Rig Veda 3.32.6: Mandala 3, Sukta 32, Mantra 6
Sukta 3.32
- Rishi
- Gāthin Viśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्वमपो यद्ध वृत्रं जघन्वाँ अत्याँ इव प्रासृजः सर्तवाजौ । शयानमिन्द्र चरता वधेन वव्रिवांसं परि देवीरदेवम् ॥
tvám apó yád dha vṛtráṃ jaghanvā́m̐ atyā́n iva prá̄sṛjaḥ sártavā́jau | śáyānam indra cáratā vadhéna vavri-vā́ṃsaṃ pári devī́r ádevam ||
เมื่อท่านได้สังหารวฤตระ (Vṛtra) แล้ว ท่านก็ปลดปล่อยสายน้ำออกไป ดุจนักแข่งที่ถูกปล่อยให้วิ่งเข้าสู่สนามประลอง โอ้อินทระ ท่านฟาดด้วยการโจมตีอันเคลื่อนไหวลงบนผู้ที่นอนอยู่ตรงนั้น—ผู้ปกคลุมที่ล้อมรอบกระแสอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ เหล่าอำนาจอันมิใช่เทพ
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपः
- the watersNounस्त्री; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- when/that whichPronoun (relative)नपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचन (यत् = यद् + त्)Role कर्म (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root यद् (सम्बन्ध/यत्-प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/confirmatory)Root ह (निपात)
- वृत्रम्
- Vṛtra (the obstructer)Nounपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जघन्वान्
- having slainVerb-participleपरस्मैपदी धातु हन्; क्तवतु-प्रत्यय (वान्); पुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम्-विशेषण)Root हन् (धातु) → जघन् (परिपूर्ण-आधार) + वान्
- अत्याः
- maresNounस्त्री; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमार्थक अव्ययRoot इव (उपमा-निपात)
- प्र
- forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग)
- असृजः
- thou didst releaseVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot सृज् (धातु)
- सर्तवाजौ
- swift-running, prize-winning (two)Adjective (compound)स्त्री; द्वितीया; द्विवचन (अत्याः-विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root सर्तवाज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
- शयानम्
- lyingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/आन); पुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (वव्रिवांसम्-विशेषण)Root शी (धातु) → शय (प्रातिपदिक) + आन (शतृ)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चरता
- with moving/roaming (weapon)Participleभूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुं; तृतीया; एकवचन (वधेन सह करणत्वे)Role करण (वधेन सह)Root चर् (धातु) → चर (प्रातिपदिक) + त (क्त)
- वधेन
- with the slaying-weaponNounपुं; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करणRoot वध (प्रातिपदिक)
- वव्रिवांसम्
- having enclosed/covered (i.e., the one who had shut in)Perfect participleपरिपूर्ण कृदन्त (वत्/वांस्-प्रकार); पुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृ (धातु ‘to cover/enclose’) → वव्रिवांस् (परिपूर्ण-आधार) + अम्
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- देवीः
- the goddesses (waters)Nounस्त्री; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अदेवम्
- the ungodly (demon)Adjective/Nounपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (वव्रिवांसम्-विशेषण)Root अ-देव (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-तत्पुरुष)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): त्वम् | अपः | यत् | ह | वृत्रम् | जघन्वान् | अत्याः | इव | प्र | असृजः | सर्तवाजौ || शयानम् | इन्द्र | चरता | वधेन | वव्रिवांसम् | परि | देवीः | अदेवम् || 1) यद्ध → यत् + ह (निपात-सन्धि: त् + ह → द्ध)
- 2) प्रासृजः → प्र + असृजः (उपसर्ग-सन्धि: अ-आगम/दीर्घ)
- 3) देवीरदेवम् → देवीः + अदेवम् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + अ → र्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
After slaying Vṛtra, Indra releases the pent-up waters like swift racers unleashed in a contest; he strikes down the recumbent Coverer who had encircled the divine streams, an undivine force opposing the gods.
