Rig Veda 3.32.4: Mandala 3, Sukta 32, Mantra 4
Sukta 3.32
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त इन्न्वस्य मधुमद्विविप्र इन्द्रस्य शर्धो मरुतो य आसन् । येभिर्वृत्रस्येषितो विवेदामर्मणो मन्यमानस्य मर्म ॥
tá ín nv asya mádhumad vivipra índrasya śárdho marúto yá āsan | yébhir vṛtrásyeṣitó vivédā́marmáṇo mányamānasya márma ||
Katotohanan, ang mga Marut na iyon, ang mga nagbibigay ng tamis na inspirasyon, ay ang pulutong ni Indra. Kasama nila ay natuklasan niya ang mahinang punto, ang mahalagang lihim, ni Vṛtra nang siya ay pinapatulak, bagaman nag-iisip siyang hindi masasaktan.
Word by Word
- ते
- they (those)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातःRoot इत् (निपात)
- नु
- now, thenIndeclinableनिपातःRoot नु (निपात)
- अस्य
- of him/this (one)Pronounषष्ठी एकवचनम् (पुं/नपुं)Role (सम्बन्धः)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / एतद्-प्रकार
- मधुमत्
- sweet, honeyed (speech/utterance)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot मधु + मतुप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विविप्रे
- the inspired seers (poets)Noun (collective/epithet)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (विप्राः—कवयः)Role KartāRoot वि-√विप्र (विप्र ‘कवि/ऋषि’ से; द्विरुक्त/तीव्रार्थक रूप)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्धः)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शर्धः
- the troop, hostNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शर्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (शर्धः के—मरुतः)Role KartāRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आसन्
- wereVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)
- येभिः
- with whom, by whomPronounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रस्य
- of VṛtraNounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्धः)Root वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईषितः
- impelled, urged onParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (मन्यमानस्य विशेषणम्)Root ईषित (कृदन्त; √ईष्/√ईश् ‘प्रेरणे/आज्ञायाम्’ + क्त)
- विवेद
- he found out, discoveredVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root वि-√विद् (ज्ञाने)
- मर्मणः
- of/from the vital spotNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (अथवा पञ्चमी एकवचनम्—प्रयोगानुसारम्)Role Apādāna/सम्बन्धःRoot मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्यमानस्य
- of the one thinking/imagining (himself)Participle (present middle)पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role (सम्बन्धः)Root √मन् (मन्यते—अभिमाने/चिन्तायाम्) + शानच् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- मर्म
- the vital spot, vulnerable pointNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: ते इत् नु अस्य मधुमत् विविप्रे इन्द्रस्य शर्धः मरुतः ये आसन् । येभिः वृत्रस्य ईषितः विवेद मर्मणः मन्यमानस्य मर्म । संधि-निरसनम्: (1) त इन्न्वस्य = ते + इत् + नु + अस्य (इद्-नु संयोगे ‘इन्नु’)
- (2) मधुमद्विविप्र = मधुमत् + विविप्रे (त् + व् → द्व्)
- (3) मरुतो य आसन् = मरुतः + ये + आसन् (ः + य् → ओ य्; पदपाठे ‘मरुतः ये’)
- (4) येभिर्वृत्रस्य = येभिः + वृत्रस्य (ः + व् → र्व्)
- (5) वृत्रस्ये॑षितः = वृत्रस्य + ईषितः (अ + ई → ए)
- (6) विवेदामर्मणो = विवेद + मर्मणः (पदपाठे ‘विवेद मर्मणः’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
These Maruts, honeyed inspirers, were Indra’s troop. With them he discovered the vulnerable point—the secret—of Vṛtra, though Vṛtra thought himself invulnerable, when Indra was driven on to attack.
Inner meaning
The ‘honeyed’ (madhumat) inspiration is the sweet, luminous movement of prāṇa when it obeys the soul’s intention. The Maruts as inspirers help Indra (illumined mind) detect the precise psychological ‘weak point’ (marma) in the Coverer—Vṛtra, the subconscient resistance that appears impregnable. The discovery of marma indicates discriminative insight: seeing exactly where falsehood holds and how it can be pierced—often through a small opening of sincerity, a lapse in the ego’s certainty, or a moment when obscurity is exposed by light.
Universal truth
Obscurity persists by seeming solid and unassailable. Breakthrough comes when dynamic energies are aligned with inspiration and intelligence: then one finds the exact point of leverage and the resistance collapses.
Themes
Vṛtra myth (finding the weak point), Indra-Marut strategy, Knowledge defeats obstruction, Madhu-inspired power
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 3.32 (Indra-Marut), RV 3.33 (waters/rivers—release theme)
Family tradition
Seer of conquest hymns where inner battle is won by right alliance of powers and exact knowledge.
Significance
This verse is a psychological key: victory is not brute force but discovery—illumination finding the ‘marma’ of resistance with inspired energies.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Maruts)
- Epithets
- Indra, (Maruts) Madhumat Vivipra
- Related deities
- Maruts, Rudra, Soma
Cosmic role
Indra leads the host to pierce Vṛtra and release the hidden waters/light.
