Rig Veda 7.31.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 31, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.31
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वं न इन्द्र वाजयुस्त्वं गव्युः शतक्रतो । त्वं हिरण्ययुर्वसो ॥
tváṃ na indra vāja-yús tváṃ gavyúḥ śatakrato | tváṃ hiraṇya-yúr vaso ||
त्वं न इन्द्र वाजयुः, त्वं गव्युः शतक्रतो। त्वं हिरण्ययुर्वसो॥
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगतः), प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजयुः
- seeking/bringing prizes (vāja), prize-winningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot वाजयु (प्रातिपदिक; वाज + यु ‘seeking/going after’)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- गव्युः
- seeking cattle; cattle-winningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot गव्यु (प्रातिपदिक; गो + व्यु ‘seeking’)
- शतक्रतो
- O hundred-powered/ hundred-skilled oneNoun/Adjective (epithet) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक; शत + क्रतु)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्
- हिरण्ययुः
- seeking/bringing gold; gold-winningAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot हिरण्ययु (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्य + यु)
- वसो
- O good one / O wealthy oneNoun/Adjective (epithet) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक) / वस् (धातु) से निष्पन्न ‘वसु’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic pada-style): त्वम् | नः | इन्द्र | वाजयुः | त्वम् | गव्युः | शतक्रतो | त्वम् | हिरण्ययुः | वसो || सन्धि-विशेष: (1) ‘त्वं नः’ में अनुस्वार/नकार-एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ (अस्मद्) — कोई विशेष संधि-विकृति नहीं। (2) ‘शतक्रतो’ = शतक्रतो (सम्बोधन एकवचन) < प्रातिपदिक शतक्रतु
- -u-stem voc. sg. का वैदिक रूप -o. (3) ‘वसो’ = वसो (सम्बोधन एकवचन) < वसु
- -u-stem voc. sg. -o. स्वर/उच्चारण-चिह्न: न॑, वाज॒युः, ग॒व्युः, श॑तक्रतो, हि॑रण्य॒युः, व॑सो — ये वैदिक उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न संहितापाठ के हैं
The meaning
Outer meaning
You, O Indra, are our seeker of plenitude; you are our seeker of the cows; O hundred-powered, you are our seeker of the golden (wealth), O lord of riches.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the dynamic power that ‘seeks’ and wins for us: (1) vāja—victorious plenitude and capacity; (2) go—rays of knowledge/illumination; (3) hiraṇya—golden light, refined luminous substance of consciousness. The triple ‘tvam’ is an insistence: the Divine Mind must lead the quest in all planes—action, knowledge, and luminous essence.
Universal truth
The highest intelligence in us must become the seeker on our behalf: it pursues strength, knowledge, and purified light, integrating them into a stable wealth of being.
Themes
Indra as seeker-bringer of boons, Recovery of rays (cows) from darkness, Empowerment (śatakratu), Golden radiance and stable fullness (vasu)
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.31.4, RV 7.24.1, RV 7.18.3
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha’s Indra hymns frequently reinterpret ‘wealth’ as multi-layered attainment—power, light, and luminous substance.
Significance
This verse is a concise psychological map: the sadhaka’s aims (power, knowledge, luminous purity) are entrusted to the divine leader within.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vājayuḥ (Seeker of plenitude), Gavyuḥ (Seeker of the rays), Hiraṇyayuḥ (Seeker of the golden light), Śatakratu (Hundred-powered), Vasu (Lord of wealth)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (finder of the cows/rays), Soma (delight that empowers Indra), Agni (will that executes)
Cosmic role
Victor who retrieves hidden riches (light/power) from obstruction and distributes them to the seer.
Inner power
Discriminating, conquering intelligence that searches out and brings forward the needed force, insight, and purified light.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma context; enumerating boons sought (vāja, go, hiraṇya).
त्वं न॑ इन्द्र वाज॒युस्त्वं ग॒व्युः श॑तक्रतो । त्वं हि॑रण्य॒युर्व॑सो ॥
त्वम् । नः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । वा॒ज॒ऽयुः । त्वम् । ग॒व्युः । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । त्वम् । हि॒र॒ण्य॒ऽयुः । व॒सो॒ इति॑ ॥
tvam | naḥ | indra | vāja-yuḥ | tvam | gavyuḥ | śatakrato itiśata-krato | tvam | hiraṇya-yuḥ | vaso iti
24
3 × 8 with strong anaphora (tvam… tvam… tvam…)
Hammer-like insistence; rhythmic affirmation.
