Rig Veda 4.29.3: Mandala 4, Sukta 29, Mantra 3
Sukta 4.29
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
श्रावयेदस्य कर्णा वाजयध्यै जुष्टामनु प्र दिशं मन्दयध्यै । उद्वावृषाणो राधसे तुविष्मान्करन्न इन्द्रः सुतीर्थाभयं च ॥
śrāvayéd asya kárṇā vājayádhyai júṣṭām ánu prá díśaṃ mandayádhyai | úd vāvṛṣāṇó rā́dhase tuvíṣmān káran na índraḥ su-tī́rthā́bhayaṃ ca ||
అతని కర్ణాలు వినునట్లు చేయుడి, అతడు బలసంపదల (వాజ) పరిపూర్ణతలను తెచ్చునట్లు; అతడు ఆనందించునట్లు ప్రియమైన ఆహ్వానాన్ని అన్ని దిశలలో ప్రసరింపజేయుడి. మా రాధస్ (సమృద్ధి) కొరకు తన ఉప్పొంగే మహాశక్తితో ఉదయించి, తువిష్మాన్ ఇంద్రుడు మాకు సుతీర్థం (శుభ దాటింపు/శుభ తీరం) మరియు అభయం స్థాపించుగాక.
Word by Word
- श्रावयेत्
- let (him) cause to hear / proclaimVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (वाक्ये) विधेय-क्रियाRoot श्रु (श्रावयति, Caus.)
- अस्य
- of him / of thisPronounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसके, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘of him/this’Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कर्णा
- (his) two earsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, द्विवचनम् (वैदिके ‘कर्णा’ = कर्णौ)Role कर्म (श्रावयेत्— whom/what to make hear)Root कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजयध्यै
- in order to win/obtain the prize (vāja)Verbतुमर्थे दैविक-इन्फिनिटिव्: -ध्यै (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Role प्रयोजन (purpose) — ‘in order to…’Root वाजय (नामधातु/denom. from वाज ‘prize, strength’)
- जुष्टाम्
- pleasing, welcome, favoredAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role विशेषण (दिशम्/प्रदिशम् प्रति)Root जुष् (PPP जुष्ट) / प्रातिपदिक: जुष्ट
- अनु
- along, after, according toIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (अनुगमन/अनुसरण)Root अनु
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (प्रवृत्ति/प्रसारण)Root प्र
- दिशम्
- direction, quarterNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (अनु/प्र— ‘towards a direction’)Root दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिश्/दिशा)
- मन्दयध्यै
- in order to gladden / exhilarateVerbतुमर्थे दैविक-इन्फिनिटिव्: -ध्यै (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)Role प्रयोजन (purpose)Root मन्द् (मन्दयति, Caus.)
- उद्वावृषाणः
- rising up, bulling forth / becoming mightyAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root उद् + वृष् (वृषाण ‘mighty/bull-like’; present participial/adjectival stem)
- राधसे
- for bounty, for generosityNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (for bestowal/benefit)Root राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुविष्मान्
- very mighty, of great powerAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root तुविष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- करन्
- doing, makingVerb (participle)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (शतृ-प्रत्ययः: कुर्वन्/करन् वैदिक)Role कर्तृ-सम्बद्ध क्रियाविशेषण (इन्द्रः— ‘doing/making’)Root कृ (करोति)
- नः
- for us / to usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (to/for us; or of us, contextually ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतीर्थाभयम्
- safe good-fording / a secure good crossing (a safe passage)Noun (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (करन्— what he makes/provides)Root सु-तीर्थ + अभय (समास)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चय-अव्ययRole समुच्चय (and)Root च
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): श्रावयेदस्य → श्रावयेत् + अस्य
- कर्णा (Vedic dual) = कर्णौ
- जुष्टामनु → जुष्टाम् + अनु
- दिशं → दिशम् (m before dental)
- मन्दयध्यै । उद्वावृषाणो → मन्दयध्यै + उद्-वावृषाणः (उद् + वावृषाणः; external sandhi gives उद्वा-)
- तुविष्मान्करन्न → तुविष्मान् + करन् + नः (final -न् before k retained; enclitic नः)
- सुतीर्थाभयं → सुतीर्थाभयम् (final -म् before च). Accents are retained as in the provided saṃhitā text
- pada analysis does not reassign accent classes beyond noting Vedic forms (-ध्यै infinitives; ‘करन्’ for classical ‘कुर्वन्’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Make Indra’s ears hear so he may grant winning powers; send the beloved call in every direction to gladden him. Rising in overflowing might for our wealth, may Indra establish for us a good crossing and fearlessness.
Inner meaning
The practitioner asks that the higher Mind become inwardly attentive—‘make his ears hear’ means create receptivity in the link between human aspiration and divine response. The call is sent in all directions: the whole being (mind, life, body, subconscious) is enlisted in one unified invocation. Indra, swelling upward (udvāvṛṣāṇaḥ), pours force for fulfilment and creates a ‘good ford’—a safe passage across difficulty, doubt, and inner turbulence—ending in fearlessness.
Universal truth
When the whole being calls coherently and lovingly, higher guidance becomes responsive, and a passage opens through crisis into steadiness and courage.
Themes
invocation technique, boon of safe passage, Indra’s overflowing might
The seer
- Rishi
- Vāmadeva Gautama
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 4.1, Rig Veda 4.30
Family tradition
Vāmadeva often stresses the efficacy of inspired speech to ‘make the gods hear’—a psychology of mantra as opening of receptivity and descent.
