī)
- Literal: impetuous, rushing. Symbolic: swift luminous momentum of higher mind
- तरुत्र (tarutro)
- Literal: overpassing, overcoming. Symbolic: transcending habitual limitations
- शिप्रवान् (śipravān)
- Literal: strong-jawed/ardent-lipped. Symbolic: forceful utterance and decisive grasp; energetic affirmation
- वृषभः (vṛṣabhaḥ)
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: creative strength and virile power of illumination
- मतीनाम् (matīnām)
- Literal: of thoughts/inspirations. Symbolic: seer-thoughts, intuitive formations
- गोत्रभित् (gotrabhid)
- Literal: breaker of cow-pens. Symbolic: opener of subconscient enclosures holding light
- हरिष्ठाः (hariṣṭhāḥ)
- Literal: standing on the tawny horses. Symbolic: mastery over dynamic life-forces used as vehicles of the divine mind
- वाजान् (vājān)
- Literal: prizes, strengths, plenitudes. Symbolic: effective powers—capacities, victories, fulfilled energies
Indra-Soma offering: request for protection, inspiration, and victorious force; typical in Soma-day stotras/śastras
Around Soma offering/pressing; also as praise before seeking boons (vāja).
Recite while offering Soma; request protection and the ‘driving’ of boons toward the yajamāna.
Use as a ‘protect my practice’ mantra—before meditation or study, to guard inner joy and call in diverse capacities (focus, courage, insight).
√pā is double-valued ‘protect’ and ‘drink’; here pāhi can carry both: ‘drink/guard this Soma’, i.e., accept and protect the offering’s working. gotra-bhit compounds go+tra (enclosure) + bhid (splitter) from √bhid ‘split’. vāja denotes ‘prize/food’ but fundamentally ‘vigour/strength’; hence inner ‘plenitudes of force’ rather than material gain.
mati (inspired thought), crossing beyond limitation (tarutra), vāja (plenitude of force)
Indra’s ‘driving’ of vājāḥ is Ṛta in action—right distribution of force toward truth-fulfillment.
Varied vājāḥ are forms of Satya made effective in life.
Release and organization of energies (thought, life-force) into a many-formed harmony.
Integral yoga resonance: protect Ananda; then illumination can transform vital nature into instruments (harī).
Horses = disciplined prāṇa and life-energy; Soma = joy-current; thunderbolt = incisive insight; cow-pen = sealed inner light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as ‘breaker of the pens’ (gotra-bhit): the same release-myth is invoked as a present inner action—he is asked to thrust towards the seeker the manifold vājāḥ, i.e., victorious forces and fulfillments born of released light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhid ‘split’ has IE cognates (cf. Old English bītan ‘bite’ in a broader ‘split’ semantic field; Slavic forms show related ‘cut/split’ roots). The epithet style (relative clauses ‘yaḥ… yaḥ…’) mirrors inherited IE hymn formulae of stacked epicleses.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi enumerates Indra’s powers as a means of ‘calling them down’—naming is activation. The requested gift (vājān) is not external spoil but the inwardly effective force that follows from Indra’s releasing action.
‘Pāhi Soma’—protect the inner sweetness and aspiration; then invite Indra to drive in effective powers.
Anāhata (inner joy) supporting Ājñā (illumined mind).
Gentle nāḍī-śodhana 6 rounds, then recite once per exhale.
Collected, protected inwardness opening into dynamic clarity.
Feel Soma as a quiet gladness in the heart; on each pāda, call one epithet as a quality to embody (speed, overcoming, inspired thought, decisive action).
Standard Vedic udatta/anudatta/svarita contours apply; exact svara needs śākhā notation.
Keep the chain of ‘yaḥ…yaḥ…yo…’ crisp; slightly lift the voice on epithets, settle on ‘sa indra’.
sa īm: sandhi—prolong ī slightly, avoid glottal break, ṛjīṣī: vocalic ṛ; long ī, tarutro: roll ‘tr’ lightly, śipravān: ‘śi’ palatal, ‘pr’ conjunct, gotrabhid: ‘bhid’ with clear aspiration, hariṣṭhāḥ: retroflex ṣṭh cluster—do not simplify
Clear, ringing, slightly faster to carry the epithet-list momentum.
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