Rig Veda 5.35.5: Mandala 5, Sukta 35, Mantra 5
Sukta 5.35
- Rishi
- Atri
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
त्वं तमिन्द्र मर्त्यममित्रयन्तमद्रिवः । सर्वरथा शतक्रतो नि याहि शवसस्पते ॥
tváṁ tám indra mártyam amítrayantam adrivaḥ | sarvaráthā śatakrato ní yāhi śavasaḥ pate ||
त्वम् इन्द्र अद्रिवः, यो मर्त्योऽमित्रयन्तः, तं प्रति नि याहि। शतक्रतो, सर्वरथाः—सर्वैः बलरथैः सह—आगच्छ। शवसस्पते, प्रतिपक्षस्य मनोभङ्गकरं तदवरोधनं नय।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- that (him)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्त्यम्
- mortal manNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमित्रयन्तम्
- acting as an enemy / being hostileVerb-participle (present active)शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्मणि स्थितस्य मर्त्यस्य)Root अमित्रय् (धातु; denom. from अमित्र) अथवा अमित्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + शतृ
- अद्रिवः
- O wielder of the stone/boltEpithet (noun/adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अद्रि-वस्/अद्रिवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘stone/bolt-bearing’)
- सर्वरथाः
- having all chariots / all-chariotedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole विशेषण (अन्तर्निहिताः ‘(रथाः/मरुतः/सहायाः)’ इत्यादि)Root सर्व-रथ (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- शतक्रतो
- O of a hundred powers/stratagemsNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शत-क्रतु (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (गत्यर्थ-न्यवसाने/अवरोहणे)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- याहि
- go! / come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot या (धातु)
- शवसस्पते
- O lord of strengthNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शवस्-पति (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ‘त्वं तमि॑न्द्र॒’ इति = ‘त्वम् तम् इन्द्र’ (म् + इ → मि). ‘मर्त्य॑ममित्र॒यन्त॑म्’ इति पदच्छेदः ‘मर्त्यम् अमित्रयन्तम्’ (म् + अ → म). ‘अद्रिवः । सर्वरथा’ इत्यत्र विसर्गः पदान्ते स्थितः
- संहितायां विरामे न परिवर्तते. ‘शतक्रतो॒ नि या॑हि’ इति पदच्छेदः ‘शतक्रतो नि याहि’ (उपसर्ग ‘नि’ क्रियापद ‘याहि’ सह)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls Indra to descend upon a hostile mortal; Indra is addressed as wielder of the thunderstone and “hundred-skilled,” urged to come with all his chariots and forcefully subdue the adversary.
Inner meaning
Indra (illumined divine Mind) is invoked to press down upon the “mortal” tendency in us that turns to amitra—an anti-friend, the adversarial will of ego, doubt, and reactive hostility. The “descent” (ni yāhi) is the downward action of higher Light into the lower nature, breaking the resistant formation and reorienting the will toward truth and right action.
Universal truth
When consciousness turns toward hostility and division, a higher clarity must descend and reorganize the energies; illumination is not merely insight but a force that subdues adverse impulses and restores harmony.
Themes
Subduing hostility, Indra as protector, Mobilization of forces
The seer
- Rishi
- Atri Ātreya (traditional attribution)
- Lineage
- Ātreya
- Other hymns
- RV 5.35.1-10, RV 5.36.1-6, RV 5.37.1-10
Family tradition
Book 5 is chiefly the Atri family maṇḍala; hymns often emphasize Indra’s help in inner and outer conflict.
Significance
Atri’s vision frequently channels a practical yoga of victory: calling the illumined Power to intervene directly in the mixed human nature and convert struggle into a passage toward light.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Adrivaḥ (wielder of the thunderstone), Śatakratu (hundred-skilled), Śavasas Pati (lord of force)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, leader of the gods in the battle for light; releases the hidden rays and waters by slaying the Coverer.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence with executive force—clarity that acts, not merely witnesses; the power to subdue hostile formations in the psyche.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-soma praise within Soma-yajña sequences; also used in Indra-focused śastra/śastra-like recitation contexts (general)
त्वं तमि॑न्द्र॒ मर्त्य॑ममित्र॒यन्त॑मद्रिवः । स॒र्व॒र॒था श॑तक्रतो॒ नि या॑हि शवसस्पते ॥
त्वम् । तम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । मर्त्य॑म् । अ॒मि॒त्र॒ऽयन्त॑म् । अ॒द्रि॒ऽवः॒ । स॒र्व॒ऽर॒था । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । नि । या॒हि॒ । श॒व॒सः॒ । प॒ते॒ ॥
tvam | tam | indra | martyam | amitra-yantam | adri-vaḥ | sarva-rathā | śatakrato itiśata-krato | ni | yāhi | śavasaḥ | pate
Triṣṭubh (likely; verify by syllable count per pāda)
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Driving, martial, forward-thrusting cadence suited to command and descent of force.
