Rig Veda 1.32.13: Mandala 1, Sukta 32, Mantra 13
Sukta 1.32
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
नास्मै विद्युन्न तन्यतुः सिषेध न यां मिहमकिरद्ध्रादुनिं च । इन्द्रश्च यद्युयुधाते अहिश्चोतापरीभ्यो मघवा वि जिग्ये ॥
nā́ asmai vidyút na tányatuḥ siṣedha ná yā́m míham ákirad hrā́duniṃ ca | índraś ca yád yuyudhā́te áhiś cotā́parībhyo maghávā ví jigye ||
สายฟ้าไม่อาจขัดขวางเขาได้ ฟ้าร้องก็ไม่อาจขัดขวาง และหมอกเมฆที่เทกระแสน้ำคำรามก็ไม่อาจขัดขวางได้ เมื่ออินทรากับอหิ—งู—เข้าประจัญในศึก มฆวัน (Maghavan) ผู้ทรงทาน ได้ชัยชนะ ก้าวพ้นอำนาจทั้งปวงที่ล้อมกั้นและจำกัด
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- अस्मै
- to himPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- विद्युत्
- lightningNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot विद्युत्
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- तन्यतुः
- thunder (thunderclap)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot तन्यतु́
- सिषेध
- checked/held backVerbलिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; 3 एकवचनRole KriyāRoot सिध् (√सिध्/√सिध् ‘to restrain, ward off’ with reduplication) → सि-षेध
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न
- याम्
- whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (relative)Role KarmaRoot यद्
- मिहम्
- mist, drizzleNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot मिह्/मिहा (मिह ‘mist, drizzle’)
- अकिरत्
- poured forth/scatteredVerbलङ् (imperfect); परस्मैपद; 3 एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √कॄ/किर् (किरति ‘to scatter, pour’)
- ध्रादुनिम्
- (a) roaring/rumbling (sound)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ध्रादुनि́
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- यत्
- whenIndeclinable/Conjunctionयत्-सम्बन्ध (when/that)Root यद्
- युयुधाते
- the two foughtVerbलिट् (perfect); आत्मनेपद; 3 द्विवचनRole KriyāRoot √युध् (to fight) with reduplication यु-युध्
- अहिः
- the serpent (Vṛtra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot अहि
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अधिकरण (also, moreover)Root उत
- अपरीभ्यः
- from the rivals/opponentsNounपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी बहुवचनRole ApādānaRoot अपरी (अपरी ‘rival, opponent’)
- मघवा
- the bountiful one (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मघवन्
- वि
- apart, asunder; intensifierPreverbउपसर्गRoot वि
- जिग्ये
- conquered, wonVerbलिट् (perfect); आत्मनेपद; 3 एकवचनRole KriyāRoot √जि (to conquer) with reduplication जि-ग्य
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (padapāṭha-style): नास्मै → न + अस्मै
- विद्युत् + न (no change)
- तन्यतुः + सिषेध (no external sandhi)
- यां → याम् (anusvāra/ṃ before m)
- मिहमकिरत् → मिहम् + अकिरत्
- ध्रादुनिं च → ध्रादुनिम् + च
- इन्द्रश्च → इन्द्रः + च
- यद्युयुधाते → यत् + युयुधाते
- अहिश्च → अहिः + च
- चोतापरीभ्यो → च + उत + अपरीभ्यः
- मघवा वि जिग्ये (separate preverb वि). Accent marks in saṃhitā are not reproduced in the resolved padas
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is not held back by lightning, thunder, or the pouring mist-flood; when Indra and the Serpent fight, Indra the bountiful wins beyond all enclosing forces.
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind (Indra) is not stopped by violent nervous storms (vidyut, tanyatuḥ) or by the obscuring, overwhelming rush of subconscient impressions (miham, hrāduni). When the awakened intelligence grapples with the inner Obstructor (ahi/Vṛtra), the power of plenitude (maghavā) breaks through all encirclements (aparībhyaḥ)—the limiting formations that keep consciousness confined—and wins a free advance for the soul.
