Rig Veda 10.113.5: Mandala 10, Sukta 113, Mantra 5
Sukta 10.113
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आदिन्द्रः सत्रा तविषीरपत्यत वरीयो द्यावापृथिवी अबाधत । अवाभरद्धृषितो वज्रमायसं शेवं मित्राय वरुणाय दाशुषे ॥
ādíndraḥ satrā taviṣīr apatyata varīyo dyāvāpṛthivī abādhata | avābharad dhṛṣito vajram āyasaṃ śevaṃ mitrāya varuṇāya dāśuṣe ||
Nang magkagayon, si Indra, sa tuloy-tuloy na daloy ng lakas, ay nagpakilos ng kanyang mga kapangyarihan; kanyang binuksan ang mas malawak na saklaw at pinaghiwalay ang Langit at Lupa. Ang matapang ay nagbaba ng bakal na kidlat, isang pagliligtas na biyaya, para kay Mitra at Varuna at sa nagkakaloob na nag-aalay.
Word by Word
- आत्
- then, thereuponIndeclinableनिपात/अव्ययRoot आत् (निपात) < ad (प्राग्वैदिक ‘अत्/आत्’)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सत्रा
- always, altogether, continuouslyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सत्रा (अव्यय)
- तविषीः
- mighty powers, energiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (सहकर्तृ/कर्तृसमुच्चयः)Root तविषी (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपत्यत
- flew forth, rushedVerbलङ् (अorist/इम्पर्फेक्ट-प्रयोगः), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पत् (धातु)
- वरीयः
- a wider space, greater expanseAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (तुलनात्मक)Role कर्मRoot वरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृ/वर्’ से श्रेष्ठतर)
- द्यावापृथिवी
- Heaven-and-EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वसमास-एकवचनप्रयोगः), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot द्यावापृथिवी (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्यौ + पृथिवी)
- अबाधत
- pressed/forced apart, drove (made room)Verbलङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot बाध् (धातु)
- अव
- down, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot अव (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अभरत्
- bore, broughtVerbलङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot भृ (धातु)
- धृषितः
- bold, daringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अभरत्-क्रियायाः)Root धृषित (कृदन्त; धृष् + क्त)
- वज्रम्
- the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयसम्
- of metal, iron-likeAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वज्रम्-विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आयस (प्रातिपदिक)
- शेवम्
- welfare, benefit, boonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अभरत्-क्रियायाः)Root शेव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मित्राय
- for MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणाय
- for VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- दाशुषे
- for the worshipper/giver (patron)Noun (agent-noun) / Participle-like stemपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दाश्वस्/दाशुष् (प्रातिपदिक; √दाश् ‘to give, worship’ से)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेदः: आदिन्द्रः → आत् + इन्द्रः (त् + इ → द्, ‘आद्’ रूप)
- तविषीरपत्यत → तविषीः + अपत्यत (ः + अ → र्, ‘तविषीर्’)
- वरीयो द्यावापृथिवी → वरीयः + द्यावापृथिवी (ः + द् → ओ द्)
- अवाभरत् → अव + अभरत् (उपसर्ग-संयोगः)
- वज्रमायसम् → वज्रम् + आयसम् (म् + आ → म् आ, संधि-रहित उच्चारण)
- मित्राय वरुणाय → मित्राय + वरुणाय (स्वर-संधि नहीं)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Then Indra in continuous force set his powers moving; he opened a wider space and pressed apart Heaven and Earth. He brought down the iron thunderbolt, a saving good, for Mitra and Varuṇa and for the giver.
Inner meaning
After the breakthrough, Indra’s force becomes constant (satrā), not episodic: sustained tapas in action. He widens the field of consciousness and differentiates the higher and lower planes (Heaven–Earth) so they can relate rightly without confusion. The ‘iron vajra’ is the firm, uncompromising power of truth-discrimination that protects and saves (śevam) the harmonizing powers (Mitra) and the law of vast order (Varuṇa) in the seeker—especially in the one who gives/ offers (dāśuṣ).
Universal truth
Sustained inner force creates a wider life-field; clear differentiation of higher and lower enables harmony; firm discernment protects truth and supports those who live by right relationship and offering.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying cycle (implicit motif of obstruction and release), widening of the worlds, descent of the vajra (decisive force), harmony-and-law (Mitra-Varuṇa)
The seer
Significance
Shows the post-victory stabilization: wideness, right differentiation (heaven/earth), and protection of ṛta (Mitra–Varuṇa) through firm discernment (vajra).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (linked with Mitra–Varuṇa)
- Epithets
- Dhṛṣita (bold), Maghavā (implied by giving motif)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Varuṇa, Dyāvā-Pṛthivī
Cosmic role
Opens space, separates and orders planes, wields vajra to safeguard cosmic harmony (Mitra) and law (Varuṇa).
Inner power
Sustained transformative force that establishes inner order and protects the offering-life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra hymns in Soma sacrifice; also suitable in contexts invoking Mitra–Varuṇa for harmony and ṛta
आदिन्द्र॑: स॒त्रा तवि॑षीरपत्यत॒ वरी॑यो॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॑बाधत । अवा॑भरद्धृषि॒तो वज्र॑माय॒सं शेवं॑ मि॒त्राय॒ वरु॑णाय दा॒शुषे॑ ॥
आत् । इन्द्रः॑ । स॒त्रा । तवि॑षीः । अ॒प॒त्य॒त॒ । वरी॑यः । द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी इति॑ । अ॒बा॒ध॒त॒ । अव॑ । अ॒भ॒र॒त् । धृ॒षि॒तः । वज्र॑म् । आ॒य॒सम् । शेव॑म् । मि॒त्राय॑ । वरु॑णाय । दा॒शुषे॑ ॥
āt | indraḥ | satrā | taviṣīḥ | apatyata | varīyaḥ | dyāvāpṛthivī iti | abādhata | ava | abharat | dhṛṣitaḥ | vajram | āyasam | śevam | mitrāya | varuṇāya | dāśuṣe
44
4 × ~11 (probable)
Surging continuity (satrā) with broadening phrases; stabilizing close.
