Rig Veda 2.13.7: Mandala 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 7
Sukta 2.13
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
यः पुष्पिणीश्च प्रस्वश्च धर्मणाधि दाने व्यवनीरधारयः । यश्चासमा अजनो दिद्युतो दिव उरुरूर्वाँ अभितः सास्युक्थ्यः ॥
yáḥ púṣpiṇīś ca pra-sváś ca dhármaṇā́dhi dā́ne ví avánīr ádhārayaḥ | yáś cā́samā ajáno didyúto divá urúr ū́rvāṃ abhítaḥ sá āsy ukthyáḥ ||
ధర్మముచేత, దానముచేత పుష్పిణీ మరియు ప్రసవశీల శక్తులను నిలిపి, లోకములను విస్తరింపజేసినవాడు. ఇంకా దివ్యాకాశమునకు చెందిన అసమాన ‘దిద్యుత్’ (మిన్నొళ్లు) చుట్టూరా విస్తరించునట్లు జనింపజేసినవాడు—అతడే ఈ ఉక్త్య యొక్క యథార్థ విషయుడు (సాస్యుక్థ్య).
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुष्पिणीः
- flowering/abounding (f.) [ones]Adjective (substantivized)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पुष्पिन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पुष्प’ + -इन्)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Root च
- प्रस्वः
- fertile/teeming (f.) [ones]Adjective (substantivized)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (पदपाठे अपेक्षितम्: प्रस्वः < प्रस्वाः)Role KarmaRoot प्रस्व- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प्र’ + √सू/स्वा?; RV usage: ‘fertile/teeming’)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Root च
- धर्मणा
- by law/ordinance; by established orderNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot धर्मन्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधि
- upon; overPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययम् (अधि = ‘upon/over/in respect of’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि
- दाने
- in the giving; in the gift (act)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot दान- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart; forth (intensifier)Preverbउपसर्गःRoot वि
- अवनीः
- earths/lands; fieldsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अवनी- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधारयः
- you upheld; you supportedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम? (RV: 2nd sg. expected) / here: उत्तम?; रूपम्: 2nd एकवचनम् ‘अधारयः’ = ‘thou didst uphold’Role KriyāRoot √धृ (धारणे)
- यः
- and whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययम्Root च
- असमा
- unequal; hostile (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (RV usage: ‘the unequal/unsame [foes]’)Role KarmaRoot असमा- (प्रातिपदिक; a- + सम ‘unequal’)
- अजनः
- you generated; you producedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √जन् (जनने)
- दिद्युतः
- lightnings; flashesNoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot दिद्युत्- (प्रातिपदिक; from √द्युत् ‘shine’)
- दिवः
- of heaven; from the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role Apādāna (source)/Genitive relationRoot दिव्- (प्रातिपदिक)
- उरुरूर्वान्
- the wide-expansed one; broad-thighed (epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot उरु- + ऊर्वन्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘wide’ + ‘thigh/expanse’)
- अभितः
- around; on all sidesIndeclinableअव्ययम् (परितः-अर्थे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अभितः
- सास्युक्थ्यः
- hymn-worthy; worthy of recitation/praiseAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (as epithet of the addressed deity)Root सासि-? + उक्थ्य- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘praise-worthy/connected with hymn’)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ से पद-विच्छेद (मुख्य): पु॒ष्पिणी॑श्च → पुष्पिणीः + च
- प्र॒स्व॑श्च → प्रस्वः + च (पदपाठे प्रस्वाः अपेक्षितम्; RV में दीर्घ/ह्रस्व-परिवर्तन व छन्दोऽनुरोधेन रूप-भेद सम्भव)
- धर्म॒णाधि॒ → धर्मणा + अधि
- दाने॒ व्य१॒॑वनी॒रधा॑रयः → दाने + वि + अवनीः + अधारयः
- यश्चास॑मा॒ → यः + च + असमा
- दि॒द्युतो॑ दि॒व → दिद्युतः + दिवः
- उ॒रुरू॒र्वाँ अ॒भित॒: → उरुरूर्वान् + अभितः. उच्चारण-स्वर (उदात्त/स्वरित/अनुदात्त) संहितास्थ चिह्नानुसार, पद-स्तरे पुनर्निर्धारण हेतु पदपाठ/स्वरपाठ अपेक्षित।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra upheld the blossoming and forward-breeding powers by law and by giving, and spread out the worlds. He generated the unequalled lightnings of heaven, wide on every side; he is the true subject of the hymn.
