Rig Veda 6.75.7: Mandala 6, Sukta 75, Mantra 7
Sukta 6.75
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja tradition
- Devata
- Weapons/War-energies
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तीव्रान्घोषान्कृण्वते वृषपाणयोऽश्वा रथेभिः सह वाजयन्तः । अवक्रामन्तः प्रपदैरमित्रान्क्षिणन्ति शत्रूँरनपव्ययन्तः ॥
tīvrā́n ghoṣā́n kṛṇvate vṛ́ṣa-pāṇayo’śvā́ rathébhiḥ sahá vā́jayantaḥ | ava-krā́mantaḥ prá-padair amítrān kṣiṇánti śátrūn ánapa-vyayantaḥ ||
Mocne konie o silnych rękach wydają ostry grzmot; zaprzężone do rydwanów przynoszą pełnię mocy. Swoimi krokami naprzód depczą wrogie ruchy i zużywają siły przeciwnika, nigdy nie ustępując z marszu.
Word by Word
- तीव्रान्
- fierce, sharpAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तीव्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- घोषान्
- sounds, clamoursNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot घोष- (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृण्वते
- they make, produceVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; तृतीया-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root कृ (कृञ्) धातु
- वृषपाणयः
- the strong-handed (warriors)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वृष-पाणि- (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासः)
- अश्वाः
- horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अश्व- (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथेभिः
- with chariotsNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot रथ- (प्रातिपदिक)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableअव्ययRole (सह-सम्बन्धः)Root सह (अव्यय)
- वाजयन्तः
- driving on, urging to speed / winning prizesVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वाजय (नामधातु/धातु: वाजय् < वाज ‘प्रेरणे/वर्धने’)
- अवक्रामन्तः
- stepping down upon, chargingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अव-क्रम् (धातु: क्रम् ‘गत्यर्थे’ उपसर्गः अव)
- प्रपदैः
- with forward steps / with stridesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot प्रपद- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प्र’+पद)
- अमित्रान्
- enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अमित्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षिणन्ति
- they destroy, wear downVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; तृतीया-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root क्षि (धातु: क्षि ‘क्षये/हिंसायाम्’)
- शत्रून्
- foesNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot शत्रु- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनपव्ययन्तः
- not turning away, not retreatingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अन-अप-व्यय (धातु: व्यय्/वि-इ ‘गत्यर्थे/अपगमे’; उपसर्गाः अप, अनु; नञ्-प्रत्ययः)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): तीव्रान् + घोषान् + कृण्वते | वृषपाणयः + अश्वाः + रथेभिः + सह + वाजयन्तः | अवक्रामन्तः + प्रपदैः + अमित्रान् + क्षिणन्ति + शत्रून् + अनपव्ययन्तः
- Notable sandhi: घोषान्-कृण्वते (न् + क्), पाणयोऽश्वाः = पाणयः + अश्वाः (visarga before vowel → ’), अमित्रान्क्षिणन्ति = अमित्रान् + क्षिणन्ति (न् + क्ष्), शत्रूँरनपव्ययन्तः = शत्रून् + अनपव्ययन्तः (न् + अ; nasal assimilation/orthographic contraction in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The strong-handed horses yoked to chariots roar loudly and win booty/power; striding forward they trample foes and wear down enemies without turning back.
Inner meaning
The aśvāḥ (life-forces of action) yoked to the ratha (organized movement of consciousness) become vṛṣapāṇayaḥ—energies held with a firm, luminous grip. Their “thunder” is the decisive vibration of the will in the nerves and mind. When the seeker keeps the forward march (anapavyayantaḥ), these forces press down hostile impulses (amitrāḥ) and erode entrenched resistances (śatrūn) in the subconscient. It is the psychology of steadfast progress: dynamic energy, harnessed to a higher direction, breaks the inertia and opposition.
Universal truth
Power becomes liberating when it is yoked to a higher purpose and refuses retreat; disciplined forward movement gradually dissolves resistance and restores plenitude.
Themes
inner battle, victory-march, removal of hostile forces, steadfast will
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja (Bārhaspatya tradition)
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.1, RV 6.47, RV 6.50, RV 6.61, RV 6.75
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya—seer-line emphasizing the power of inspired Word (Bṛhaspati) guiding force into right action.
Significance
The Bharadvāja vision often unites luminous intelligence with energetic conquest: the Word and the Will cooperate so that the inner battle becomes a progressive self-perfection rather than mere aggression.
The deity
- Devata
- Ratha-aśva war-powers (āyudha-śakti)
- Epithets
- vṛṣapāṇu (strong-grasping), vājayin (bringer of vāja), tīvra-ghoṣa (thunder-voiced), anapavyayin (undeviating)
- Related deities
- Indra, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Dynamic powers that carry the divine intention through conflict, ensuring forward movement and victory over obstruction.
Inner power
Courageous will-force (vīrya) harnessed to right direction; the capacity to press down hostile vibrations and persist until transformation is secured.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective and victory-oriented recitation within martial/defensive contexts; also as a general apotropaic (warding) verse in offerings for strength.
