Rig Veda 10.101.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 101, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.101
- Devata
- Collective ritual exhortation
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
मन्द्रा कृणुध्वं धिय आ तनुध्वं नावमरित्रपरणीं कृणुध्वम् । इष्कृणुध्वमायुधारं कृणुध्वं प्राञ्चं यज्ञं प्र णयता सखायः ॥
mandrā́ kṛṇudhvaṃ dhíya ā́ tanudhvaṃ nā́vam aritra-paráṇīṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ | iṣkṛṇudhvam āyudhā́raṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ prā́ñcaṃ yajñáṃ prá ṇayata sakhāyaḥ ||
మీ ధియలను మంద్ర (ఆనందమయ)ంగా చేయుడి, వాటిని విస్తరింపజేయుడి; పడవను—చెప్పుతో నడిచేదాన్ని—నిర్మించుడి. బాణాన్ని సిద్ధం చేయుడి; ఆయుధధారిణి శక్తిని సమాయత్తం చేయుడి. సఖులారా, యజ్ఞాన్ని నేరుగా ముందుకు నడిపించుడి, అగ్రసరింపజేయుడి.
Word by Word
- मन्द्राः
- gladdening/joyful (things); pleasant (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग? (सामान्यतः पुं.), प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्म (कृणुध्वम् इत्यस्य)Root मन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make! do!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- धियः
- thoughts; insights; hymnic inspirationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (कृणुध्वम्—‘make/prepare thoughts’)Root धि (प्रातिपदिक) / धी
- आ
- towards; forth; completelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग (तन्-धातोः सह) / निपातRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- तनुध्वम्
- stretch out; extend; spreadVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root तन् (धातु)
- नावम्
- boat; shipNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (कृणुध्वम्)Root नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरित्र-परणीम्
- (a boat) furnished with oars/paddles (lit. ‘oar-bearing’)Noun (compound) / Adjectival compoundस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (नावम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (नावम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अरित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + परणी (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make! prepare!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- इष्कृणुध्वम्
- set in motion/impel; make ready with speedVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root इष् + कृ (धातु; उपसर्ग/पूर्वरूप ‘इष्-’)
- आयुधारम्
- weapon-bearing; armedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (यज्ञम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (यज्ञम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root आयुधार (प्रातिपदिक; आयुध + आर/धार ‘bearing’)
- कृणुध्वम्
- make! fashion!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- प्राञ्चम्
- forward; directed onwardAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (यज्ञम् विशेषयति)Role कर्म (यज्ञम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root प्राञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘forward-facing’)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrifice; ritual offeringNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (प्र णयता)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth; forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग (नी-धातोः सह)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- णयत
- lead! conduct!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (पदपाठे: णयत)Role (क्रिया)Root नी (धातु; वैदिक रूप ‘णय-’)
- सखायः
- friends; comradesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः—हे सखायः)Role कर्तृ (णयत—‘you friends lead’)Root सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: मन्द्रा कृणुध्वं धिय आ तनुध्वं नावमरित्रपरणीं कृणुध्वम् । इष्कृणुध्वमायु॒धारं कृणुध्वं प्राञ्चं यज्ञं प्र णयता सखायः ॥ पद-विच्छेद/सन्धि-निरसनम्: (1) मन्द्रा → मन्द्राः (प्रथमा बहु.) + (2) धिय॒ आ → धियः + आ (विसर्ग-लोपः/संहितायां) (3) नावमरित्रपरणीम् → नावम् + अरित्र-परणीम् (समास/संहिता) (4) इष्कृणुध्वम् → इष्- + कृणुध्वम् (पूर्वरूप-संयोगः) (5) प्र णयता → प्र + णयत (वैदिक ‘ण’ रूप; संहितायां दीर्घ/स्वर-प्रभावेन) । उच्चारण-चिह्नाः (॒/॑) वैदिक-स्वर (अनुदात्त/उदात्त) सूचयन्ति
- पद-विभागे मूलाक्षर-रूपं यथासम्भवम् अविकृतम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A work-song style exhortation: gladden and expand the thoughts; build a boat driven by oars; prepare arrow and weapons; lead the sacrifice straight forward together as comrades.