Instills conviction and single-pointed reliance on the inner guide; energizes aspiration.
- vāja
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: victorious capacity and effective power for right action
- vājayuḥ
- Literal: seeking vāja. Symbolic: the force that hunts and wins spiritual plenitude
- go / gavyuḥ
- Literal: cow; seeking cows. Symbolic: seeking rays of knowledge, illumined perceptions
- hiraṇya / hiraṇyayuḥ
- Literal: gold; seeking gold. Symbolic: seeking golden light—purified luminous consciousness
- śatakratu
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: manifold effective intelligence; capacity to act in many ways at once
- vasu
- Literal: wealth. Symbolic: stable riches of being—light, strength, joy consolidated
A concise identification-mantra listing Indra’s triple attainment for the sacrificer: force (vāja), illumination (go), and golden radiance (hiraṇya).
After invitation, as specification of desired inner ‘wealths’.
Recitation as a request-formula embedded in praise.
Use as a concise daily ‘aim-setting’ mantra: power (vāja), knowledge (go), purity/light (hiraṇya).
yú (in vāja-yu, gavyu, hiraṇya-yu) from √yu ‘to join/seek, strive’ in RV compounds indicating ‘one who strives for/obtains’. go ‘cow’ as ray/knowledge is supported by RV’s consistent equation of cows with dawn-lights and released illuminations. vāja from the semantic field of strength, prize, nourishment → inner ‘plenitude of force’. kratu (in śatakratu) is will-power/intelligence of action. vasu relates to √vas ‘dwell’ → stable possession/fullness rather than mere commodity.
Kratu as effective will, Plenitude (vāja) as force of accomplishment, Illumination (go) as recovered knowledge
These ‘wealths’ support ṛta: right action (vāja), right seeing (go), right being (hiraṇya).
Śatakratu implies truth-effective intelligence: many powers coordinated by one Truth.
Recovery of hidden light (go) and consolidation into golden being (hiraṇya).
Integral-psychological symbolism (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): multiple planes of attainment unified by Indra.
Cows = rays of illumination; gold = solar purity of consciousness; wealth = consolidated spiritual capacities.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A compressed ‘cow-finding’ and ‘booty-winning’ mythologem: Indra as the power that seeks and secures vāja (force-plenitude), go (rays/knowledges), and hiraṇya (golden radiance). Innerly, it is the triple attainment of energy, illumination, and immortal light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go ‘cow’ reflects PIE *gʷōus (cf. Lat. bōs, Gk. βοῦς, Eng. cow via Germanic). dyu-related light semantics are implicit in the ‘golden’ imagery; √vas (vasu) reflects PIE *wes- ‘dwell’ (cf. Eng. was/were are different root; but Gk. ϝέσ- in older forms; the dwelling semantic is Indo-Iranian strong).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi claims Indra as ‘ours’ (naḥ) in three domains—force, light-rays, and golden radiance—indicating an intimate yogic possession: the devata’s cosmic functions are invited to become the seeker’s inner faculties and secured attainments.
Triple aspiration: (1) strength for right action, (2) clarity of insight, (3) luminous purity; offer each to the inner Indra.
maṇipūra (power) + ājñā (knowledge) + sahasrāra (golden light)
Three-round breath: each exhale with one clause ‘tvam…vājayuḥ / tvam…gavyuḥ / tvam…hiraṇyayuḥ’.
Aspiring, empowered, clarified.
After chanting, ask: ‘What is the next action that increases vāja, go, hiraṇya?’ Then do one small act accordingly.
Use the repeated tvam as the rhythmic anchor; rise slightly on indra and śatakrato for emphasis.
Keep each ‘tvam’ clean and equal; avoid rushing the second pāda.
Śatakrato: pronounce kr as cluster; keep short a in śata., Gavyuḥ: soft ‘vy’ glide; do not insert extra vowel., Hiraṇyayuḥ: retroflex ṇ in hiraṇya; sustain ‘ā’ if present by recitational tradition.
firm, affirmative
108
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