ती॒व्रान्घोषा॑न्कृण्वते॒ वृष॑पाण॒योऽश्वा॒ रथे॑भिः स॒ह वा॒जय॑न्तः । अ॒व॒क्राम॑न्त॒: प्रप॑दैर॒मित्रा॑न्क्षि॒णन्ति॒ शत्रूँ॒रन॑पव्ययन्तः ॥
ती॒व्रान् । घोषा॑न् । कृ॒ण्व॒ते॒ । वृष॑ऽपाण॒यः । अश्वाः॑ । रथे॑भिः । स॒ह । वा॒जय॑न्तः । अ॒व॒ऽक्राम॑न्तः । प्रऽप॑दैः । अ॒मित्रा॑न् । क्षि॒णन्ति॑ । शत्रू॑न् । अन॑पऽव्ययन्तः ॥
tīvrān | ghoṣān | kṛṇvate | vṛṣa-pāṇayaḥ | aśvāḥ | rathebhiḥ | saha | vājayantaḥ | ava-krāmantaḥ | pra-padaiḥ | amitrān | kṣiṇanti | śatrūn | anapa-vyayantaḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Driving, martial cadence with forward thrust; strong caesura supports “marching” feel.
Energizes resolve and steadiness; helpful when the practitioner needs momentum and refusal of relapse.
- अश्वाः (aśvāḥ)
- Literal: horses. Symbolic: vital energies; forces of action and progress in the being
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: integrated vehicle of consciousness; organized movement of will, mind, and life
- वृषपाणयः (vṛṣapāṇayaḥ)
- Literal: strong-handed, bull-handed. Symbolic: firmly-grasping powers; resolute will holding the energies
- तीव्र घोष (tīvra ghoṣa)
- Literal: sharp loud sound. Symbolic: decisive inner vibration; clarity and force of command in the system
- वाजयन्तः (vājayantaḥ)
- Literal: winning vāja (prize/strength). Symbolic: bringing plenitude of power, effective capacity, victorious energy
- अमित्र (amitra)
- Literal: non-friend, hostile. Symbolic: discordant movements; opposing impulses and formations
- शत्रु (śatru)
- Literal: enemy. Symbolic: fixed resistances; habitual obscurities and denials
- अनपव्ययन्तः (anapavyayantaḥ)
- Literal: not turning aside. Symbolic: steadfast aspiration; unwavering sādhana-march
Protective and victory-oriented recitation in martial contexts; also usable as apotropaic support alongside offerings for safeguarding the rāṣṭra/host in expedition (general Atharvanic-style protection within Ṛgvedic frame).
Before undertaking contest, travel, or any work requiring protection and force; in contexts of consecrating weapons/means of action.
Recited with oblation/mental offering to align forces of action with ṛta and to subdue hostile influences.
Use as a ‘steadfast progress’ mantra before difficult tasks; chant while visualizing energies yoked to a higher aim, pressing down distractions and fear.
Key terms: vṛṣa-pāṇayaḥ (vṛṣan ‘bull, strong’ + pāṇi ‘hand’; ‘hand’ as executive power). vājayantaḥ from √vaj/√vāj ‘to be strong, to impel’; vāja as plenitude of force/food of energy. kṣiṇanti from √kṣi ‘to diminish, wear away’. amitra ‘non-mitra’: that which is not in the harmony/contract of Mitra (right relation), thus anti-ṛta.
Ṛta (right order) as steadfast forward movement, tapas-like intensity (tīvra)
Victory is legitimate when it is the advance of ṛta—right movement overcoming obstruction.
Truth expresses as unwavering alignment; ‘not turning aside’ is fidelity to the inner truth.
Transformation through progressive conquest: order emerges by pressing back chaos/hostility.
Proto-integral yoga reading (Aurobindonian): energies are instruments of consciousness, to be yoked upward.
Life-energy and nervous force, when disciplined, become the vehicle of the soul’s march; the ‘thunder’ is the awakened command of will.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of the forward-driving divine powers (aśvāḥ/rathe) crushing the hostile ones: an archetypal ‘advance of ṛta’ where luminous, disciplined motion erodes the formations of obstruction (amitra/śatru).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśva- ‘horse’ continues PIE *h₁éḱwos (cf. Lat. equus). śatru- ‘enemy’ aligns with Indo-Iranian *śatrú- (cf. Av. satra- ‘harm, oppression’ in semantic neighborhood). The chariot-war diction reflects a shared Indo-European poetic-technological complex (horse + chariot + forward stride).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer invokes not a genealogical god but an operative power: disciplined energies that carry the will forward. The implied reciprocity is: the human aligns with steadfast advance (anapavyayana), and the divine energies reciprocate by diminishing inner and outer resistances (kṣiṇanti śatrūn), restoring right movement in ṛta.
Harnessing vital energy to the soul’s intention; unwavering forward movement in sādhanā.
Maṇipūra (will/drive) with support from Anāhata (courage without hatred).
Brisk-energetic ujjāyī or counted exhale (e.g., 4–6) while imagining ‘forward strides’ pressing down resistance.
Dynamic concentration (ekāgratā) with heroic calm; ‘battle-trance’ without agitation.
Before practice, offer the day’s energies into the inner ‘chariot’; during obstacles, repeat the final sense—anapavyayantaḥ—refuse side-tracks and return to the chosen line.
Vedic svara as in Śākala tradition: maintain udatta peaks on key force-words (e.g., ghoṣān, aśvāḥ, kṣiṇanti) with smooth anudatta support; avoid flattening the cadence.
Let each pāda land firmly at its close; keep a slight lift on udatta syllables and a gentle glide through svarita transitions.
tīvrān ghoṣān: keep long ī and ā; aspirate gh in ghoṣān, vṛṣapāṇayo: clear retroflex ṣ; avoid turning ṇ into n, kṣiṇanti: pronounce kṣ as a conjunct, not ‘k-shi’ separated, anapavyayantaḥ: articulate vy as ‘vya’; final ḥ lightly aspirated
Firm, resonant, forward-placing (chest-to-mask), without shouting.
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