Rig Veda 7.83.6: Mandala 7, Sukta 83, Mantra 6
Sukta 7.83
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
युवां हवन्त उभयास आजिष्विन्द्रं च वस्वो वरुणं च सातये । यत्र राजभिर्दशभिर्निबाधितं प्र सुदासमावतं तृत्सुभिः सह ॥
yuvā́ṃ havanta ubháyāsa ā́jiṣv índraṃ ca vásvo váruṇaṃ ca sātáye | yátra rā́jabhir daśábhir níbādhitaṃ prá sudā́sam ā́vataṃ tṛ́tsubhiḥ sahá ||
Ang magkabilang panig ay tumatawag sa inyo sa mga labanan, O Indra at Varuna, mga panginoon ng tunay na yaman, para sa pagkapanalo. Kung saan si Sudas ay pinipigil ng sampung hari, doon ninyo siya iniharap kasama ang mga Trtsu: inyong ginawang tumindig ang puwersa ng kaluluwa sa gitna ng pagkakabigil.
Word by Word
- युवाम्
- you twoPronounद्वितीया/प्रथमा? द्विवचन (Vedic: enclitic/dual form used for ‘you two’)Role कर्तृ (सम्बोधन-प्रायः) / कर्ता (with implied verb ‘are invoked’)Root युव (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हवन्ते
- they invoke/callVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्र.पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ह्वे (ह्वा) ‘आह्वाने’
- उभयासः
- both (parties), both kinds (of men)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (हवन्ते के?)Root उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
- आजिषु
- in battles/contestsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot आजी (स्त्री) ‘race, contest, battle’
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हवन्ते किम्?)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- वस्वः
- of the good/wealthy one; (epithet) ‘the bountiful’Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Vedic form)Role सम्बन्ध (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण/सम्बन्धः) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक) / वस्व (Vedic gen.sg.)
- वरुणम्
- VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हवन्ते किम्?)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- सातये
- for winning/victoryNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (for the sake of) / प्रयोजनRoot साति (स्त्री) ‘winning, gaining, victory’
- यत्र
- whereIndeclinableदेश/प्रसङ्ग-निर्देशRole अधिकरणRoot यत्र (अव्यय)
- राजभिः
- by kingsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (agent-instrument: ‘by kings’)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दशभिः
- by tenNumeral(सर्वलिङ्ग), तृतीया, बहुवचनRole विशेषण (राजभिः) / करणRoot दशन्/दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- निबाधितम्
- pressed down, hemmed inParticipleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with सुदासम् as object: ‘pressed/hemmed’)Role कर्मणि-विशेषण (सुदासम्) / कर्मRoot नि-√बाध् ‘पीडने/अवरोधने’
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableप्रवृत्ति/प्रकर्षRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- सुदासम्
- SudāsProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (आवतं किम्?)Root सुदास (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
- आवतम्
- you two helped/aidedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट), परस्मैपद, 2nd person, द्विवचनRole क्रिया (युवाम्—कर्तृ)Root आ-√वृ/√अव (Vedic: ‘to help, favor, protect’; here ‘to aid’)
- तृत्सुभिः
- with the TṛtsusProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole सह/करण (with the Tṛtsus; instrumental of accompaniment)Root तृत्सु (प्रातिपदिक; जन/कुलनाम)
- सह
- together withIndeclinableसहयोगRoot सह (अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (main): उभया॑स आ॒जिषु → उभयासः + आजिषु (visarga before vowel)
- इन्द्रं॑ च → इन्द्रम् + च (anusvāra in saṃhitā for final -m)
- वस्वो॒ वरु॑णं → वस्वः + वरुणम् (Vedic gen.sg. वस्वः; visarga before voiced consonant often shown as -o in saṃhitā)
- च सा॒तये॑ → च + सातये
- यत्र॒ राज॑भिर्द॒शभिः → यत्र + राजभिः + दशभिः
- दशभि॒र्निबा॑धितं → दशभिः + निबाधितम् (visarga before n)
- प्र सु॒दास॒माव॑तं → प्र + सुदासम् + आवतम् (m + ā → m ā; no fusion beyond saṃhitā writing)
- तृत्सु॑भिः स॒ह → तृत्सुभिः + सह
The meaning
Outer meaning
Both sides call upon Indra and Varuṇa for victory in battles. Where Sudās was pressed by the ten kings, Indra–Varuṇa helped him forward with the Tṛtsus.
Inner meaning
In the inner battle, even conflicting parts of the nature ‘both sides’ (ubhayāsaḥ) appeal to the Divine for success—each wants to win. The mantra hints that the Divine aid goes to the right-disposed soul-force (Sudās) allied with the striving powers (Tṛtsu), not to the coalition of ‘ten kings’—the many ruling ego-principles (habitual authorities of the mind-vital) that press down the aspiring movement (nibādhitam). Indra–Varuṇa lift the true leader within and make it advance despite constraint.
Universal truth
When many ego-powers dominate, the seeker must side with the soul’s right leadership; illumination and truth then raise it and carry it through collective pressure.
Themes
ten kings conflict, divine aid in oppression, attainment through ṛta, collective victory
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa line)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.18 (Daśarājña narrative core), RV 7.83.4 (satyā purohitiḥ established), RV 7.82 (Indra–Varuṇa for victory)
Family tradition
Interprets collective conflict (Daśarājña) as a field for divine guidance and establishment of right leadership through mantra and truth.
