Rig Veda 2.20.3: Mandala 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 3
Sukta 2.20
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
स नो युवेन्द्रो जोहूत्रः सखा शिवो नरामस्तु पाता । यः शंसन्तं यः शशमानमूती पचन्तं च स्तुवन्तं च प्रणेषत् ॥
sá no yúvendro johū́traḥ sákhā śivó narā́m astu pātā́ | yáḥ śáṃsantaṃ yáḥ śaśamānám ūtī́ pácantaṃ ca stuvántaṃ ca prá-neṣat ||
Sana'y maging kabataang Indra para sa amin ang tumatawag na kaibigan, na mapagkalooban, ang tagapangalaga ng mga tao, siya na nagpapaunlad sa tulong niya ang nagpapahayag, ang nagpapakasakit, ang naghahanda, at ang nagpupuri.
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- युवेन्द्रः
- the young IndraNoun (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (कर्मधारयः: ‘युवा इन्द्रः’)Role KartāRoot युवन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जोहूत्रः
- much-invoking / oft-calling (at the sacrifice)Adjective (kṛdanta)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (युवेन्द्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot हु (धातु) → जोहूत्र (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; intensive/iterative sense ‘frequently invoking/oblation-offering’)
- सखा
- friendNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
- शिवः
- kind, auspiciousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (सखा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमा/सादृश्येRoot न (अव्यय)
- नराम्
- of menNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (him) beVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root अस् (धातु)
- पाता
- protectorNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (अस्तु इत्यस्य विधेय-नाम)Role KartāRoot पा (धातु ‘पालने/रक्षणे’) → पातृ (प्रातिपदिक) / पाता (नृवाचक-कर्तरि)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शंसन्तम्
- the praising oneParticipleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शंस् (धातु ‘स्तुतौ/प्रशंसायाम्’) → शंसन्त् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शशमानम्
- the striving/peace-seeking (devotee)Participleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot शम् (धातु ‘शमने/शान्तौ’) → शशमान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त; ‘seeking peace/being devoted’)
- ऊती
- with help / by aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (सहाय-करणे)Role KaraṇaRoot अव्/ऊ (प्रातिपदिक) → ऊति (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘help, aid’)
- पचन्तम्
- the cooking (offerer)Participleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पच् (धातु ‘पाके’) → पचन्त् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थेRoot च (अव्यय)
- स्तुवन्तम्
- the praising (singer)Participleपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot स्तु (धातु ‘स्तुतौ’) → स्तुवन्त् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थेRoot च (अव्यय)
- प्रणेषत्
- led forward / guidedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root नी (धातु ‘नयने’) + प्र (उपसर्ग) → प्र-नेष् (causative stem) / प्रणेṣ (aorist)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: स नो युवेन्द्र॑ो जोहूत्रः → सः नः युवेन्द्रः जोहूत्रः (visarga before n; compound युव-इन्द्रः). शिवो नरामस्तु → शिवः नराम् अस्तु (o < aḥ + n; astu separated). शशमानमूती → शशमानम् ऊती (m + ū). Remaining are padapāṭha-like already
- ca is separate. Accent marks in saṃhitā are not repeated in the pada list
The meaning
Outer meaning
May youthful Indra be our invoking friend, gracious, protector of men—he who leads forward with his help the one who proclaims, toils, prepares, and praises.
Inner meaning
Indra is yuvan—ever-renewing power in consciousness—who becomes sakhā (friend) in the inner work, not a distant deity. Johūtraḥ indicates the force that awakens invocation: he stimulates the call of the soul and makes the mantra effective. He leads forward (praṇeṣat) diverse inner workers: the one who declares truth (śaṃsantam), the one who labors in discipline (śaśamānam), the one who ‘cooks/prepares’ (pacantam)—maturing experiences into usable power—and the one who praises (stuvantam), i.e., keeps the heart in affirmation. The verse maps a complete sādhanā ecology: speech, effort, transformation, and devotion all advanced by Indra’s help.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth is multi-dimensional: insight, disciplined effort, inner transformation, and gratitude must be led together by a higher guiding intelligence.
Themes
Indra as ally, guidance and leading forward, auspicious protection
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Lineage
- Bhārgava (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.20.1, RV 2.20.2, RV 2.20.4
Family tradition
Indra hymns that integrate multiple human faculties into one upward movement.
Significance
This verse is practically a sādhanā manual: Indra advances speech, effort, transformation, and devotion together.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- yuvan (ever-youthful), sakhā (friend), śiva (gracious), pātā (protector)
- Related deities
- Agni (inner cooking/transformation), Soma (joy sustaining effort), Bṛhaspati (truth-word)
Cosmic role
Leader of the human journey toward victory; awakener of invocation and forward movement.
Inner power
Guiding illumination that coordinates the faculties and pushes the practice beyond plateaus.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra for guidance and successful performance of the rite (and its inner equivalents).
