Rig Veda 4.38.10: Mandala 4, Sukta 38, Mantra 10
Sukta 4.38
- Rishi
- Dadhikrāvan / Maṇḍala 4 collection
- Devata
- Dadhikrā with solar imagery as supporting comparison
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ दधिक्राः शवसा पञ्च कृष्टीः सूर्य इव ज्योतिषापस्ततान । सहस्रसाः शतसा वाज्यर्वा पृणक्तु मध्वा समिमा वचांसि ॥
ā́ dadhikrā́ḥ śávasā páñca kṛṣṭī́ḥ sū́rya iva jyótiṣā́paḥ tatāna | sahasrasā́ḥ śatasā́ vājī́ árvā pṛṇáktu mádhvā sám imā́ vácāṃsi ||
दधिक्राः स्वशवसा पञ्च कृष्टीर् आ ततान, सूर्य इव ज्योतिषा आपः प्रसारयन्। सहस्रसाः शतसाः वाज्यर्वा मध्वा समिमा वचांसि पृणक्तु।
Word by Word
- आ
- towards; forth (preverb)Indeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga) / ā (avyaya)
- दधिक्राः
- Dadhikrā (the divine steed)Noun (proper/name)masculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot दधिक्रावन् (prātipadika)
- शवसा
- with might, by strengthNounneuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot शवस् (prātipadika)
- पञ्च
- fiveNumeral(cardinal) used with plural nounRoot पञ्चन् (numeral stem)
- कृष्टीः
- peoples; tribesNounfeminine, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot कृष्टि (prātipadika)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounmasculine, nominative singularRole Kartā (of implied comparison)Root सूर्य (prātipadika)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot इव (avyaya)
- ज्योतिषा
- with light, by radianceNounneuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot ज्योतिस् (prātipadika)
- अपस्ततान
- has stretched out; has spreadVerbaorist (sigmatic/sa-aorist), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot तन् (धातु) with preverb अप-
- सहस्रसाः
- winning a thousand; thousand-fold victoriousAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (agreeing with अर्वा)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root सहस्रस (prātipadika; ‘having a thousand [gains/strengths]’)
- शतसाः
- winning a hundred; hundred-fold victoriousAdjectivemasculine, nominative singular (agreeing with अर्वा)Role Kartā (as qualifier)Root शतस (prātipadika; ‘having a hundred [gains/strengths]’)
- वाज्यर्वा
- the prize-winning steed (horse)Noun (compound)masculine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot वाजिन् (prātipadika) + अर्वन् (prātipadika)
- पृणक्तु
- let (him) fill; may (he) satisfyVerbimperative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot पॄ (धातु)
- मध्वा
- with sweetness; with honey (mead)Nounneuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot मधु (prātipadika)
- सम्
- together; completely (preverb)Indeclinablepreverb (intensifying/collective)Root सम् (upasarga)
- इमा
- thesePronounneuter, accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot इदम् (pronoun stem)
- वचांसि
- words; utterancesNounneuter, accusative pluralRole Karma (apposition to इमा)Root वचस् (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) ज्योति॑षा॒पस्त॑तान → ज्योतिषा + अपस्ततान (a- of aorist form with preverb अप-; pada text separates)
- (2) वा॒ज्यर्वा॑ is a compound (वाजिन् + अर्वन्) in nom. sg. (3) समि॒मा → सम् + इमा (anusvāra before vowel; pada text separates)
- Accents as in Saṃhitā: द॑धि॒क्राः, शव॑सा, पञ्च॑, कृ॒ष्टीः, सूर्य॑, ज्योति॑षा, अपस्त॑तान, सहस्र॒साः, श॑त॒साः, वा॒ज्यर्वा॑, पृ॒णक्तु॒, मध्वा॒, समि॒मा, वचां॑सि
The meaning
Outer meaning
A praise of Dadhikrā, the victorious racer: by his strength he spreads the five peoples, as the Sun by light spreads the waters; may the prize-winning steed fill the poet’s words with honeyed sweetness.
