Rig Veda 1.129.3: Mandala 1, Sukta 129, Mantra 3
Sukta 1.129
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
दस्मो हि ष्मा वृषणं पिन्वसि त्वचं कं चिद्यावीरररुं शूर मर्त्यं परिवृणक्षि मर्त्यम् । इन्द्रोत तुभ्यं तद्दिवे तद्रुद्राय स्वयशसे । मित्राय वोचं वरुणाय सप्रथः सुमृळीकाय सप्रथः ॥
dasmó hí ṣmā vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ pínvasi tvácaṃ káṃ cid yāvīr arárum śūra mártyaṃ parivṛ́ṇakṣi mártyam | índro uta túbhyaṃ tád divé tád rudrā́ya sváyaśase | mitrā́ya vocaṃ váruṇāya sa-práthaḥ sumṛḷīkā́ya sa-práthaḥ ||
แท้จริงพระองค์คือผู้มหัศจรรย์: พระองค์ทรงทำให้พลังแห่งพฤษภ (vṛṣan) พรั่งพรู; แม้ผิวกายของมนุษย์ผู้เปราะบางคนใดคนหนึ่งก็ยังทรงทำให้เต็มเปี่ยม. โอวีรบุรุษ พระองค์ทรงโอบล้อมและปกคลุมมนุษย์ผู้นั้น. โออินทระ ข้าพเจ้ากล่าวถ้อยนี้เพื่อพระองค์—เพื่อสวรรค์ (Dyaus) ด้วย และเพื่อรุทระ (Rudra) ผู้มีเกียรติยศด้วยตนเอง. ข้าพเจ้ากล่าวเพื่อมิตร (Mitra) เพื่อวรุณะ (Varuṇa) ผู้กว้างใหญ่ในธรรมบัญญัติ (saprathá) และเพื่อผู้เปี่ยมเมตตา (Sumṛḷīka) ผู้กว้างใหญ่ในเมตตา (saprathá).
Word by Word
- दस्मः
- wondrous, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root दस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeedIndeclinableनिपातःRole सम्बन्ध/हेतु (emphasis: ‘indeed’)Root हि (निपात)
- ष्मा
- surely, justIndeclinableवैदिक-निपातःRole सम्बन्ध (emphatic particle)Root ष्म (निपात)
- वृषणम्
- the bull; the strong oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिन्वसि
- you invigorate, you impelVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot पिन्व् (धातु; ‘to swell, set in motion, invigorate’)
- त्वचम्
- skin, hideNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कम्
- someone, anyPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अनिश्चितार्थे)Role कर्म (with चित्: ‘someone’)Root क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- even, indeedIndeclinableनिपातःRole सम्बन्ध (indefinite/emphatic)Root चित् (निपात)
- यावीर
- long-lived / enduring (Vedic epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (मर्त्यम् इति विशेष्य)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot यावीर (वैदिक-विशेषण/प्रातिपदिक; ‘यावीर’)
- अररुम्
- wounded/maimed; afflicted (Vedic epithet)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (मर्त्यम् इति विशेष्य)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot अररु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अररु’)
- शूर
- O heroNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्त्यम्
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- परिवृणक्षि
- you encompass, you cover/protectVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot वृज्/वृणक् (धातु; वैदिक रूप ‘वृणक्षि’)
- मर्त्यम्
- a mortalNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (पुनरुक्ति/अनुवृत्ति)Root मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableनिपातःRole सम्बन्ध (additive: ‘and/also’)Root उत (निपात)
- तुभ्यम्
- to youPronounद्वितीया/चतुर्थी? (प्रयोगतः चतुर्थी), एकवचनम्; चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म/विषय (that)Root तद् (सर्वनाम)
- दिवे
- to heaven, to the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म/विषयRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- रुद्राय
- to RudraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वयशसे
- to the self-gloriousAdjective (dative)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (रुद्राय इति विशेषण)Role सम्प्रदान-विशेषणRoot स्वयशस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘own-glory’)
- मित्राय
- to MitraNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वोचम्
- I spoke, I proclaimVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot वच् (धातु)
- वरुणाय
- to VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- सप्रथः
- widely, far and wideAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (वोचम् इत्यस्य कर्तृ-विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषण/भावRoot स-प्रथस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘with breadth/expanse’)
- सुमृळीकाय
- to the very gracious/benign oneAdjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot सुमृळीक (प्रातिपदिक)
- सप्रथः
- widely, far and wideAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण/भावRoot स-प्रथस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (major): ष्मा वृषणम् (particle + acc.)
- कं चित् (indefinite ‘someone’)
- यावीर-अररुम् (two epithets qualifying मर्त्यम्)
- मर्त्यं परिवृणक्षि (no external sandhi beyond padapāṭha-style separation)
- इन्द्रोत = इन्द्रः उत
- तद्दिवे = तत् दिवे
- तद्रुद्राय = तत् रुद्राय
- स्वयशसे (dative epithet to रुद्राय)
- ‘… वरुणाय सप्रथः … सुमृळीकाय सप्रथः’—सप्रथः used predicatively/adverbially with ‘वोचम्’ (‘I spoke widely’). Accents as in saṃhitā are not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
You are wonderful: you swell the Bull-force and even the skin of some weak mortal; O hero, you encompass and cover the mortal. Indra, this I speak for you—and for Heaven, and for Rudra of self-glory; for Mitra I speak, for Varuṇa wide in law, for the gracious one wide in grace.