Inner meaning
When the illumined Mind (Indra) breaks the subconscient resistance (Vṛtra), the blocked currents of consciousness (āpaḥ, ‘waters’) surge forward with the speed of liberated energies. The ‘lying’ adversary is the inertia and tamasic fixation that coils around the luminous movements (devīḥ āpaḥ) and keeps them from flowing into the waking nature. Indra’s ‘moving blow’ is the dynamic descent of discerning force that does not merely suppress but actively dislodges the knot of obstruction, allowing the inner rivers of inspiration, clarity, and life-force to run their course.
Universal truth
Progress in any inner or outer life depends on breaking the force that hoards and constricts—fear, habit, ignorance, or inertia—so the natural streams of truth and energy can flow freely. Liberation is experienced not as a trickle but as a release of pent-up movement into purposeful action.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Waters-release, Victory in the ājí, Deva vs. adeva
The seer
- Rishi
- Gāthin Viśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Kauśika lineage, traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.32, RV 3.33, RV 3.53, RV 3.62 (Gāyatrī/ Savitṛ tradition, associated with Viśvāmitra)
Family tradition
Viśvāmitra gāthins: hymns of forceful aspiration, conquest of obstruction, and establishment of divine order through inner battle.
Significance
Viśvāmitra embodies the yogic transformation from human striving to seerhood; his Indra-hymns stress the victory of illumination over the resistant subconscient and the release of hidden ‘waters’ of truth.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of Vṛtra), Maghavan (bountiful), Śatakratu (of a hundred powers/works), Vajrin (wielder of the thunderbolt)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Sūrya
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of the waters and light; establisher of free movement in the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined Mind-force that strikes through confusion and inertia, releasing inspiration, clarity, and victorious energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-focused stotra/śastra recitation in Soma-yajña contexts; also used as a victory and obstacle-breaking invocation.
त्वम॒पो यद्ध॑ वृ॒त्रं ज॑घ॒न्वाँ अत्याँ॑ इव॒ प्रासृ॑ज॒: सर्त॒वाजौ । शया॑नमिन्द्र॒ चर॑ता व॒धेन॑ वव्रि॒वांसं॒ परि॑ दे॒वीरदे॑वम् ॥
त्वम् । अ॒पः । यत् । ह॒ । वृ॒त्रम् । ज॒घ॒न्वान् । अत्या॑न्ऽइव । प्र । असृ॑जः । सर्त॒वै । आ॒जौ । शया॑नम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । चर॑ता । व॒धेन॑ । व॒व्रि॒ऽवांस॑म् । परि॑ । दे॒वीः । अदे॑वम् ॥
tvam | apaḥ | yat | ha | vṛtram | jaghanvān | atyān-iva | pra | asṛjaḥ | sartavai | ājau | śayānam | indra | caratā | vadhena | vavri-vāṃsam | pari | devīḥ | adevam
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Driving, martial, forward-thrusting cadence suited to heroic conquest.
Builds inner momentum and confidence; supports a felt sense of ‘breaking through’ and releasing pent-up force.
- आपः (āpaḥ)
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: currents of consciousness; streams of inspiration and life-energy released after obstruction is broken
- वृत्र (vṛtra)
- Literal: the Coverer/obstructor. Symbolic: subconscient resistance, inertia, ignorance that blocks the flow of light and power
- जघन्वान् (jaghanvān)
- Literal: having slain. Symbolic: decisive victory of illumination over obstruction
- अत्यान् इव (atyān iva)
- Literal: like racer-horses. Symbolic: swift liberated energies of the vital and mind moving toward the goal
- प्रासृजः (prāsṛjaḥ)
- Literal: you released/let loose. Symbolic: opening of blocked channels; unsealing of inner movements
- आजौ (ājau)
- Literal: in the contest. Symbolic: the inner battle/striving (yoga) for mastery and truth
- शयानम् (śayānam)
- Literal: lying, recumbent. Symbolic: inert resistance lodged in the depths
- चरता वधेन (caratā vadhena)
- Literal: with a moving/roving weapon-blow. Symbolic: dynamic discernment-force that searches out and strikes the obstruction wherever it hides
- देवीः (devīḥ)
- Literal: divine (f.). Symbolic: luminous powers/streams of the higher consciousness
- अदेवम् (adevam)
- Literal: undivine. Symbolic: anti-luminous tendency; powers that deny the divine movement
Indra-stotra in Soma rites; recollection of Vṛtra-slaying to invoke the same overcoming force in the present sacrifice
During Indra praises in Soma pressing offerings; thematically when seeking release of ‘waters’ (rain/flow) and victory.