Inner meaning
The mantra calls the inner workers (sakhāyaḥ) to coordinate the faculties for a decisive advance in sādhanā. “Glad thoughts” are clarified, luminous intentions; “widening” is the expansion of consciousness beyond narrow ego-mind. The “boat” is the prepared vessel of the being that can cross the inner waters of mixed desire and inertia, moved by disciplined effort (oar). The “arrow/weapon-bearing power” is concentrated will and discriminative force used to pierce resistances (coverings, confusion) so that the yajña—inner offering of works, breath, and thought to the Divine—moves straight (prāñcam) toward its goal without deviation.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires (1) joy and wideness of mind, (2) a stable vessel for transition, (3) sharpened will and discernment, and (4) collective harmony of the inner faculties so the life-sacrifice advances steadily toward truth.
Themes
preparation/exhortation, crossing symbolism, disciplined advance, collective work
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.101.1-7 (same hymn; collective exhortatory/work-song style)
Significance
The anonymity suits the hymn’s collective voice: not a personal seer’s signature but a shared yogic instruction to align inner instruments for the forward-leading of yajña. In Aurobindonian terms, it is the ‘group-soul’ of the sādhaka-forces speaking.
The deity
- Devata
- Yajña (inner sacrifice) supported by Agni and Indra (implicit)
- Epithets
- prāñcaṃ yajñam (the forward-moving sacrifice), sakhāyaḥ (companions of the work)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Soma (as the delight that supports glad thought), Maruts (as cooperative energies—suggested by ‘comrades’)
Cosmic role
Yajña is the evolutionary engine: the means by which human nature offers itself to the gods/powers and receives light, strength, and delight in return; Agni kindles the movement; Indra secures the victorious advance against obstruction.
Inner power
Agni as will-to-transform leading the offering; Indra as illumined mind-force that makes the advance ‘straight onward’; together they organize aspiration, effort, and victory.
In ritual
Where it is used
General yajña preparation / pravargya-like work-exhortation atmosphere (non-specific)
म॒न्द्रा कृ॑णुध्वं॒ धिय॒ आ त॑नुध्वं॒ नाव॑मरित्र॒पर॑णीं कृणुध्वम् । इष्कृ॑णुध्व॒मायु॒धारं॑ कृणुध्वं॒ प्राञ्चं॑ य॒ज्ञं प्र ण॑यता सखायः ॥
म॒न्द्रा । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् । धियः॑ । आ । त॒नु॒ध्व॒म् । नाव॑म् । अ॒रि॒त्र॒ऽपर॑णीम् । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् । इष्कृ॑णुध्वम् । आयु॒धा । अर॑म् । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् । प्राञ्च॑म् । य॒ज्ञम् । प्र । न॒य॒त॒ । स॒खा॒यः॒ ॥
mandrā | kṛṇudhvam | dhiyaḥ | ā | tanudhvam | nāvam | aritra-paraṇīm | kṛṇudhvam | iṣkṛṇudhvam | āyudhā | aram | kṛṇudhvam | prāñcam | yajñam | pra | nayata | sakhāyaḥ
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh cadence; some Vedic resolution/contracted counts possible)
Driving, exhortatory, forward-thrusting; suited to coordinated action and collective recitation.
Builds resolve and cohesion; the repeated imperatives entrain attention into one-pointed readiness and ‘forward-leading’ momentum.
