Rig Veda 1.55.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 55, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.55
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सो अर्णवो न नद्यः समुद्रियः प्रति गृभ्णाति विश्रिता वरीमभिः । इन्द्रः सोमस्य पीतये वृषायते सनात्स युध्म ओजसा पनस्यते ॥
só arṇavó na nádyaḥ samudriyáḥ práti gṛbhṇāti ví-śritā vārī́ma-bhiḥ | índraḥ sómasya pītáye vṛṣāyate sanā́t sá yudhmá ójasā panasyate ||
సముద్రం నదులను స్వీకరించినట్లే, అతడు తన విశాలతచేత విస్తరించిన ప్రవాహాలను తనలోనే సంగ్రహించుకుంటాడు. ఇంద్రుడు సోమపానార్థం వృషభంలా బలవంతుడవుతాడు; ఆదినుండి అతడు యుధ్మ (యోధుడు) ఓజస్సులో ఆనందిస్తాడు—ఆనందాన్ని గెలిపించే ఆ శక్తిచేత అతడు మరింత వృద్ధి చెందుతాడు.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्णवः
- ocean, floodNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (उपमान-रूपेण) / विशेषणम्Root अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-निपातःRoot न (अव्यय)
- नद्यः
- riversNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (उपमान-रूपेण) / विशेष्य-सम्बन्धःRoot नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
- समुद्रियः
- ocean-going, belonging to the seaAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role विशेषणम् (नद्यः) / कर्तृ (उपमान-रूपेण)Root समुद्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समुद्र-सम्बद्ध)
- प्रति
- towards, againstIndeclinableउपसर्गः (गृभ्णाति) / दिशाबोधकःRoot प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- गृभ्णाति
- grasps, seizesVerbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot ग्रह् (धातु)
- विश्रिताः
- spread out, widely extendedAdjective (Participle)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (नद्यः इति)Role विशेषणम् (नद्यः)Root वि-श्रि (धातु) → विश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
- वरीमभिः
- with expanses / with wide stretchesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot वरीमन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विस्तार/प्रशस्तता’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (पीतये)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतये
- for drinkingNoun (action noun)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Root पा (धातु) → पीति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पानम्’)
- वृषायते
- acts the bull; becomes vigorous/impetuousVerbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot वृष् (धातु) → वृषाय (नामधातु/denominative)
- सनात्
- from of old, since ancient timesIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (काल)Root सनात् (अव्यय)
- सः
- hePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- युध्मः
- warlike, battle-strongAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (इन्द्रः इति)Role विशेषणम् (कर्तृ)Root युध्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- ओजसा
- with strength, by mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पनस्यते
- wins admiration; is praised / seeks favorVerbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot पनस्/पनस्य् (धातु; ‘स्तुत्यर्थ/प्रार्थनार्थ’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): सो→सः
- अर्णवो→अर्णवः
- प्रति (उपसर्गः) + गृभ्णाति
- विश्रिता वरीमभिः→विश्रिताः वरीमभिः (नद्यः इति स्त्री. प्र. बहु.)
- इन्द्रः सोमस्य पीतये (षष्ठी-चतुर्थी-सम्बन्धः)
- सनात्स→सनात् सः (अव्यय + सर्वनाम)
- युध्म ओजसा→युध्मः ओजसा (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते). उच्चारण-स्वरचिह्नाः (अ॑, ॒, ॑) मूलपाठानुसारं
- पदच्छेदे सामान्यरूपेण दर्शितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Like the ocean receiving rivers, Indra gathers the wide-spread currents by his vastness. He grows strong for drinking Soma; from ancient times he, the warrior, rejoices in strength and prospers by victorious force.
Inner meaning
Indra is portrayed as the oceanic consciousness that can receive and integrate many streams without being diminished. The ‘rivers’ are the diverse movements of thought, sensation, impulse, and inspiration; in the widened Indra-consciousness they are gathered and harmonized. Soma-drinking is the assimilation of divine delight that makes the illumined mind puissant (vṛṣāyate): delight strengthens clarity and courage. ‘From of old’ indicates an archetypal law: illumination thrives on Ananda and becomes increasingly capable of victorious action (yudhma ojasā), rejoicing in the force that wins the right delight (panasyate).
Universal truth
A vast consciousness can hold many currents in harmony; when nourished by inner joy, intelligence becomes powerful, courageous, and steadily victorious.
Themes
Soma-empowerment, gathering of forces, vastness imagery
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.55.1-6
Significance
The seer stresses the oceanic wideness of Indra-consciousness and the necessity of Soma (delight) for stable victorious power—an inner yoga of integration and joy-powered action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Samudriya (oceanic, by simile), Yudhma (warrior), Vṛṣan (bull-like, by sense of vṛṣāyate)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Integrator of the world-currents; empowered by Soma to conquer obstruction and establish wide harmony.
Inner power
Widened, all-receiving illumined mind strengthened by delight; turns diverse movements into unified victorious force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra; praise to empower Indra for victory and boons.
