Rig Veda 2.12.2: Mandala 2, Sukta 12, Mantra 2
Sukta 2.12
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यः पृथिवीं व्यथमानामदृंहद्यः पर्वतान्प्रकुपिताँ अरम्णात् । यो अन्तरिक्षं विममे वरीयो यो द्यामस्तभ्नात्स जनास इन्द्रः ॥
yáḥ pṛthivī́ṃ vyáthamānām ádṛṃhat yáḥ párvatān prákupitāṃ árāmṇāt | yó antárikṣaṃ vimáme várīyo yó dyā́m astábhnāt sá janāsa índraḥ ||
நடுங்கிய பூமியை உறுதியாக்கியவன், கலங்கிய மலைகளை நிலைநிறுத்தியவன்; அந்தரிக்ஷத்தை மேலும் விரிவாக அளந்து வகுத்தவன், த்யௌ (வானம்) ஐத் தாங்கி நிறுத்தியவன்—ஓ மக்களே, அவனே இந்திரன்.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथिवीम्
- the earthNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्यथमानाम्
- trembling, being shakenParticiple (Adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (पृथिवीम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्); वर्तमानकाले, आत्मनेपदम्Role KarmaRoot व्यथ् (धातु) → व्यथमान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- अदृंहत्
- made firm, strengthenedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot दृंह् (धातु) ‘to make firm/strengthen’
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पर्वतान्
- mountainsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रकुपितान्
- shaken, agitatedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (पर्वतान् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot कुप् (धातु) + प्र- → प्रकुपित (भूतकृदन्त)
- अरम्णात्
- stilled, checked, made ceaseVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot रम् (धातु) ‘to stop/hold back, make rest’ (Vedic usage) + आ- → आ-रम्
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तरिक्षम्
- the midspace, atmosphereNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- विममे
- measured outVerbलिट् (परोक्ष-भूत/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot मा (धातु) ‘to measure’ + वि- → वि-मा
- वरीयः
- wider, more spaciousAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अन्तरिक्षम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot वृ (धातु) → वर (प्रातिपदिक) → वरीयस् (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्याम्
- the heaven, skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तभ्नात्
- propped up, supportedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot स्तभ् (धातु) ‘to prop, support, make firm’ + आ- → आ-स्तभ्
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- जनासः
- O peoples, O menNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (सम्बोधनार्थे/उद्बोधन-प्रयोगः: ‘O people!’)Role SambodhanaRoot जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): यः | पृथिवीम् | व्यथमानाम् | अदृंहत् | यः | पर्वतान् | प्रकुपितान् | अरम्णात् | यः | अन्तरिक्षम् | विममे | वरीयः | यः | द्याम् | अस्तभ्नात् | सः | जनासः | इन्द्रः । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) पर्वतान्+प्रकुपितान् → पर्वतान्प्रकुपितान् (न् + प्)
- (2) अस्तभ्नात्+सः → अस्तभ्नात्सः (त् + स)
- (3) इन्द्रः: विसर्गः पदान्ते। स्वर-टिप्पणी: संहितापाठे उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्नाः (पृ॑-, ॒वीं, व्यथ॑-, -ना॒-, अदृं॑ह-, पर्व॑-, प्रकु॑-, -ता॒ँ, अ॒न्तरि॑-, विम॒मे, वरी॑-, द्यामस्त॑भ्ना॒त्, इन्द्र॑:) पदच्छेदे सामान्यतः न दर्शिताः
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra made firm the trembling Earth, steadied the agitated mountains; measured out the midspace more widely; propped up Heaven—he is Indra, O peoples.
Inner meaning
Indra’s illumination does not only break obstacles; it stabilizes and widens the being. Earth trembling is the unstable physical-vital base; mountains agitated are the great fixed formations (habit-structures, large life-forces) that can quake under pressure. Indra makes them steady—establishing a firm foundation for sādhanā. He ‘measures the midspace more widely’: the antarikṣa is the life-mind field between body and higher mind; widening it means creating freer prāṇa, larger emotional space, and broader thought-range. He ‘props up Heaven’: he establishes and supports the higher mental/supramental orientation so it does not collapse into the lower pull. Thus Indra is the power that both widens and stabilizes the whole vertical structure of consciousness.
Universal truth
True strength both stabilizes foundations and expands the field of life; higher orientation must be supported while the base is made firm.
Themes
Cosmic architecture, Stabilization of the being, Expansion of inner space, Indra as upholder
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu/Bhārgava
- Other hymns
- RV 2.12.1-15
Family tradition
Bhārgava vision often includes the architecture of consciousness—earth, midspace, heaven—as inner planes to be stabilized and widened by Indra’s force.
Significance
This verse is a yogic ‘structural’ teaching: illumination must create both firmness below and wideness in the middle while sustaining the higher aim.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Dhṛtivān (steadier, implied), Bṛhad-kṛt (maker of wideness, implied), Maghavan
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (order), Mitra (harmony), Agni (foundation of sacrifice), Sūrya (widening illumination)
Cosmic role
Cosmic stabilizer and expander: firming earth, steadying mountains, widening midspace, upholding heaven.