Significance
Shows the psychological law of grace: even when all tendencies pray for success, the Divine supports the soul-aligned movement and the striving powers, not the confederacy of ego-kings.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra–Varuṇa
- Epithets
- vasvo (O lords of wealth), sātaye (givers of winning)
- Related deities
- Mitra, Agni, Maruts (battle energies assisting Indra)
Cosmic role
They arbitrate victory according to truth: Indra supplies conquering light-force; Varuṇa ensures the victory serves right order, not ego.
Inner power
Indra breaks the press of inertia and fear; Varuṇa dissolves false alliances and restores lawful harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Victory and protection in conflict; royal/collective success contexts; soma-related praise of Indra–Varuṇa
यु॒वां ह॑वन्त उ॒भया॑स आ॒जिष्विन्द्रं॑ च॒ वस्वो॒ वरु॑णं च सा॒तये॑ । यत्र॒ राज॑भिर्द॒शभि॒र्निबा॑धितं॒ प्र सु॒दास॒माव॑तं॒ तृत्सु॑भिः स॒ह ॥
यु॒वाम् । ह॒व॒न्ते॒ । उ॒भया॑सः । आ॒जिषु॑ । इन्द्र॑म् । च॒ । वस्वः॑ । वरु॑णम् । च॒ । सा॒तये॑ । यत्र॑ । राज॑ऽभिः । द॒शऽभिः॑ । निऽबा॑धितम् । प्र । सु॒ऽदास॑म् । आव॑तम् । तृत्सु॑ऽभिः । स॒ह ॥
yuvām | havante | ubhayāsaḥ | ājiṣu | indram | ca | vasvaḥ | varuṇam | ca | sātaye | yatra | rāja-bhiḥ | daśa-bhiḥ | ni-bādhitam | pra | su-dāsam | āvatam | tṛtsu-bhiḥ | saha
44
4 × ~11
Strong antiphonal feel (‘both sides call’) culminating in a decisive rescue/victory cadence
Creates confidence that the right inner leadership can be lifted even under heavy pressure.
- उभयासः (ubhayāsaḥ)
- Literal: both (parties). Symbolic: higher and lower tendencies; rival impulses within the being
- आजिषु (ājiṣu)
- Literal: in battles. Symbolic: in contests of consciousness and action
- सातये (sātaye)
- Literal: for winning, conquest. Symbolic: attainment—victory of truth over confusion
- दशभिः राजभिः (daśabhiḥ rājabhiḥ)
- Literal: by ten kings. Symbolic: many ego-centres/habitual rulers (sense-mind, desire, fear, pride, etc.) forming a confederacy
- निबाधितम् (nibādhitam)
- Literal: pressed down, constrained. Symbolic: suppression of the soul’s movement by collective habit-force
- प्र … आवतम् (pra … āvatam)
- Literal: you helped forward. Symbolic: you cause the right force to advance and prevail
- तृत्सुभिः सह (tṛtsubhiḥ saha)
- Literal: together with the Tṛtsus. Symbolic: with the striving, ascendant powers of the being that thirst for truth
Victory hymn referencing Dāśarājña; in ritual, supports overcoming collective opposition and securing ‘sāti’ (attainment).
When seeking success against overpowering odds; recited as stuti in competitive or protective rites
Invocation for sāti (winning) and rescue from constraint
For overwhelm (many demands/voices): use to align with the soul’s single direction and break the ‘ten-kings’ pressure of scattered priorities.
√bādh ‘press’ conveys constraint by hostile formations. sātí ‘winning’ from √san ‘gain’ (PIE *sen- ‘to reach/attain’ proposed). ubháya ‘both’ underscores impartial cosmic law: both sides invoke, but the gods uphold ṛta-aligned growth.
constraint and release (nibādhita → pra-āvatam), attainment (sāti), collective right forces (Tṛtsu as inner allies)
The gods’ choice of Sudās signifies victory of ṛta-aligned movement over ego-confederacies.
Winning (sāti) is legitimate only when aligned with satya and right order.
Evolutionary selection: the soul-force is advanced against multiplicity of lower rulers.
Integral yoga psychology: inner parts contend; divine powers uplift the psychic leader.
Pressure = weight of habit and collective nature; forward help = evolutionary push of consciousness; ‘both parties’ = divided nature seeking satisfaction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ten kings’ oppression and the divine ‘bringing forward’ of Sudās: a mythic template of the many versus the one aligned with ṛta, where divine powers reverse constraint into advance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rā́jan ‘king’ belongs to an Indo-Iranian regal lexicon; √bādh ‘press’ has possible IE parallels in constraint verbs, though direct cognates are uncertain. The numeric ‘daśa’ is clear PIE *deḱm̥ (Latin decem, Greek déka).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asserts that divine help is decisive in collective conflict: the gods are invoked by all, but their aid manifests where the seeker/people align with the true wealth (vasu) and right action, turning oppression into forward movement.
Choosing the soul’s leadership amidst competing inner ‘kings’ and external pressures
ājñā (right command)
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) for 7 rounds, then repeat ‘pra sudāsam āvatam’ with each exhale
From scattered multiplicity to unified, led will
List the ‘ten kings’—dominant habits/voices. Offer them to Varuṇa’s law and Indra’s light. Affirm alliance with the Tṛtsus (striving energies) and let the soul-force (Sudās) take the front.
Ṛgvedic svara; lift on ‘इन्द्रं … वरुणं’ and on ‘प्र … आवतम्’ to convey the forward surge.
Give ‘यत्र … निबाधितम्’ a compressed, weighty feel; release into expansion on ‘प्र सुदासम् आवतम्’.
(ubhayāsaḥ): bh aspirate, (ājiṣu): long ā; ṣ retroflex, (nibādhitam): long ā; dh aspirate, (tṛtsubhiḥ): cluster tṛt-su crisp; bh aspirate
Martial, uplifting, confident
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