Rig Veda 7.20.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 20, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.20
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
युध्मो अनर्वा खजकृत्समद्वा शूरः सत्राषाड्जनुषेमषाळ्हः । व्यास इन्द्रः पृतनाः स्वोजा अधा विश्वं शत्रूयन्तं जघान ॥
yudhmo anárvā khaja-kṛt samádvā śū́raḥ satrāṣā́ḍ januṣé m aṣā́ḷhaḥ | vyā̀sa índraḥ pṛ́tanāḥ svójā ádhā víśvaṃ śatrūyántaṃ jaghāna ||
యుద్ధశీలి, వంగని వాడు, సమరఘర్షణలో ప్రతిఘటనను ఛేదించేవాడు—వీరుడు, సదా విజేత, జన్మతః అజేయుడు—ఇంద్రుడు తన స్వఓజస్సుతో యుద్ధాలను విస్తరించి వశపరచాడు; ఆపై శత్రుత్వంతో కదిలిన సమస్తాన్ని అతడు సంహరించాడు.
Word by Word
- युध्मः
- warlike, battle-mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण) अथवा विशेष्य-विशेषणRoot युध्म (प्रातिपदिक; युध् ‘युद्धे’ से) अथवा युध्म- ‘युद्धशील/योधा’
- अनर्वा
- not weak; vigorousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root अनर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; a- + नर्वन् ‘कमज़ोर/अशक्त’)
- खजकृत्
- smiter, crusher (lit. ‘one who makes a blow’)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root खजकृत् (प्रातिपदिक; खज ‘आघात/छेदन’ + कृत् ‘कर’)
- समद्वा
- battle-possessing; engaged in combatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root समद्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; समद ‘युद्ध/संघर्ष’ + वन् ‘युक्त/सम्पन्न’)
- शूरः
- hero, valiant oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रः)Root शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्राषाट्
- ever-victorious; always conqueringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root सत्राषाह् (प्रातिपदिक; सत्र ‘सदैव/सतत’ + षह् ‘सहने/जये’)
- जनुषा
- by birth; by natureNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole Karaṇa/हेतुः (स्वभावेन/जन्मतः)Root जनुस् (प्रातिपदिक; √जन् ‘जन्मनि’)
- इमषाळ्हः
- unconquered in might; mightily victoriousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root इमषाळ्ह (प्रातिपदिक; इम ‘बल/वेग’ + षह् ‘जये’ → षाळ्ह ‘विजयी/अपराजित’)
- व्यासः
- wide-spreading; far-reachingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root व्यास (प्रातिपदिक; वि-√अस्/√अश् ‘व्याप्तौ/प्रसरणे’ से ‘विस्तारक/व्यापक’ अर्थ)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृतनाः
- armies, battle-hostsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Karma (जघान का; ‘सेनाएँ/युद्ध-समूह’)Root पृतना (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वोजाः
- of his own strength; self-mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण)Root स्वोजस् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व ‘स्वयं/स्व’ + ओजस् ‘बल’)
- अध
- then, thereafterIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/क्रमसूचकRoot अध (अव्यय)
- विश्वम्
- all, the whole (of it)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (जघान का)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- शत्रूयन्तम्
- hostile; acting as an enemyVerb-participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (विश्वम् का विशेषण; ‘विरोध करने वाला’)Root शत्रूय (धातु/प्रातिपदिक; शत्रु ‘enemy’ से denominative √शत्रूय ‘शत्रु-भावे/विरोधे’)
- जघान
- he slew, he struck downVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (Kartā: इन्द्रः; Karma: विश्वं शत्रूयन्तम्/पृतनाः)Root √हन् (वधने) — परस्मैपद, लिट्
Sandhi Notes
- मन्त्रपाठ के अनुसार पदच्छेद: युध्मः | अनर्वा | खजकृत् | समद्वा | शूरः | सत्राषाट् | जनुषा | इमषाळ्हः | व्यासः | इन्द्रः | पृतनाः | स्वोजाः | अध | विश्वम् | शत्रूयन्तम् | जघान । प्रमुख संधि/रूप: (1) खजकृत्समद्वा = खजकृत् + समद्वा (त् + स → त्स्)
- (2) सत्राषाड्जनुषा = सत्राषाट् + जनुषा (ट् + ज → ड्ज)
- (3) जनुषेमषाळ्हः = जनुषा + इमषाळ्हः (आ + इ → ए)
- (4) व्यास इन्द्रः = व्यासः + इन्द्रः (विसर्ग-संधि: ः + इ → ः/र्-प्रवृत्ति; संहितापाठ में ‘व्यास इन्द्रः’)
- (5) अधा विश्वं = अध + विश्वम् (अध/अधा वैदिक अव्यय; यहाँ ‘अध’ पदरूप)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is warlike, unbending, breaker of resistance in battle, ever-conquering and by birth unconquered. He has spread out and mastered the battles by his own force and then smote all that was hostile.