Inner power
Power of equilibrium under transformation; capacity to enlarge life-field without losing foundation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma rites; also a general hymn of cosmic support
यः पृ॑थि॒वीं व्यथ॑माना॒मदृं॑ह॒द्यः पर्व॑ता॒न्प्रकु॑पिताँ॒ अर॑म्णात् । यो अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं विम॒मे वरी॑यो॒ यो द्यामस्त॑भ्ना॒त्स ज॑नास॒ इन्द्र॑: ॥
यः । पृ॒थि॒वीम् । व्यथ॑मानाम् । अदृं॑हत् । यः । पर्व॑तान् । प्रऽकु॑पितान् । अर॑म्णात् । यः । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । वि॒ऽम॒मे । वरी॑यः । यः । द्याम् । अस्त॑भ्नात् । सः । ज॒ना॒सः॒ । इन्द्रः॑ ॥
yaḥ | pṛthivīm | vyathamānām | adṛṃhat | yaḥ | parvatān | pra-kupitān | aramṇāt | yaḥ | antarikṣam | vi-mame | varīyaḥ | yaḥ | dyām | astabhnāt | saḥ | janāsaḥ | indraḥ
48
4 × ~12
Measured and expansive; suited to ‘measuring out’ and ‘upholding’ imagery.
Grounding and widening simultaneously; helpful for settling the nervous system while opening awareness.
- पृथिवी (pṛthivī)
- Literal: Earth. Symbolic: physical-vital foundation of the being
- व्यथमानाम् (vyathamānām)
- Literal: trembling. Symbolic: instability, insecurity, reactive nature
- अदृंहत् (adṛṃhat)
- Literal: made firm. Symbolic: established steadiness and endurance
- पर्वतान् (parvatān)
- Literal: mountains. Symbolic: large fixed formations; habitual structures, life-forces
- प्रकुपितान् (prakupitān)
- Literal: violently agitated. Symbolic: disturbed energies, upheavals in nature
- अन्तरिक्षम् (antarikṣam)
- Literal: midspace/atmosphere. Symbolic: life-mind field; prāṇic-mental space for movement
- विममे वरीयः (vimame varīyaḥ)
- Literal: measured out wider. Symbolic: created a greater inner capacity and freedom
- द्याम् (dyām)
- Literal: Heaven. Symbolic: higher mind/illumined plane; aspiring summit
- अस्तभ्नात् (astabhnāt)
- Literal: propped up, supported. Symbolic: secured the higher orientation against collapse
Indra-stotra affirming cosmic ordering actions; used to invoke stabilizing and widening power in Soma rites
When affirming Indra’s sustaining deeds; communal recitation
Praise to invoke stability, wideness, and protection of the sacrificer’s world
Chant for grounding during upheaval; use to stabilize body-life and open spaciousness in breath and mind.
√dṛh ‘to make firm’ (adṛṃhat) expresses stabilization; √kup ‘agitate’ (prakupita) indicates disturbance; √mā ‘measure’ (vimame) is cosmogonic ordering; √stambh ‘support’ (astabhnāt) is cosmic pillar imagery. Psychological mapping: earth=body/foundation, mountains=deep structural formations, antarikṣa=vital field, heaven=higher mind.
Cosmogony as ordering (measurement) and stabilization, Ṛta as structured space and firm foundation
Indra’s acts maintain ṛta by preventing collapse (heaven) and disorder (trembling earth).
Widened midspace allows truer perception and freer movement of truth-force.
Establishment of the threefold world-order; expansion of the middle realm for evolution.
Integral Vedic cosmology as inner psycho-spiritual geography (earth–midspace–heaven).
Earth = body-base; mountains = deep habits/forces; atmosphere = prāṇa-thought field; sky = higher mind; Indra = stabilizing illumination across all.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Cosmic establishment: Indra as the stabilizer and measurer who makes the worlds firm and spacious. Inwardly, it is the action of the illumined will that steadies the shaken foundation and expands the vital field for higher consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The cosmogonic verb √mā ‘measure’ reflects a widespread IE theme of world-ordering by measurement (cf. PIE *meh₁- ‘measure’). √stambh ‘support’ parallels IE ‘pillar of the sky’ motifs.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes Indra not merely as warrior but as world-builder within: the praised deeds become the requested inner function—firming what trembles, calming what is agitated, widening the life-field, and supporting the higher mind.
Stabilize the base, widen the life-field, uphold the higher aim—scan earth (feet/pelvis), midspace (breath/heart), heaven (brow/crown).
mūlādhāra–anāhata–ājñā vertical alignment
Slow-meditative chanting; then 12 slow breaths: feel ‘earth’ heavy, ‘midspace’ wide, ‘heaven’ lifted.
From reactive instability to steady, spacious poise.
Use after emotional agitation: chant once, then stand or sit feeling weight in legs, widen ribs with breath, and lightly lift attention to the brow—‘heaven upheld’.
Keep Jagatī even; let the ‘measuring’ phrase (vimame varīyaḥ) flow smoothly; honor udatta peaks without punching them.
Slightly lengthen at pāda ends; keep refrain closure ‘sa janāsa indraḥ’ steady and declarative.
(pṛthivīm): vocalic ‘ṛ’, long ‘ī’, (vyathamānām): ‘vy’ cluster clean, long ‘ā’, (adṛṃhat): nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘h’ subtle, (prakupitān): ‘ku’ short, long ‘ān’, (antarikṣam): retroflex ‘ṣ’, (vimame): even vowels, (varīyaḥ): long ‘ī’, (astabhnāt): conjunct ‘stabh’ clear, long ‘ā’
Grounded, low and steady; broaden resonance on ‘antarikṣam’.
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