Rig Veda 4.30.19: Mandala 4, Sukta 30, Mantra 19
Sukta 4.30
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अनु द्वा जहिता नयोऽन्धं श्रोणं च वृत्रहन् । न तत्ते सुम्नमष्टवे ॥
ánu dvā́ jahitā́ náyo’ndháṃ śróṇaṃ ca vṛtrahan | ná tát te sumnám aṣṭave ||
हे वृत्रहन्, त्वदनु द्वे जहिते नयौ—अन्धत्वं श्रोणत्वं च; न तत्ते सुम्नमष्टवे। तव वरः अन्तःपथस्य ऋज्वग्रगमनम्।
Word by Word
- अनु
- after, along, in successionIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्वा
- twoNoun/Adjective (Numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे द्विवचनं (संख्याविशेषण; ‘two’)Role विशेषण (कर्म/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे)Root द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
- जहि॒ता
- slain, killedParticiple (Adjective)क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचनं (सन्दर्भानुसार ‘those two slain’)Role कर्म (हत-रूपेण निर्दिष्ट) / विशेष्यRoot हन् (धातु) → जहि- (आदेश) + क्त (PPP)
- नयः
- leader, guideNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सम्बोधन/वर्णन) / विशेष्यRoot नी (धातु) → नय (नामधातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘leading, guide’)
- अन्धम्
- the blind (one)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रोणम्
- the lame (one)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot श्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (अव्यय)
- वृत्रहन्
- O Vṛtra-slayer (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + हन्)
- न
- notIndeclinableअव्ययRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (अत्र ‘that’)Role कर्म/विषय (निषेधस्य) / विशेष्यRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- ते
- your, of youPronounषष्ठी एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक) — ‘of you/your’Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुम्नम्
- favour, graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/कर्म (सन्दर्भानुसार ‘favour’ as object) / विशेष्यRoot सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- अष्टवे
- to obtain, to reachVerb (Infinitive)इन्फिनिटिव (दातिवत् प्रयोगः) — ‘to attain/obtain’Role प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (अर्थे)Root अष्टु/अष्ट (धातु/प्रातिपदिक; RV में ‘to attain/obtain’ अर्थे) → अष्टवे (इन्फिनिटिव)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अनु | द्वा | जहिता | नयः | अन्धम् | श्रोणम् | च | वृत्रहन् | न | तत् | ते | सुम्नम् | अष्टवे । ‘नयोऽन्धम्’ इति संहितायां ‘नयः + अन्धम्’ → ‘नयोऽन्धम्’ (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः + अवग्रहः)। अन्यत्र विशेष-सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Vṛtrahan, there are two abandoned paths to follow: blindness and lameness; that is not your grace for the one who would move/attain.
Inner meaning
When the seeker follows Indra’s leading, two false ways are left behind: (1) andha—inner blindness (ignorance, refusal to see), (2) śroṇa—lameness (inability to advance, weak will). The true ‘sumnam’ (grace/boon) of Indra is not these diminished states but the power of right seeing and effective progress in the journey (aṣṭave: for the one who strives to reach/attain).
Universal truth
Real help from higher consciousness does not console us in our limitations; it removes ignorance and incapacity, granting clear vision and the power to move forward.
Themes
inner guidance, rejection of incapacity, Vṛtra-slaying as removal of inner covering
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.30, Rig Veda 4.18
Family tradition
A tradition of inner realism: divine aid is measured by transformation—light and strength—rather than mere protection of weakness.
Significance
Vāmadeva frames Indra’s ‘grace’ as psychological conversion: from ignorance and incapacity to seeing and advancing.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan, Maghavan, Śatakratu
- Related deities
- Agni (aspiring will), Bṛhaspati (word/insight)
Cosmic role
Removes the Coverer and opens the path; grants force and victorious movement.
Inner power
Awakening intelligence that rejects compromise with blindness/inertia and insists on effective progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise; suitable as a corrective verse in obstacle-removal contexts.
अनु॒ द्वा ज॑हि॒ता न॑यो॒ऽन्धं श्रो॒णं च॑ वृत्रहन् । न तत्ते॑ सु॒म्नमष्ट॑वे ॥
अनु॑ । द्वा । ज॒हि॒ता । न॒यः॒ । अ॒न्धम् । श्रो॒णम् । च॒ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽह॒न् । न । तत् । ते॒ । सु॒म्नम् । अष्ट॑वे ॥
anu | dvā | jahitā | nayaḥ | andham | śroṇam | ca | vṛtra-han | na | tat | te | sumnam | aṣṭave
44
4 × ~11
Didactic and incisive; the negation ‘na tat’ gives a firm corrective turn.
