Rig Veda 4.20.10: Mandala 4, Sukta 20, Mantra 10
Sukta 4.20
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
मा नो मर्धीरा भरा दद्धि तन्नः प्र दाशुषे दातवे भूरि यत्ते । नव्ये देष्णे शस्ते अस्मिन्त उक्थे प्र ब्रवाम वयमिन्द्र स्तुवन्तः ॥
mā́ no mardhīr ā́ bharā daddhí tán naḥ prá dāśúṣe dā́tave bhū́ri yát te | návye deṣṇé śasté asmín ta ukthe prá bravāma vayám indra stuvántaḥ ||
मा नो मर्धीः; भरा दद्धि तन्नः—भूरि—यथा दाशुषे दातवे सत्यमेव दद्यात्। नव्ये देष्णेऽस्मिन् शस्तेऽस्मिन्नुक्थे च, इन्द्र, वयं स्तुवन्तस्तत् प्र ब्रवाम।
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) / mā́
- नः
- to us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic ‘nas’ = our/to us)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- मर्धीः
- harm (us)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ) मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot मृध् (mṛdh) / मर्ध् (Vedic) ‘to harm, oppress’
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā
- भरा
- bring!Verbलोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot भृ (bhṛ) ‘to bear, bring’
- दद्धि
- give! / bestow!Verbलोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Vedic imperative form)Root धा (dhā) ‘to put, place; give’
- तत्
- thatPronounद्वितीया एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्गRole KarmaRoot तद्
- नः
- to usPronounचतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दाशुषे
- to the worshipper / to the giverNoun (participle used substantively)चतुर्थी एकवचन पुंलिङ्ग (to the giver/worshipper)Role SampradānaRoot दाश्वांस् (from √दाश्/दश् ‘to give, worship, offer’)
- दातवे
- to give / for givingVerbal noun (infinitive)तुमुन्/तवेन्-प्रकारः: दातवे = infinitive-dative ‘for giving’Role PrayojanaRoot दा (dā) ‘to give’
- भूरि
- much, abundantAdjective/Indeclinable (Vedic)अव्ययीभाववत्/अव्ययप्रयोगः; ‘much’Root भूरि (prātipadika) ‘much, abundant’
- यत्
- what, that whichPronoun (relative)यत् = यद्; द्वितीया एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग (relative ‘what/that which’)Role KarmaRoot यद्
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic) ‘of you/your’Role SambandhaRoot युष्मद्
- नव्ये
- in the newAdjectiveसप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (agreeing with देष्णे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot नव्य (prātipadika) ‘new, fresh’
- देष्णे
- in the gift / in the act of givingNounसप्तमी एकवचन (locative) स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Vedic variation)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot देष्णा/देष्णि (prātipadika) ‘gift, giving, donation’ (Vedic)
- शस्ते
- in the praiseNounसप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग (locative) ‘in the praise/recitation’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot शस्त (from √शंस् ‘to praise, recite’)
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounसप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्गRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इदम्
- त
- then, indeedIndeclinable/Particle (Vedic enclitic)निपातः (emphatic/connecting ‘then/indeed’)Root तद् (enclitic particle/pronoun)
- उक्थे
- in the hymnNounसप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्गRole AdhikaraṇaRoot उक्थ (prātipadika) ‘hymn, recitation’
- प्र
- forthIndeclinableनिपातRoot प्र (निपात)
- ब्रवाम
- we speak, we proclaimVerbलट् उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Vedic: ‘we speak/declare’)Root ब्रू (brū) ‘to speak’
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)सम्बोधन एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- स्तुवन्तः
- praisingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ) प्रथमा बहुवचन पुंलिङ्ग; वयम्-विशेषणम्Role KartāRoot स्तु (stu) ‘to praise’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): मा | नः | मर्धीः | आ | भरा | दद्धि | तत् | नः | प्र | दाशुषे | दातवे | भूरि | यत् | ते | नव्ये | देष्णे | शस्ते | अस्मिन् | त | उक्थे | प्र | ब्रवाम | वयम् | इन्द्र | स्तुवन्तः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) मर्धी॒रा → मर्धीः + आ (visarga before ā; RV saṃhitā writes -īrā)
- (2) तन्नः → तत् + नः (final -t assimilates to following n: t+n → nn)
- (3) यत्ते → यत् + ते (t+t → tt)
- (4) अस्मिन्त उक्थे → अस्मिन् + त + उक्थे (enclitic त joins; n+t often written -nt- in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A plea to Indra: do not crush us; bring and firmly establish abundant gifts for us, so that the sacrificer/giver may truly give. In this fresh act of giving and in this hymn, we proclaim Indra while adoring him.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Mind (Indra) not to “crush” the growing inner being by premature force or overwhelming experiences, but to bring and fix in us the stable attainment (a settled state of light and power). The “gift” is the increase of inner force and right impulse that enables the soul to become a true giver—one who can offer works, energies, and possessions to the Divine without depletion. The mantra frames praise (uktha) as a conscious act that calls down and stabilizes illumination.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth needs both intensity and protection: higher power must descend in a way the nature can hold. True abundance is the capacity to give—when consciousness is established in a larger force, generosity becomes natural rather than draining.
Themes
Prayer-for-protection, Establishment-of-abundance, Mantra-as-vehicle (uktha)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.18, RV 4.19, RV 4.21, RV 4.26
Family tradition
Vāmadeva is among the great seers of the Fourth Maṇḍala, famed for hymns where Indra’s outward victory mirrors the inner conquest over obstruction; the Gautama line preserves a strong Indra-Agni psychology of ascent.
