Rig Veda 10.86.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 86, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.86
- Rishi
- Indrāṇī
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Tr̥ṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Vira (heroism)
यमिमं त्वं वृषाकपिं प्रियमिन्द्राभिरक्षसि । श्वा न्वस्य जम्भिषदपि कर्णे वराहयुर्विश्वस्मादिन्द्र उत्तरः ॥
yám imáṁ tváṁ vṛṣā́kapiṁ priyám indrābhirákṣasi | śvā́ nv asya jambhiṣád ápi kárṇe varāháyur víśvasmād índra úttaraḥ ||
Esse Vṛṣākapi que tu, ó Indra, estimas e guardas — eis que até o cão o morde, pegando‑lhe na orelha. Seja dominado o ímpeto impelido pelo javali: Indra está acima de tudo.
Word by Word
- यम्
- whomPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषाकपिम्
- Vṛṣākapi (the virile ape; name/epithet)Noun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषाकपि (प्रातिपदिक; समासः)
- प्रियम्
- dear, belovedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभिरक्षसि
- you protectVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अभि-रक्ष् (धातु: रक्ष् ‘to protect’)
- श्वा
- a dogNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/निपातRoot नु (निपात)
- अस्य
- of him/itsPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जम्भिषत्
- bit/crushedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट); तृतीयपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot जम्भ् (धातु: जम्भ् ‘to crush/bite/gnash’)
- अपि
- also; even; ontoIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/निपातRoot अपि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- कर्णे
- in/on the earNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- वराहयुः
- boar-rushing/boar-seeking (epithet, likely of the dog)Adjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (श्वा…वराहयुः = कर्तृ-समूहः)Root वराहयु (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासार्थः) अथवा वराह + यु (‘going/impelling’)
- विश्वस्मात्
- from everything/allAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole अपादानRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तरः
- higher, superior; rescuing (as ‘the upper/greater one’)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: यमिमं → यम् + इमम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: म् + इ → मि)
- प्रिय॒मि॑न्द्राभि॒रक्ष॑सि → प्रियम् + इन्द्र + अभिरक्षसि (म् + इ → मि; तथा पद-सीमा पर ‘इन्द्र’ + ‘अभि-’)
- श्वा न्वस्य → श्वा + नु + अस्य (उ/अ संधि से ‘न्व’)
- जम्भिष॒दपि॒ → जम्भिषत् + अपि (त् + अ → द् ध्वन्यादेशः/संहितायां ‘द’)
- वराह॒युर्विश्व॑स्मा॒दिन्द्र॒ → वराहयुः + विश्वस्मात् + इन्द्र (विसर्ग-सन्धि: युः + वि → युर्वि; त् + इ → दि: विश्वस्मादिन्द्र). वैदिक-स्वर (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) संहितायां चिह्नितः, पद-विभागे मूलरूपे न पुनर्न्यस्तः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
This Vṛṣākapi whom you cherish and guard, O Indra—now even the dog bites him at the ear. (There is) a boar-driven impulse; yet Indra is higher than all.
Inner meaning
If Indra (illumined mind) over-indulges the vital (Vṛṣākapi) as ‘dear’, the lower nature turns chaotic: the ‘dog’ (instinctual, guarding/biting impulse—lower prāṇa) snaps at the vital’s ‘ear’ (its capacity to hear guidance). ‘Varāhayu’ (boar-impulse) suggests a coarse subterranean drive rising from the subconscient. The refrain insists: Indra must stand above, governing and purifying these animal energies, not protecting their disorder. The ear-bite is a warning: turbulence damages receptivity to the higher word (śruti within).
Universal truth
When higher intelligence pampers lower impulses, the psyche loses receptivity and becomes driven by crude subconscient forces; mastery restores hearing, harmony, and ascent.
Themes
threshold-guarding, instinct biting inspiration, taming of the vital, Indra’s supremacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Indrāṇī (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.86.1-24
Family tradition
Saṃvāda hymn with vivid animal symbols to depict layers of the vital and subconscient.
Significance
A practical yogic warning: attachment to a ‘dear’ turbulence leads to loss of inner hearing; the shakti calls the mind back to mastery and right protection (rakṣa) of the ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- uttaraḥ
- Related deities
- Soma (true delight), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Governor of energies; protector of true receptivity and right delight.
Inner power
Capacity to discipline the vital-subconscient complex and restore inner hearing.
In ritual
Where it is used
General Indra-soma recitation; also of interest for narrative/dialogue performance within sadas (assembly) traditions.