Inner meaning
Indra supports the soul’s blossoming capacities (puṣpiṇīḥ) and the forces that propagate and advance (prasvaḥ) by dharma—right law of being—and by dāna—free giving/flow of force. He widens the ‘worlds’ (avanīḥ) within: mental, vital, physical fields become spacious and ordered. Then he brings forth the unmatched lightnings (didyutaḥ) of heaven: sudden illuminations, swift intuitive flashes that break rigid mentalities and spread in all directions, creating a wide, luminous consciousness.
Universal truth
Growth requires both law (right order) and generosity (free circulation). As consciousness widens, illumination comes not only as steady light but as transformative flashes that reconfigure understanding and open new possibilities.
Themes
World-widening, Illumination flashes, Law through giving
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Gṛtsamāda)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.13, RV 2.12
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 2’s Indra vision: not only victory but establishment of dharma-based increase and widening of inner worlds.
Significance
This verse articulates a mature yogic psychology: flowering, generativity, wideness, and lightning-like intuition are upheld by right law and giving—an integral formula for growth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Uru (wide, implied), Didyut-vān (lightning-bearing, implied), Maghavan (giver, implied through dāna)
- Related deities
- Uṣas (illumination), Maruts (storm/lightning companions), Sūrya
Cosmic role
Upholder of worlds and bringer of heaven’s lightnings; establisher of wideness and dynamic illumination.
Inner power
Expansive illumined mind that stabilizes growth, widens the planes, and sends decisive flashes of insight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra for increase, stability of worlds, and luminous power
यः पु॒ष्पिणी॑श्च प्र॒स्व॑श्च॒ धर्म॒णाधि॒ दाने॒ व्य१॒॑वनी॒रधा॑रयः । यश्चास॑मा॒ अज॑नो दि॒द्युतो॑ दि॒व उ॒रुरू॒र्वाँ अ॒भित॒: सास्यु॒क्थ्य॑: ॥
यः । पु॒ष्पिणीः॑ । च॒ । प्र॒ऽस्वः॑ । च॒ । धर्म॑णा । अधि॑ । दाने॑ । वि । अ॒वनीः॑ । अधा॑रयः । यः । च॒ । अस॑माः । अज॑नः । दि॒द्युतः॑ । दि॒वः । उ॒रुः । ऊ॒र्वान् । अ॒भितः॑ । सः । अ॒सि॒ । उ॒क्थ्यः॑ ॥
yaḥ | puṣpiṇīḥ | ca | pra-svaḥ | ca | dharmaṇā | adhi | dāne | vi | avanīḥ | adhārayaḥ | yaḥ | ca | asamāḥ | ajanaḥ | didyutaḥ | divaḥ | uruḥ | ūrvān | abhitaḥ | saḥ | asi | ukthyaḥ
44
4 x ~11
Expansive and uplifting; the last pāda’s wideness benefits from an open-throated, unhurried finish.
Produces a felt widening in chest and head; invites intuitive flashes while maintaining dharmic steadiness.
