Rig Veda 9.63.5: Mandala 9, Sukta 63, Mantra 5
Sukta 9.63
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma hymns
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्रं वर्धन्तो अप्तुरः कृण्वन्तो विश्वमार्यम् । अपघ्नन्तो अराव्णः ॥
índraṃ várdhanto aptúraḥ kṛṇvánto víśvam ā́ryam | apághnanto arā́vṇaḥ ||
ఇంద్రుని వర్ధింపజేస్తూ, apturaḥ (అప్తురః)—కార్యకర్తలు—మనలోని సమస్తాన్ని ārya (ఆర్య), ప్రకాశవంతంగా చేస్తారు. వారు arāvṇaḥ (అరావ్ణః)—దారిద్ర్యమూ క్షయమూ కలిగించే శక్తులను—కొట్టి తొలగిస్తారు.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as the object: ‘Indra’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (वर्धन्तः/कृण्वन्तः/अपघ्नन्तः—क्रियाणां कर्म)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्धन्तः
- increasing, making growVerb (participle)कर्तरि वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (यजमानाः/स्तोतारः—‘they, increasing’)Root √वृध् (वर्धते/वर्धयति) धातु
- अप्तुरः
- active/efficient (doers), capableAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (वर्धन्तः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ (वर्धन्तः इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण)Root अप्तुर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कार्य-साधक/कर्मकुशल’—Vedic epithet)
- कृण्वन्तः
- making, producing, accomplishingVerb (participle)कर्तरि वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (ते एव—‘they, making’)Root √कृ (करोति) धातु
- विश्वम्
- all, entireAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (आर्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (कृण्वन्तः—‘making …’)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- आर्यम्
- the Arya/noble (one); the noble peopleNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (कृण्वन्तः—‘making (someone/people) Arya/noble’)Root आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपघ्नन्तः
- striking down, driving away, destroyingVerb (participle)कर्तरि वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (ते एव—‘they, striking down’)Root अप + √हन् (हन्ति) धातु
- अराव्णः
- the hostile/ungenerous ones; enemiesNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (अपघ्नन्तः इत्यस्य कर्म)Role कर्म (अपघ्नन्तः—‘striking down …’)Root अराव्ण (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic: ‘अरि/शत्रु’ अथवा ‘अ-राव्ण’—अधन/असमृद्ध; here as hostile/ungenerous)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): इन्द्रम् | वर्धन्तः | अप्तुरः | कृण्वन्तः | विश्वम् | आर्यम् | अपघ्नन्तः | अराव्णः ।
- ‘अपघ्नन्तः’ = अप + घ्नन्तः (√हन् का घ्न-आदेशः) उपसर्गपूर्वकः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The active workers increase Indra; making all (things) ārya, they strike away arāvṇaḥ (poverty/need).
Inner meaning
When the purified Soma-current (delight-force) is active in the system, the inner ‘doers of the work’ (apturaḥ—powers that accomplish) intensify Indra, the illumined mind. This strengthening of the luminous intelligence makes the whole being ārya—upright, wide, and fit for the Truth—and drives out arāvṇaḥ: states of deficiency, depression, and narrowing that diminish plenitude.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on increasing the power of clear, victorious intelligence (Indra) through steady inner work; then the whole nature becomes noble and luminous, and the psychology of scarcity is expelled by an experience of inner abundance.
Themes
Indra empowerment, inner battle, nobility (ārya), removal of poverty
The seer
- Rishi
- Pavamāna Soma seers (RV 9; traditional attributions vary by hymn/anuvāka)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 9.63.1-11, Rig Veda 9.62, Rig Veda 9.64
Family tradition
Soma-Pavamāna tradition of the Ninth Maṇḍala: visionary-poets of the pressing and purification, emphasizing the ascent of Soma toward the gods.
Significance
The ‘seer’ voice here is collective and process-oriented: consciousness witnessing the purification of delight (Soma) and its power to build Indra (illumined mind) and transform the whole nature into ārya-being.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma Pavamāna (in alliance with Indra)
- Epithets
- Pavamāna (self-purifying), Indu (bright drop), Suta (pressed)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sūrya, Uṣas
Cosmic role
The purifying current that rises from the mixed to the clarified; it feeds the gods and sustains ṛta by turning raw life into luminous essence.
Inner power
Ananda-force that, when clarified, empowers the illumined mind (Indra) to overcome limitation and establish inner plenitude.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and purification (Pavamāna stotras)
इन्द्रं॒ वर्ध॑न्तो अ॒प्तुर॑: कृ॒ण्वन्तो॒ विश्व॒मार्य॑म् । अ॒प॒घ्नन्तो॒ अरा॑व्णः ॥
इन्द्र॑म् । वर्ध॑न्तः । अ॒प्ऽतुरः॑ । कृ॒ण्वन्तः॑ । विश्व॑म् । आर्य॑म् । अ॒प॒ऽघ्नन्तः॑ । अरा॑व्णः ॥
indram | vardhantaḥ | ap-turaḥ | kṛṇvantaḥ | viśvam | āryam | apa-ghnantaḥ | arāvṇaḥ
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3 pādas of 8 syllables (8|8|8)
Compact, forward-driving, mantra-like clarity; suited to ‘increase’ and ‘strike away’ movements.
