Rig Veda 6.45.13: Mandala 6, Sukta 45, Mantra 13
Sukta 6.45
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अभूरु वीर गिर्वणो महाँ इन्द्र धने हिते । भरे वितन्तसाय्यः ॥
ábhūr u vīra girvaṇo mahā́m̐ índra dháne hité | bháre vitantasā́yyaḥ ||
ท่านได้เป็นวีรบุรุษแล้ว โอ้ผู้ยินดีในบทสรรเสริญ (gīrvāṇa); โอ้อินทระ พลังของท่านยิ่งใหญ่ในทรัพย์ (dhana) อันเป็นที่รักนั้น. ในการแบกภาระและการนำพา ท่านแผ่ขยายการรุกคืบอันมีชัยให้กว้างไกล.
Word by Word
- अभूः
- you became / you wereVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 2nd person singularRole (क्रिया) मुख्य क्रियापदRoot √भू (भवति)
- उ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/confirmatory particle)Root उ (निपात)
- वीर
- O heroNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिर्वणः
- O praised-by-hymns (Indra)Noun/Epithet (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vedic voc. in -ः)Role सम्बोधनRoot गिर्वणस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- महान्
- O great oneAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धने
- in/at the prize, in the wealth (to be won)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot धन (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिते
- set/appointed (there), destinedAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; धने इति पदस्य विशेषणम्Role अधिकारणRoot हित (√धा > धा-धातोः क्त; ‘placed, set’)
- भरे
- in the battle, in the contestNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Vedic: ‘in the battle/contest’)Role अधिकारणRoot भर (प्रातिपदिक) / √भृ (to bear, bring) से सम्बन्धित
- वितन्तसाय्यः
- (you,) the far-spreading helper / wide-extending allyNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ (अभूः इत्यस्य कर्ता—सम्बोधितः)Root वि-तन्त-साय्य (समास; √तन् ‘to stretch/spread’ + साय्य ‘aid/companionship’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अभूः | उ | वीर | गिर्वणः | महान् | इन्द्र | धने | हिते | भरे | वितन्तसाय्यः || 1) अभू॑रु → अभूः + उ (visarga before vowel; Vedic orthography often writes -र्- for visarga: ‘अभूरु’)
- 2) म॒हाँ इ॑न्द्र → महान् + इन्द्र (final -न् before vowel; written with avagraha-less sandhi)
- 3) धने॑ हि॒ते → धने + हिते (no further sandhi beyond vowel contact in saṃhitā)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You have become the hero, O Indra who delights in hymns; great (are you) in the cherished wealth; in the bearing you spread wide the victorious advance.
Inner meaning
Indra is affirmed as ‘abhūḥ… vīra’—the heroic power now manifest in the seeker’s field. ‘Girvaṇaḥ’ signals that this force grows by mantra and inspired speech. His greatness is specifically ‘dhane hite’: not in outer conquest but in the inner riches that support right living. ‘Bhare’ (bearing the load) points to the disciplined carrying of the sadhana—endurance, responsibility, and sustained effort. In that burden-bearing, Indra ‘vitantasāyyaḥ’ spreads out the victory-path, widening consciousness so progress becomes stable and expansive rather than narrow and strained.
Universal truth
True power is proved by endurance and wideness: when consciousness bears the discipline faithfully, the higher force expands the path of victory and makes attainment spacious.
Themes
Praise, Victory-expansion, Support in struggle
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.45, RV 6.47, RV 6.48
Family tradition
Aṅgirasa-Bṛhaspatya tradition where the Word (gir) is a power that calls and shapes the gods’ action; victory is tied to wideness and steadfast carrying of tapas.
Significance
This verse shows Bharadvāja’s hallmark: the god is not merely praised but recognized as becoming active (‘abhūḥ’) in the aspirant—an experiential, yogic affirmation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vīra, girvaṇaḥ, mahān, jiṣṇu (by implication of victory)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (word-power), Agni (will sustaining the sacrifice), Maruts (impelling energies)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who widens the world by breaking obstruction; makes the path of victory broad and practicable.
Inner power
Courageous illumination that sustains effort (bhara) and expands the being into a wide, victorious consciousness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma ritual; also suited to moments of exertion in the rite (carrying, arranging, sustaining).