Recitation/praise (stuti) accompanying offerings to Indra; mental ‘opening’ of channels as inner sacrifice.
Use as a mantra of breakthrough: before difficult work, during depression/inertia, or to clear mental blocks in meditation.
√han ‘to strike’ (jaghanvān) marks the archetypal ‘slaying’ as removal of obstruction. vṛtra- from √vṛ ‘to cover, restrain’ names the mythic adversary as a function: covering/withholding. prá-asṛjaḥ from √sṛj ‘to release’ parallels sisarṣi/√sṛ ‘to flow’; the verse is built on a release-of-flow semantic chain. ājí- ‘contest’ frames the act as a struggle of powers (outer battle → inner psychological conflict).
R̥ta as restored circulation, duality of deva/adeva (godward/ungodward), overcoming resistance (vṛtra)
Vṛtra is the violation of Ṛta by constriction; Indra restores Ṛta by reopening the flows.
Truth-power is validated by its effect: it liberates the divine currents from the undivine cover.
Release of the waters as a cosmogonic act: making the worlds habitable by restoring circulation of energies.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic symbolism (Aurobindo/Kashyap): inner worlds and forces, not merely meteorology.
Waters = flowing consciousness; contest = sādhanā; weapon = discriminative force; cover = subconscious knot.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Vṛtra-slaying coupled with the release of the waters: Indra kills the Coverer and the divine streams surge forth. Psychologically, the inert obstruction in the being is struck so that consciousness-energy resumes its victorious course.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- vṛ- ‘cover’ is a common Indo-European idea (cf. English ‘wrap’ is not cognate but semantically parallel; closer are IE roots for covering/turning). āpaḥ reflects Indo-Iranian *ap- (Av. āpō). The contest word ājí- aligns with inherited heroic-poetic diction of ‘race/contest’ as a cosmological struggle.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer recalls Indra’s archetypal deed to make it operative now: memory becomes invocation. By praising the decisive ‘moving blow’, the rishi seeks the same active force to break present resistances around the seeker’s ‘divine waters’.
Break the ‘cover’ around the heart-mind; visualize inner waters released after a decisive illumination.
anahata
Exhale-focused release: longer exhalations while mentally ‘uncoiling’ resistance; brief kumbhaka after inhale to ‘strike’ with clarity.
Energized clarity (sattva with heroic force).
Name the obstruction honestly (habit/fear/inertia), invoke Indra as inner discernment, then allow feelings/thoughts to ‘flow’ without re-covering them; end with a steady resolve to act.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā tradition; emphasize udātta peaks on key verbs (jaghanvān, prāsṛjaḥ).
Keep the cadence of Triṣṭubh: slight lift on udātta syllables; do not over-lengthen consonant clusters (vṛtraṃ, vavrivāṃsam).
vṛtraṃ: clear vocalic ṛ (vṛ-tram), jaghanvān: nasalization on -vān (vā̃), prāsṛjaḥ: articulate sṛ (vocalic ṛ) cleanly, devīr adevam: maintain long ī in devīḥ; avoid merging vowels too strongly
Firm, resonant, ‘victory’ tone; clear consonants like a martial recitation.
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