Rig Veda 1.175.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 175, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.175
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
त्वं हि शूरः सनिता चोदयो मनुषो रथम् । सहावान्दस्युमव्रतमोषः पात्रं न शोचिषा ॥
tváṃ hí śūráḥ sánitā codáyo mánuṣo rátham | sahávān dásyum avratám óṣaḥ pā́traṃ ná śóciṣā ||
నీవే శూరుడు, సని (విజేత); మనుష్యుని రథాన్ని ముందుకు నడిపించే చోదయ నీవే. సహావాన్గా నీవు అవ్రత దస్యువును దహించివేస్తావు—శోచిషా (జ్యోతి)తో పాత్రం దగ్ధమై శుద్ధమయ్యేలా.
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- शूरः
- hero, valiant oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-समनाधिकरण विशेषण)Root शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- सनिता
- winner, gainerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-समनाधिकरण)Root सनि (प्रातिपदिक; √सन्/सन् ‘to gain, win’ से)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- उदयः
- raiser, impeller (one who sets in motion)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-समनाधिकरण)Root उदय (प्रातिपदिक; √उद्-इ/√इ ‘to go up, rise’ से)
- मनुषः
- of Manu (i.e., of mankind/Manu’s)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रथम्
- chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहावान्
- mighty, powerful; having strengthAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-समनाधिकरण विशेषण)Root सहावत्/सहावन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सह’ + वत्/वन् ‘possessing’)
- दस्युम्
- Dasyu (hostile/raiding foe)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव्रतम्
- lawless, without sacred observanceAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (दस्युम् इति विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेष्य-विशेषणभावेन)Root अ-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
- ओषः
- thou burnest/consumestVerb (finite, Vedic present) / verbal noun-like usageलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, 2 एकवचन (त्वम्), धात्वर्थः ‘thou burnest/consumest’Role क्रियाRoot ओष (प्रातिपदिक; √उष्/√वश्? वैदिक ‘to burn/consume’ अर्थे; यहाँ ‘दहति/क्षपयति’ भाव)
- पात्रम्
- vessel, bowlNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole उपमान (उपमेयस्य कर्म-रूपेण; ‘like a vessel’)Root पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमावाचक अव्ययRoot न (उपमानार्थक अव्यय)
- शोचिषा
- with flame, with blazing fireNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot शोचिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | हि | शूरः | सनिता | च | उदयः | मनुषः | रथम् | सहावान् | दस्युम् | अव्रतम् | ओषः | पात्रम् | न | शोचिषा । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) चोदयः = च + उदयः (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + उ → ओ)
- (2) सहावान् दस्युम्: अन्त्य-न् परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रवृत्तिः सम्भवति (पाठभेदे ‘सहावान्दस्युम्’)
- (3) अव्रतमोषः = अव्रतम् + ओषः (म् + ओ → मो; परसवर्ण-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You are the hero and winner who drives forward the human chariot; strong, you burn the lawless Dasyu like a vessel with flame.
Inner meaning
Indra as the heroic illumined power impels the ‘human chariot’—the embodied journey of mind and life—toward its goal. He burns away the lawless movements (dasyu avratam): chaotic impulses, falsehood, and inertia, purifying the inner instrument as fire purifies a vessel, so progress becomes possible.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires both propulsion and purification: the higher intelligence must drive the life forward and also burn away what refuses the law of truth.
Themes
Indra as impeller, Destruction of Dasyu (inner obstruction), Purification of the vessel
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.175.1-5, RV 7. (Vasiṣṭha collection, thematic parallels of purification and victory)
Family tradition
Often integrates Agni-like purification with Indra-like victory: cleansing the instrument so the divine can act.
Significance
This verse is a compact psychology of sādhanā: divine impulsion (codayah) plus burning away the ‘avratam’ in the nature.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- शूरः (śūraḥ), सनीता (sanitā), सहवान् (sahavān)
- Related deities
- Agni (purification), Maruts (impulsion), Sūrya (light)
Cosmic role
Drives the Aryan journey, destroys the Dasyu forces that obstruct the path of light.