Universal truth
True progress is not secured by avoiding inner turbulence, but by a steadfast higher intelligence that can pass through storm and obscurity, confront resistance directly, and emerge with widened freedom beyond limiting patterns.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, victory over obstruction, release of waters/light, inner battle of knowledge vs ignorance
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthina line)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.32, RV 3.53, RV 3.62 (Gāyatrī mantra, traditional)
Family tradition
Kṣatriya-seer who becomes brahmarṣi; hymns of dynamic conquest of obstruction and establishment of inner sovereignty.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision often portrays the yoga of transformation: forceful illumination breaking inherited limits; the seer’s tapas converts conflict into a larger law (ṛta) of being.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavā (bountiful), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Vajrabāhu (bearing the thunderbolt-arm, implied in the hymn)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Releaser of the waters and the cows (lights); breaker of obstruction; establisher of luminous order in the mid-world between heaven and earth.
Inner power
Clarity, courage, and decisive intelligence that confronts resistance; the capacity to pierce veils and convert turbulent energy into forward movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra śastra/stotra in Soma-yāga contexts; recitation in Vṛtra-slaying mythic sequences.
नास्मै॑ वि॒द्युन्न त॑न्य॒तुः सि॑षेध॒ न यां मिह॒मकि॑रद्ध्रा॒दुनिं॑ च । इन्द्र॑श्च॒ यद्यु॑यु॒धाते॒ अहि॑श्चो॒ताप॒रीभ्यो॑ म॒घवा॒ वि जि॑ग्ये ॥
न । अ॒स्मै॒ । वि॒द्युत् । न । त॒न्य॒तुः । सि॒से॒ध॒ । न । याम् । मिह॑म् । अकि॑रत् । ह्रा॒दुनि॑म् । च॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । च॒ । यत् । यु॒यु॒धाते॒ इति॑ । अहिः॑ । च॒ । उ॒त । अ॒प॒रीभ्यः॑ । म॒घऽवा॑ । वि । जि॒ग्ये॒ ॥
na | asmai | vidyut | na | tanyatuḥ | sisedha | na | yām | miham | akirat | hrādunim | ca | indraḥ | ca | yat | yuyudhāteiti | ahiḥ | ca | uta | aparībhyaḥ | magha-vā | vi | jigye
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Driving, martial cadence suited to struggle and breakthrough.
Builds inner courage and forward pressure; the rhythm feels like repeated surges that culminate in release.
- विद्युत् (vidyut)
- Literal: lightning. Symbolic: sudden nervous flashes, disruptive excitations; rapid but uncontrolled energy in the lower nature
- तन्यतुः (tanyatuḥ)
- Literal: thunder. Symbolic: reverberating emotional/mental shocks; the roar of upheaval in the vital mind
- मिहम् (miham)
- Literal: mist, clouding rain. Symbolic: obscuration—confused, veiling movements of consciousness
- ह्रादुनि (hrāduni)
- Literal: roaring flood, surge. Symbolic: overpowering rush of subconscient forces and habitual reactions
- अहि (ahi)
- Literal: serpent. Symbolic: the Coverer (Vṛtra-power): constriction, inertia, obscurity
- अपरिभ्यः (aparībhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the enclosers, surrounding powers. Symbolic: limiting formations—fear, doubt, habit, ego-boundaries
- मघवा (maghavā)
- Literal: bountiful, giver. Symbolic: Indra as plenitude of luminous force that bestows inner riches
- वि जिग्ये (vi jigye)
- Literal: won decisively, conquered apart. Symbolic: a decisive inner victory that separates consciousness from its coverings
Indra-invocation in Soma sacrifices (general Indra-stotra usage; especially in contexts celebrating victory and the release of the waters/forces).
