Rig Veda 7.32.16: Mandala 7, Sukta 32, Mantra 16
Sukta 7.32
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तवेदिन्द्रावमं वसु त्वं पुष्यसि मध्यमम् । सत्रा विश्वस्य परमस्य राजसि नकिष्ट्वा गोषु वृण्वते ॥
távéd índrāvamáṃ vásu tváṃ púṣyasi madhyamám | satrā́ víśvasya paramásya rājasi nákiṣ ṭvā góṣu vṛṇvate ||
హే ఇంద్రా! అతి తక్కువ వసువూ నిజంగా నీదే; మధ్యమ వసువును నీవు పోషిస్తావు. సమస్తానికి పరమమైన రాజసులో నీవు ఏకాధిపత్యంగా రాజ్యము చేయుచున్నావు; గోషు (గోవులు/కిరణాలు) మధ్య నిన్ను—అనేక శక్తుల్లో ఒకటిగా—ఎవరూ ఎంచరు.
Word by Word
- तव
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic particle)Root इद् (निपात)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (voc.), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवमम्
- the lowestAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वसु-विशेषण)Role कर्म (with implied ‘you nourish/strengthen’)Root अवम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of अव ‘down/low’)
- वसु
- wealth, goodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुष्यसि
- you make prosper / you nourishVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पुष् (धातु; ‘to thrive, make prosper, nourish’)
- मध्यमम्
- the middleAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वसु-विशेषण)Role कर्मRoot मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्रा
- always, continuallyIndeclinableअव्यय (adverb)Root सत्रा (अव्यय)
- विश्वस्य
- of allAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (परमस्य-विशेषण; ‘of all’)Role सम्बन्धRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- परमस्य
- of the highestAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (राजसि-सम्बन्ध)Role सम्बन्धRoot परम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of पर ‘far’)
- राजसि
- you ruleVerb (finite, denominative from noun) / or verbal use of √राज्लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘king’)
- नकिः
- no oneIndeclinable (pronominal particle)निषेधार्थ ‘no one’Role कर्तृ (of implied verb ‘chooses/prevails’ in negation)Root नकिस्/नकिः (निपात/सर्वनाम-अव्यय; ‘no one’)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोषु
- among the cows / in cattleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृण्वते
- they chooseVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वृ (धातु; ‘to choose’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: तवेदि॑न्द्र → तव + इद् + इन्द्र (vowel coalescence a+ i → e; accent on इद्)
- इन्द्राव॒मं → इन्द्र + अवमम् (no further sandhi; pada-break after vocative)
- स॒त्रा विश्व॑स्य → सत्रा + विश्वस्य (external sandhi absent in pada)
- पर॒मस्य॑ राजसि॒ → परमस्य + राजसि
- नकि॑ष्ट्वा॒ → नकिः + त्वा (visarga before t assimilates/vanishes in saṃhitā; written as -ष्ट्वा- in RV orthography)
- गोषु॑ वृण्वते → गोषु + वृण्वते
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra owns even the lowest wealth and nourishes the middle; he rules the supreme of all. None chooses him among the cows as one among many.
Inner meaning
Indra is affirmed as the single sovereign power of illumined intelligence across all levels of our being: the ‘lowest’ (physical resources), the ‘middle’ (vital-emotional force), and the ‘supreme’ (mental/spiritual heights). The ‘cows’ are rays of knowledge; among these luminous powers, Indra is not merely one option—he is the governing clarity that orders and integrates them.
Universal truth
True mastery is integrative: the same guiding consciousness must govern the material, vital, and spiritual layers; illumination is not one faculty among many but the organizing principle of progress.
Themes
Indra’s sovereignty, levels of wealth/power, go as rays of knowledge
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa line)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.20, RV 7.21, RV 7.32
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha hymns often stress sovereignty, right rule (rājya) of the divine powers, and the gradation of planes (lower–middle–higher) in experience.
Significance
The seer frames Indra not as a tribal war-god but as the inner ruler across planes—an early psychology of integral governance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Indra, Rājā (sovereign, implied)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (cosmic order), Mitra (harmony), Agni (will), Soma (bliss)
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous dominion who coordinates the cosmic levels and releases the rays/waters of truth.
Inner power
Central commanding intelligence that integrates body-life-mind and prevents fragmentation of the seeker’s energies.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma liturgy; also suitable in general stotra recitations seeking prosperity and right governance.
