Rig Veda 10.33.4: Mandala 10, Sukta 33, Mantra 4
Sukta 10.33
- Devata
- Praise of a royal patron
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
कुरुश्रवणमावृणि राजानं त्रासदस्यवम् । मंहिष्ठं वाघतामृषिः ॥
kuruśrávaṇam āvṛṇi rājā́naṃ trā́sadasyavam | maṃhíṣṭhaṃ vāghátām ṛ́ṣiḥ ||
ఋషి కురుశ్రవణుడు—త్రాసదస్యవ రాజును—ఎంచుకున్నాడు; వాక్కు గాయకులైన స్తోతారులకు అతడు అత్యంత ఉదారుడు, మహాదాత.
Word by Word
- कुरुश्रवणम्
- Kuruśravaṇa (a person)Noun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कुरुश्रवण- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम, पुं)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (क्रियायोगे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वृणि
- I choose / I have chosenVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: वृणि = ‘I have chosen / I choose’)Root √वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते) ‘to choose, select’
- राजानम्
- the kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot राजन्- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम, पुं)
- त्रासदस्यवम्
- Trāsadasyu (proper name; ‘terror to the Dasyus’)Noun (proper name)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (राजानम् इति विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन)Root त्रासदस्यु- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम, पुं; यौगिक: त्रासद् + अस्यु/दस्यु)
- मंहिष्ठम्
- most bountifulAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (राजानम्/त्रासदस्यवम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot मंहिष्ठ- (प्रातिपदिक; विशेषण; मंह्/मंहस् ‘bounty, generosity’ + इष्ठ)
- वा
- or / indeedIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक-निपातRoot वा (अव्यय)
- वाघताम्
- of the worshippers / singersNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive: ‘of the worshippers’)Root वाघत्- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम, पुं; ‘worshipper, singer, praiser’)
- ऋषिः
- the seerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्त्ताRoot ऋषि- (प्रातिपदिक; नाम, पुं)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: कुरुश्रवणम् | आ | वृणि | राजानम् | त्रासदस्यवम् | मंहिष्ठम् | वा | वाघताम् | ऋषिः । सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) मावृणि = मा + वृणि
- अ + व् → आव् (दीर्घसन्धि) तथा लेखने ‘मावृणि’। (2) राजा॑नं त्रास॑दस्यवम्: अनुस्वारः परे तकारे ‘ं’ (अनुस्वार-लेखन) = राजानम् त्रासदस्यवम्। (3) वाघता॒मृषि॑: = वाघताम् + ऋषिः
- म् + ऋ → मृष् (परसवर्ण/संयोग-रूप), अतः ‘वाघतामृषिः’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seer chose Kuruśravaṇa, king Trāsadasyava, most generous to the singers.
Inner meaning
A shift from lament to the law of inner support: the ‘king’ symbolizes the ruling power in the being that can protect the sacrifice of speech. Kuruśravaṇa (‘famed for hearing/renown of hearing’) suggests the capacity to listen to the true Word; Trāsadasyava (‘he who makes the hostile flee’) images the inner sovereignty that drives away the dasyu-forces (obscure, divisive impulses). The rishi ‘chooses’—i.e., aligns—his aspiration with this governing power so that the mantra-work can prosper.
Universal truth
Progress requires right alliance: the seeker must choose and enthrone the inner authority that listens to truth and repels hostile movements, and then nourish the work of the Word.
Themes
patronage and support of the seer, king as protector, liberality to the chanters
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.33.5–6 (self-reference to Upamaśravas appears later)
Significance
Shows the rishi as strategist of the inner sacrifice: he selects the ‘kingly’ support (inner sovereignty/Indric force reflected in human patronage) to sustain the mantra-work.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (indirect; patron-ethos and ‘driving away dasyu’ resonates with Indra’s function)
- Epithets
- Dasyuhantṛ (slayer/repeller of the dasyu—functional epithet)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (law), Mitra (harmony), Bṛhaspati (Word)
Cosmic role
Establishes the Aryan order (ṛta) by defeating obscuring forces; supports the Word and the seers.