स नो॒ युवेन्द्रो॑ जो॒हूत्र॒: सखा॑ शि॒वो न॒राम॑स्तु पा॒ता । यः शंस॑न्तं॒ यः श॑शमा॒नमू॒ती पच॑न्तं च स्तु॒वन्तं॑ च प्र॒णेष॑त् ॥
सः । नः॒ । युवा॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । जो॒हूत्रः॑ । सखा॑ । शि॒वः । न॒राम् । अ॒स्तु॒ । पा॒ता । यः । शंस॑न्तम् । यः । श॒श॒मा॒नम् । ऊ॒ती । पच॑न्तम् । च॒ । स्तु॒वन्त॑म् । च॒ । प्र॒ऽनेष॑त् ॥
saḥ | naḥ | yuvā | indraḥ | johūtraḥ | sakhā | śivaḥ | narām | astu | pātā | yaḥ | śaṃsantam | yaḥ | śaśamānam | ūtī | pacantam | ca | stuvantam | ca | pra-neṣat
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4 × ~11
Balanced and enumerative; the list of practitioners creates a marching rhythm of comprehensive progress.
Organizes the psyche; listeners often feel their scattered efforts gathered into one guided movement.
- युवा (yuvā)
- Literal: youthful. Symbolic: ever-fresh renewing force of illumination
- जोहूत्रः (johūtraḥ)
- Literal: invoker, one who calls repeatedly. Symbolic: power that awakens effective invocation/mantric call
- सखा (sakhā)
- Literal: friend. Symbolic: intimate guide within the practice
- शिवः (śivaḥ)
- Literal: auspicious, gracious. Symbolic: benevolent harmony in the force of illumination
- पा॒ता (pātā)
- Literal: protector. Symbolic: guarding presence during transformation
- शंसन्तम् (śaṃsantam)
- Literal: proclaiming/praising. Symbolic: truth-affirming speech; clear articulation of the aim
- शशमानम् (śaśamānam)
- Literal: toiling, exerting. Symbolic: disciplined tapas and steady practice
- पचन्तम् (pacantam)
- Literal: cooking, preparing. Symbolic: inner digestion/alchemy—maturing energies into strength
- प्रणेषत् (praṇeṣat)
- Literal: leads forward. Symbolic: guidance that advances all parts of the being
Indra as friend-protector of the ritual workers: supports proclamation, effort, preparation, praise
When calling Indra as friend-protector to lead the sacrificers/chanters forward.
Recitation emphasizing Indra’s leadership; in ritual, accompanies continued offerings and praises.
Use when practice feels fragmented: chant to unify speech, discipline, inner alchemy, and devotion under one guiding light.
is a Vedic formation tied to the calling/invoking function (related to √hū ‘call, invoke’). from √pā ‘protect’ (PIE *peh₂- ‘guard, protect’). from pra-√nī ‘lead forth’ (PIE *neh₁- ‘lead’).
divine friendship (sakhā) as inner guidance, integral yoga of works: proclaiming, toiling, preparing, praising
Indra’s leadership is the executive power of ṛta—making the right movement effective in life.
Truth must be spoken/affirmed to become operative; Indra empowers that speech.
Inner ‘cooking’ as a creative transmutation—raw energies turned into refined powers.
Integral transformation: not escape but maturation (pac) and coordinated growth.
Youth = perpetual renewal of force; cooking = psychic alchemy; protection = stable field for change.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine companion’ mythologem: Indra as sakhā and leader (pra-√nī) who advances multiple modes of the sacrificer’s inner work.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The verbal compound pra-√nī ‘lead forth’ reflects PIE *neh₁-; √pā ‘protect’ reflects archaic IE guardianship semantics. The paired participles (śaṃsantam… stuvantam) show formulaic IE poetic parallelism.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi requests Indra not only as a remote power but as an intimate ally who actively leads the practitioner’s diverse disciplines toward fulfillment, integrating speech, effort, preparation, and praise.
Invoke Indra as inner guide; review four faculties: truth-speech, discipline, inner transformation, devotion—offer each to be led forward.
ājñā (guidance) and maṇipūra (forward drive)
Ujjāyī light (gentle throat constriction) to support steady leadership rhythm; chant with even exhale.
Integrated dynamism—calm force.
Chant 4 times (one per faculty), pausing briefly after each pāda to contemplate the corresponding aspect of practice.
Rigvedic accents; keep the enumerations (yaḥ… yaḥ… pacantam… stuvantam…) clearly segmented with slight rises on each yaḥ.
Give ‘sakhā śivo’ a warm, slightly softened tone; then firm up on praṇeṣat for the forward-leading close.
johūtraḥ: long ū; retroflex ṭr cluster, śivaḥ: palatal ś, śaśamānam: repeat śa clearly; long ā, pacantam: ca as ‘cha’? keep c as palatal ‘ch’ in Vedic translit conventions; here ‘pachantam’ sound, praṇeṣat: retroflex ṇ; long ē
Warm yet directive; articulate the list with clarity rather than speed.
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