Cuts self-deception; energizes resolve to refuse inner blindness and inertia.
- अनु (anu)
- Literal: following, in accordance with. Symbolic: aligning one’s movement with a higher leading rather than ego impulse
- द्वा नयः (dvā nayaḥ)
- Literal: two leadings/paths. Symbolic: two habitual trajectories of consciousness that mislead the journey
- जहिता (jahitā)
- Literal: abandoned, left behind. Symbolic: discarded formations no longer accepted in sadhana
- अन्धम् (andham)
- Literal: blindness. Symbolic: avidyā in the mind; obscurity, denial, confusion
- श्रोणम् (śroṇam)
- Literal: lame, crippled. Symbolic: weak will, incapacity in action; vital inertia
- वृत्रहन् (vṛtrahan)
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: destroyer of the Coverer—remover of subconscious obstruction
- सुम्नम् (sumnam)
- Literal: grace, boon, favor. Symbolic: the effective descent of help that transforms nature
- अष्टवे (aṣṭave)
- Literal: for the one who seeks to attain/reach. Symbolic: the aspirant who wants real progress, not compromise
Used as a reflective admonition within Indra praise: not to accept impairment (ignorance/weak will) as divine allotment, but to claim Indra’s true sumná (restoring boon)
When seeking Indra’s help against obstruction; as a reminder of the true boon—capacity and clarity.
Recitation as part of Indra stotra/uktha; mentally offered as rejection of tamas and avidyā.
Use when stuck in confusion (andha) or procrastination (śroṇa): chant as a vow to accept only transformative grace.
√hā ‘leave, abandon’ (PIE *gʰeh₁-? debated; but Indo-Aryan √hā is well established). √nī ‘lead’ (PIE *neh₁- ‘lead’; cf. Latin nōsco is different; but English ‘nigh’ not; better: Sanskrit naya-, Greek néō ‘to go’ is separate; still *neh₁- ‘lead’ gives Latin ducere? not; keep conservative: Indo-Iranian has strong √nī). andha ‘blind’ (cf. Avestan anda- ‘blind’). śroṇa ‘lame’ as a bodily metaphor for impaired progress. sumná from su- + man ‘good thought/favor’: grace as a right-formed mentality bestowed by the god.
ignorance (andha) vs knowledge, will/stride (movement) as spiritual progress, divine grace (sumná) as right-formation of consciousness
Two ‘abandoned paths’ are deviations from ṛta; Indra restores right leading.
Truth is not partial functioning; it is seeing + effective movement.
Evolution from obscurity and incapacity toward luminous action.
Yoga of transformation: divine grace as operative power, not mere benediction.
Blindness = inner night; lameness = loss of vital stride; Indra = restoring sight and gait.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A moral-psychological recasting of Indra’s guidance: the true boon of the Vṛtra-slayer is not abandonment into blindness/lameness but restoration of sight and forward motion—victory as inner capacity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- andha ‘blind’ has Indo-Iranian correspondences (Avestan anda-). The metaphor of ‘path/leading’ (naya-) for life and spiritual progress is an inherited poetic structure across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to Indra’s sumná as an active recalibration of the seeker’s faculties: Indra’s reciprocity is measured by the removal of ignorance and the strengthening of the soul’s stride.
Refusal practice: identify one ‘blind spot’ and one ‘weak spot’ and offer them to Indra for removal.
ājñā (seeing) + mūlādhāra/maṇipūra (steadiness/stride)
On inhale: ‘seeing’; on exhale: ‘advancing’—steady, even breath.
From tamasic/obscure functioning to sattvic clarity and steady force.
Chant 3 times, then write two lines: ‘My blindness is…’ ‘My lameness is…’ End with one concrete action you will take today (Indra’s true sumnam).
Observe udatta/anudatta/svarita per svara text; emphasize the corrective ‘na tat’ with a clear tonal drop then lift.
Keep vṛtrahan as a strong address; do not swallow the final -han.
In andham, keep dh voiced aspirate (dh), not d., In śroṇam, keep long ō (roṇ) and retroflex ṣ? (not present) — ś is palatal (sh)., In vṛtrahan, pronounce vṛ as ‘vri’ with vocalic ṛ, not ‘ver’.
Calm, firm, corrective—like a clear instruction.
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