सो अ॑र्ण॒वो न न॒द्य॑: समु॒द्रिय॒: प्रति॑ गृभ्णाति॒ विश्रि॑ता॒ वरी॑मभिः । इन्द्र॒: सोम॑स्य पी॒तये॑ वृषायते स॒नात्स यु॒ध्म ओज॑सा पनस्यते ॥
सः । अ॒र्ण॒वः । न । न॒द्यः॑ । स॒मु॒द्रियः॑ । प्रति॑ । गृ॒भ्णा॒ति॒ । विऽश्रि॑ताः । वरी॑मऽभिः । इन्द्रः॑ । सोम॑स्य । पी॒तये॑ । वृ॒ष॒ऽय॒ते॒ । स॒नात् । सः । यु॒ध्मः । ओज॑सा । प॒न॒स्य॒ते॒ ॥
saḥ | arṇavaḥ | na | nadyaḥ | samudriyaḥ | prati | gṛbhṇāti | vi-śritāḥ | varīma-bhiḥ | indraḥ | somasya | pītaye | vṛṣa-yate | sanāt | saḥ | yudhmaḥ | ojasā | panasyate
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Flowing, river-to-ocean movement in the first half; strong, virile cadence in the Soma/warrior lines.
Creates a felt widening and gathering-in, then a rise of confident strength; good for unifying scattered mind.
- अर्णव (arṇava)
- Literal: ocean, flood. Symbolic: vast consciousness capable of integration
- नद्यः (nadyaḥ)
- Literal: rivers. Symbolic: multiple currents of the being (thought, prāṇa, intuition)
- समुद्रिय (samudriya)
- Literal: oceanic. Symbolic: widened, all-receiving awareness
- वरीम (varīma)
- Literal: vastness. Symbolic: spacious capacity that harmonizes diversity
- सोमपीतये (somasya pītaye)
- Literal: for the drinking of Soma. Symbolic: assimilation of divine delight to strengthen illumination
- वृषायते (vṛṣāyate)
- Literal: acts as a bull; grows potent. Symbolic: becomes powerfully effective in consciousness
- युध्म (yudhma)
- Literal: warrior. Symbolic: courageous truth-force in action
- ओजस् (ojas)
- Literal: strength, vigor. Symbolic: energetic puissance of the illumined will
- पनस्यते (panasyate)
- Literal: rejoices/strives for prize. Symbolic: delights in victorious increase; love of the spiritual ‘gain’
Soma-drinking praise: supports the moment of offering where Soma is conceived as increasing Indra’s victorious force in the sacrificer.
During Soma-drinking invitations and Indra laudations; also in contexts seeking strength and integration.
Offering Soma and reciting praise of Indra’s capacity and ancient victorious nature.
Use when mentally scattered: chant to gather the ‘rivers’ into an inner ocean; then rest in wide awareness and act from joy-strength.
√gṛbh/√grah ‘to seize, grasp’ here becomes ‘to gather/receive’—Indra integrates dispersed forces. arṇava/samudra imagery symbolizes the Vast Consciousness collecting the streams of faculties. √vṛṣ ‘to be strong, virile’ (vṛṣayate) marks Soma as intensifier of Indra’s power: Soma = delight/immortalizing essence that increases the truth-force. √pan ‘to admire/desire, bargain, win’ (panasyate) suggests ‘winning delight’—inner enjoyment of strength through right conquest.
integration into the Vast (Brihat), Ananda/Soma as intensifier of power, inner battle (yudhma) as conquest of obstruction
The right order is not suppression but integration—many currents entering one ocean without conflict.
Victorious force (ojas) is stable when rooted in delight rather than ego-strain.
From multiplicity (rivers) to unity (ocean): a cosmological and psychological synthesis.
Integral synthesis: wideness + delight + forceful right action as a single movement of realization.
Widen into oceanic awareness; let diverse inner streams merge; nourish illumination with delight; act with ancient, steady courage.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ocean receiving rivers’ mythologem: Indra as the Vast gathers dispersed currents. Innerly, the wide-spread faculties and life-forces are drawn into a single sovereign consciousness; Soma-drinking is the means by which this integration becomes potent and victorious.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The grasping verb √grah (gṛbhṇāti) reflects a widespread IE semantic of ‘seize/hold’ (cf. Slavic *grab-, Germanic ‘grab’). The bull/potency image (vṛṣ-) parallels IE virility symbolism for strength and rulership.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Soma not as mere offering but as the delight-substance that awakens Indra’s force within the human. The relationship is participatory: by preparing Soma (inner clarity/Ananda), the aspirant enables Indra’s integration and warrior-strength to operate.
Oceanic widening and integration; strengthen the illumined mind by tasting inner joy; move into courageous right action.
anāhata (widening, inclusion) to ājñā (illumined direction)
Box-breath 4-4-4-4 for 4 rounds to gather currents; then free breathing while sensing ‘Soma’ as sweetness in the chest.
Spacious unity with energized clarity.
After chanting, imagine all thoughts as rivers entering a calm ocean at the heart; do not fight them—receive and unify. Then recall one thing that brings pure, quiet joy; let that joy strengthen resolve for a single right action.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita); precise accents depend on accent-marked recension.
Let the first simile flow legato like rivers; give firm emphasis to ‘indraḥ somasya pītaye’ and ‘ojasā’ to mark empowerment.
arṇavo: vocalic ṛ; keep ‘ṇ’ retroflex, samudriyaḥ: ‘dr’ cluster; final visarga ḥ lightly before pause, prati gṛbhṇāti: retroflex ṛ in gṛ; nasal ‘ṇ’ in bhṇ, viśritā: ś palatal; long ā, vṛṣāyate: vocalic ṛ; long ā, yudhma: keep ‘dhm’ cluster compact, panasyate: clear ‘sy’ consonant blend
Deep, flowing, oceanic; firm on empowerment phrases.
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