Significance
This verse is a practical instruction: unify the call, open receptivity, and the higher power establishes the crossing beyond fear.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- tuviṣmān (mighty), udvāvṛṣāṇaḥ (overflowing)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspiration), Bṛhaspati (mantric hearing), Varuṇa (order/fearlessness by truth)
Cosmic role
Opens paths, grants boons, carries the seeker across obstructions into a wider order.
Inner power
Attentive illumined intelligence that, once invoked, reorganizes the being for safe transition and courage.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation within Soma rite; also used as a prayer for safe passage/protection.
श्रா॒वयेद॑स्य॒ कर्णा॑ वाज॒यध्यै॒ जुष्टा॒मनु॒ प्र दिशं॑ मन्द॒यध्यै॑ । उ॒द्वा॒वृ॒षा॒णो राध॑से॒ तुवि॑ष्मा॒न्कर॑न्न॒ इन्द्र॑: सुती॒र्थाभ॑यं च ॥
श्रा॒वय॑ । इत् । अ॒स्य॒ । कर्णा॑ । वा॒ज॒यध्यै॑ । जुष्टा॑म् । अनु॑ । प्र । दिश॑म् । म॒न्द॒यध्यै॑ । उ॒त्ऽव॒वृ॒षा॒णः । राध॑से । तुवि॑ष्मान् । कर॑त् । नः॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । सु॒ऽती॒र्था । अभ॑यम् । च॒ ॥
śrāvaya | it | asya | karṇā | vājayadhyai | juṣṭām | anu | pra | diśam | mandayadhyai | ut-vavṛṣāṇaḥ | rādhase | tuviṣmān | karat | naḥ | indraḥ | su-tīrthā | abhayam | ca
44
4 × ~11
Directive and operative; imperatives create a ‘ritual of sound’ with climactic resolution on sutīrtha/abhaya.
Enhances confidence and a felt ‘opening’; ends with settling assurance.
- श्रावय (śrāvaya)
- Literal: make hear, cause to listen. Symbolic: Establish inner receptivity; open the channel to higher guidance
- कर्ण (karṇa)
- Literal: ears. Symbolic: Power of inner hearing—intuition receptive to truth
- जुष्टा (juṣṭā)
- Literal: beloved, pleasing, accepted. Symbolic: Invocation aligned with the divine taste—sincere and harmonious
- प्र दिशम् (pra diśam)
- Literal: forth in every direction. Symbolic: Integral call engaging all parts of the being
- उद्वावृषाण (udvāvṛṣāṇa)
- Literal: rising, swelling, overflowing. Symbolic: Upwelling of illumined force flooding the system
- राधस् (rādhas)
- Literal: boon, wealth, fulfilment. Symbolic: Inner richness: capacities, peace, light, effective power
- सुतीर्थ (sutīrtha)
- Literal: good ford/crossing place. Symbolic: Safe passage across inner waters—transition to a higher poise
- अभय (abhaya)
- Literal: fearlessness. Symbolic: Courage grounded in spiritual security
Directional proclamation of invocation; request for protection/safe passage in rite and life
During calling/recitation segments; thematically apt before journeys or transitions.
Directional proclamation of the call; strengthening of protective intention.
Chant before major transitions (travel, exams, medical procedures) as a ‘sutīrtha’ mantra for steadiness.
śrāvaya causative of √śru ‘to hear’ → ritual/inner ‘make the god hear’ = align receptivity. su-tīrtha ‘good ford’ from √tṝ ‘to cross over’ (PIE *terh₁ ‘cross’) → inner passage across danger/ignorance. vāvṛṣāṇa from √vṛṣ ‘to rain/pour, be vigorous’ → overflowing force.
transition across danger (tīrtha as inner passage), fearlessness (abhaya) as spiritual state
A ‘good crossing’ is a movement along ṛta—right passage from one state to another.
Fearlessness arises when the being is held by truth-seeing intelligence.
Establishing passages/paths—ordering of the waters of life by higher mind.
Upward surge (tapas-like) followed by stabilizing order—integral transformation motif.
unspecified
unspecified
Directions = layers of the being; ford = transition across emotional/mental waters; overflow = descent of force and joy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘good ford’ (su-tīrtha) mythologem: Indra grants a safe passage across peril—outerly rivers/dangers, inwardly the crossing from ignorance to a secured consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √tṝ ‘cross’ corresponds to PIE *terh₁ ‘to cross over’ (cf. English ‘through’ is different root; but Indo-European crossing roots recur in passage myths). The causative of √śru reflects inherited morphological strategies (causatives) central to Indo-Iranian verbal system.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi actively ‘makes hearing’—a poetics of effective invocation—so the god-force responds. The requested reciprocity is concrete: Indra’s delight is awakened; in return he establishes fearlessness and a sure inner crossing.
Open inner hearing and ask for a ‘good crossing’ through a current difficulty.
viśuddha (mantric call) and ājñā (inner hearing)
Bhrāmarī (gentle humming) for 3 rounds, then chant; feel resonance in head/ears.
From anxiety to guided steadiness; from noise to receptive intuition.
Before chanting, listen inwardly for 10 breaths; chant 3 or 9 times; end with silent visualization of crossing a river into a wide, bright land.
Tri-svara; let imperatives (śrāvayet/mandayadhyai/karat) carry clear udātta peaks; soften endings into calm on ‘abhayam ca’.
Maintain separation of compounds: su-tīrtha-abhayam; avoid rushing the cadence.
śrāvayet (ś + long ā), juṣṭām (retroflex ṣ; long ā), udvāvṛṣāṇaḥ (vṛ = vocalic ṛ; long ā), tuviṣmān (ṣ), sutīrtha (long ī), abhayam (bh; short a)
Listening-into-sound; begin clearly, end soothingly.
3
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