Rig Veda 10.28.7: Mandala 10, Sukta 28, Mantra 7
Sukta 10.28
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एवा हि मां तवसं जज्ञुरुग्रं कर्मन्कर्मन्वृषणमिन्द्र देवाः । वधीं वृत्रं वज्रेण मन्दसानोऽप व्रजं महिना दाशुषे वम् ॥
evā́ hí māṃ tavásaṃ jajñúr ugráṃ kárman-karman vṛ́ṣaṇam indra devā́ḥ | vadhī́ṃ vṛtráṃ vájreṇa mandasā́nó 'pá vrajáṃ mahinā́ dāśúṣe vam ||
एव हि मां तवसं जज्ञुरुग्रं कर्मणि कर्मणि वृषणमिन्द्र देवाः। वधीं वृत्रं वज्रेण मन्दसानोऽप व्रजं महिना दाशुषे वम्॥
Word by Word
- एवा
- thus, indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात)Root एव
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात)Root हि
- माम्
- mePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अहम्
- तवसम्
- mighty, strongAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तवस्
- जज्ञुः
- they have known/recognizedVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट); प्रथमा; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √ज्ञा (जानाति) / (वेद. परस्मैपद) √ज्ञा
- उग्रम्
- fierce, formidableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot उग्र
- कर्मन्
- in (each) deedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (वेद. रूप) अव्ययीभावार्थेRole AdhikaraṇaRoot कर्मन्
- कर्मन्
- in (every) deedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति) अव्ययीभावार्थेRole AdhikaraṇaRoot कर्मन्
- वृषणम्
- the bull-like one; the virile heroNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृषन्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRoot इन्द्र
- देवाः
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव
- वधीम्
- I slewVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट); उत्तम; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √वध्
- वृत्रम्
- VṛtraNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृत्र
- वज्रेण
- with the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वज्र
- मन्दसानः
- rejoicing, exhilaratedParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot √मन्द् (मन्दते) / मन्दस
- अप
- away, forthIndeclinableअव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात)Root अप
- व्रजम्
- enclosure; cattle-penNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot व्रज
- महिना
- by (your) mightNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot महिन्/महिमन्
- दाशुषे
- to the worshipper/giverParticiple (as noun)कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘दाशु’ (दाता/यजमान); चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot √दाश् (दाशति) / दाशु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वम्
- to/for you two (Indra and companion)Pronoun (enclitic)द्वितीया/चतुर्थी; द्विवचन (वेद. ‘वाम्/वम्’ = ‘you two’)Role SampradānaRoot व (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-splitting): ए॒वा हि | मां | त॒वसम् | ज॒ज्ञुः | उ॒ग्रम् | कर्मन् कर्मन् | वृषणम् | इन्द्र | दे॒वाः || वधीम् | वृत्रम् | वज्रेण | मन्दसानः | अप | व्रजम् | महिना | दाशुषे | वम् । Notes: (1) कर्म॑न्कर्म॒न् = कर्मन् + कर्मन् (reduplication; final -न् retained before k-). (2) मन्दसा॒नोऽप॑ = मन्दसानः + अप
- visarga before vowel becomes ’ (अवग्रह). (3) दा॒शुषे॑ वम्: enclitic वम् (Vedic for वाम्) follows dative दाशुषे
- interpreted as ‘for you two’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra declares that the gods fashioned him strong and fierce, a mighty bull in every action; in exhilaration he slew Vṛtra with the vajra and by his power opened the pen (vraja) for the worshipper/giver.
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind (Indra) is born out of the totality of divine powers (devāḥ) as a concentrated force of effective action “in every act” (karman-karman). In the ecstasy of inspired consciousness (mandasānaḥ), it strikes the Coverer (Vṛtra: obstruction, inertia, subconscient resistance) with the thunderbolt of discriminating illumination (vajra). The result is the opening of the inner ‘pen’—the hidden enclosure where the rays of knowledge and energies are held back—so that the seeker who offers (dāśuṣe) receives release of light, clarity, and force.
Universal truth
When higher intelligence is generated and supported by the harmonized powers of the being, it can cut through entrenched resistance and release what is imprisoned within—insight, strength, and joy—especially when action is joined to inner delight and sincere offering.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Opening the cows/pen (light-release), Indra as decisive will
The seer
Significance
The voice is Indraic: a first-person proclamation of the illumined power’s origin and function. Even without a named seer, the mantra bears the stamp of a rishi-consciousness that has experienced the ‘opening of the pen’—release of hidden light after the slaying of resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- tavasa (strong), ugra (fierce), vṛṣan (bull of power), vajrin (wielder of the vajra)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; releaser of the waters/cows (light and plenitude); establisher of wide truth-consciousness.
