Rig Veda 10.89.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 89, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.89
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
समानमस्मा अनपावृदर्च क्ष्मया दिवो असमं ब्रह्म नव्यम् । वि यः पृष्ठेव जनिमान्यर्य इन्द्रश्चिकाय न सखायमीषे ॥
samā́nám asmā́ anapāvṛd arca kṣmáyā divó ásamaṁ bráhma návyam | ví yáḥ pr̥ṣṭhéva jánimāny aryá índraś cikā́ya ná sákhāyam ī́ṣe ||
तस्मै समनपावृदर्चं नव्यं ब्रह्म समर्चत—क्ष्मया दिवोऽसमम्। यः पृष्ठ इव विवृतं जनिमानि विवेक्ति, स इन्द्रः समकक्षं सखायं न ईषते।
Word by Word
- समानम्
- the same (thing)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot समान- (प्रातिपदिक) < सम (PIE *sem- ‘one, same’)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अनपावृत्
- not turned away; unwaveringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अन- + अपा-√वृत् (वृञ् वरणे/वर्तने) → अपावृत् ‘turned away’; अनपावृत् ‘not turned away’
- अर्च
- praise!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (वाक्ये) क्रियाRoot √अर्च् (अर्च पूजायाम्/स्तुतौ)
- क्ष्मया
- with/through the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot क्ष्मा- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘earth, ground’
- दिवः
- of heavenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दिव्-/द्यौ- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sky, heaven’
- असमम्
- unequal; incomparableAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अ- + सम- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘unequal, unmatched’
- ब्रह्म
- a sacred hymn/formulationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ब्रह्मन्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sacred formulation, hymn; holy power’
- नव्यम्
- new; freshAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root नव्य- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘new, fresh’
- वि
- apart; distinctlyIndeclinableउपसर्गः (√काय्/√चि + काय ‘to observe/notice’ इत्यस्य पूर्वम्)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृष्ठा
- backs; ridgesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (उपमान-आधारः)Root पृष्ठ- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘back, ridge’
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमानवाचक-अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- जनिमानि
- births; origins; created thingsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot जनिमन्- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘birth, origin; created forms’
- अर्यः
- the noble one (Arya)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root अर्य- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘Arya; noble; hospitable lord’
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- चिकाय
- has perceived; has clearly recognizedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (वाक्ये) क्रियाRoot √काय्/√चि-काय (वेदिक) ‘to observe, notice, perceive’ (परिपूर्ण-रूपेण reduplicated perfect)
- न
- like; asIndeclinableनिषेध/उपमानार्थे ‘as/like’ (अत्र ‘like’ = ‘as a…’)Root न (अव्यय)
- सखायम्
- a friendNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सखि- (प्रातिपदिक) ‘friend’
- ईषे
- he rules; he is master (of)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole (वाक्ये) क्रियाRoot √ईश् (ईश ऐश्वर्ये/शासने) ‘to own, rule; be master of’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): समानम् | अस्मै | अनपावृत् | अर्च | क्ष्मया | दिवः | असमम् | ब्रह्म | नव्यम् || वि | यः | पृष्ठा इव | जनिमानि | अर्यः | इन्द्रः | चिकाय | न | सखायम् | ईषे || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) समानम्+अस्मै → समानमस्मै (अं + अ = म्-अ, अनुस्वारस्य परसवर्णः/व्यञ्जनसन्धिः)
- (2) अस्मै+अनपावृत् → अस्मा अनपावृत् (पदपाठे अस्मा इति रूपं दृश्यते; संहितायां अस्मै/अस्मा-भेदः वैदिकः)
- (3) पृष्ठा+इव → पृष्ठेव (आ + इ = ए)
- (4) अर्यः+इन्द्रः → अर्य इन्द्रः (विसर्गलोपः/सन्धिः)
- (5) इन्द्रः+चिकाय → इन्द्रश्चिकाय (विसर्गः + च = श्च)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Offer to him an undiverted, equal hymn—new and unmatched on earth and in heaven. He who has discerned the births as if reading an open back, Indra does not seek a companion to rival him.
Inner meaning
The rishi calls for a ‘samānam’ and ‘anapāvṛt’ arca—an equal, straight, unturned hymn: sincerity and integrality in aspiration, not crooked motive or partial devotion. The ‘new brahman’ (navyaṃ brahma) is fresh mantric power arising from living realization, unmatched in the lower and higher ranges (earth and heaven = physical and mental planes). Indra has ‘seen the births’ (janimāni)—the origins and formations of movements in us—like an open book: he discerns causality in consciousness, the hidden genesis of thoughts, impulses, and karmic patterns. Therefore he needs no rival companion: the illumined power is sovereign when it fully knows the processes of manifestation within the being.
Universal truth
Transformation requires straight, integral intention and ever-renewed truth-expression. The highest discerning intelligence sees the origins of our movements and thus stands sovereign over confusion.
Themes
Sovereignty of Indra, Mantric power, Integral offering, Gnostic perception
The seer
Significance
This verse is a sādhanā-instruction: offer straight, integral aspiration; let the mantra be living and new; invoke Indra’s discerning power to see the origin of inner movements—key to mastery over nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Arya (noble), Janimāni-vid (knower of births/origins—implied), Sovereign without rival (na sakhāyam īṣe)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (brahman/word power), Agni (straight aspiration), Sarasvatī (inspired speech)
Cosmic role
Governs the right formation of worlds and movements; knower of origins; establishes victorious clarity.
