Rig Veda 6.19.2: Mandala 6, Sukta 19, Mantra 2
Sukta 6.19
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
इन्द्रमेव धिषणा सातये धाद्बृहन्तमृष्वमजरं युवानम् । अषाळ्हेन शवसा शूशुवांसं सद्यश्चिद्यो वावृधे असामि ॥
índram evá dhiṣáṇā sātáye dhād bṛhántam ṛ́ṣvam ajáraṃ yúvānām | aṣā́ḷhena śávasā śūśuvā́ṃsaṃ sadyáś cid yó vāvṛdhé asā́mi ||
విజయార్థం ధిషణా స్వయంగా ఇంద్రుని స్థాపించింది—ఆ మహాన్నీ, ఊర్ధ్వగామినీ, అజరునీ, నిత్యయువనునీ. అజేయమైన శక్తితో, మరింత మరింత ఉద్ధృతమవుతూ, ఆయన క్షణమాత్రంలోనే అపరిమిత విస్తారంగా వృద్ధి చెందువాడు.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as the object of placing/establishing)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- एव
- indeed, justIndeclinableअव्ययRoot एव
- धिषणा
- (inspired) thought / sacred insight (personified)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot धिषणा (प्रातिपदिक)
- सातये
- for winning, for gain/victoryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot साति (प्रातिपदिक; from √सन्/√सा ‘to win, gain’ in Vedic usage)
- धात्
- placed/establishedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRoot √धा (दधाति)
- बृहन्तम्
- the greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋष्वम्
- lofty, exaltedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऋष्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अजरम्
- unagingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अजर (प्रातिपदिक; a- + जर ‘aging’)
- युवानम्
- youthfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अषाळ्हेन
- with irresistible (unconquered)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole करणRoot अषाळ्ह (प्रातिपदिक; a- + √सह/√षह ‘to overpower, withstand’)
- शवसा
- might, powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole करणRoot शवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शूशुवांसम्
- grown strong, waxingParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (परस्मैपदी) परिपूर्ण-कर्तरि कृदन्त ‘-वांस्’Role कर्मRoot √शु (शवते/शुनोति; Vedic ‘to swell, grow strong’) → शूशुवांस् (परिपूर्ण/परिपक्व कृदन्त)
- सद्यः
- immediatelyIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root सद्यः
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableअव्ययRoot चित्
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधे
- has grown, has increasedVerbलिट् (perfect), आत्मनेपद; 3 पुरुष; एकवचनRoot √वृध् (वर्धते)
- असामि
- mightily / unceasingly (adverbial particle)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot असामि (अव्यय; Vedic intensifier/negation-like particle used adverbially in some passages)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): इन्द्रम् | एव | धिषणा | सातये | धात् | बृहन्तम् | ऋष्वम् | अजरम् | युवानम् | अषाळ्हेन | शवसा | शूशुवांसम् | सद्यः | चित् | यः | वावृधे | असामि । प्रमुख संधि: (1) इन्द्रम्+एव → इन्द्रमेव (अ + ए = ए)
- (2) धात्+बृहन्तम् → धाद्बृहन्तम् (त् + ब् → द्ब्; Vedic external sandhi)
- (3) सद्यः+चित् → सद्यश्चित् (विसर्ग + च् → श्च्)
- (4) चित्+यः → चिद्यो (त् + य् → द्य्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Dhiṣaṇā established Indra for the winning: vast, high-rising, ageless, ever-young. With unconquered force, ever-intensifying, he who even instantly grows to immeasurable wideness.
Inner meaning
Dhiṣaṇā—inner inspired intelligence/discernment—places Indra (illumined Mind) in the forefront of the sādhaka’s victory. When buddhi becomes truth-seeking and receptive, it ‘sets’ the higher Mind as leader. Indra is bṛhant/ṛṣva: the Vast and the ascending power; ajara/yuvāna: timelessly fresh, not fatigued by repeated battles with habit. His śavas is aṣāḻha—invincible—because it is not ego-force but divine force. In a moment (sadyaḥ) he can widen the consciousness beyond measure (asāmi): a sudden opening, a breakthrough of light.
Universal truth
Right discernment establishes higher intelligence as the guide. Then strength becomes inexhaustible and renewal constant; true expansion can occur suddenly when receptivity and truth-alignment are complete.
Themes
inspiration-establishes-power, immeasurable-Indra, victory-attainment, ever-renewed-force
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.19, RV 6.21, RV 6.23
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya emphasis on brahman (inspired word) and dhiṣaṇā (truth-intelligence) as instruments for Indra’s victory.
Significance
The seer presents a psychology of sādhanā: discernment (dhiṣaṇā) installs the illumined Mind, resulting in sudden widenings and sustained invincible force.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- bṛhantam (vast), ṛṣvam (lofty), ajara (ageless), yuvānam (ever-young), aṣāḻhena śavasā (with unconquered force), asāmi (immeasurable)
- Related deities
- Dhiṣaṇā (as power of inspiration), Sarasvatī, Bṛhaspati, Soma
Cosmic role
Champion of expansion; makes the finite partake of the Vast; grants victory and plenitude.
Inner power
Sudden widening illumination; invincible clarity that renews the mind and intensifies through practice.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma rites; also suitable as a stotra for victory (sāti) and expansion.