Inner meaning
Dadhikrā symbolizes the divine Horse-power—swift life-force and effective energy yoked to the soul’s aim. When this force is seized by the inner Will, it can ‘spread’ (organize and harmonize) the fivefold human nature (body, life, mind, discerning intelligence, and the deeper soul-sense) and make the consciousness wide. Like the Sun of illumination releasing and diffusing the waters (flows of clarity, inspiration, and purified feeling), the awakened inner dynamism causes the hidden currents of consciousness to circulate. The ‘honey’ is soma-like sweetness: delight that seals speech (mantra) with truth-power.
Universal truth
When illumined energy is governed by a higher intention, it widens the whole being and releases inner streams of clarity; then speech and action become sweet, coherent, and effective.
Themes
solar-illumination, collective-expansion, nectar-speech, victory-and-boon
The seer
- Rishi
- Dadhikrāvan (hymnic subject within Maṇḍala 4 tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 4.38 (Dadhikrā praise), RV 4.39 (Dadhikrā praise)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 4 is primarily the family book of Vāmadeva Gautama; the Dadhikrā hymns are embedded in this seer-tradition of inner victory and luminous wideness.
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the inspired consciousness that discovers in the horse-symbol a disciplined, God-driven vital force—speed without turbulence, victory without ego—turning life-energy into a carrier of light and delight.
The deity
- Devata
- Dadhikrā (Dadhikrāvan)
- Epithets
- āśu (swift), vājin (prize-winning), arvan (steed), taturí (overcomer), sahasrasāḥ/śatasā (winning by thousands/hundreds)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Uṣas, Agni, Indra, Maruts, Mitra, Varuṇa
Cosmic role
A solarized dynamic power that carries the sacrificial movement forward, enabling expansion and victorious progression.
Inner power
Concentrated, illumined prāṇic force that spreads the being wide and makes speech effective and sweet.
In ritual
Where it is used
Horse-related praise within Soma-sacrifice milieu; also used as an auspicious invocatory verse for speed/victory in undertakings.
आ द॑धि॒क्राः शव॑सा॒ पञ्च॑ कृ॒ष्टीः सूर्य॑ इव॒ ज्योति॑षा॒पस्त॑तान । स॒ह॒स्र॒साः श॑त॒सा वा॒ज्यर्वा॑ पृ॒णक्तु॒ मध्वा॒ समि॒मा वचां॑सि ॥
आ । द॒धि॒ऽक्राः । शव॑सा । पञ्च॑ । कृ॒ष्टीः । सूर्यः॑ऽइव । ज्योति॑षा । अ॒पः । त॒ता॒न॒ । स॒ह॒स्र॒ऽसाः । श॒त॒ऽसाः । वा॒जी । अर्वा॑ । पृ॒णक्तु॑ । मध्वा॑ । सम् । इ॒मा । वचां॑सि ॥
ā | dadhi-krāḥ | śavasā | pañca | kṛṣṭīḥ | sūryaḥ-iva | jyotiṣāḥapaḥḥtatānaḥsahasra-sāḥḥśata-sāḥḥvājīḥarvāḥpṛṇaktuḥmadhvāḥsamḥimāḥvacāṃsi
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, heroic cadence with room for expansive clauses and comparisons.
Builds a sense of widening power; the steady triṣṭubh stride mirrors the racer’s rhythm and supports confident aspiration.
- दधिक्राः (dadhikrāḥ)
- Literal: Dadhikrā, the swift racer/steed. Symbolic: Divine life-force and victorious dynamism that carries the seeker forward
- शवसा (śavasā)
- Literal: by might, strength. Symbolic: Soul-backed energy; force of tapas when aligned to truth
- पञ्च कृष्टीः (pañca kṛṣṭīḥ)
- Literal: five peoples/tribes. Symbolic: Fivefold being or five functional powers to be harmonized and made wide
- सूर्यः (sūryaḥ)
- Literal: the Sun. Symbolic: Illumining consciousness; supramental light that reveals and orders
- ज्योतिषा (jyotiṣā)
- Literal: by light. Symbolic: Discriminating illumination; truth-seeing
- अपः (apaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: Streams of consciousness—clarity, inspiration, purified emotion
- वाजी (vājī)
- Literal: prize-winner, racer. Symbolic: Energy that wins the plenitudes (vāja) of realization
- मध्वा (madhvā)
- Literal: with honey/sweetness. Symbolic: Ananda (delight) that makes speech and being delectable and true
- वचांसि (vacāṃsi)
- Literal: words, utterances. Symbolic: Mantric speech; formulated thought carrying force
Concluding boon: for expansion of the collective and sweetness in mantra; suitable as an auspicious closing verse in praise sequences for victory and harmonious distribution of energies.