तवेदि॑न्द्राव॒मं वसु॒ त्वं पु॑ष्यसि मध्य॒मम् । स॒त्रा विश्व॑स्य पर॒मस्य॑ राजसि॒ नकि॑ष्ट्वा॒ गोषु॑ वृण्वते ॥
तव॑ । इत् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । अ॒व॒मम् । वसु॑ । त्वम् । पु॒ष्य॒सि॒ । म॒ध्य॒मम् । स॒त्रा । विश्व॑स्य । प॒र॒मस्य॑ । रा॒ज॒सि॒ । नकिः॑ । त्वा॒ । गोषु॑ । वृ॒ण्व॒ते॒ ॥
tava | it | indra | avamam | vasu | tvam | puṣyasi | madhyamam | satrā | viśvasya | paramasya | rājasi | nakiḥ | tvā | goṣu | vṛṇvate
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4×11 syllables (approx.)
Balanced, declarative, ‘sovereign’ cadence; less battle-surge, more royal assertion.
Stabilizes and centers; supports a feeling of inner hierarchy aligned under one clear rule.
- अवमं वसु (avamaṃ vasu)
- Literal: lowest wealth. Symbolic: physical supports: stability, health, practical means—made serviceable to the path
- मध्यमम् (madhyamam)
- Literal: the middle. Symbolic: vital strength, enthusiasm, courage, and the dynamic life-force
- परमस्य (paramasya)
- Literal: the supreme. Symbolic: highest light of mind/spirit, the summit of consciousness
- राजसि (rājasi)
- Literal: you rule. Symbolic: sovereign governance of the inner kingdom by illumined intelligence
- गोषु (goṣu)
- Literal: among the cows. Symbolic: among rays of knowledge/illumination; the herds of light
- नकिः (nakiḥ)
- no other power equals this integrating illumination
Sovereignty-stotra to Indra in Soma liturgy; supports establishing Indra as the ruling power across levels of attainment in the sacrificer.
When affirming Indra’s supremacy and seeking integrated prosperity across levels.
Recitation with offering (oblations/mental offering) to establish Indra’s rule in the sacrificer.
Use when life feels fragmented: chant to re-center priorities and align physical-vital-mental energies under clear discernment.
puṣyasi from √puṣ indicates increase and thriving—inner growth of powers. rājasi (√rāj) marks sovereignty. goṣu (go) is multivalent: ‘cow’ (outer) and ‘ray/light’ (inner); within the hymn’s Indra-context, ‘rays of illumination’ are the recoverable wealth; the line suggests Indra is not merely chosen as one among luminous powers—he is the overarching mastery that upholds all levels (avama/madhyama/parama).
gradation of being (avama-madhyama-parama), sovereignty of divine force (rāj)
Indra’s ‘ruling’ is the enforcement of ṛta across planes, preventing the lower from usurping the higher.
Supreme wealth is truth-light; lower and middle are to be fostered in service of it.
Vertical integration of worlds (lower–middle–higher) under a single luminous sovereignty.
Integral/psychological Vedism (planes of being; governance by higher mind).
Cows = rays of illumination; ‘lowest/middle/supreme’ = physical/vital/mental-spiritual strata.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as universal king across the threefold gradation (low/middle/high): the mythic kingship of Indra becomes the inner governance of all planes of the being, including the luminous ‘cows’ (rays).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rāj ‘rule’ continues PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten, rule’ (cf. Latin rēx, Sanskrit rājā). √puṣ ‘nourish’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan pəš- type nourishment semantics). The threefold schema echoes archaic IE cosmological tripartitions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi confers supreme status on Indra: the human act is recognition and alignment; the divine act is fostering (puṣ) and ruling (rāj) the seeker’s entire scale of powers.
Establish a single inner ‘king’—clear discerning intelligence—over body, life-force, and thought.
Maṇipūra (governance of vital) moving upward to Ājñā (governance of mind)
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 while repeating ‘satrā viśvasya paramasya rājasi’.
From scattered attention to centralized, sovereign awareness.
Before action, ask: ‘Is this aligned with the supreme aim?’ Then let the lower and middle be ‘fostered’ as instruments, not masters.
Maintain Vedic accents as marked; give a steady udatta lift on íd/indra/avamáṃ and a measured fall at pāda endings; keep the declaration tone even.
Do not rush ‘satrā viśvasya paramasya rājasi’; let ‘rājasi’ land with weight.
taved (tavá + ít): keep sandhi clean, not ‘tavet’., avamaṃ: nasalize ‘ṃ’ lightly., goṣu: hard ‘g’, long ‘o’; ṣ is retroflex., vṛṇvate: retroflex ṇ; clear ‘vṛṇ-’ cluster.
Calm, kingly, centered; minimal vibrato; clear consonants.
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