Rig Veda 10.113.9: Mandala 10, Sukta 113, Mantra 9
Sukta 10.113
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
भूरि दक्षेभिर्वचनेभिॠक्वभिः सख्येभिः सख्यानि प्र वोचत । इन्द्रो धुनिं च चुमुरिं च दम्भयञ्छ्रद्धामनस्या शृणुते दभीतये ॥
bhū́ri dákṣebhir vacanébhiḥ ṛ́kvabhiḥ sakhyébhiḥ sakhyā́ni prá vocata | índro dhúnim ca cúmurim ca dámbhayañ chraddhāmanasyā́ śṛṇute dabhītáye ||
Sa sagana na kasanayan, sa mga salita at mga himno, sa pagkakaibigan, ipahayag ang mga bigkis ng pagkakaibigan. Si Indra, na sumasakop kina Dhuni at Cumuri, ay nakikinig ng may pananampalataya, para sa pagtagumpayan sa umaatake.
Word by Word
- भूरि
- much, abundantAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे/अव्ययवत्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अव्ययप्रयोगः ‘बहु’)Role विशेषणम् (प्रमाण/परिमाण)Root भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- दक्षेभिः
- with skills/abilitiesNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- वचनेभिः
- with utterances/wordsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करणRoot वचन (प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
- ऋक्वभिः
- with the ṛk-singers (hymn-singers)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण/सहकारक (सह)Root ऋक्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ऋच्’/ऋग्वेदिक-स्तुतिकर्ता)
- सख्येभिः
- with friendships/alliancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole करण/सहकारकRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक; सखि-सम्बन्ध)
- सख्यानि
- friendships, friendly actsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (वोचत इति वाच्यस्य)Root सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गःRole क्रियाविशेषणम्Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वोचत
- speak (you all), proclaimVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वच् (वदने)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धुनिम्
- Dhunī (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धुनि (प्रातिपदिक; दानव/शत्रुनाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकRole समुच्चयRoot च (अव्यय)
- चुमुरिम्
- Cumuri (a foe/demon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot चुमुरि (प्रातिपदिक; दानव/शत्रुनाम)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थकRole समुच्चयRoot च (अव्यय)
- दम्भयन्
- crushing, subduingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (सहक्रिया)Root √दम्भ् (दम्भने/वञ्चने; RV प्रयोगे ‘पराजयति/नाशयति’)
- श्रद्धामनस्याः
- of the faith-minded (woman), of her whose mind is faithAdjective (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (दभीतये इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root श्रद्धामनस्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्रद्धा-मनस्’ समासः, RV विशेषण)
- शृणुते
- he hears, listensVerbलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √श्रु (श्रवणे)
- दभीतये
- for (her) fear/for the frightened one (for protection)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (हितार्थे)Root दभीति (प्रातिपदिक; √भि ‘भये’ + द-प्रत्यय/वृद्धि; ‘भय/भीति’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): भूरि दक्षेभिः वचनेभिः ऋक्वभिः सख्येभिः सख्यानि प्र वोचत । इन्द्रः धुनिम् च चुमुरिम् च दम्भयन् श्रद्धामनस्याः शृणुते दभीतये ॥ 1) भूरि॒ दक्षे॑भिः = भूरि + दक्षेभिः (सन्धिः न विशेषः)
- 2) वच॒नेभि॒ॠक्व॑भिः = वचनेभिः + ऋक्वभिः (इकारान्त-ः + ऋ- आरम्भः; संहितायां ‘भिःऋ’ संयोगः)
- 3) स॒ख्येभि॑: स॒ख्यानि॒ = सख्येभिः + सख्यानि (विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-चिह्नपाठभेदः; पदे तृतीया बहुवचन ‘-भिः’)
- 4) इन्द्रो॒ = इन्द्रः (विसर्गलोपः संहितायाम्)
- 5) द॒म्भय॑ञ्छ्रद्धामन॒स्या = दम्भयन् + श्रद्धामनस्याः (न् + श् → ञ्छ् संधिः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With abundant skill, with words and hymns, with comradeship—proclaim the friendships. Indra, subduing Dhuni and Cumuri, listens with a mind of faith for the defeating of the assailant.
Inner meaning
The path advances by a disciplined harmony of faculties: skill (dakṣa), inspired speech (vacana, ṛk), and mutually supportive inner powers (sakhya). The ‘friendships’ to be proclaimed are alliances among the soul’s movements—mind, life, will—so they cease sabotaging each other. Dhuni and Cumuri figure hostile, noisy forces: disruptive impulses, doubt, and chaotic suggestion. Indra hears when the mind is shaped by faith (śraddhāmanasyā): a trusting orientation toward the Light that enables victory over the inner attacker (dabhīti).
Universal truth
Inner progress depends on coherent cooperation within oneself and with others; faith is not credulity but the mental posture that allows higher guidance to be received and hostile forces to be subdued.
Themes
subjugation of demons, power of hymnic speech, faith and hearing, alliance/community
The seer
Significance
A practical yogic instruction-verse: it teaches the method—skill + mantra + inner harmony—by which Indra’s help becomes audible (‘he listens’).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śraddhāmanas (he who responds to faith-mindedness—implied by śṛṇute śraddhāmanasyā), dambhayitṛ (subduer)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (word-power), Agni (will), Soma (joy)
Cosmic role
Protector of the Aryan (striving) being; subduer of hostile forces that attack the sacrifice.
Inner power
The listening Light: higher intelligence that responds when the mind is faithful and coordinated.