Builds resolve and invokes a sense of decisive intervention; supports ‘cutting through’ hesitation and inner resistance.
- indra
- Literal: Indra (Vedic god of power/war/sky). Symbolic: Divine Mind and luminous Force that breaks obstruction and brings right discernment
- martyam
- Literal: mortal (human). Symbolic: The lower nature bound to ignorance, ego-reaction, and limitation
- amitrayantam
- Literal: becoming hostile/acting as an enemy. Symbolic: The adversarial turn of will—inner opposition, doubt, anger, self-sabotage
- adrivaḥ
- Literal: holder of the adri (stone/bolt). Symbolic: Bearer of the thunder-force that shatters fixed resistance (hard knots of consciousness)
- sarvarathāḥ
- Literal: with all chariots. Symbolic: Total mobilization of powers/energies of the illumined consciousness
- śatakrato
- Literal: hundred-powered/hundred-skilled. Symbolic: Many-sided effective intelligence—multiple faculties of the higher mind
- ni yāhi
- Literal: go down, descend. Symbolic: Descent of higher light into the lower planes to effect change
- śavasas pate
- Literal: lord/master of strength. Symbolic: Mastery over dynamic energy (shakti) that enforces the truth
Protective/overcoming stotra: calling Indra to subdue hostile forces (inner and outer) during Soma praise
During Indra invocations in Soma pressing/offerings; in moments calling for victory over obstacles.
Recitation to invite Indra’s descent and empowerment; offering of Soma with praise.
Use as a ‘clearing’ mantra before difficult conversations/decisions: invoke lucid firmness to subdue reactive hostility.
amitra (a- ‘not’ + mitra ‘friend/ally’, √mi ‘bind’ in social/contractual sense; hostility as ‘unbound’ relation); kratu (n. ‘will, resolve, intelligence-in-action’, PIE *kretu-?; cognate with Avestan xratu- ‘wisdom’); ni-yā (verb with preverb ni ‘down’ + √yā ‘go’) used as ‘descend to act’—psychologically, the higher force presses down upon adverse movements.
Kratu as effective will, Descent of power (ni) into the field of conflict
Indra’s descent restores ṛta by defeating amitra (anti-ṛta movements).
Truth acts as force (śavas) when mind is aligned to the higher Light.
Release of higher powers into lower nature through a victorious descent.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): ascent/descent dynamic; transformation of the lower by the higher.
Thunderbolt = penetrating illumination; chariot = organized life-force and faculties; descent = higher consciousness entering the embodied mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The punitive descent of Indra upon the hostile (amitra) force: a compressed form of the ‘Indra breaks opposition’ theme, applicable to Vṛtra-like resistance in the psyche.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- kratu aligns with Indo-Iranian *xratu- (Avestan) indicating a shared inherited concept of ‘effective intelligence/will’. The preverb system (ni + √yā) reflects archaic IE verbal prefixation patterns used to nuance direction and aspect.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi positions Indra as an active ally who intervenes against inner/outer hostility. The relationship is protective and judicial: Indra’s sovereignty and force are summoned to restore right movement (Rita) by crushing adversarial intent.
Invoke the descending Light of the higher mind to subdue reactive hostility and self-opposition.
maṇipūra (will/force) and ājñā (illumined mind)
Moderate, force-balanced exhale emphasis (e.g., 4-4 breathing) while repeating ‘ni yāhi’ as a felt descent.
Dynamic concentration—calm intensity with readiness to act.
Name the ‘amitra’ within (resentment, doubt, sabotage), then call Indra to ‘descend’ as clear discernment; end by offering the impulse into a wider, quieter awareness.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita per Rigvedic accent; follow śākhā-specific recitation (requires pada + svara marks from a svara-text).
Hold udātta slightly higher; let svarita fall-glide; keep anudātta grounded—especially on command forms like ‘ni yāhi’.
indra: clear dental ‘d’ + rolled ‘r’, martyam: keep ‘ty’ conjunct crisp, amitrayantam: articulate ‘mitra’ core; avoid swallowing ‘ya’, śatakrato: retroflex ‘ṭ’ not present; it is dental ‘t’ here; keep ‘kr’ cluster clean, śavasas: pronounce śa-va-sas with short ‘a’
Firm, resonant, command-like; avoid shouting—aim for concentrated force.
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