- puṣpiṇīḥ
- Literal: blossoming (feminine powers). Symbolic: flowering faculties—refined emotions, intuitive openings, creative intelligence
- prasvaḥ
- Literal: bringing forth, procreative/forward-breeding. Symbolic: generative force that multiplies realizations and carries them into life
- dharmaṇā
- Literal: by the law. Symbolic: right principle of being; alignment with r̥ta
- dāne
- Literal: in giving. Symbolic: free offering/circulation of force; surrender and generosity
- avanīḥ
- Literal: worlds/regions. Symbolic: planes/fields of the being that must be widened and held
- adhārayaḥ
- Literal: you upheld, held apart/maintained. Symbolic: established stable wideness; prevented collapse into confusion
- didyutaḥ
- Literal: lightnings. Symbolic: sudden illuminations, intuitive flashes, decisive insights
- divaḥ
- Literal: of heaven. Symbolic: from higher consciousness ranges
- uru… abhitaḥ
- Literal: wide on every side. Symbolic: integral wideness—illumination pervading all parts
Praise of Indra’s dharma-holding and world-widening power; suited to soma praise emphasizing illumination and expansion
In Indra sequences emphasizing cosmic support and illumination (storm/lightning imagery).
Praise to uphold prosperity/expansion and invoke illumination.
Chant when seeking clarity for decisions: combine with an intention to act by dharma and with generosity rather than compulsion.
dharma from √dhṛ ‘to hold’ (PIE *dʰer- ‘hold, support’). didyut ‘lightning’ reduplicated from √dyut ‘shine’ (PIE *di̯eu-/*dyeu- shine/sky complex). uru ‘wide’ (PIE *wer- ‘broad’ debated; common Vedic adjective for vastness).
Dharma as holding power of Rita, Spaciousness (uru) as spiritual expansion
Upholding and widening worlds is the maintenance of r̥ta; dharma is the law that keeps expansion harmonious.
Lightning-flashes represent satya breaking through mental coverings—truth as sudden revelation.
World-expansion (widening of planes) and manifestation of celestial lightnings—dynamic creation of illumination.
Integral/psychological Vedism: growth of multiple planes under a unifying illumined governance.
monsoon (lightning implication)
Blossom=fine opening of faculties; fertility=generative realization; worlds=planes of being; lightning=intuitive illumination; heaven=higher mind/supramental influence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘widening of the worlds’ and the generation of heavenly lightnings: a cosmogonic-expansive mythologem. Inner sense: Indra establishes spacious consciousness and sends repeated flashes of higher mind that make the being wide and capable.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dharma from √dhṛ reflects PIE *dʰer- ‘hold’; didyut from √dyut ties into the PIE sky/shine complex (*di̯eu-). These preserve an inherited poetics where cosmic order is ‘holding’ and revelation is ‘lightning/shine’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi invokes Indra not merely for gifts but for dharma-based ordering: the deity’s giving is the mechanism by which the worlds within are held apart (made spacious) and illumined by flashes of truth.
Widen the awareness in all directions; invite lightning-like intuition while staying aligned to dharma and generosity.
vishuddha
moderate breathing with a brief pause after inhale to ‘hold the worlds’; then exhale as widening (uru).
Wide, luminous, creatively generative mind; stable expansion.
Begin with the intention: ‘By dharma and giving.’ Feel flowering in the heart, widening in the body, and flashes in the brow. When an insight comes, test it by dharma before acting.
Keep Vedic accents crisp; let the ‘uru… abhitaḥ’ phrase open in tone while maintaining svarita resolution.
Emphasize: puṣpíṇīḥ, prásvaḥ, dhármaṇā, dāné, avánīḥ, didyútaḥ, úrur, abhítaḥ.
puṣpiṇīḥ: retroflex ṣp; long īḥ at end, prasvaḥ: clear ‘sv’ conjunct; visarga ḥ light, dharmaṇādhi: keep retroflex ṇ; separate dharmaṇā + adhi smoothly, adhārayaḥ: long ā; roll ‘r’ lightly, didyutaḥ: repeat di-dyu-taḥ cleanly; avoid slurring dyu
Open, expansive, slightly bright; allow the lightning imagery to sharpen articulation without harshness.
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