Inner power
Inner kingship of luminous force that protects aspiration and gives resources (dakṣiṇā/abundance) to the soul’s work.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dānastuti-style praise within a hymn; associated with patronage of the sacrifice
कु॒रु॒श्रव॑णमावृणि॒ राजा॑नं॒ त्रास॑दस्यवम् । मंहि॑ष्ठं वा॒घता॒मृषि॑: ॥
कु॒रु॒ऽश्रव॑णम् । अ॒वृ॒णि॒ । राजा॑नम् । त्रास॑दस्यवम् । मंहि॑ष्ठम् । वा॒घता॑म् । ऋषिः॑ ॥
kuru-śravaṇam | avṛṇi | rājānam | trāsadasyavam | maṃhiṣṭham | vāghatām | ṛṣiḥ
Triṣṭubh (probable; common for praise of patrons)
44
4 × ~11
Dignified, declarative, with a choosing/enthroning tone.
Instills steadiness and confidence—like installing a ruler within the mind.
- राजानम् (rājānam)
- Literal: king. Symbolic: inner sovereign principle—governing will/mind that orders the nature
- त्रासदस्यवम् (trāsadasyavam)
- Literal: terror to the dasyus / making dasyus flee. Symbolic: power that expels obscurity, violence, and falsehood from the inner field
- वाघताम् (vāghatām)
- Literal: of the singers/chanters. Symbolic: those who labor in the Word—mantra-practitioners within
- अवृणि (avṛṇi)
- Literal: chose. Symbolic: act of inner selection/alignment (saṅkalpa) toward the right support
Dānastuti-like closure/patron praise; psychologically: affirmation that right support (outer patron or inner kingly will) sustains the work of mantra and offering
At/after offering when acknowledging support and gifts to the ritual Word-work
Recitation as praise of the giver/supporter; strengthens social-ritual reciprocity
Reframe as ‘choosing the inner king’: a daily affirmation to align with the highest governing intention before practice.
ā-vṛṇi from √vṛ ‘choose’ indicates deliberate selection of patron/power. trāsa-dasyu- ‘terror to the dasyu’ encodes the protector-king archetype; dasyu becomes, inwardly, the disruptive forces that steal light/order. maṃh- ‘to give liberally, be bounteous’ signals not mere wealth but enlarging support for vāghat (those who shape speech/offerings).
dāna (liberality as wideness), protection against dasyu (forces of disorder)
The ‘king’ is the upholder of ṛta in the human field; he keeps the sacrifice from disorder.
Kuru-śravaṇa as ‘true hearing’—receptivity to satya in the Word.
Ordering of the inner kingdom so the Word can manifest fruitfully.
Integral yoga reading: enthroning the psychic/inner ruler to govern nature.
Social kingship mirrors inner kingship: the organizing power that protects growth and repels hostile intrusions.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘protector-king’ who is terror to the dasyu and generous to the seers: a social-mythic pattern where right rulership supports the Word. Inwardly, it images the sovereign will in the being that protects the sacrifice (inner work) and feeds the mantra-makers (faculties of inspired speech).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rājā reflects PIE *h₃rḗǵs (Latin rēx). √vṛ ‘choose’ has IE parallels (cf. English ‘will’ is different root, but selection/turning semantics are widespread). The dasyu/opponent category parallels IE ‘outsider/raider’ motifs in heroic poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Here the rishi’s reciprocity is with a human king as an instrument of divine order: by choosing and praising the patron, the rishi affirms the cosmic-social alignment where support of sacred speech attracts protection and abundance—mirroring the god-human exchange at a terrestrial level.
Install an inner ‘rājā’—the witnessing, governing intelligence that repels dasyu-like impulses.
Ajna (governance/command)
Short sankalpa on inhale (‘I choose the inner king’), long exhale releasing intruders (dasyu-movements).
From dependency and vulnerability to inner sovereignty.
Before chanting/meditation, recall the quality ‘trāsadasyu’—let one clear decision expel the day’s obscuring tendencies; then begin the Word-work.
Apply Rigvedic accent tradition; keep vocables crisp on names ‘kuruśravaṇam’, ‘trāsadasyavam’.
Maintain a regal, even tone; avoid rushing proper names—clarity carries the ‘choosing’ force.
: ‘ku-ru-śra-va-ṇam’ (retroflex ṇ), : ‘trā-sa-da-sya-vam’ with long ‘ā’, : nasal + h cluster; do not drop ‘h’
Steady, declarative, slightly elevated pitch on the ‘king’ phrase.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
