Rig Veda 7.104.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 104, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.104
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra-Soma
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
इन्द्रासोमा वर्तयतं दिवो वधं सं पृथिव्या अघशंसाय तर्हणम् । उत्तक्षतं स्वर्यं पर्वतेभ्यो येन रक्षो वावृधानं निजूर्वथः ॥
índrāsomā vartáyatam divó vadháṁ sáṃ pṛthivyā́ aghaśaṃsā́ya tárhaṇam | úttakṣatam svaryàṃ párvatebhyo yéna rákṣo vāvṛdhānáṃ nijū́rvathaḥ ||
O Indro i Somo, odwróćcie z niebios uderzającą moc i połączcie ją z ziemią jako miażdżący nacisk na tego, który głosi zło. Wytnijcie z gór słońcem zwyciężoną ścieżkę, którą zużywacie rosnącego w nas Rakṣasa.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रासोमा
- O Indra and SomaNoun (dual compound vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (द्वन्द्व-समास; voc. du.)Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र + सोम
- वर्तयतम्
- turn/roll (set in motion)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा); कर्ता = इन्द्रासोमाRoot वृत् (वर्तयति = caus.)
- दिवः
- of heaven, from the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) विशेषणम् वधम्Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव्/द्यौ-)
- वधम्
- the weapon/strike, slaughterNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वध (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियायोगे)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot सम्
- पृथिव्याः
- of the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) विशेषणम् तर्हणम्Root पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अघशंसाय
- for the evil-speaking one (slanderer)Noun/Adjective (as substantive)पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (लक्ष्य/हित-अहित)Root अघशंस (प्रातिपदिक; अघ + शंस)
- तर्हणम्
- the crushing/overpowering (blow)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (वर्तयतम् इत्यस्य)Root तर्हण (प्रातिपदिक; from √तृह्/तर्ह् ‘to injure, overcome’)
- उत्तक्षतम्
- hew out, fashion forth!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (आज्ञा); कर्ता = इन्द्रासोमाRoot √तक्ष् (with ud-)
- स्वर्यम्
- heavenly, sun-brightAdjective (as noun-qualifier)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वधम्/तर्हणम् इत्यादि कर्मविशेषणम्)Role कर्मविशेषणRoot स्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sunny/heavenly, bringing light’)
- पर्वतेभ्यः
- from the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचनRole अपादानRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- येन
- by whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करण (instrumental ‘by which’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम)
- रक्षः
- the demon/evil spirit (Rakṣas)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधानम्
- grown strong, waxingParticipleनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमान/स्थितिवाचक कृदन्त ( ‘grown, waxing’ )Role कर्मविशेषण (रक्षः-विशेषणम्)Root √वृध् (reduplicated perfect/PPP stem वावृधान-)
- निजूर्वथः
- you two crush/destroyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया; कर्ता = इन्द्रासोमाRoot नि + √जुर्व्/√जुर्वा (Vedic: ‘to crush, wear down, destroy’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): इन्द्रा॑सोमा | व॒र्तय॑तम् | दि॒वः | व॒धम् | सम् | पृ॑थि॒व्या॑ः | अ॒घशं॑साय | तर्ह॑णम् । उत्-त॑क्षतम् (उद् + तक्षतम् → उत्तक्षतम्) | स्व॒र्य॑म् | पर्व॑तेभ्यः | येन | रक्षः | वावृधा॒नम् | नि-जूर्वथः (नि + जूर्वथः) । Accent as in Saṃhitā: इन्द्रा॑सोमा (udātta on आ), वर्तय॑तम्, अघशं॑साय, तर्ह॑णम्, उत्त॑क्षतम्, स्व॒र्यं॑, वावृधा॒नम्, नि॒जूर्व॑थः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra and Soma are asked to turn down the smiting force from heaven and unite it with earth as crushing pressure on the evil-speaker; to carve from the mountains a sun-winning path by which the growing Rakṣas is worn down.
Inner meaning
Call for a descent of higher force (‘divo vadha’) into embodied life (‘pṛthivyā’) so the hostile vibration of false speech/thought (aghaśaṃsā) is crushed. ‘Mountains’ are inner obstructions or fixed formations; from them a ‘sun-winning’ passage (svarya) is hewn—an opening for illumination to enter and for the inner Rakṣas (distorting impulses) to be gradually exhausted.
Universal truth
Transformation is complete when the highest insight descends into practical life; illumination must be given a path through our hardest resistances.
Themes
Path-clearing, Obstacle-breaking, Rakṣas-wearing-down, Light-winning (svarya)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 7.104, Rig Veda 7.82, Rig Veda 7.86
Family tradition
Protective and kingly hymns where the seer seeks the descent of divine powers into human order; emphasis on making ṛta effective in the ‘earth’.
Significance
Vasiṣṭha’s yoga repeatedly joins ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’—higher consciousness and embodied life—so the victory is not abstract but integrally lived.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra-Soma
- Epithets
- divo vadha (heavenly smiting), svarya (sun-winning)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Parjanya
Cosmic role
They bring down the power of the luminous world and establish it in the terrestrial field, opening paths for Sūrya-like illumination.