अभू॑रु वीर गिर्वणो म॒हाँ इ॑न्द्र॒ धने॑ हि॒ते । भरे॑ वितन्त॒साय्य॑: ॥
अभूः॑ । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । वी॒र॒ । गि॒र्व॒णः॒ । म॒हान् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । धने॑ । हि॒ते । भरे॑ । वि॒त॒न्त॒साय्यः॑ ॥
abhūḥ | oṃ iti | vīra | girvaṇaḥ | mahān | indra | dhane | hite | bhare | vitantasāyyaḥ
44
4×11
Heroic proclamation with a widening sweep in the last pāda; strong declarative tone.
Instills confidence and breadth; supports endurance by rhythmic steadiness.
- vīra
- Literal: hero. Symbolic: the victorious divine force in the mind that dares and conquers resistance
- girvaṇaḥ
- Literal: delighting in hymns. Symbolic: power that increases through mantra, right speech, and inspired affirmation
- mahān
- Literal: great. Symbolic: vastness and effective might of illumination in the inner being
- bhara
- Literal: bearing, load. Symbolic: the tapas of sustained practice; carrying the work without collapse
- vitantasāyyaḥ
- Literal: spreading wide for victory/advance. Symbolic: widening of consciousness that allows an assured victorious movement
- dhane hite
- Literal: in the beneficial wealth. Symbolic: in the secured inner resources rather than external possessions
Praise of Indra’s greatness in the contest (bhara) and in securing dhana; used in victory-oriented Soma praise.
During stotra recitation affirming Indra’s heroic presence and aid in sustaining the rite’s ‘burden’.
Affirmation of Indra’s greatness and request-by-recognition for widening victorious advance.
Use when practice feels heavy: chant to convert ‘burden’ into tapas and to invite wideness (not strain) in progress.
abhūḥ from √bhū ‘become’ → manifestation of divine force in the field of practice. girvaṇas (etymology debated; traditionally ‘praise-delighting’) signals the indispensability of mantra/speech. bhara from √bhṛ ‘to bear’ → the load of the work; inner tapas-like endurance. vi-tan ‘spread out’ + sāya/√sī? (advance) suggests expansion of victorious progress.
Vīrya (heroic power), Mantra/Vāc (girvaṇas)
Victory is ‘right’ victory: advance that spreads wide is a sign of alignment with ṛta rather than egoic force.
The god ‘becoming’ heroic indicates truth of experience—Satya as lived realization.
Widening-creation: the world/being expands when obstruction is overcome and the path is broadened.
Vedic yoga of wideness (bṛhat) leading toward later Upaniṣadic ‘mahattva’ and brahman-vastness.
Carrying a load = sustaining tapas; widening road = expanded consciousness allowing smoother, victorious movement.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the hero who expands victory in the ‘bearing’ (bhara): the mythic contest where the divine champion turns struggle into widening triumph—psychologically, sustaining effort becomes expansive progress.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhū ‘be’ (PIE *bʰuH-) is a core IE verb; √bhṛ ‘bear’ (PIE *bʰer-) is equally foundational, matching the ‘bearing the load’ motif common in IE poetics of endurance and warfare.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi affirms Indra’s manifested heroism as responsive to hymn (girvaṇaḥ), implying exchange: speech awakens the god-power, which then enlarges victory and stabilizes the sought attainment.
Affirm Indra as the heroic clarity within; feel the burden of practice become steady tapas; invite wideness in mind and heart.
anāhata (wideness)
Slow-moderate: inhale on the first pāda (affirmation), exhale long on the last pāda (widening), letting the chest soften and expand.
Steady courage with expansive calm.
When strain arises, stop forcing. Chant once, then widen attention to the whole body and space around; resume action from that wideness.
Tri-svara; keep udātta prominence on ‘vīra’ and ‘índra’; let ‘mahān’ ring with a lifted accent.
Do not clip ‘girvaṇaḥ’; keep it fluid. Allow a dignified pause after ‘mahān indra’.
girvaṇaḥ: pronounce ‘gir-va-ṇaḥ’ with clear retroflex ṇ., vitantasāyyaḥ: articulate ‘vi-tan-ta-sāy-yaḥ’ without swallowing syllables., abhūḥ: long ū, final ḥ audible but light.
Steady, resonant, expansive—avoid sharpness; let the sound ‘widen’.
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