Inner power
Discriminative illumination (viveka-like) that sees causal roots of thoughts and impulses and thus rules them.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra; emphasis on correctness and power of brahman (mantric utterance)
स॒मा॒नम॑स्मा॒ अन॑पावृदर्च क्ष्म॒या दि॒वो अस॑मं॒ ब्रह्म॒ नव्य॑म् । वि यः पृ॒ष्ठेव॒ जनि॑मान्य॒र्य इन्द्र॑श्चि॒काय॒ न सखा॑यमी॒षे ॥
स॒मा॒नम् । अ॒स्मै॒ । अन॑पऽवृत् । अ॒र्च॒ । क्ष्म॒या । दि॒वः । अस॑मम् । ब्रह्म॑ । नव्य॑म् । वि । यः । पृ॒ष्ठाऽइ॑व । जनि॑मानि । अ॒र्यः । इन्द्रः॑ । चि॒काय॑ । न । सखा॑यम् । ई॒षे ॥
samānam | asmai | anapa-vṛt | arca | kṣmayā | divaḥ | asamam | brahma | navyam | vi | yaḥ | pṛṣṭhāiva | janimāni | aryaḥ | indraḥ | cikāya | na | sakhāyam | īṣe
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Balanced and declarative; first half instructive (offer the hymn), second half revelatory (Indra’s discernment).
Stabilizes sincerity and invokes clear discrimination; supports a sober, truth-aligned mood.
- समानम् (samānam)
- Literal: equal/same. Symbolic: integral, balanced offering; undivided aspiration
- अनपावृत् (anapāvṛt)
- Literal: not turned away/undiverted. Symbolic: straight sincerity; unwavering alignment to truth
- ब्रह्म नव्यम् (brahma navyam)
- Literal: new sacred utterance/power. Symbolic: fresh mantric force born of realization; living word of transformation
- क्ष्मया दिवः (kṣmayā divo)
- Literal: on earth and in heaven. Symbolic: in body and mind; lower and higher ranges of consciousness
- जनि मानि (janimāni)
- Literal: births/origins. Symbolic: origins of inner movements; formations of nature and thought
- पृष्ठेव (pṛṣṭheva)
- Literal: like a back (laid open). Symbolic: transparent readability of causal patterns; total discernment
- सखायम् (sakhāyam)
- Literal: companion/ally. Symbolic: no equal rival; sovereignty of illumined consciousness
Mantra emphasizing undivided praise and the efficacy of brahman; used to intensify Indra’s sovereignty in the Soma rite.
When offering hymns to Indra for victory and right vision; also in teaching contexts about brahman as effective speech.
Recitation as a ‘straight offering’ (arca) to align the rite; reinforces the authority of the invoked power.
Use before journaling/self-inquiry: recite, then examine the ‘births’ of your reactions—trace them back to root causes with Indra-like clarity.
an-apā-vṛt emphasizes unwavering orientation (√vṛt ‘turn’). brahman here is mantra as effective power (not later metaphysical absolute). √cik (cikāya) denotes sharp perception; the simile pṛṣṭha-iva suggests transparency of origins (‘births’) to illumined intelligence.
undivided aspiration (anapāvṛt), brahman as mantra-force, knowledge of becomings (janima)
Ṛta is the intelligible order behind ‘births’ (janimāni); Indra’s vision reads that order transparently.
Truth requires undiverted offering and speech; crookedness veils the origin-patterns.
Births/formations as readable processes; sovereignty comes from knowing origins.
Vedic psychology of causality and mastery; resonates with later yogic viveka and Upanishadic truth-speech (satyaṃ vada).
Earth = body/physical nature; Heaven = mind/ideal ranges; ‘births’ = arising of movements within these fields.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as unrivalled sovereign who ‘knows the births’—the origins and emergences of powers and worlds—thus needing no peer. The verse mythologizes Indra’s supremacy as gnostic mastery over manifestation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛt ‘turn’ (PIE *wert-), √jan ‘be born’ (PIE *ǵenh₁- ‘beget’; cf. Greek génos), and √iṣ ‘seek’ align with inherited IE verbal systems, showing the archaic semantic network: turning (orientation), birthing (manifestation), seeking (desire/impulse).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer offers a ‘same, undiverted’ hymn—an inner discipline of single direction—so the Devata’s sovereignty can act fully. The reciprocity is that integral praise (brahman navyam) evokes Indra’s unmatched power and clarifying knowledge in both earth-consciousness and heaven-consciousness.
Sincerity + discernment: offer an undiverted intention, then watch the arising (‘birth’) of thoughts as readable patterns.
Viśuddha (truthful expression) with Ājñā (discernment)
Slow ujjāyī 12 breaths while repeating ‘samānam…anapāvṛt’; then silent observation of thought-origins for 5–10 minutes.
Quiet lucidity; ethical alignment; discriminative calm.
Before practice, state one straight intention (no mixed motive). During meditation, when a thought arises, ask: ‘what is its janimā (origin)?’ Trace to sensation, fear, desire, or memory; offer it into the inner fire.
Rigvedic tri-svara; keep ‘samānam’ evenly weighted; allow a gentle lift on ‘brahma navyam’ to mark renewal (exact accents per śākhā).
Chant with ‘straightness’: steady pitch, minimal ornament; pause after ‘brahma navyam’ to let the meaning settle; deliver the final pāda with quiet authority.
samānam: long ā, anapāvṛt: ‘vṛt’ with vocalic ṛ; avoid dropping retroflex, kṣmayā: ‘kṣm’ cluster careful, divo: soft ‘v’, pṛṣṭheva: retroflex ṣṭh; ‘eva’ separate lightly, janimāni: long ā, cikāya: ‘c’ clear; long ā, īṣe: long ī
Even, sincere, slightly subdued but confident; clear articulation over volume.
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