During Soma pressing rites and Indra invocations seeking victory and release of ‘waters’ (powers).
Praise-offering (stuti) to invoke Indra’s force to break obstruction.
Use when facing inner blockage: chant before effortful meditation or decisive life-action to invoke clarity beyond confusion.
Key terms: (1) vidyút 'lightning' is related to √vid 'to know, to find' and the semantic field of sudden manifestation; hence inner 'flash' of knowing. (2) tányatuḥ 'thunder' from √tan 'to stretch, resound' (tanyati 'thunders'); psychologically the reverberant force in the mid-region (antarikṣa) of life-energy. (3) mih(a) 'mist' from √mih 'to sprinkle, to rain, to be clouded'; thus both physical vapour and mental obscuration. (4) √kir in ákirat 'poured/scattered' expresses dispersion/release of held contents (waters/energies). (5) áhi 'serpent' from PIE *h₁engʷʰi-? (cf. Avestan aži-), a common Indo-Iranian mythic figure of obstruction. (6) maghávā from maghá 'bounty, gift' (PIE *megʰ- 'great'); Indra as plenitude-giver. (7) jigye perfect of √ji 'to conquer' (PIE *gʷei̯h₃- 'to live, be strong' debated; Indo-Aryan √ji firmly 'win').
ṛta (order restored by the victory over obstruction), satyam-illumination (truth-flash overcoming covering), apāṃ sruti (release of life-waters as movement of consciousness)
Indra’s victory restores ṛta by removing the covering that distorts the flow of energies (waters).
Truth becomes effective when the enclosers are surpassed; perception is no longer storm-driven.
Release of the pent-up waters/lights—creation as a freeing of concealed powers.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): inner evolution through conquest of subconscient resistance.
monsoon-storm imagery (symbolic)
Storm = upheaval of vital nature; flood = subconscient surge; serpent = constriction; Indra’s passage = widening consciousness beyond limiting rings.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The climactic Indra–Ahi (Vṛtra) combat: the luminous power confronts the coiling obstruction that withholds the waters (life-forces/light). The verse stresses that no atmospheric violence (lightning/thunder) nor obscuring mist can 'check' Indra; the victory is a breakthrough beyond enclosing limiting powers (apari-).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The serpent adversary áhi aligns with Indo-Iranian aži- (Avestan), showing a shared mythic lexeme. The victory verb jigye (√ji) continues an old Indo-European poetic theme of the champion who 'wins/conquers' the hoarded goods. The storm lexicon (vidyút, tányatuḥ, mih) preserves archaic nature-terms that are then elevated into a cosmopsychic register.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s vision presents Indra not as an external storm-god alone but as an invincible inner agency of breakthrough. By affirming that nothing restrains him, the hymn establishes śraddhā (confidence) and invites reciprocal action: the human aspiration aligns with Indra’s conquering force so that the 'enclosing' limitations in the practitioner are surpassed.
Witness the storm of thoughts/feelings without yielding; invoke a higher decisive clarity that ‘wins beyond enclosures’.
maṇipūra (will/force) and ājñā (illumined mind)
Moderate ujjāyī or 4-4-6 breathing to stabilize during inner ‘storms’.
From rajasic turbulence to sattvic illumined decisiveness; then widening beyond ego-boundaries.
Name the ‘enclosers’ (fear, doubt, habit). On each exhale offer them into the inner fire; on each inhale call Indra’s clear force to confront the core obstruction directly.
Use Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; key lifts typically on deity-words (índraḥ, maghavā) and victory verbs (jigye).
Keep udātta as a clear raised pitch; svarita as a fall; avoid flattening at ca/na particles (light, quick).
Maintain retroflex in dhrāduniṃ with clear dhra- cluster, Do not nasalize vidyut excessively: vid-yut crisp final -t, ahiś ca: keep ś (palatal) distinct from s, aparībhyaḥ: long ī clearly held
Steady, resonant, ‘martial-calm’—firm without strain.
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