Supports steadiness and ‘holding the wideness’ after breakthrough; strengthens ethical clarity (Mitra–Varuṇa).
- satrā
- Literal: continually, always. Symbolic: Sustained practice; unbroken aspiration
- taviṣīḥ
- Literal: powers, intensities. Symbolic: Dynamic forces of transformation
- varīyaḥ
- Literal: wider, more spacious. Symbolic: Expansion of consciousness and possibility
- dyāvāpṛthivī
- Literal: Heaven and Earth. Symbolic: Higher mind/light and lower life/body—properly separated and coordinated
- vajram āyasaṃ
- Literal: iron thunderbolt. Symbolic: Unyielding discernment; decisive spiritual force
- śevam
- Literal: saving good, welfare. Symbolic: Protective grace that preserves harmony and order
- mitra
- Literal: Mitra. Symbolic: Harmony, right relation, luminous friendship
- varuṇa
- Literal: Varuṇa. Symbolic: Vastness, law, ṛta-binding order
- dāśuṣe
- Literal: to the giver/offerer. Symbolic: The sādhaka who offers ego and energies into the inner yajña
Indra-focused recitation in Soma contexts (general); inner sense: invocation of force to widen consciousness and break obstruction before offering/affirmation of ṛta
When establishing protection, order, and widening after victory themes
Stotra with offerings; inner analogue: renew vow of right relation and truth
For maintaining discipline after an initial awakening: commit to continuous practice, clear boundaries, and truthful discernment.
Key roots: √pat ‘fly, rush, fall’ → apatyata: Indra’s energies ‘rush forth’ (psychologically: will-force launches into action). √bādh ‘press, obstruct, repel’ → abādhata: he repels the constriction between dyāvā-pṛthivī, creating varīyas ‘wider room’ (inner wideness of consciousness). √bhṛ ‘bear, bring’ → abharat: descent/bringing of the vajra into the embodied field. vajra (instrument of Indra) functions as discriminating-force; āyasa ‘metallic’ stresses invincible hardness/temper. śeva ‘welfare/salvation’ marks the act as protective and harmonizing, explicitly aligned with Mitra (concord) and Varuṇa (ṛta-vastness).
Ṛta (cosmic order) via Mitra-Varuṇa, widening (uru/var) as expansion of consciousness, descent of power into the lower nature (ava)
Mitra–Varuṇa explicitly anchor the verse in ṛta: harmony and law are protected by Indra’s vajra.
Vajra as truth-force that cuts falsehood and preserves the right order.
Cosmic ordering act: separation of Heaven and Earth to create a workable field for evolution.
Dharmic-Ṛta emphasis within symbolic Vedism; ethics as an expression of inner order.
Heaven/Earth = higher/lower nature; vajra = decisive insight; widening = increased capacity and freedom in life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indraic mythologem of ‘making wide room’ (varīyas) by thrusting aside obstruction between Heaven and Earth, accompanied by the bringing down of the vajra. Even without naming Vṛtra, the structure is the classic release-pattern: obstruction (bādh) → widening of the worlds → decisive weapon-force (vajra) enabling the safe good (śeva). Psychologically, it is the soul’s expansion and liberation by the descending, tempered power of discernment.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several high-archaic verbal roots align with broad Indo-European cognacy: √pat ‘fly/fall’ (cf. Lat. petō ‘seek/attack’, PIE *pet- ‘to rush/fall’) expresses sudden launching of force; √bhṛ ‘bear/carry’ (PIE *bher-) is pan-IE; the semantic pairing of ‘widening’ (varīyas from *wer-/*wel- ‘wide’) against ‘pressing/obstruction’ (√bādh) encodes the IE poetic opposition of constriction vs. expansion typical of dragon-slaying/release myths.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The verse frames a reciprocal economy: the dāśuṣ (offerer) gives, and Indra responds by establishing the conditions for right living—wideness, protection, and effective force—explicitly ‘for Mitra and Varuṇa’, i.e., so that harmony (Mitra) and the binding law/vastness (Varuṇa) can be manifested in the sacrificer’s life. The rishi’s speech thus mediates a coordinated action of powers: Indra’s breakthrough serves ṛta rather than mere victory.
Stabilize after insight: widen the inner space, then clearly distinguish higher guidance from lower impulse; invoke firm discernment to protect harmony and truthfulness.
Anāhata (Mitra—harmony) and Ājñā (discernment/vajra)
Moderate breathing with brief kumbhaka after inhale (2–3 seconds) to feel ‘holding apart’ heaven and earth (clarity)
Steady wideness with ethical alignment; protected inner order.
After any breakthrough, immediately establish ‘Mitra–Varuṇa’: truthful speech, right boundaries, and calm regularity. Let the vajra be discrimination, not anger—firm and saving (śevam).
Uncertain; follow marked accents (॑) with slight pitch rise; keep even flow to reflect satrā (continuity).
Do not rush: sustain satrā and varīyaḥ; articulate dyāvāpṛthivī clearly with a small pause between the compound members if needed.
ād: long ā at start, taviṣīr: retroflex ṣ, long ī, dyāvāpṛthivī: keep long ā in dyāvā; dental th in pṛthivī, āyasaṃ: long ā, clear ya, dāśuṣe: long ā, retroflex ṣ
Steady, authoritative, protective (less ‘battle shout’, more ‘kingly order’).
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