In ritual
Where it is used
Praise/recitation to strengthen communal and inner ‘sakhya’; inner use: building a faith-minded concentration so Indra-force can subdue disruptive tendencies
भूरि॒ दक्षे॑भिर्वच॒नेभि॒ॠक्व॑भिः स॒ख्येभि॑: स॒ख्यानि॒ प्र वो॑चत । इन्द्रो॒ धुनिं॑ च॒ चुमु॑रिं च द॒म्भय॑ञ्छ्रद्धामन॒स्या शृ॑णुते द॒भीत॑ये ॥
भूरि॑ । दक्षे॑भिः । व॒च॒नेभिः॑ । ऋक्व॑ऽभिः । स॒ख्येभिः॑ । स॒ख्यानि॑ । प्र । वो॒च॒त॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । धुनि॑म् । च॒ । चुमु॑रिम् । च॒ । द॒म्भय॑न् । श्र॒द्धा॒ऽम॒न॒स्या । शृ॒णु॒ते॒ । द॒भीत॑ये ॥
bhūri | dakṣebhiḥ | vacanebhiḥ | ṛkva-bhiḥ | sakhyebhiḥ | sakhyāni | pra | vocata | indraḥ | dhunim | ca | cumurim | ca | dambhayan | śraddhāmanasyā | śṛṇute | dabhītaye
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Directive, exhortative
Builds coherence and confidence; useful before group chanting or cooperative work.
- दक्षेभिः (dakṣebhiḥ)
- Literal: with skills/competences. Symbolic: right discernment and effective inner organization
- वचनेभिः (vacanebhiḥ)
- Literal: with words. Symbolic: formative speech; thought-utterance that shapes consciousness
- ऋक्वभिः (ṛkvabhiḥ)
- Literal: with ṛk-hymns. Symbolic: mantric inspiration; truth-rhythm
- सख्येभिः / सख्यानि (sakhyebhiḥ / sakhyāni)
- Literal: with friendships / friendships. Symbolic: harmonized inner powers; supportive relations in the yoga
- प्र वोचत (pra vocata)
- Literal: proclaim forth. Symbolic: make the inner alliance explicit; conscious affirmation
- धुनि (dhuni)
- Literal: name of a foe; ‘noise/roar’ connotation. Symbolic: turbulent, distracting currents; mental noise
- चुमुरि (cumuri)
- Literal: name of a foe. Symbolic: crushing/heavy obstruction; dull insistence of habit
- श्रद्धामनस्या (śraddhāmanasyā)
- Literal: with a mind of faith. Symbolic: mind turned toward the Truth with trust and receptivity
- दभीतये (dabhītaye)
- Literal: for defeating/overcoming. Symbolic: the act of rendering the assailant powerless
Praise/recitation to strengthen communal and inner ‘sakhya’; inner use: building a faith-minded concentration so Indra-force can subdue disruptive tendencies
Recited in contexts of invoking Indra’s protection and success in collective endeavor
Stuti with exhortation to the singers/companions (pra vocata)
Use for sangha/team coherence; chant before collaborative meditation, study, or conflict-resolution.
dakṣa is ‘skill/competence’ but also a luminous efficiency of consciousness. sakhyāni (friendships) suggests harmonization among inner powers and among practitioners. Dhuni/Cumuri are named adversaries elsewhere; here they represent disruptive forces. śraddhāmanas- is crucial: Indra responds to a mind that consents to truth-power (śraddhā), enabling effective hearing/response (√śru).
śraddhā (faith/assent as cognitive power), sakhya (harmonized alliance of faculties), dakṣa (effective intelligence)
Friendship/harmony among powers is the psychological form of ṛta—right arrangement.
Inspired word (ṛk) is effective when supported by faithful mind.
Formation of ordered community (inner and outer) against disruptive forces.
Vedic yoga of integrated faculties; ethics of harmony as spiritual method
From inner noise and heaviness to coordinated harmony where higher hearing (Indra’s response) becomes possible.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s subjugation of named obstructers (Dhuni, Cumuri) paired with the communal/inner ‘friendship’ motif. Mythically it is demon-quelling; psychologically it is the quieting of turbulent scattering forces so that allied faculties can act together under faith-minded clarity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ is a stable IE root (PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’; cf. Greek klýō). √vac ‘speak’ (PIE *wekʷ-) underlies the performative role of speech. The verse sets a classic IE poetics of efficacious utterance: right speech + right alliance → divine response → defeat of adversaries.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes conditions of reciprocity: abundant skill and rightly formed speech, supported by sakhya, create a śraddhā-grounded mind that Indra ‘hears’. The god’s listening is not automatic; it is evoked by a harmonized and consenting consciousness, yielding protection and victory.
Create inner ‘friendship’: reconcile conflicting motives; then invoke Indra to subdue disruptive currents.
anāhata (harmony/relationship)
Coherent breathing (5-5) while contemplating sakhya; on exhale release ‘dhuni’ (mental noise)
From scattered agitation to unified receptivity
Before chanting, name three inner allies (will, clarity, joy). Affirm cooperation. Then listen inwardly in silence after recitation—cultivate the sense that Indra ‘hears’ when faith is present.
Maintain clear udātta on key exhortative words; avoid rushing consonant clusters in names (dhuni, cumuri).
Stress sakhyébhis… sakhyā́ni as the thematic heart; keep índro as the pivot; articulate śraddhā-manasyā slowly.
: ṛk-va-bhiḥ—v is soft, ṛ is vocalic (not ‘ri’), : śrad-dhā-ma-na-syā—double d + dh aspiration, : cu-mu-rim, keep short vowels distinct
Clear, communal, slightly softer on ‘śṛṇute’ to evoke listening
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.