Significance
Vāmadeva’s vision often moves from prayer for protection to affirmation of growing power—an archetype of the sadhaka’s passage from vulnerability to established inner sovereignty.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śūra (Hero), Maghavan (bountiful), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Purandara (breaker of holds)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Maruts, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; releaser of the luminous herds (rays) and the waters (streams of consciousness); establisher of right dominion in the mental world.
Inner power
Illumined Mind and decisive will that clears confusion, stabilizes attainment, and turns possession into power to offer.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotras within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra praise context)
मा नो॑ मर्धी॒रा भ॑रा द॒द्धि तन्न॒: प्र दा॒शुषे॒ दात॑वे॒ भूरि॒ यत्ते॑ । नव्ये॑ दे॒ष्णे श॒स्ते अ॒स्मिन्त॑ उ॒क्थे प्र ब्र॑वाम व॒यमि॑न्द्र स्तु॒वन्त॑: ॥
मा । नः॒ । म॒र्धीः॒ । आ । भ॒र॒ । द॒द्धि । तत् । नः॒ । प्र । दा॒शुषे॑ । दात॑वे । भूरि॑ । यत् । ते॒ । नव्ये॑ । दे॒ष्णे । श॒स्ते । अ॒स्मिन् । ते॒ । उ॒क्थे । प्र । ब्र॒वा॒म॒ । व॒यम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । स्तु॒वन्तः॑ ॥
mā | naḥ | mardhīḥ | ā | bhara | daddhi | tat | naḥ | pra | dāśuṣe | dātave | bhūri | yat | te | navye | deṣṇe | śaste | asmin | te | ukthe | pra | bravāma | vayam | indra | stuvantaḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Strong, forward-driving, with a martial-luminous cadence suited to invocation and proclamation.
Builds confidence and steadiness; supports a ‘calling down’ movement and a firm concluding affirmation.
- mā no mardhīḥ
- Literal: do not crush us. Symbolic: do not overwhelm the evolving nature; protect the sadhaka from destructive pressure of forces (outer or inner)
- ā bharā
- Literal: bring here. Symbolic: call down the higher force/illumination into the present consciousness
- daddhi tat naḥ
- Literal: set/establish that for us. Symbolic: fix the attainment so it becomes a stable habit of consciousness (niścaya, sthiti)
- pra dāśuṣe dātave
- Literal: for the worshipper, for the giver. Symbolic: for the one who offers; make our nature capable of right offering and right giving
- bhūri
- Literal: abundantly. Symbolic: plenitude of force, light, and wideness rather than scarce gains
- navye deṣṇe
- Literal: in the new giving/bestowal. Symbolic: a fresh descent of grace; a new formation of consciousness
- śaste / uktha
- Literal: praise / hymn-utterance. Symbolic: mantric speech that shapes inner states and invokes divine action
- indra stuvantaḥ
- Literal: praising Indra. Symbolic: aligning mind and will to the illumined consciousness
Supplicatory-praise within Soma liturgy: asking Indra to establish abundance so the sacrificer can continue right giving (dātave)
During Indra-centered stotra/śastra recitations in pressing ceremonies; also adaptable to daily praise
Recitation to invoke Indra’s protection and bounty; confirmation of offering and praise
Use as a protective invocation before demanding inner work; repeat to stabilize a new habit (light, discipline, generosity).
√mṛdh/√mard ‘to crush, oppress’ (mardhīḥ) indicates the pressure of hostile forces or excessive divine force not harmonized; ā-√bhṛ ‘to bring’ is descent of power; √dhā (daddhi, reduplicated imperative) ‘to place’—stabilization in the being; dāśuṣ from √dāś ‘to give, offer’—self-giving as condition for receiving.
Reciprocity of giving (dāna) and grace, Stabilization of power (dhā) in the adhāra
Indra’s “establishing” is the fixing of right order in the mind and life-force so the offering becomes effective.
Truth as stable realization—what is brought must be ‘set’ (daddhi) into the nature.
Descent and stabilization: higher force enters the formed being and becomes a new law of action.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent-descent dynamic; transformation of nature through illumined mind.
Pressure becomes the stress of tapas; the prayer asks that tapas be proportionate and that the descent be assimilable and stable.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘double movement’ of divine force: it can crush or it can establish. The rishi asks Indra to turn power into beneficent bestowal—abundance that enables further right offering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘place’ continues PIE *dʰeh₁- (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different; English ‘do’ from *dʰeh₁- in some analyses). √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ continues PIE *bʰer- (English ‘bear’, Latin ferō). The verse preserves inherited imperative strategies for ritual speech acts.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A negotiated intimacy: the rishi restrains the potentially overwhelming power (‘do not crush’) and requests right measure—Indra’s force must become a stable inner endowment so the human can persist in giving and praise.
Invoke a steady descent of illumination that can be held without strain; cultivate ‘abundance that enables giving’.
ājñā (illumined mind)
moderate nāḍī-śodhana or 4-4-6 breathing to stabilize before chanting
protected openness; receptive steadiness
Chant slowly 3–9 times, then sit and feel a ‘settling’ of light in the forehead and a widening in the heart; resolve to offer one concrete act of giving from that wideness.
Mixed udātta/anudātta with svarita falls typical of Ṛgvedic recitation; key lifts often on invocatory particles and deity-name (indra).
Keep clear udātta rise on prominent syllables; avoid flattening ‘indra’—let the name carry a distinct lift and firm cadence at pāda ends.
mā (long ā) not ‘ma’, mardhīḥ: retroflex ḍh-like aspiration; lengthen ī, bhūri: long ū, uktʰe: release the kh aspiration, stuvantaḥ: keep ‘v’ light; final ḥ audible but soft
firm, protective, prayerful; end each pāda with a settled cadence
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