Rig Veda 7.19.4: Mandala 7, Sukta 19, Mantra 4
Sukta 7.19
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
त्वं नृभिर्नृमणो देववीतौ भूरीणि वृत्रा हर्यश्व हंसि । त्वं नि दस्युं चुमुरिं धुनिं चास्वापयो दभीतये सुहन्तु ॥
tváṃ nṛ́bhir nṛ́maṇo devávītau bhū́rīṇi vṛtrā́ haryaśva haṃsi | tváṃ ní dasyúṃ cúmurim dhúniṃ cāsvā́payo dabhī́taye suhántu ||
تم، طاقتوروں سے خوش ہو کر، دیوتا کی رہنمائی والی پیش قدمی میں، بہت سے آڑے مارتے ہو، اے سنہرے گھوڑوں والے اندر۔ تم نے دسیو کو گرایا - چُمری اور دھنی کو - انہیں سلا کر، تاکہ دبھیتی اچھی طرح مار کر غالب آئے۔
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नृभिः
- with men/warriorsNounपुं; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole करणRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृमणः
- man-spirited, of heroic mindAdjectiveपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root नृमण (प्रातिपदिक)
- देववीतौ
- in the divine pursuit/contest (god-led course)Nounस्त्री; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot देववीति (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूरीणि
- many, abundant (things)Adjectiveनपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रा
- Vṛtras/obstructorsNounपुं; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (वैदिक-रूपम्; क्लासिकलः: वृत्रान्)Role कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- हर्यश्व
- O you of tawny horses (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुं; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot हर्यश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- हंसि
- you slayVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; उत्तम? (न) मध्यम? (न) — प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- त्वम्
- youPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नि
- down, forth; (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (अव्ययम्)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- दस्युम्
- the Dasyu (hostile foe)Nounपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- चुमुरिम्
- CumuriProper Nounपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot चुमुरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- धुनिम्
- DhuniProper Nounपुं; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्Role समुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- अस्वापयः
- you caused to sleep / lulledVerbलुङ् (अorist); परस्मैपद; द्वितीयपुरुष? (न) — प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot स्वप् (धातु) + आ (णिच्-प्रत्यय; causative)
- दभीतये
- for (their) crushing/overpoweringNounस्त्री; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दभीति (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुहन्तु
- let them strike down / slay wellVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); परस्मैपद; तृतीयपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु) + सु (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): नृभिर्नृमणो → नृभिः नृमणः
- देववीतौ (सप्तमी एकवचन)
- वृत्रा (वैदिक द्वितीया बहुवचन) + हंसि
- दस्युं चुमुरिं धुनिं → दस्युम् चुमुरिम् धुनिम्
- चास्वापयो → च अस्वापयः
- दभीतये (चतुर्थी)
- सुहन्तु (सु-उपसर्गयुक्त √हन्, लोट् 3pl)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, delighting in strong men in the god-guided advance, slays many Vṛtras; he casts down the Dasyu Cumuri and Dhuni, putting them to sleep so that Dabhīti may strike well.
Inner meaning
Indra rejoices in the ‘strong ones’—the awakened powers of the being that consent to the divine leading (devavītau). He slays many ‘coverings’—not one resistance but layers of obscuration. Cumuri and Dhuni represent turbulent, noisy, confusing forces (dhuni ~ din/rumble) and devouring compulsions (cumuri) in the lower vital and subconscient. Indra ‘puts them to sleep’: he does not merely fight on their own plane but quiets their vibrations, inducing a stilling of compulsive movements so the soul-force (Dabhīti) can strike truly—act from a quiet, luminous will.
Universal truth
True strength is god-led strength: when higher intelligence stills the noisy vital formations, right action becomes precise and effective.
Themes
Vṛtra-forces plural, stilling the enemy, aid to the striker, god-guided advance
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha (Maitrāvaruṇa lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 7.19, RV 7.23, RV 7.84
Family tradition
Vasiṣṭha often integrates force and guidance: victory is not brute power but power moving in ‘devavīti’—the divine leading.