Inner meaning
Indra is dasma—marvel-working—because he can increase the vṛṣaṇa (bull-force: potent energy of the being) and even strengthen the ‘skin’ (tvac) of the weak mortal: the outer vital-physical sheath gains resilience when illumined mind descends. He ‘encompasses’ the mortal: not to smother, but to cover protectively, surrounding the fragile human nature with a greater consciousness. The rishi then widens the invocation: this illumination is offered also to Dyaus (the vast mental heaven), to Rudra (fierce transformative force of self-glory), to Mitra (harmonizing power), and to Varuṇa (vast law of ṛta), and to the gracious power (sumṛḻīka) that brings mercy/benignity. The verse integrates powers: illumination (Indra) must be held in vastness (Dyaus), purified by force (Rudra), balanced by harmony (Mitra), aligned with law (Varuṇa), and softened by grace (sumṛḻīka).
Universal truth
True strength includes resilience in the outer life and integration of multiple spiritual powers: illumination, vastness, purification, harmony, law, and grace. Human fragility is protected not by denial but by being encompassed by a higher order of consciousness.
Themes
Indra strengthens the weak, protection by encompassing, integration with cosmic order deities, expansion and grace
The seer
- Rishi
- Parucchepa Daivodāsi (traditional)
- Lineage
- Daivodāsi
- Other hymns
- RV 1.129.1, RV 1.129.2
Family tradition
A seer-line that often synthesizes multiple deities as coordinated powers of one yoga: illumination supported by law, harmony, vastness, and purifying force.
Significance
This verse is a compact integral invocation: it shows how Indra’s strengthening must be integrated with Dyaus (vastness), Rudra (purification), Mitra (harmony), Varuṇa (law), and grace—an early Vedic template for balanced transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Dyaus, Rudra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Sumṛḻīka)
- Epithets
- dasma (marvelous), śūra (hero), svayaśas (self-glorious—Rudra epithet here), sapratha (wide—Varuṇa), sumṛḻīka (gracious)
- Related deities
- Maruts (often allied with Indra), Agni (initiator of tapas)
Cosmic role
Indra strengthens and illumines; Dyaus provides vast supporting heaven; Rudra purifies by force; Mitra harmonizes relations; Varuṇa maintains cosmic law; the gracious power reconciles and heals.
Inner power
Integrated transformation: resilience of the sheath, intensification of force, protective surrounding, and alignment with harmony and law under grace.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra hymn used in soma contexts; also suitable in rites seeking protection and strengthening
द॒स्मो हि ष्मा॒ वृष॑णं॒ पिन्व॑सि॒ त्वचं॒ कं चि॑द्यावीर॒ररुं॑ शूर॒ मर्त्यं॑ परिवृ॒णक्षि॒ मर्त्य॑म् । इन्द्रो॒त तुभ्यं॒ तद्दि॒वे तद्रु॒द्राय॒ स्वय॑शसे । मि॒त्राय॑ वोचं॒ वरु॑णाय स॒प्रथ॑: सुमृळी॒काय॑ स॒प्रथ॑: ॥
द॒स्मः । हि । ष्म॒ । वृष॑णम् । पिन्व॑सि । त्वच॑म् । कम् । चि॒त् । या॒वीः॒ । अ॒ररु॑म् । शू॒र॒ । मर्त्य॑म् । प॒रि॒ऽवृ॒णक्षि॑ । मर्त्य॑म् । इन्द्र॑ । उ॒त । तुभ्य॑म् । तत् । दि॒वे । तत् । रु॒द्राय॑ । स्वऽय॑शसे । मि॒त्राय॑ । वोच॑म् । वरु॑णाय । स॒ऽप्रथः॑ । सु॒ऽमृ॒ळी॒काय॑ । स॒ऽप्रथः॑ ॥
dasmaḥ | hi | ṣma | vṛṣaṇam | pinvasi | tvacam | kam | cit | yāvīḥ | ararum | śūra | martyam | pari-vṛṇakṣi | martyam | indra | uta | tubhyam | tat | dive | tat | rudrāya | sva-yaśase | mitrāya | vocam | varuṇāya | sa-prathaḥ | su-mṛḷīkāya | s-prathaḥ
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4×11 syllables (probable)
Expansive and integrative; the final pada widens into a litany of divine names.
Creates a protective ‘encompassing’ feeling; ends in wideness and reconciliation.