In recitation sequences praising swift powers; contextually near dawn/solar imagery moments in offerings.
Stotra/śastra-style praise; offering of clarified intention through speech (vāc) as oblation.
For athletes/performers or anyone needing disciplined energy: chant before work to align speed with clarity and sweetness of expression.
Key terms: (1) śavas: ‘might’—a compact term for concentrated force. (2) pañca kṛṣṭīḥ: ‘five peoples’—can be read inwardly as the fivefold formation of the human instrument (e.g., senses/life-mind groupings), to be expanded and harmonized by divine force. (3) sūrya + jyotis: the sun’s light ‘spreads’ the waters—outerly evaporation/illumination; innerly, the light of consciousness releases and distributes the streams of energy (āpaḥ). (4) √tan: ‘stretch/spread’—a cosmogonic verb; here used for ordered distribution. (5) madhú: sweetness/honey—Vedic symbol of Ananda (delight) and the savor of truth; thus speech becomes nectar-bearing mantra.
Ananda (madhu as delight), distribution of consciousness-energies (āpaḥ), collective harmony (pañca kṛṣṭīḥ)
The ‘spreading’ is the establishment of ṛta—wideness and right distribution of inner energies.
Jyotis as satya-dṛṣṭi: truth-seeing that makes the inner currents transparent.
Light releasing the waters echoes the Vedic creation motif: illumination unlocking hidden abundance.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap): deities as powers of consciousness.
Illumination (Sun/light) releases and distributes the subtle waters (inspiration, clarity, purified feeling) through the channels of the fivefold nature; the horse is the vital force made divine.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘solar spreading’ mythologem applied to the divine steed: as the Sun by light spreads the waters, so Dadhikrā by might expands and orders the fivefold collective. The mythic action is distribution of life and consciousness under illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Solar comparison is central to IE poetics; √tan ‘stretch’ is an old IE cosmogonic verb (cf. ‘tense/extend’ semantics). Madhu ‘honey’ as sacral sweetness has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan madhu-), pointing to shared ritual-poetic symbolism of nectar/delight.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer turns praise into petition: the Devatā is asked not only for victory (sahasrasāḥ, śatasāḥ) but for the filling of speech with madhu—i.e., to make the mantra a vessel of delight and effective truth-power that expands the being and its collectivity.
Invoke swift, disciplined energy that widens the being and makes speech truth-sweet.
Manipura (power/drive) refined upward toward Ajna (illumination).
Moderate ujjayi or counted breathing (11-beat feel) to match triṣṭubh stride; exhale on ‘madhvā sam imā vacāṃsi’ to seal sweetness.
Dynamic concentration moving into luminous wideness.
Before action or study: feel a golden solar light above the brow releasing cool, clear inner waters through the body; then speak/act from that sweetness rather than haste.
Vedic triṣṭubh with udātta peaks on key nouns (e.g., dadhikrāḥ, sūryaḥ, jyótiṣā, ápaḥ); svarita follows udātta; anudātta in supporting particles.
Keep udātta crisp and slightly raised; do not over-sing—maintain the marching triṣṭubh gait; caesura often after ~4–5 syllables in each pāda.
धधिक्राः: keep retroflex ‘ḍh’ absent—it's dental ‘d’ + aspirate: da-dhi-krāḥ, कृष्टीः: long īḥ at end; avoid ‘krishti’ short vowel, ज्योतिषा: ‘jyo’ as a glide, not two syllables ‘ji-yo’, अपः: visarga-like ending ‘a-paḥ’ with a light ḥ, मध्वा: conjunct ‘dhv’—softly link, not ‘mad-hu-ā’
Bright, steady, forward-placing tone; end with a softened sweetness on ‘madhvā’.
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