इन्द्र॑मे॒व धि॒षणा॑ सा॒तये॑ धाद्बृ॒हन्त॑मृ॒ष्वम॒जरं॒ युवा॑नम् । अषा॑ळ्हेन॒ शव॑सा शूशु॒वांसं॑ स॒द्यश्चि॒द्यो वा॑वृ॒धे असा॑मि ॥
इन्द्र॑म् । ए॒व । धि॒षणा॑ । सा॒तये॑ । धा॒त् । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । ऋ॒ष्वम् । अ॒जर॑म् । युवा॑नम् । अषा॑ळ्हेन । शव॑सा । शू॒सु॒ऽवांस॑म् । स॒द्यः । चि॒त् । यः । व॒वृ॒धे । असा॑मि ॥
indram | eva | dhiṣaṇā | sātaye | dhāt | bṛhantam | ṛṣvam | ajaram | yuvānam | aṣāḷhena | śavasā | śūsu-vāṃsam | sadyaḥ | cit | yaḥ | vavṛdhe | asāmi
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4 × ~11 syllables
Upward-surging, with a sense of lift appropriate to ‘ṛṣva’ (lofty).
Creates an experience of ascent and sudden opening; supports breakthrough meditations.
- धिषणा (dhiṣaṇā)
- Literal: inspiration, intelligence, thought-power. Symbolic: inner discernment/intuitive reason that prepares the victory by placing the higher Mind in front
- सातये (sātaye)
- Literal: for winning. Symbolic: for inner conquest: mastery over ignorance, fear, inertia
- बृहन्त (bṛhantam)
- Literal: the Vast. Symbolic: wide consciousness beyond ego-limits
- ऋष्व (ṛṣvam)
- Literal: lofty, high-rising. Symbolic: ascending movement of illumination
- अजर (ajara)
- Literal: ageless. Symbolic: unwasting power; not subject to fatigue of nature
- युवान (yuvānam)
- Literal: young. Symbolic: ever-fresh renewing force of consciousness
- अषाळ्ह (aṣāḻha)
- Literal: unconquered. Symbolic: invincible divine strength, not defeated by inner resistance
- शवस् (śavas)
- Literal: force, might. Symbolic: effective energy of illumination
- शूशुवांस (śūśuvāṃsam)
- Literal: growing, intensifying. Symbolic: self-augmenting power through repeated contact with truth
- सद्यः (sadyaḥ)
- Literal: immediately. Symbolic: sudden descent/breakthrough experience
- असामि (asāmi)
- Literal: immeasurable. Symbolic: limitless wideness of awakened mind
Soma hymn emphasizing the role of inspired intelligence (dhiṣaṇā) in establishing Indra for victory in the rite and inner battle
During offerings seeking success, protection, and enlargement of force.
Recitation with oblation; emphasis on installing Indra as leader of the inner/outer endeavor.
Before study, decision-making, or meditation: invoke dhiṣaṇā and ask for immediate widening beyond habitual limits.
dhiṣaṇā is a key Vedic term for inspired intelligence (often linked with ‘thought that holds/places’); from √dhī ‘think’ with formation, though exact derivation debated—here functionally ‘power that establishes’. sātí ‘winning’ from √san ‘gain’ (PIE *sen- ‘reach, attain’). aṣāḷha ‘unconquered’ from √sah/√ṣah ‘overpower’ with privation. asāmi ‘without equal/measure’ echoes the earlier pratimāna negation—Indra exceeds comparability.
dhiṣaṇā (inspired intelligence), ageless-youthful divine energy, immeasurability (asāmi)
Dhiṣaṇā aligns the mind with right movement, enabling Indra’s victorious action.
Truth-discernment as the condition for immeasurable widening.
Ever-young ageless power suggests the timeless source behind mental renewal.
Integral Vedāntic psychology: intuition/discernment mediating descent of higher mind.
Sky-vastness as symbol of expanded awareness; upward surge as symbol of rising consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enthronement/establishment of Indra by Dhiṣaṇā for ‘winning’: the inner myth where inspired intelligence sets the divine force in the human field, enabling instantaneous expansion into the immeasurable.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘place’ continues PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put, set’ (cf. Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different root). The repeated √vṛdh ‘grow’ continues PIE *werdh-, reinforcing an inherited poetic formula of divine increase.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi identifies the mediating faculty (dhiṣaṇā) by which the human can ‘place’ Indra within: devotion is not mere plea but an inner cognitive-sacrificial act that installs unconquerable force for attainment.
Let dhiṣaṇā (quiet clear discernment) place Indra (illumined mind) in front of thought-streams.
Ājñā
Inhale ‘bṛhat’ (feel vastness), exhale ‘asāmi’ (release measure); 12 cycles.
From scattered thinking to unified luminous intelligence; possibility of sudden opening.
Begin with a minute of stillness; chant; then watch for the ‘sadyaḥ’ moment—an effortless widening. Do not strain; allow invincible force to act.
Triṣṭubh accentuation with prominent udātta on ‘índram’, ‘bṛhántam’, and force-words; svarita follows; maintain cadence across pādas.
Give clear rise on ‘índram’ and ‘bṛhántam’; keep ‘sádyas’ crisp to convey immediacy.
ḻ in ‘aṣāḻhena’ is Vedic; approximate as retroflex ‘ḍh’/‘l̤h’ depending on tradition—keep it distinct from plain ‘l’., Long vowels: hold ‘yuvānam’ ā; avoid shortening., Nasal in ‘śūśuvāṃsam’—keep ‘āṃ’ resonant, not swallowed.
Clear, uplifted, slightly brighter on the second half to mirror widening.
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