- मन्द्रा (mandrā)
- Literal: glad, delightful, inspiring. Symbolic: luminous joy in the mental nature; a sattwic tone that makes thought receptive to higher light
- धियः (dhiyaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, insights. Symbolic: the discerning intelligence (buddhi/inner understanding) that can be widened into higher consciousness
- आ तनुध्वम् (ā tanudhvaṃ)
- Literal: stretch out, extend. Symbolic: expand the field of awareness; remove contraction of ego and fear
- नावम् (nāvam)
- Literal: boat. Symbolic: the prepared inner vehicle (integrated being) that can cross transitions and inner waters safely
- अरित्र-परिणीम् (aritraparaṇīm)
- Literal: carried/propelled by the oar. Symbolic: steady self-effort and rhythmic practice that moves the vessel of the being
- इष् (iṣ) / इष्कृणुध्वम् (iṣkṛṇudhvaṃ)
- Literal: arrow; make/prepare the arrow. Symbolic: one-pointed will and directed intention that pierces obscurity
- आयुध (āyudha)
- Literal: weapon. Symbolic: spiritual force: discrimination, courage, and power to overcome resistance
- यज्ञ (yajña)
- Literal: sacrifice, offering. Symbolic: the inner sacrifice—offering of thought, life-force, and action to the Divine for transformation
- सखायः (sakhāyaḥ)
- Literal: comrades, companions. Symbolic: the cooperating powers within—mind, prāṇa, heart, will—working in concord
Practical-ritual and inner-ritual preparation: instruments (boat/oar/weapon) symbolize means for crossing obstacles and directing force in the Soma journey
During preparatory or transitional moments—setting implements, beginning an offering sequence, or energizing assistants.
Exhortation to prepare instruments and proceed with the rite in right order.
Use before meditation or work as an ‘inner preparation’ mantra: brighten intention, widen mind, gather will, and proceed without distraction.
dhī from √dhī/√dhyai ‘to think, envision’—visionary thought. nā́va ‘boat’ from PIE *néh₂us ‘boat’ (cf. Lat. nāvis). √tan ‘stretch’ indicates expansion of consciousness. iṣ ‘impulse/arrow’ from √iṣ ‘to impel’—inner directed force. √nī ‘lead’ from PIE *neh₁- ‘lead’ (cf. Eng. nudge is unrelated; but Lat. ducere is different).
expansion of dhī (consciousness), yajña as transformative journey, directed will-force (iṣ)
‘prāñcaṃ’ implies alignment with Ṛta—movement that does not deviate into falsehood or inertia.
Truth is approached by widening dhi and directing will like an arrow.
Yajña as the means of inner becoming: fashioning a vessel and powers for crossing and emergence.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo): ascent from mental/vital to higher light through sacrifice.
Crossing waters = passing through mixed lower nature; oar = steady practice; arrow/weapon = concentrated will and discrimination; forward path = evolution along Ṛta.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The sacrifice as a voyage and a battle: the community builds the ‘boat’ for crossing and readies ‘weapons’ for overcoming obstruction, then leads yajña forward—an inner expedition toward the farther shore of truth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nāva is a clear PIE inheritance (*néh₂us). √tan ‘stretch’ aligns with PIE *ten- ‘stretch’ (Lat. tendere). The verse shows classic IE poetic parallelism: imperatives in series, creating a performative ‘manual’ style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as organizer of the human side of the covenant: he commands the shaping of thought and instruments so the divine powers can act through a prepared vessel; the devata is implicit as the force that answers once yajña is rightly led.
Prepare the inner instruments: widen the mind, gather will, and move the offering forward without wavering.
maṇipūra (will/fire) and ājñā (directed intention/arrow)
Moderate paced nāḍī-śodhana for 6–12 rounds, then one recitation per exhale to ‘lead forward’.
Collected, forward-pressing concentration (ekāgratā with dynamic tapas).
Before action or meditation: (1) evoke gladness in thought, (2) expand awareness, (3) feel the body as a steady boat, (4) form a single intention like an arrow, (5) offer the coming work as yajña and proceed straight.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per Śākala tradition; imperatives often carry emphatic udatta on key verbs (kṛṇudhvaṃ, tanudhvaṃ, pra ṇayata).
Lean stress toward the verb-commands; keep ‘prāñcaṃ yajñam’ as a single forward-driving phrase.
: ‘ndr’ cluster clean, short ‘a’, : retroflex ‘ṇ’, aspirated ‘dhv’ as one unit, : articulate ‘tri’ and ‘pa’ clearly; avoid swallowing middle vowels, : ‘iṣ’ with retroflex ṣ; no extra vowel between ṣ and k, : nasalized ‘āñ’ (palatal nasal) before ‘c’
Clear, directive, slightly martial yet controlled; end each pāda with firmness.
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