Rig Veda 6.45.7: Mandala 6, Sukta 45, Mantra 7
Sukta 6.45
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
ब्रह्माणं ब्रह्मवाहसं गीर्भिः सखायमृग्मियम् । गां न दोहसे हुवे ॥
bráhmāṇaṃ bráhmavāhasaṃ gīrbhíḥ sákhāyam ṛgmíyam | gā́m ná dohásé huvē ||
ด้วยถ้อยมนตร์สรรเสริญของข้า (gīr) ข้าขอเรียกพลังผู้ทรงแบกพรหมัน (brahman) ผู้เป็นสหายอุดมด้วยบทสรรเสริญ; ข้าอัญเชิญท่านดุจรีดน้ำนมจากโค เพื่อให้รัศมีแห่งญาณอันเร้นลับหลั่งไหลอย่างอุดม.
Word by Word
- ब्र॒ह्माणम्
- the sacred formulation / hymn (brahman)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्म॑वाहसम्
- brahman-bearing / carrying the sacred wordAdjective (compound)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; ब्रह्माणम् इति विशेषणम्Role कर्मRoot ब्रह्म-वाहस (समास; वाहस < √वह् ‘to carry’)
- गी॒र्भिः
- with hymns / with songs of praiseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole करणRoot गीर् (स्त्री; ‘song, hymn, praise’)
- सखा॑यम्
- the friendNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सखि (पुं; ‘friend’)
- ऋ॒ग्मिय॑म्
- hymn-worthy / praised with ṛksAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सखायम् इति विशेषणम्Role कर्मRoot ऋग्मिय (प्रातिपदिक; ‘worthy of ṛc/Ṛg, hymn-worthy’)
- गाम्
- the cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गो (स्त्री; ‘cow’)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation particle)Root न
- दो॒हसे॑
- for milkingNoun (purpose-dative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; एकवचन (अर्थे: प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान)Role सम्प्रदानRoot दोहस (प्रातिपदिक; ‘milking’ / ‘act of milking’)
- हुवे
- I invoke / I callVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Vedic: huve = ‘I call/invoke’)Root √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते; ‘to call, invoke’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): ब्रह्माणम् | ब्रह्मवाहसम् | गीर्भिः | सखायम् | ऋग्मियम् | गाम् | न | दोहसे | हुवे । विशेषम्: ‘हुवे’ वैदिक-रूपम् (√ह्वे) लट् उत्तम-एकवचन आत्मनेपद
- ‘दोहसे’ चतुर्थी-एकवचन (प्रयोजनार्थे ‘for milking’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With hymns, the singer calls Indra, bearer of the brahman (sacred power), a friend rich in ṛk-hymns; he invokes him like milking a cow for abundance.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the Indra-power that ‘carries the brahman’—the force that bears and effectuates the mantric truth. Through inspired speech (gīḥ), Indra becomes an intimate ally (sakhā), rich in luminous formulations (ṛgmiyam). ‘Milking the cow’ is the drawing out of the hidden rays of knowledge (go) from the subconscient and the still depths of mind, so that illumination and nourishment flow continuously into the thought and life.
Universal truth
When speech becomes mantra—truth-formed and aspiration-filled—it attracts the power that carries spiritual knowledge into action, releasing a steady stream of insight from within.
Themes
Indra-invocation, Inner sacrifice, Speech as power, Recovery of light (go as rays/knowledge)
The seer
- Rishi
- Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya
- Lineage
- Bharadvāja
- Other hymns
- RV 6.45, RV 6.73 (Bharadvāja to Indra), RV 6.74
Family tradition
Bārhaspatya emphasis on brahman (the effective Word) and its power to open the hidden light.
Significance
As a seer of the Word-tradition, Bharadvāja repeatedly links victory to inspired speech: the hymn itself is a means of ‘milking’ the inner light.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Brahmavāhas (bearer of brahman), Sakhā (friend), Ṛgmī (rich in hymns, by implication)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Receives and empowers the mantric invocation; releases light and abundance through the Word.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence that makes mantra effective and opens the flow of knowledge from within.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise within Soma-yajña; also general stotra usage for invoking Indra’s support.
ब्र॒ह्माणं॒ ब्रह्म॑वाहसं गी॒र्भिः सखा॑यमृ॒ग्मिय॑म् । गां न दो॒हसे॑ हुवे ॥
ब्र॒ह्माण॑म् । ब्रह्म॑ऽवाहसम् । गीः॒ऽभिः । सखा॑यम् । ऋ॒ग्मिय॑म् । गाम् । न । दो॒हसे॑ । हु॒वे॒ ॥
brahmāṇam | brahma-vāhasam | gīḥ-bhiḥ | sakhāyam | ṛgmiyam | gām | na | dohase | huve
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Expansive, declarative, with a sustained stride suited to invocation and drawing-down.