Creates a concentrated uplift: the mind feels braced and clarified, supporting a decisive inner rejection of deficiency.
- indraṃ
- Literal: Indra (Vedic deity). Symbolic: Illumined Mind; force of victorious discernment that releases the Light
- vardhantaḥ
- Literal: increasing, strengthening. Symbolic: Conscious intensification of the higher faculty through practice and aspiration
- apturaḥ (ap-turaḥ)
- Literal: doers of the work; effective/active ones. Symbolic: Inner executive powers (will, right effort, disciplined energies) that can accomplish the sacrifice
- viśvam
- Literal: all, the whole. Symbolic: The entire being—mind, life-force, body-consciousness
- āryam
- Literal: noble, worthy, Arya. Symbolic: A truth-aligned nature—luminous, expansive, ethically and spiritually upright
- apaghnantaḥ
- Literal: striking away, smiting off. Symbolic: Active rejection/exclusion of obstruction and false movements
- arāvṇaḥ
- Literal: poverty, need, lack. Symbolic: Inner indigence—depletion, tamas, self-diminution, scarcity-consciousness
Soma as Indra-strengthener in Soma sacrifice; supports Indra’s victory function
During Soma-yajña sequences, especially while Soma is filtered and offered; chanted as part of Pavamāna praises.
Pressing (savana), filtering through pavitra, collecting in vessels, offering with stotra/śastra.
Use as a short japa for strengthening clarity and confidence: ‘increase Indra within; remove inner poverty’—helpful in fatigue, discouragement, or mental dullness.
vardhantaḥ: √vṛdh (to grow, increase). kṛṇvantaḥ: √kṛ (to do, make). ārya: from √ar (to fit, move rightly) or social-ethical development ‘noble’; here read as ‘right-ordered’. apaghna: apa- + √han/√ghn (to strike, slay). aptura: traditionally ‘accomplishing, active’ (often connected with √ap (work/waters) + agentive nuance; exact etymology debated). arāvan: a-privative + rāvan/rā (wealth) → ‘without wealth,’ ‘deficient.’
ārya as inner nobility (alignment with Ṛta), removal of deficiency as spiritual prosperity, Indra as obstacle-breaker within
Soma’s purification is a microcosmic enactment of ṛta: the mixed is clarified, the obstructive is expelled, the luminous order prevails.
Āryam indicates alignment with truth-being: the whole nature becomes fit for Satya.
Transformation rather than ex nihilo creation: the hidden light is released by strengthening the illumined mind.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic psychology (as read by Sri Aurobindo): ascent from lower nature to luminous mind through Ananda-force.
Soma as the clarified delight-current; Indra as lightning-like illumination in mind; ‘poverty’ as drought of consciousness replaced by inner plenitude.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s augmentation leading to the expulsion of ‘poverty’ (arāvan): the mythic combat is internalized as the strengthening of the Indra-power that makes the whole being ‘ārya’ and smites forces of diminishment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ relates to PIE *werdh- (grow) (cf. English ‘worth’ via semantic pathways, German werden ‘become’). √kṛ ‘do/make’ reflects PIE *kwer-/*ker- (do, make) with broad Indo-European reflexes.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames Soma’s action as a collective force (‘apturaḥ’) that increases Indra within the sacrificer. The reciprocity is practical: by engaging Soma’s purification, the seeker strengthens Indra and thereby removes inner deficiency.
Strengthen the illumined mind by invoking the purified delight-current; practice inner rejection of scarcity-thought and depletion.
ājñā (Indra as illumined mind)
moderate nāḍī-śodhana before chanting; then steady even breathing while repeating the mantra mentally.
From rajasic effort to sattwic clarity and confident wideness.
Before work or study, chant 9–27 times; feel a bright force in the head/forehead increasing; then consciously ‘strike away’ the sense of lack by replacing it with a remembered inner fullness.
Gāyatrī with standard RV accentuation: preserve udātta peaks on key words (indraṃ, vardhantaḥ, viśvam, āryam) with dependent svarita/anudātta as marked in saṃhitā.
Keep the main lift on ‘índraṃ’ and ‘víśvam ā́ryam’; let ‘apaghnánto’ be crisply articulated as a decisive cadence.
indraṃ: anusvāra as light nasal before consonant, apturaḥ: articulate as ap-turaḥ (clear ‘p’ + ‘t’ cluster), āryam: long ā; soft ‘ry’ conjunct, apaghnantaḥ: keep ‘ghn’ cluster (g+h+n) distinct, not simplified
Bright, steady, slightly forceful on the rejection phrase (apaghnantaḥ arāvṇaḥ).
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