Inner power
Illuminating Mind-force that unites clarity with decisive action; courage of consciousness that pierces habitual darkness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotras within Soma-yāga contexts (general Indra praise)
ए॒वा हि मां त॒वसं॑ ज॒ज्ञुरु॒ग्रं कर्म॑न्कर्म॒न्वृष॑णमिन्द्र दे॒वाः । वधीं॑ वृ॒त्रं वज्रे॑ण मन्दसा॒नोऽप॑ व्र॒जं म॑हि॒ना दा॒शुषे॑ वम् ॥
ए॒व । हि । माम् । त॒वस॑म् । ज॒ज्ञुः । उ॒ग्रम् । कर्म॑न्ऽकर्मन् । वृष॑णम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । दे॒वाः । वधी॑म् । वृ॒त्रम् । वज्रे॑ण । म॒न्द॒सा॒नः । अप॑ । व्र॒जम् । म॒हि॒ना । दा॒शुषे॑ । व॒म् ॥
eva | hi | mām | tavasam | jajñuḥ | ugram | karman-karman | vṛṣaṇam | indra | devāḥ | vadhīm | vṛtram | vajreṇa | mandasānaḥ | apa | vrajam | mahinā | dāśuṣe | vam
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables (needs precise saṃhitā syllable count to confirm)
Driving, heroic cadence suited to decisive action and breakthrough.
Builds inner courage and forward pressure; supports a felt ‘strike’ against resistance and a sense of opening/expansion.
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- Literal: the gods. Symbolic: the multiple divine powers in the being (illumination, will, harmony) that generate higher capacity
- तवसम् (tavasaṃ)
- Literal: strong, powerful. Symbolic: concentrated spiritual force capable of effective transformation
- उग्रम् (ugram)
- Literal: fierce, formidable. Symbolic: intensity needed to break subconscient resistance
- कर्मन्कर्मन् (karman-karman)
- Literal: in act after act. Symbolic: integral application—illumination must enter every movement, not only thought
- वृषणम् (vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: bull-like, virile. Symbolic: abundant executive power; overflowing energy of realization
- वृत्रम् (vṛtram)
- Literal: Vṛtra. Symbolic: the Coverer—darkness, inertia, obstruction, limiting formations
- वज्र (vajra)
- Literal: thunderbolt. Symbolic: diamond-will of luminous discernment; decisive strike of truth
- मन्दसानः (mandasānaḥ)
- Literal: exulting, in intoxication. Symbolic: rapture of inspired consciousness that empowers the breakthrough
- व्रजम् (vrajam)
- Literal: pen, enclosure. Symbolic: sealed inner holding of rays/energies; the closed subconscient storehouse
- दाशुषे (dāśuṣe)
- Literal: to the giver/worshipper. Symbolic: the sincere aspirant who offers attention, will, and surrender
Indra-Soma praise used in Soma rites; classic Vṛtra myth supports invocation for victory and release of plenitudes.
When invoking Indra’s help for victory, release, and strength (often around pressing/offering sequences in Soma rituals)
Recitation/chant with offering intention—calling the power that breaks obstruction and releases plenitude.
Use as a mantra of inner breakthrough: before challenging work, during periods of inertia, or to support decisive insight in meditation.
Central myth: Vṛtra-slaying. vṛtrá from √vṛ ‘to cover, obstruct’ → the coverer of waters/lights. vájra ‘thunderbolt’ is the concentrated will-force that breaks obstruction. vrajá ‘pen’ is the enclosure of rays/cows; opening it is release of knowledge/light for the dāśuṣ (the offering soul).
Rita as victory of truth-force over obstruction, Release of hidden plenitudes (vraja opened)
Indra’s victory restores movement from blockage to right flow—an ṛta-realignment.
The vajra-strike symbolizes truth’s decisive separation of real from false formations.
Release of concealed powers (light/waters) enabling renewed becoming.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo line): gods as powers of consciousness.
Lightning = sudden illumination; storm-force = dynamic mind-power; pen/cave = sealed subconscient; opening = liberation of knowledge and energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Vṛtra-slaying and opening of the vraja (the sealed pen of light/cows). Inner sense: the illumined will breaks the Coverer and releases the stored radiance/knowledge to the offering soul.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛ ‘cover’ has Indo-European parallels in ‘covering/warding’ semantics (cf. English ward via Germanic *war- is not direct but comparable semantic field). √jan from PIE *ǵenh₁-; √vad(h) ‘strike/kill’ reflects archaic martial lexicon shared across Indo-European traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Indra is both invoked and voiced as the doer: the rishi aligns with Indra’s act as the archetype of inner victory. The beneficiary is the dāśuṣ (the giver), showing the sacrificial reciprocity—offering calls down the power that breaks inner obstruction.
Invoke the Indra-force to cut through a specific inner blockage (fear, doubt, procrastination) and to ‘open the pen’ of insight.
Ājñā (brow) / Maṇipūra (will-force)
Brisk-energetic exhale-focused breathing (e.g., 6–12 rounds of strong but steady exhalations), then quiet japa.
Dynamic clarity—alert, uplifted, decisive.
Name the ‘Vṛtra’ in you; chant feeling the vajra as a beam of clear discernment. After a few repetitions, pause and sense where energy unlocks; offer the released light to the work or decision at hand.
Notated svaras not provided; chant with Vedic accent awareness: preserve udātta peaks on key words (índra, vṛtrám, vájreṇa) as per śākhā tradition.
Keep a clear rise on udātta syllables; avoid flattening compounds like karman-karman; maintain caesura after pāda breaks.
vṛtraṃ: vocalic ṛ (short, crisp), vajreṇa: j as voiced palatal, not 'z', mandasāno: keep long ā in sā, dāśuṣe: long ā; ś as palatal (like 'sh' but sharper)
Firm, resonant, forward-placed tone (chest-to-mask resonance).
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