Rig Veda 3.30.8: Mandala 3, Sukta 30, Mantra 8
Sukta 3.30
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury) and Vira (heroism)
सहदानुं पुरुहूत क्षियन्तमहस्तमिन्द्र सं पिणक्कुणारुम् । अभि वृत्रं वर्धमानं पियारुमपादमिन्द्र तवसा जघन्थ ॥
sahádānuṃ puruhūta kṣiyántam ahástam indra sáṃ piṇak kúṇārum | abhí vṛtráṃ várdhamānaṃ piyā́rum apā́dam indra távasā jaghántha ||
โอ้ อินทราผู้ถูกอัญเชิญเนืองนิตย์ ท่านได้ทลายกูณารุ—สหทานู ผู้ร่วงโรย ผู้ไร้มือ—ให้แตกสิ้น ท่านด้วยเดชานุภาพ (ตวส) ได้สังหารวฤตระผู้กำลังเติบโต ผู้พองตัวเป็นแรงต้านทานแห่งความมืด ผู้ไร้เท้าและไม่อาจก้าวไปในแสงได้
Word by Word
- सहदानुम्
- (the one) slaying the Dānu / DānavaNoun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग (एपिथेट), द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सह-दानु (प्रातिपदिक; दानु- ‘दानव/दानु’)
- पुरुहूत
- much-invoked (O Indra)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरु-हूत (प्रातिपदिक; √ह्वा/हू ‘आह्वाने’ से ‘हूत’)
- क्षियन्तम
- dwelling, abidingParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot √क्षि (क्षये/निवासे) → क्षियन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अहस्तम्
- handlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक (विशेषणरूप), द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अ-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRoot सम् (उपसर्ग)
- पिणक्कु
- crush! / smite!Verbआज्ञार्थ (लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन (वैदिक रूप) अथवा विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √पिणक्/पिणच् (पिणक्क्; ‘to crush/strike’), लोट् मध्यम? / वैदिक रूप
- कुणारुम्
- Kūṇāru (a foe/demon)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कुणारु (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य/राक्षस-नाम)
- अभि
- against, uponIndeclinable (preverb)अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वृत्रम्
- VṛtraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आवरणकर्ता’)
- वर्धमानम्
- growing, swellingParticiple (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot √वृध् (वर्धने) → वर्धमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- पियारुम्
- Piyāru (a foe/demon)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot पियारु (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य/शत्रु-नाम)
- अपादम्
- footlessAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक (विशेषणरूप), द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अ-पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (deity)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तवसा
- by (your) mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot तवस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘बल’)
- जघन्थ
- you have slainVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण), मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √हन् (हिंसागत्योः) → जघन्थ (परिपूर्ण/लिट्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): सहदानुम् | पुरुहूत | क्षियन्तम् | अहस्तम् | इन्द्र | सम् | पिणक्कु | कुणारुम् || अभि | वृत्रम् | वर्धमानम् | पियारुम् | अपादम् | इन्द्र | तवसा | जघन्थ । विशेष: ‘सम्’ उपसर्गः ‘पिणक्कु’ इत्यनेन सह
- ‘अभि’ उपसर्गः कर्मणि आक्रमणार्थः। ‘पिणक्कु’ वैदिक आज्ञार्थ-रूप (पाठभेद/व्याख्या-सम्भावना) इति सूचितम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra shattered Kūṇāru—Sahadānu, the wasting one, the handless; and with his force struck down the growing, swollen Vṛtra, footless.
Inner meaning
The mantra lists forms of resistance as personified powers. Kūṇāru/Sahadānu are images of deforming, wasting tendencies—energies that consume vitality without productive work (‘handless’: unable to truly act or craft). Vṛtra is the enlarging obstruction—subconscient mass that swells when not faced, creating heaviness and false inevitability. ‘Footless’ indicates it has no true foundation in the light; it cannot stand when exposed. Indra’s tavas (concentrated force) breaks these formations: first the petty draining patterns, then the larger swelling coverer, restoring mobility of consciousness and right action.
Universal truth
Obstruction often grows when ignored; decisive illumination breaks both subtle drains and major inertias, revealing that darkness has no real footing.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Defeat of named demons, Breakthrough of resistance, Inner liberation
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.30, RV 3.31
Family tradition
Heroic tapas confronting named adversaries—psychological ‘asuras’ in symbolic dress.
Significance
The rishi maps inner warfare with precision: resistances have types; victory is progressive—first draining habits, then the central coverer.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Puruhūta, Vṛtrahan (implied), Tavasa (mighty)
- Related deities
- Agni (will-fire), Maruts (energies aiding Indra), Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave)
Cosmic role
Destroyer of obstructive powers; liberator of movement and life-force.
Inner power
Spiritual-mental force that exposes and breaks fixed inert patterns; restores effective action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Vṛtra-combat exemplum in Soma praise; protective recitation against hostile influences and inner inertia.