Inner power
Discriminative illumination that identifies the exact knot of obstruction; allied with inspired life-force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Marut Soma cycle; recitation recalling Vṛtra-slaying for efficacy of offering
त इन्न्व॑स्य॒ मधु॑मद्विविप्र॒ इन्द्र॑स्य॒ शर्धो॑ म॒रुतो॒ य आस॑न् । येभि॑र्वृ॒त्रस्ये॑षि॒तो वि॒वेदा॑म॒र्मणो॒ मन्य॑मानस्य॒ मर्म॑ ॥
ते । इत् । नु । अ॒स्य॒ । मधु॑ऽमत् । वि॒वि॒प्रे॒ । इन्द्र॑स्य । शर्धः॑ । म॒रुतः॑ । ये । आस॑न् । येभिः॑ । वृ॒त्रस्य॑ । इ॒षि॒तः । वि॒वेद॑ । अ॒म॒र्मणः॑ । मन्य॑मानस्य । मर्म॑ ॥
te | it | nu | asya | madhu-mat | vivipre | indrasya | śardhaḥ | marutaḥ | ye | āsan | yebhiḥ | vṛtrasya | iṣitaḥ | viveda | amarmaṇaḥ | manyamānasya | marma
44
4 × ~11
Narrative-analytic triṣṭubh: steady exposition culminating in the sharp word ‘marma’.
Gives a sense of strategic clarity; ends with a pointed, piercing finish suitable for contemplation.
- मधुमत् (madhumat)
- Literal: honeyed, sweet. Symbolic: Delightful inspiration; Ananda-tinted prāṇa that carries true impulse
- विविप्र (vivipra)
- Literal: inspirers/poets. Symbolic: Forces that bring inspired movement and right vibration
- शर्धः (śardhaḥ)
- Literal: troop, host. Symbolic: Organized collective energies supporting the illumined will
- वृत्र (vṛtra)
- Literal: Vṛtra, the coverer. Symbolic: Subconscient obstruction; the force that blocks light and waters
- इषितः (iṣitaḥ)
- Literal: impelled, driven on. Symbolic: The will urged by higher intention/tapas to confront resistance
- मर्म (marma)
- Literal: vital point, vulnerable spot, secret. Symbolic: Precise point of falsehood/weakness in the obstruction; key insight for liberation
- अमर्मणः (amarmanaḥ)
- Literal: without a vulnerable point (thinking so). Symbolic: Egoic illusion of invulnerability; rigidity of darkness
Recitation praising Indra’s victory-strategy with the Maruts; supports Soma ritual narrative of empowerment and tactical overcoming of obstruction.
During Soma rites and Indra-focused recitations emphasizing the victory myth.
Recitation to strengthen the sacrificer’s confidence in obstacle-removal and release of waters.
Use when facing a persistent habit or inner block: chant, then inquire quietly, ‘Where is the marma?’—the exact assumption or fear sustaining it.
madhu- ‘honey/sweetness’ is an archaic Indo-Iranian sacral term for delight (cf. Av. maδu-). √vid ‘know/find’ (PIE *weyd-) is explicit in vivéda ‘found out’. marma ‘vital point/joint’ is a body-metaphor for the ‘secret weakness’ of obstruction; amarmaṇa- ‘without a marma’ is ironic: Vṛtra thinks himself invulnerable, yet has a discoverable point.
knowledge as discovery (√vid) that defeats obstruction, delight (madhu) as a power of inspiration, illusion of invulnerability of ignorance (amarmaṇa- manyamāna-)
Finding Vṛtra’s marma is restoring R̥ta by breaking the false holding pattern in consciousness.
Truth-vision detects the precise lie that sustains obstruction.
Release of waters/light after piercing the cover is a recurring creation motif: worlds expand when obstruction is broken.
Aurobindonian psychology of the subconscient (Vṛtra) and the illumined mind’s method: insight + force.
Honey = sweetness of inspired movement; storm = energizing prāṇa; serpent/cover = subconscient knot; waters = liberated consciousness-flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The tactical discovery of Vṛtra’s ‘marma’—the vulnerable point—by Indra with the Maruts. Innerly, ignorance appears impregnable, but when the collective inspired energies (madhu-mat vipra Maruts) join the illumined will, the hidden weakness of obstruction is known and struck.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid ‘to know’ (vivéda) is a direct reflex of PIE *weyd- (cf. Greek oîda, Latin vidēre). madhu as sacral ‘sweetness/delight’ is a shared Indo-Iranian inheritance. The body-term marma used metaphorically is typical of archaic IE poetics where physical anatomy encodes psychological and cosmic realities.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi interprets Indra’s victory as a cognition-event: not brute force alone, but discovery (vid) aided by inspired allies. The poet thus teaches the practitioner that invoking the host of right energies makes possible the discernment of the obstruction’s secret joint, enabling decisive transformation.
Insight into the exact locus of resistance; cultivate inspired energy that supports truth-seeing.
Ājñā (insight) and Mūlādhāra (subconscient knot)
Slow exhale-focused breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6–8) while scanning the body-mind for the ‘tight point’; after chanting, rest attention on the most contracted spot without force.
Penetrative clarity with calm intensity; readiness for a decisive inner cut.
After chanting, journal or contemplate: What belief claims ‘I cannot be pierced’? Identify one small, honest admission that contradicts it—this is often the marma that opens the block.
Keep the cadence steady; let ‘marma’ land distinctly at the end as a pointed culmination; respect udatta/svarita markings where known.
Slight lift on madhumat and vivipra; a firmer, slightly darker tone on vṛtrasya; sharpen articulation on marma.
/: keep dh clear; avoid ‘madumat’ with a hard stop., : pronounce vi-ve-da (not ‘viveda’ as two syllables)., : keep the initial a- clear; do not nasalize incorrectly., : articulate -ny- cleanly.
Focused and precise; less celebratory, more investigative.
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