Rig Veda 3.52.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 52, Mantra 6
Sukta 3.52
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
तृतीये धानाः सवने पुरुष्टुत पुरोळाशमाहुतं मामहस्व नः । ऋभुमन्तं वाजवन्तं त्वा कवे प्रयस्वन्त उप शिक्षेम धीतिभिः ॥
tṛtī́ye dhānā́ḥ sávane puru-stuta puroḷā́śam ā́hutaṃ mamahasva naḥ | ṛbhúmantaṃ vā́javantam tvā kave práyasvanta úpa śikṣema dhītíbhiḥ ||
Na terceira prensagem, ó muito louvado, aceita os grãos e o puroḷāśa oferecido, e engrandece‑nos. Ó Kavi, pleno de poder r̥bhu, rico em força e plenitude — que nós, trazendo impulsos preparados, aprendamos a aproximar‑nos de ti por discernimentos luminosos (dhīti).
Word by Word
- तृतीये
- in the thirdAdjective (ordinal)नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (सवने इति नपुंसके विशेषणम्)Role अधिकारणRoot तृतीय
- धानाः
- grains; parched grainsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot धान (धानाः)
- सवने
- at the Soma-pressingNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot सवन
- पुरुष्टुत
- O much-praised oneNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot पुरु-स्तुत
- पुरोळाशम्
- the puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot पुरोळाश
- आहुतम्
- offered, oblatedParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (पुरोळाशम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot √हु (आ-√हु) → आहुत
- मामहस्व
- magnify (us); gladden/exaltVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √मह (मामहस्व)
- नः
- of us; ourPronounषष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- ऋभुमन्तम्
- possessing Ṛbhu-skill; RbhvantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot ऋभुमन्त्
- वाजवन्तम्
- possessing strength/prize (vāja)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाजवन्त्
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot युष्मद्
- कवे
- O seer/poetNounपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot कवि
- प्रयस्वन्तः
- having refreshment/abundance (prayás)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot प्रयस् + वन्त्
- उप
- near; towardsIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot उप
- शिक्षेम
- may we learn; may we be instructedVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् (इच्छा/सम्भावना), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √शिक्ष्
- धीतिभिः
- with thoughts/hymns; by insightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot धीति
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): तृतीये धानाः सवने पुरुष्टुत पुरोळाशम् आहुतम् मामहस्व नः । ऋभुमन्तम् वाजवन्तम् त्वा कवे प्रयस्वन्तः उप शिक्षेम धीतिभिः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) पुरोळाशम्+आहुतम् → पुरोळाशमाहुतम् (म् + आ = माऽ)
- (2) त्वा+कवे → त्वा कवे (सन्धि न आवश्यकः; पदान्त-स्वर)
- (3) उप+शिक्षेम → उप शिक्षेम (उपसर्गः पृथक्; संहितायां उपशिक्षेम इति सम्भवम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
At the third pressing, accept the grains and the offered puroḷāśa, O much-praised one, and magnify us. O poet, possessed of ṛbhu-skill and vāja-force, may we, bringing prepared offerings, learn to approach you with insights.
Inner meaning
In the ‘third pressing’—the later, more inward turn of the cycle—the seeker asks Indra to accept and to ‘magnify’ (māmahasva) the being: expand consciousness and capability. Indra is invoked as kavi (seer-poet power) and ṛbhumant (skilled in perfect formation): the intelligence that can refashion our nature. With vājavant (plenitude of force), he grants victorious energies. The aspirants, ‘prayasvantaḥ’ (bringing prepared intensity/offerings), seek to approach through dhītibhiḥ—luminous discernments, right thoughts that are also intuitions.
Universal truth
Mature practice culminates in refashioning: the higher intelligence not only empowers but reshapes the being. Approaching the divine requires prepared energy and refined discernment; then expansion and mastery become natural.
Themes
third pressing culmination, increase of being, learning/inner discipline, divine craftsmanship
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Gāthina (Kauśika association later)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.52.5, RV 3.53, RV 3.54
Family tradition
Visionary-poetic approach: kavi-hood and dhīti as primary instruments for inner realization.
Significance
Here Viśvāmitra emphasizes the culmination of the sacrifice: not only strength but skillful refashioning (ṛbhu) and luminous discernment (dhīti) leading to expansion.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- puruṣṭuta, kavi, ṛbhumant, vājavant, maghavan
- Related deities
- Ṛbhus (as a principle of formation), Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Completes the cycle of offerings; grants increase, mastery, and perfected formation of powers.
Inner power
Intuitive executive intelligence that both empowers and reshapes; gives victorious plenitude and expansive consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Tṛtīya-savana (third Soma pressing)
तृ॒तीये॑ धा॒नाः सव॑ने पुरुष्टुत पुरो॒ळाश॒माहु॑तं मामहस्व नः । ऋ॒भु॒मन्तं॒ वाज॑वन्तं त्वा कवे॒ प्रय॑स्वन्त॒ उप॑ शिक्षेम धी॒तिभि॑: ॥
तृ॒तीये॑ । धा॒नाः । सव॑ने । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒त॒ । पु॒रो॒ळाश॑म् । आऽहु॑तम् । म॒म॒ह॒स्व॒ । नः॒ । ऋ॒भु॒ऽमन्त॑म् । वाज॑ऽवन्तम् । त्वा॒ । क॒वे॒ । प्रय॑स्वन्तः । उप॑ । शि॒क्षे॒म॒ । धी॒तिऽभिः॑ ॥
tṛtīye | dhānāḥ | savane | puru-stuta | puroḷāśam | āhutam | mamahasva | naḥ | ṛbhu-mantam | vāja-vantam | tvā | kave | prayasvantaḥ | upa | śikṣema | dhīti--bhiḥ
44
4×11 (approx.)