Inner power
Descent + integration: a force that both strikes the false vibration and carves a stable passage for light through inner ‘mountains’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective recitation and obstacle-removal within Indra-Soma contexts; also usable in rites seeking victory over hostile influences
इन्द्रा॑सोमा व॒र्तय॑तं दि॒वो व॒धं सं पृ॑थि॒व्या अ॒घशं॑साय॒ तर्ह॑णम् । उत्त॑क्षतं स्व॒र्यं१॒॑ पर्व॑तेभ्यो॒ येन॒ रक्षो॑ वावृधा॒नं नि॒जूर्व॑थः ॥
इन्द्रा॑सोमा । व॒र्तय॑तम् । दि॒वः । व॒धम् । सम् । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । अ॒घऽशं॑साय । तर्ह॑णम् । उत् । त॒क्ष॒त॒म् । स्व॒र्य॑म् । पर्व॑तेभ्यः । येन॑ । रक्षः॑ । व॒वृ॒धा॒नम् । नि॒ऽजूर्व॑थः ॥
indrāsomā | vartayatam | divaḥ | vadham | sam | pṛthivyāḥ | agha-śaṃsāya | taharṇam | ut | takṣatam | svaryam | parvatebhyaḥ | yena | rakṣaḥ | vavṛdhānam | ni-jūrvathaḥ
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4 x ~11 syllables
Strong descending beats suitable to the imagery of ‘turning down’ power and ‘crushing’ resistance.
Produces a sense of downward descent and pressure, then an opening/clearing on ‘svaryam’—a felt passageway for breath and awareness.
- divo vadhaṃ
- Literal: the smiting from heaven. Symbolic: descending force of higher consciousness that strikes ignorance
- sam pṛthivyāḥ
- Literal: together with/from the earth. Symbolic: integration with embodied nature—making realization effective in life
- aghaśaṃsāya
- Literal: to the evil-voiced/evil-speaking one. Symbolic: false suggestion, inner propaganda of the lower nature
- tarhaṇam
- Literal: crushing, overpowering. Symbolic: pressure of truth-force that compels surrender of resistance
- svaryam
- Literal: sun-winning. Symbolic: movement that gains the inner sun (illumination, Swar)
- parvatebhyaḥ
- Literal: from the mountains. Symbolic: hard knots of habit, fixed subconscious formations
- rakṣaḥ vāvṛdhānam
- Literal: the Rakṣas growing. Symbolic: expanding hostile tendency if left unchecked
- nijūrvathaḥ
- Literal: you wear down, exhaust. Symbolic: progressive diminution of the hostile force through persistent higher action
Protective and obstacle-breaking recitation; imagery of descending vadhá and carving svarya path aligns with rites seeking safe passage and removal of hostile influences.
When establishing a protected space (yajña-śālā), before major offerings, or during periods of perceived inner/outer obstruction.
Invocation for descent of force; symbolic ‘hewing’ can be mirrored by opening a path/space in ritual layout.
As a mantra for ‘bringing the highest into the daily’: recite before difficult conversations to purify speech, or before work to open a ‘sun-winning path’ through inertia.
√vṛt 'turn, roll' (PIE *wert- 'turn'); vadhá 'smiting' from √vadh 'to strike/kill'. √takṣ 'to fashion, hew' (cf. PIE *teks- 'to fashion', Latin texō). svar (sun/light) + -ya → svarya 'leading to light'. √jūrv 'to waste away, weaken' with ni- gives total enfeeblement.
Svar (luminous consciousness), Integration of higher and lower powers (dyāvā-pṛthivī motif), Knot-breaking of hardened formations
The ‘evil-voiced’ is anṛta; the descent of divo vadha restores ṛta in speech and action.
Truth must be embodied (‘joined with earth’) to become stable.
Opening of the path to Swar from within the mountains—release of hidden light.
Integral descent (higher to lower) consistent with Aurobindo’s ‘descent of force’ motif.
dawn-to-sunrise (implied by svarya)
unspecified
Heaven=higher mind; earth=body-life; mountains=obstructions; sun-path=channel for illumination through resistance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The carving of the 'sun-winning' way from the mountains reprises the Vala/mountain-breaking mythic complex: hidden light is released by hewing through hard barriers; simultaneously the rakṣas is crushed by a heaven-sent stroke joined with earth’s pressure.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛt (vart-) corresponds to PIE *wert- 'turn' (Latin vertō). √takṣ corresponds to PIE *teks- 'craft, build' (Latin texō). The dyadic heaven/earth framing is a common Indo-European poetic structure.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks the gods to perform the inner work of 'path-making': the human aspiration seeks svar, but the divine powers must cut through the mountain-like resistances and apply decisive pressure to the hostile growths.
Descent of higher force into speech and daily action; opening a channel through a stubborn resistance.
viśuddha (speech-truth) supported by ājñā (illumination)
Inhale imagining ‘divo vadha’ descending as cool-bright force; exhale pressing it into the chest/belly as steady grounding.
Dynamic equanimity—forceful yet ordered; clarity that becomes practical.
Identify one ‘aghaśaṃsā’ pattern (self-defeating inner talk). On recitation, feel a downward stream of light-force; then visualize a ‘path’ opening through a hard block (parvata) for truthful speech and action.
Vedic accentuation with clear udātta on invocatory syllables; emphasize the downward semantic motion on ‘vartayatam’ through phrasing rather than volume.
Phrase 1 as a descent (divo vadham); phrase 2 as a firm compression (tarhaṇam); brighten and slightly lift tone on ‘svaryam’.
vartayatam: keep ‘rt’ crisp, no extra vowel, aghaśaṃsāya: articulate ‘śaṃ’ nasalization clearly, nijūrvathaḥ: keep ‘jūr’ long and resonant
Commanding but steady; articulate consonant clusters cleanly for ‘crushing’ effect.
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