Inner meaning
This is a portrait of the inner warrior-power. Indra is ‘anarvā’—not deviating, not collapsing; the illumined will does not bargain with falsehood. ‘Khajakṛt’ is the breaker of resistance: he shatters the hard knots of habit and subconscient refusal. The ‘battles’ (pṛtanāḥ) are the multiple fronts of sadhana—thought, life-force, body, and the surrounding suggestions. By ‘svojā’ (his own inherent power), illumination does not depend on external props; it is self-existent once awakened. When this force spreads out the field (vy āsa), it organizes the entire nature for victory and strikes down all hostile movements—doubt, depression, desire, and inertia that “move in hostility.”
Universal truth
Lasting transformation requires a steadfast, non-compromising clarity that breaks resistance on every front and reorganizes life for victory.
Themes
battle hymn, invincibility, destruction of hostility, ojas
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 7.20.2, Rig Veda 7.20.4, Rig Veda 7.31, Rig Veda 7.32
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha often frames spiritual life as a disciplined conquest under ṛta; victory is inner mastery, not mere aggression.
Significance
The seer’s battle-language is psychological: it maps the yogic necessity of unwavering will and systematic overcoming of resistance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- yudhma (warlike), śūra (hero), satrāṣāṭ (ever-conquering), aṣāḻha (unconquered)
- Related deities
- Maruts (battle-aids), Agni (front-leader of the inner sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Commander of the divine host, stabilizer of the cosmic contest, subduer of hostile forces.
Inner power
Unbending illumined will that organizes the field of action and annihilates hostile impulses.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory-stotra; used in contexts seeking triumph over enemies/obstacles.
यु॒ध्मो अ॑न॒र्वा ख॑ज॒कृत्स॒मद्वा॒ शूर॑: सत्रा॒षाड्ज॒नुषे॒मषा॑ळ्हः । व्या॑स॒ इन्द्र॒: पृत॑ना॒: स्वोजा॒ अधा॒ विश्वं॑ शत्रू॒यन्तं॑ जघान ॥
यु॒ध्मः । अ॒न॒र्वा । ख॒ज॒ऽकृत् । स॒मत्ऽवा॑ । शूरः॑ । स॒त्रा॒षाट् । ज॒नुषा॑ । ई॒म् । अषा॑ळ्हः । वि । आ॒से॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । पृत॑नाः । सु॒ऽओजाः॑ । अध॑ । विश्व॑म् । श॒त्रु॒ऽयन्त॑म् । ज॒घा॒न॒ ॥
yudhmaḥ | anarvā | khaja-kṛt | samat-vā | śūraḥ | satrāṣāṭ | januṣā | īm | aṣāḷhaḥ | vi | āse | indraḥ | pṛtanāḥ | su-ojāḥ | adha | viśvam | śatru-yantam | jaghāna
44
4 × ~11
Martial, with repeated epithets creating a drumbeat of attributes.