- दस्मः (dasmaḥ)
- Literal: wonderful, marvelous. Symbolic: the power that accomplishes unexpected inner transformation
- वृषणम् (vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: bull; potent male force. Symbolic: strong creative energy; dynamic power of consciousness
- पिन्वसि (pinvasi)
- Literal: you swell/increase. Symbolic: you intensify and uplift the force in the being
- त्वचम् (tvacam)
- Literal: skin. Symbolic: outer sheath of life; boundary/resilience of the embodied nature
- यावीः अररुम् (yāvīḥ ararum)
- Literal: weak, infirm (mortal). Symbolic: the unprepared or fragile personality under pressure
- परिवृणक्षि (parivṛṇakṣi)
- Literal: you encompass/cover around. Symbolic: protective surrounding by higher consciousness
- दिवे (dive)
- Literal: to Heaven. Symbolic: to the vast mind-plane; openness above
- रुद्राय (rudrāya)
- Literal: to Rudra. Symbolic: purifying fierce force; transformative intensity
- मित्राय (mitrāya)
- Literal: to Mitra. Symbolic: harmony, balance, right relatedness
- वरुणाय (varuṇāya)
- Literal: to Varuṇa. Symbolic: vast law of ṛta; truth-order
- सप्रथः (saprathaḥ)
- Literal: wide, expansive. Symbolic: all-encompassing order and wideness of consciousness
- सुमृळी॒क (sumṛḻīka)
- Literal: gracious, kindly. Symbolic: benign grace that heals and reconciles
Praise of Indra’s strengthening and protection; also a connective verse linking Indra’s action with the wider divine order (Mitra-Varuṇa) and Rudra’s force—useful in multi-deity sequences in soma liturgy.
When invoking strength for the sacrificer and a wide protection under cosmic law
Recitation during offerings; mentally extend the invocation to multiple deities/powers for balanced results
Use when feeling fragile or overwhelmed: chant to build resilience (‘skin’), then consciously invoke harmony (Mitra), law (Varuṇa), purification (Rudra), and grace to avoid one-sided force.
√pinv ‘swell, fatten’ indicates increase of force; tvac ‘skin’ becomes symbol of the outer sheath of nature—Indra strengthens even the outer instrument of the weak; pari-√vṛ ‘cover/enclose’ suggests protection by surrounding. The verse broadens to allied deities: dyu (divé) as luminous plane; Mitra/Varuṇa as harmony and law (ṛta); Rudra as intense force that can purify; su-mṛḷīka ‘good mercy’ indicates benevolent aspect of cosmic power.
expansive order (sa-prathaḥ), Mitra-Varuṇa as harmony and law (ṛta), Rudra as purifying intensity
Varuṇa wide in law and Mitra as harmonizer indicate ṛta as both order and right relationship.
Wideness (sapratha) is the condition for truth to act without becoming oppressive; grace (sumṛḻīka) humanizes law.
Strengthening the sheath and swelling force are microcosmic creation: building a stable vessel for higher consciousness.
Integral Vedic synthesis: multiple deities as coordinated functions in consciousness transformation.
Bull-force = intensified energy; skin = protective boundary of personality; sky = vast mind; Rudra-force = purifying storm; Mitra-Varuṇa = daylight order and cosmic law.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as increaser and protector: he swells the bull-force and covers the mortal, even the weak and defective—mythically, the divine hero fortifies the human sheath. The hymn then situates this action within the larger pantheon of order (Mitra-Varuṇa), luminous heaven, and Rudra’s intense power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- dyu/divé continues PIE *di̯eu- ‘sky, shine’ (cf. Greek Ζεύς, Latin Iūpiter); Mitra corresponds to Indo-Iranian *mitra ‘contract/friendship’ (Avestan Miθra); Varuṇa is Indo-Aryan-specific but participates in inherited ‘binding’ semantics via preverbs and law imagery.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acknowledges Indra’s capacity to strengthen even the outer instrument of the struggling human and asks for encompassing protection. He also ‘reports’ (vocaṃ) this within a network of divine powers, implying that Indra’s victory-force must harmonize with Mitra’s right relation and Varuṇa’s wide law, and be purified by Rudra’s intensity.
Protective encompassing: visualize a luminous Indric aura around the body strengthening the boundary while widening the mind into sky-like openness.
Anahata (protective field and grace) + Ajna (illumination)
Slow coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min) while feeling an expanding protective sphere
Safe, widened, reconciled.
If intensity rises (Rudra-force), immediately balance with Mitra (gentleness, right relation) and Varuṇa (truthful order). End with an inner gesture of grace (sumṛḻīka): forgiveness, release, and benevolence.
Tri-svara; keep deity names distinctly articulated in the litany (dive, rudrāya, mitrāya, varuṇāya).
First half energetic (strengthening), second half expansive (names). Allow a slightly broader pace on the concluding list to convey wideness (sapratha).
vṛṣaṇam: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ., pinvasi: clear nv conjunct., parivṛṇakṣi: retroflex ṇ and kṣ conjunct; break gently pa-ri-vṛ-ṇa-kṣi., sumṛḻīkāya: keep long ī; articulate ṛ and retroflex ḻ if trained.
Protective, resonant, widening on the concluding invocations.
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