Grave and culminating; longer lines allow integration and breadth.
Supports a feeling of completion and expansion; good for sealing a practice session with widened awareness.
- tṛtīye savane (तृतीये सवने)
- Literal: third pressing. Symbolic: later stage of practice: inward consolidation, completion, integration
- puruṣṭuta (पुरुष्टुत)
- Literal: much-praised. Symbolic: the power repeatedly confirmed by experience; stable reliance on illumination
- āhutam (आहुतम्)
- Literal: offered, poured into fire. Symbolic: consecrated energy placed into transformative process
- māmahasva (मामहस्व)
- Literal: magnify us. Symbolic: expand our consciousness and capacities; increase inner riches
- kavi (कवे)
- Literal: poet-seer. Symbolic: intuitive illumined intelligence; creator of right forms in consciousness
- ṛbhumant (ऋभुमन्तम्)
- Literal: possessing Ṛbhu-skill. Symbolic: power of perfect formation—crafting the nature into divine workmanship
- vājavant (वाजवन्तम्)
- Literal: possessed of vāja (force, plenitude). Symbolic: abundance of victorious energy and effective power
- prayasvantaḥ (प्रयस्वन्तः)
- Literal: bringing offerings/efforts. Symbolic: prepared ardor and disciplined energies brought for transformation
- dhītibhiḥ (धीतिभिः)
- Literal: with thoughts/insights. Symbolic: luminous discernments; intuitive right thinking that guides approach
Tṛtīya-savana (third Soma pressing); prayer for increase (mah) and for training in dhīti (inspired discernment)
At the third pressing; prayers for increase and perfected skill
Offering dhānāḥ and puroḷāśa; request for magnification; concluding approach with dhīti
Evening integration practice: offer the day’s energies, ask for expansion and reshaping; review actions with luminous discernment (dhīti) rather than self-judgment.
(āhuta) from ā-√hu ‘to pour/offer, invoke’ → offered oblation. (mamahasva) from √mah ‘to be great’ (causative/imperative middle nuance) → ‘make us great/increase us’. (ṛbhu) relates to the Ṛbhus, divine artisans; ṛbhúmant ‘possessing artisanal skill’ → capacity to fashion forms; psychologically, right-formation of faculties. (vāja) from √vaj ‘to be strong, speed’ → force/plenitude, not merely ‘food/prize’. (dhīti) from √dhī ‘to think, envision’ → inspired thought/vision.
vāja as plenitude of force, dhīti as inspired thought, ṛta as right-formation (ṛbhu-mant)
Ṛbhu-formation indicates ṛta as right form; the cosmos is maintained by perfect crafting of forces.
Dhīti aligns thought with satya—truth-vision rather than opinion.
Refashioning/formation: the divine craftsman principle perfects the human instrument.
Integral Vedic psychology: transformation through illumination (Indra) + formation (ṛbhu) + discernment (dhīti).
late afternoon/evening (implied by third savana)
Third phase = inward consolidation; fire = transformation; grain = harvested capacities now ready for perfected use.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The culminating ‘third pressing’ mythologem: ascent toward completion where Indra is not only the warrior but the master of skill (ṛbhu) and force (vāja). The human aim shifts from request to apprenticeship—learning to approach by dhīti (vision-thought).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mah ‘great’ connects to PIE *meg̑h₂- ‘great’ (cf. Latin magnus). √dhī ‘think’ is Indo-Iranian central for inspired thought; PIE *dʰeh₁- is different, but the dhī semantic field parallels archaic IE valuation of ‘poetic thought’ as power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The relationship becomes pedagogical and transformative: the rishi asks Indra to magnify the sacrificer and to allow learning (śikṣ-) through dhīti. Indra is approached as kavi (seer) and ṛbhu-mant (former of forms), enabling inner formation, not merely outer victory.
Refashioning by illumination: offer yourself for ‘crafting’—let habits be re-formed by a higher intelligence.
Sahasrāra (expansion) with Ājñā (discernment)
Slow exhale-lengthening (inhale 4, exhale 8) while mentally repeating ‘dhītibhiḥ’ to steady insight
Integrative, wide, quietly luminous; reflective without heaviness.
End-of-day: offer successes and failures alike (āhuta); ask ‘māmahasva’—increase the true being; sit 3 minutes watching for a calmer, wider understanding (dhīti).
Rigvedic accents; give prominence to puruṣṭuta, kave, dhītibhiḥ with clear tonal rise.
Keep the first pāda steady and expansive; make ‘ṛbhumantaṃ vājavantaṃ tvā kave’ a single honoring sweep.
puruṣṭuta: retroflex ṣṭ; keep ‘ṭu’ crisp, ṛbhumantam: vocalic ṛ at start; ‘bh’ voiced aspirate, dhītibhiḥ: long ī; ‘bh’ aspirated; final visarga light
Deep, even, contemplative; let the cadence widen at line ends.
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