यमि॒मं त्वं वृ॒षाक॑पिं प्रि॒यमि॑न्द्राभि॒रक्ष॑सि । श्वा न्व॑स्य जम्भिष॒दपि॒ कर्णे॑ वराह॒युर्विश्व॑स्मा॒दिन्द्र॒ उत्त॑रः ॥
यम् । इ॒मम् । त्वम् । वृ॒षाक॑पिम् । प्रि॒यम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । अ॒भि॒ऽरक्ष॑सि । श्वा । नु । अ॒स्य॒ । ज॒म्भि॒ष॒त् । अपि॑ । कर्णे॑ । व॒रा॒ह॒ऽयुः । विश्व॑स्मात् । इन्द्रः॑ । उत्ऽत॑रः ॥
yam | imam | tvam | vṛṣākapim | priyam | indra | abhi-rakasi | śvā | nu | asya | jambhiṣat | api | karṇe | varāha-yuḥ | viśvasmāt | indraḥ | ut-taraḥ
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4 × ~11
Vivid, abrupt imagery; strong consonant clusters create a biting sonic texture.
Provokes alertness; helps detect and cut lower impulses; ends with uplift and mastery.
- प्रियम् ... अभिरक्षसि (priyam ... abhirakṣasi)
- Literal: you cherish and protect. Symbolic: mind’s attachment to vital excitement; indulgence
- श्वा (śvā)
- Literal: dog. Symbolic: instinctual reactive force; lower prāṇa that snaps/defends
- कर्णे (karṇe)
- Literal: at the ear. Symbolic: inner hearing/receptivity to guidance; capacity to receive inspiration
- जम्भिषत् (jambhiṣat)
- Literal: bit/snatched with teeth. Symbolic: violent reaction that injures receptivity
- वराहयुः (varāhayuḥ)
- Literal: boar-impulse/boar-driven. Symbolic: subconscient push; crude desire-force rising from below
- उत्तरस् (uttaraḥ)
- Literal: higher. Symbolic: sovereignty of illumination over animal nature
General Indra-soma recitation; also of interest for narrative/dialogue performance within sadas (assembly) traditions.
Use when noticing compulsions harming intuition (doom-scrolling, addictions, reactive speech): chant to restore ‘inner ear’ and re-establish governance.
abhi-rakṣ-: √rakṣ 'to guard' (cf. Avestan raz- 'protect'); jambhiṣat: √jambh 'bite/crush' (destructive pressure of the lower instinct); kárṇa 'ear' (reception; PIE *ḱer- 'horn/ear' complex); varāhá 'boar' (thrusting, earth-rooted force; used for violent impetus).
control of impulses (rakṣaṇa as inner guardianship), right hearing (kárṇa: receptivity to the word/śruti)
Protection aligned with ṛta is discipline, not indulgence.
Truth is heard when the ‘ear’ is intact—receptivity requires purification.
Ascent requires integrating animal nature; otherwise lower layers sabotage receptivity.
Integral yoga psychology: subconscient uprisings must be met by higher light and will.
Dog = reactive instinct; boar = subterranean drive; ear = faculty of inner listening; Indra higher = luminous mastery.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A conflict among sub-personal forces: the cherished vital power (Vṛṣākapi) is attacked by a lower reactive instinct (śvā biting the ear). Mythically framed as animal action, psychologically it depicts how instinctive reactions distort ‘hearing’ (receptivity) unless Indra’s protective mastery holds the energies in right order.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The protective verb √rakṣ has clear Indo-Iranian continuity; the relative-correlative structure (yám… tvám…) is a common archaic Indo-European syntactic pattern. Animal terms (śvā < PIE *ḱwṓn ‘dog’) show direct PIE inheritance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi-voice appeals to Indra not for external rescue but for inner guardianship (abhirakṣasi): the divine mind-force must protect the vital’s useful dynamism from being deformed by instinctive ‘biting’ reactions that interfere with right receptivity (ear).
Restore the ‘inner ear’: receptivity to intuition and higher guidance by disciplining reactive instinct.
ajna
Śītalī/śītkārī 9 rounds to cool reactivity; then silent listening practice (nāda/inner sound) for 5 minutes.
From threatened receptivity to protected, luminous listening.
Identify the ‘dear’ indulgence you protect; feel its downstream ‘dog-bite’ reactions; invoke Indra’s higher will; commit to one concrete restraint (niyama) to protect receptivity.
Vedic accenting as per saṃhitā marks; keep consonant-heavy words crisp to mirror the ‘bite’ imagery, then soften on the refrain’s uplift.
Slight emphasis on ‘śvā’ and ‘karṇe’ to highlight the warning; do not rush the final refrain—let it ‘rise’.
: ‘abhirakṣasi’—rakṣ with clear kṣ, : ‘śvā’—palatal ś, long ā, : ‘jambhiṣat’—bh aspirated, retroflex ṣ, : ‘karṇe’—retroflex ṇ, : ‘varāhayuḥ’—long ā; final ḥ light
Alert, controlled; slightly stern in imagery, ending with bright authority on ‘uttaraḥ’.
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