Inner power
Dynamic guidance and purifying force that removes lawless habits and clears the channel for progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma offerings; also protective recitation against hostile forces
त्वं हि शूर॒: सनि॑ता चो॒दयो॒ मनु॑षो॒ रथ॑म् । स॒हावा॒न्दस्यु॑मव्र॒तमोष॒: पात्रं॒ न शो॒चिषा॑ ॥
त्वम् । हि । शूरः॑ । सनि॑ता । चो॒दयः॑ । मनु॑षः । रथ॑म् । स॒हऽवा॑न् । दस्यु॑म् । अ॒व्र॒तम् । ओषः॑ । पात्र॑म् । न । शो॒चिषा॑ ॥
tvam | hi | śūraḥ | sanitā | codayaḥ | manuṣaḥ | ratham | saha-vān | dasyum | avratam | oṣaḥ | pātram | na | śociṣā
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4 × ~11 syllables
Propulsive with a cleansing ‘cut’ in the second half; suited to driving and burning imagery.
Elicits forward motion; helps cut through lethargy and scattered impulses.
- शूरः (śūraḥ)
- Literal: hero. Symbolic: Courageous divine force in the mind that does not yield to obscurity
- सनीता (sanitā)
- Literal: winner, gainer. Symbolic: Power that secures lasting attainments in consciousness
- चोदयः (codayah)
- Literal: you impel, drive. Symbolic: Inner impulsion toward growth; the push of evolution
- मनुषः रथम् (manuṣaḥ ratham)
- Literal: the human chariot. Symbolic: Embodied nature (mind-life-body) as the vehicle of the soul’s journey
- दस्यु (dasyu)
- Literal: enemy, robber. Symbolic: Lawless forces in the subconscient/vital that steal light and joy
- अव्रतम् (avratam)
- Literal: without vow/law. Symbolic: Unaligned with ṛta—impulsive, unregulated, false movement
- शोचिषा (śociṣā)
- Literal: with flame. Symbolic: Purifying illumination that consumes impurity and ignorance
- पात्रम् (pātram)
- Literal: vessel. Symbolic: The instrument of offering—mind/heart made fit for higher force
Stotra praising Indra as impeller and purifier; suitable in Soma context where ‘burning away’ obstacles parallels ritual purification
When seeking momentum in the rite and removal of obstacles/adversaries.
Recitation accompanying offerings; mental identification of obstacles as ‘dasyu’ to be purified.
Use when stuck in procrastination, addiction loops, or confusion—chant as a ‘drive and cleanse’ formula.
codayaḥ from √cud ‘impel’ (causative nuance), indicating Indra as initiator of movement/advance. óṣaḥ from √uṣ ‘burn, dawn, shine’ links burning and illumination—destruction of obscurity equals emergence of light. avratá ‘without vrata’ (vrata = law, will, right functioning) marks the opponent as anti-order (a-r̥ta). ratha as a standard Vedic metaphor for the embodied instrument steered by divine powers.
Vrata and R̥ta (right law vs lawlessness), Purification through inner heat (tapas/śociṣ), Guidance of the embodied instrument
The avratam is what refuses ṛta; Indra’s burning restores right order in the instrument.
Truth requires a fit vessel; purification precedes stable illumination.
Evolutionary drive: the divine pushes the human vehicle forward by removing obstructing formations.
Yoga of transformation (integral reading): purification and empowerment as twin movements.
Chariot = psycho-physical vehicle; flame = conscious force that purifies; vessel = capacity to hold higher energies without distortion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra driving the chariot and burning the Dasyu: the heroic guide who advances the human journey while destroying lawless obstruction. Inner-shell: the divine will energizes the seeker’s instrument and incinerates inertia/falsehood.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The chariot motif is a pan-IE poetic structure (vehicle of the hero/god). The opposition ordered law (vrata) vs lawless (a-vrata) parallels archaic IE moral-cosmic binaries expressed through juridical vocabulary.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet positions Indra as the active driver of human effort: human aspiration supplies the field, Indra supplies the impulsion and purifying blaze, enabling the sacrificer’s progress and protection.
Offer the ‘human chariot’ to the higher mind; burn away one lawless habit.
maṇipūra (purifying drive) and viśuddha (clearing expression/impulse)
Brisk but controlled exhale on ‘oṣaḥ’ (burns), soften inhale to receive guidance.
Focused, disciplined force.
Name (mentally) one ‘dasyu’ tendency. Chant, then visualize a clean inner vessel; feel the will steering the day’s actions from the brow.
Tri-svara; keep the cadence steady across enjambment; observe udātta placements in accented editions.
Maintain clear breaks at caesura: ‘tvaṃ hi śūraḥ | sanitā codayo’; avoid rushing consonant clusters in ‘dasyum avratam’.
(codayah): ‘co’ as ‘cho’, not ‘ko’, (dasyum): dental d, clear ‘sy’, (śociṣā): palatal ś, long ī, (ratham): light aspirated th
Firm, penetrating, purifying; not shouted—controlled intensity.
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