Energizes the will; evokes readiness to confront resistance without inner wavering.
- युध्म (yudhmo)
- Literal: warlike. Symbolic: Militant spiritual effort guided by light
- अनर्वा (anarvā)
- Literal: not yielding, unbending. Symbolic: Steadfast will; non-deviation from truth
- खजकृत् (khajakṛt)
- Literal: breaker/crusher (of something hard). Symbolic: Shattering inner knots of resistance
- समद्वा (samadvā)
- Literal: in the shock of battle. Symbolic: Confrontation with concentrated opposing forces in sadhana
- सत्राषाट् (satrāṣāṭ)
- Literal: ever-conquering. Symbolic: Persistent victorious illumination over time
- पृतनाः (pṛtanāḥ)
- Literal: battles. Symbolic: Multiple inner conflicts across parts of nature
- स्वोजाः (svojāḥ)
- Literal: by his own strength. Symbolic: Self-existent divine force in consciousness
- शत्रूयन्तम् (śatrūyantam)
- Literal: acting as an enemy. Symbolic: Hostile movements in mind-life that oppose growth
Victory-invocation; used to fortify the sacrificer/chanter in contest and inner struggle
Soma rites and royal/patronal invocations for victory; also general protective recitation.
Praise plus request for conquest; offerings to Indra for strength in conflict.
Use as a ‘resolve mantra’ before difficult conversations, addiction triggers, or major discipline commitments.
ojas ‘vital force’ (strength-substance) is central to inner reading: su-ojas → ‘well-founded force’. satrāṣāṭ: satra ‘always’ + √sah ‘overcome’ (phonological development to ṣāṭ) indicates perpetual victory, a psychological constancy against relapse.
constancy of victorious force (satra), self-power (ojas) as divine endowment
Hostile movements are anti-ṛta; Indra’s victory re-establishes right order across the nature.
Anarvā indicates fidelity to truth; victory is a function of satya-held will.
‘Spreading out’ (vy āsa) suggests establishing a wide ordered field where right action can operate.
Yoga of heroic transformation (Aurobindo): the divine Force conquers the lower nature’s resistances.
Battle = inner struggle; enemies = obstructive habits and formations; spreading field = widening and organizing consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as archetypal warrior who ‘spreads out’ the battles and smites hostility—mythic image of the god as organizer of victory. Inner sense: the divine will arranges the field of forces in the being and destroys all movements that turn toward enmity (division/ignorance).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ojas (strength) aligns with IE thematic focus on ‘vital force’ in heroic diction; √han ‘smite’ is an old inherited verb. The compounding strategy (su-ojas) is characteristic of archaic Indo-European poetic register.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra’s inherent invincibility (januṣā aṣāḷhaḥ) to invoke the same quality in the human struggle: praise establishes a template of consciousness—steadfast, unbending, victorious—that the deity then actualizes in the worshipper.
Strengthen the ‘non-yielding’ will aligned with light; identify one resistance-knot and invoke Indra to break it.
maṇipūra (will)
Brisk bhastrikā (if suitable) 20–30 strokes, then settle and chant once; otherwise strong ujjāyī exhale.
From wavering to militant steadiness; from compromise to decisive alignment.
After chanting, take one concrete vow for 24 hours; treat it as the ‘battlefield’ to be mastered by svojā (inner power), not external pressure.
Tri-svara; keep epithets articulated distinctly; avoid monotone—each epithet gets a slight lift.
Stress consonant clarity in clusters: khajakṛt, satrāṣāṭ, śatrūyantam. Maintain pāda breaks to preserve triṣṭubh swing.
Retroflex ḻh in aṣāḻha: articulate as a retroflex lateral + aspiration (approx. ‘āḻh’)., Keep ‘vy āsa’ separated ( | ) with a clean glide., śatrūyantam: long ū; do not shorten.
Firm, martial, chest-resonant; controlled intensity without shouting.
5
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.