Builds a broad field of attention; supports steady ‘drawing out’ of insight rather than sudden breakthrough.
- ब्रह्माणम् (brahmāṇam)
- Literal: the brahman-bearing one / the priestly power. Symbolic: the consciousness-force that holds and transmits mantric truth
- ब्रह्मवाहसम् (brahma-vāhasam)
- Literal: carrying brahman. Symbolic: bearing the effective Word; making truth active in mind and life
- गीर्भिः (gīrbhiḥ)
- Literal: with utterances/hymns. Symbolic: vibrations of aspiration and inspired expression shaping consciousness
- सखायम् (sakhāyam)
- Literal: friend. Symbolic: the intimate indwelling helper-power experienced in yoga
- ऋग्मियम् (ṛgmiyam)
- Literal: rich in ṛks/hymns. Symbolic: abounding in luminous formulations; a mind stocked with true seeing
- गाम् (gām)
- Literal: cow. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge; luminous abundance latent within
- दोहसे (dohase)
- Literal: to milk. Symbolic: to draw out inner knowledge-nectar by steady invocation and receptivity
- हुवे (huve)
- Literal: I call. Symbolic: aspiration that summons the corresponding divine response
Indra-invocation within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra stotra usage; suited to Soma pressings where Indra is invited to drink and grant vāja).
During recitation sequences where Indra is invited to the offering and strengthened by hymns.
Stuti/śastra with gīḥ; symbolic ‘milking’ corresponds to eliciting boons/illumination.
Chant before study, creative work, teaching, or mantra-japa to ‘draw out’ insight; useful for writers/speakers seeking inspired expression.
Key roots: √hu (huve) ‘to call, invoke’ (1st sg. middle); √duh (dohase) ‘to milk, draw out’ → inner sense: extraction of luminous abundance. brahman- (neut.) from √bṛh ‘to expand, make vast’ → brahman as expansive mantric truth; brahma-vāhasam: vāha- from √vah ‘to carry, convey’ → the power that carries/vehicles brahman. gīr- ‘utterance’ tied to inspired speech; sakhāya- ‘companion’ indicates reciprocal intimacy between seeker and deity-power.
Brahman (mantric truth-power), Vāc (inspired speech, implicit through gīḥ), Rita/Satya (implicit: brahman as truth-formulation that aligns consciousness)
True speech aligned with Ṛta becomes a channel for the descent of right knowledge.
Brahman-bearing Indra ensures speech is not mere sound but truth-force.
Revelation as extraction: hidden light is brought out by aspiration and mantra.
Mantra-śakti psychology: Word as creative power (Vedic seed of later Śabda/Brahman doctrines).
Milk = nourishing knowledge/bliss; cow = luminous rays; milking = sustained receptivity and right questioning that releases inner resources.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The milking of the Cow: not a pastoral act but the archetype of drawing forth concealed plenitudes (rays of knowledge, illumination, force) by right speech (gīḥ) and invocation (huve).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √duh ‘milk’ has Indo-European cognates (e.g., PIE *dʰeugʰ- ‘to produce, be useful/fit; yield’), supporting the semantic field ‘to draw out yield/abundance.’ √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵʰ- ‘to convey’) underlies vāhas-, emphasizing conveyance/vehicle imagery for brahman.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal alliance: the seer offers shaped speech (gīḥ) as a means of contact, and Indra (as brahman-bearing friend) is summoned to yield inner abundance—knowledge and force—like milk drawn from the symbolic cow.
Let mantra become a ‘milking’—gently drawing insight from silence into thought.
viśuddha (speech/mantra) and ājñā (luminous understanding)
Bhrāmarī (soft) 5 rounds, then chant with long exhale to feel vibration in throat and brow.
Receptive illumination—quiet mind, active listening inward.
Chant slowly; after each repetition, pause and ‘listen’ for a subtle answer or image; write down the arising insight without forcing.
Follow traditional Vedic accenting; keep compounds clear: brahma-vāhasam, ṛgmiyam.
Do not rush ‘brahmāṇam brahmavāhasaṃ’; keep a slight caesura after the first phrase; lift gently on accented syllables in each pāda.
(brahma): ‘hm’ conjunct, not ‘barahama’., (vāhasam): long ‘ā’., (gīrbhiḥ): long ‘ī’; aspirate ‘bh’., (ṛgmiyam): vocalic ‘ṛ’ clear; ‘gm’ conjunct., (dohase): long ‘o’.
Warm, intimate, slightly resonant in the throat; end each pāda softly.
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