स॒हदा॑नुं पुरुहूत क्षि॒यन्त॑मह॒स्तमि॑न्द्र॒ सं पि॑ण॒क्कुणा॑रुम् । अ॒भि वृ॒त्रं वर्ध॑मानं॒ पिया॑रुम॒पाद॑मिन्द्र त॒वसा॑ जघन्थ ॥
स॒हऽदा॑नुम् । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒त॒ । क्षि॒यन्त॑म् । अ॒ह॒स्तम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । सम् । पि॒ण॒क् । कुणा॑रुम् । अ॒भि । वृ॒त्रम् । वर्ध॑मानम् । पिया॑रुम् । अ॒पाद॑म् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । त॒वसा॑ । ज॒घ॒न्थ॒ ॥
saha-dānum | puru-hūta | kṣiyantam | ahastam | indra | sam | piṇak | kuṇārum | abhi | vṛtram | vardhamānam | piyārum | apādam | indra | tavasā | jaghantha
44
4 × ~11
Hard, impact-driven; consonant clusters reinforce the sense of smashing and breaking.
Invokes courage to face stubborn habits; energizes a ‘cut-through’ attitude toward inner inertia.
- sahadānum
- Literal: Sahadānu (proper name). Symbolic: wasting/consuming tendency; parasitic habit-energy
- kṣiyantam
- Literal: wasting away, diminishing. Symbolic: forces that erode aspiration and vitality over time
- ahastam
- Literal: handless. Symbolic: incapacity for true works; unskillful reactive energy
- sam piṇak
- Literal: shattered completely. Symbolic: decisive breaking of a fixed formation in the nature
- vṛtram vardhamānam
- Literal: Vṛtra growing. Symbolic: obstruction that expands in the subconscient when unilluminated
- piyārum
- Literal: swollen, bloated. Symbolic: inflated darkness—false magnitude of resistance
- apādam
- Literal: footless. Symbolic: without true support; cannot endure in the light
- tavasā
- Literal: by force/power. Symbolic: concentrated spiritual strength (tapas-śakti) wielded by illumined mind
Vṛtra-combat exemplum in Soma praise; protective recitation against hostile influences and inner inertia.
Indra victory recitations in Soma ritual; also protective chants against hostile forces (outer/inner).
Invocation of Indra’s force to shatter obstacles; symbolic offering of resistance into the fire of transformation.
Use when stuck in compulsions, procrastination, or energy-drain; supports decisive interruption of patterns.
kṣiyantam from √kṣi ‘wane, decay’. ahasta/apāda privatives depict incapacity: hostile forces lack true agency when confronted by truth-force. saṃ piṇak from √piṣ/√piṇ ‘crush, pound’. tavas ‘strength’ from √tav ‘be strong’. Proper names (Sahadānu, Kūṇāru) are treated as personifications of obstruction/decay; dānu in RV often links to withholding waters/flows—psychologically, blocked streams of consciousness.
Growth of obstruction (vardhamāna vṛtra), Force of breakthrough (tavas), Liberation of movement (apāda/ahasta as negation of agency)
Breaking the coverer restores the right movement of forces—ṛta as free, ordered flow.
Darkness is ‘footless’—untruth has no stable ground when truth is faced.
Cosmic evolution proceeds by repeated breaking of obstructive shells; life and light are released by victory.
Yoga of transformation: confronting subconscient inertia as Vṛtra-formation.
Swollen cloud = accumulating inertia; thunder-smash = decisive insight-force; ‘handless/footless’ = non-creative, non-grounded patterns.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The demon-slaying exemplum: Indra crushes named obstructors and the growing Vṛtra—mythically the thunder-god’s victory; psychologically the decisive breaking of swelling resistance (piyāru) that blocks the inner currents.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The core slaying verb √han (jaghantha) is pan-Indo-Iranian and common in IE heroic diction. Privative formations a-hasta, a-pāda show productive IE negation morphology used to mark incapacity of adversaries.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi anchors present aspiration in past archetypal victory: by recalling Indra’s crushing of obstructors, the hymn channels that same tavas into the current inner battle, ensuring the aspirant’s resistance is rendered ‘handless and footless’—unable to seize or advance.
Identify and strike two layers: (1) draining micro-habits, (2) the central swelling inertia; call Indra’s force to break both.
maṇipūra (force)
Kapalabhāti-light (if suitable) or strong exhale emphasis for 1–2 minutes, then quiet sitting.
Kṣobha → śuddhi: stirred force leading to clearing and renewed movement.
Write down one ‘handless’ habit (reactive scrolling, rumination) and one ‘swollen’ inertia (avoidance). Chant, then take a single decisive physical action within 5 minutes to break the loop.
Tri-svara; keep sharper udātta peaks on verbs of destruction (sam piṇak, jaghantha).
Deliver consonant-heavy words cleanly (kṣiyantam, vardhamānam) without rushing; let the final pāda land firmly.
kṣiyantam: ‘kṣi’ conjunct clear, not ‘khi’, kuṇārum: retroflex ṇ; long ā, piyārum: keep ‘yā’ long, jaghantha: aspirate ‘th’ lightly; don’t turn into ‘dha’
Forceful, percussive, focused; short silences between pādas to ‘seal’ the blows.
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