Significance
The seer highlights a key yogic principle: the hostile vital can be quieted (‘put to sleep’) so the true will can act without distortion.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- nṛmaṇaḥ (delighting in the strong), haryaśva (tawny-horsed), vṛtrahan
- Related deities
- Maruts, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Leader of the divine advance; slayer of obstructions; empowers the right-striking hero.
Inner power
Dynamic illumination that yokes vital energies to light and pacifies turbulent lower vibrations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocations for overcoming hostile forces; protective recitation for success in undertakings.
त्वं नृभि॑र्नृमणो दे॒ववी॑तौ॒ भूरी॑णि वृ॒त्रा ह॑र्यश्व हंसि । त्वं नि दस्युं॒ चुमु॑रिं॒ धुनिं॒ चास्वा॑पयो द॒भीत॑ये सु॒हन्तु॑ ॥
त्वम् । नृऽभिः॑ । नृ॒ऽम॒नः॒ । दे॒वऽवी॑तौ । भूरी॑णि । वृ॒त्रा । ह॒रि॒ऽअ॒श्व॒ । हं॒सि॒ । त्वम् । नि । दस्यु॑म् । चुमु॑रिम् । धुनि॑म् । च॒ । अस्वा॑पयः । द॒भीत॑ये । सु॒ऽहन्तु॑ ॥
tvam | nṛ-bhiḥ | nṛ-manaḥ | deva-vītau | bhūrīṇi | vṛtrā | hari-aśva | haṃsi | tvam | ni | dasyum | cumurim | dhunim | ca | asvāpayaḥ | dabhītaye | su-hantu
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4×11
Forceful opening, then a ‘lulling’ middle (sleep motif), ending in a sharp decisive cadence (suhantu).
Helps settle agitation while keeping strength; supports the transition from turbulence to precise will.
- नृभिः (nṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: with men/strong ones. Symbolic: with the awakened powers/faculties that can bear the divine force
- नृमणः (nṛmaṇaḥ)
- Literal: delighting in men. Symbolic: the divine joy in courageous, consenting human energies
- देववीतौ (devavītau)
- Literal: in the god-led advance. Symbolic: movement guided by the divine will/light rather than ego impulse
- वृत्रा (vṛtrā)
- Literal: Vṛtras, coverings. Symbolic: multiple resistances/obstructions in mind-life-body
- हर्यश्व (haryaśva)
- Literal: of tawny horses. Symbolic: illumined dynamic energies (vital forces yoked to light)
- दस्यु (dasyu)
- Literal: hostile robber. Symbolic: dark, perverting impulses that steal energy and clarity
- अस्वापयः (asvāpayaḥ)
- Literal: you put to sleep. Symbolic: stilling of turbulent formations; quieting the lower nature
- सुहन्तु (suhantu)
- Literal: may he strike well. Symbolic: right, precise action arising from quiet strength
Invoked for subduing hostile forces and ensuring the sacrificer’s ‘good striking’ (effective will) in contest; typical in Indra’s battle hymns in Soma ritual.
During Indra stotras; also as apotropaic (warding) praise when obstacles and hostility are felt.
Praise + request for subduing hostile powers and empowering the sacrificer/hero.
Useful for anxiety/noisy mind: chant to quiet inner ‘Dhuni’ (rumbling thoughts) and enable clean action.
haryaśva ‘tawny-horsed’ links Indra’s horses to light/energy (hari ‘golden/tawny’). asvāpayaḥ causative of √svap ‘sleep’ (PIE *swep-; cf. Latin sopor), used as a psychological image: the hostile forces are not merely killed but neutralized/inactivated. dhuni relates to √dhu ‘to shake’ → turbulence/noise.
devavīti (divine leading of the journey), neutralization of hostile impulses (asvāpayaḥ), effective will/action (su-hantu)
Devavīti = movement in ṛta; right action follows right guidance.
Truth acts well when lower noise is stilled.
Transformation of vital energy into illumined power; pacification of chaos into order.
Aurobindonian psychology: hostile forces as formations; victory through higher descent and quieting.
night-to-dawn (sleep to awakening) symbolism
Tawny horses = energized prāṇa yoked to light; sleep = cessation of compulsive vibration; storm-noise = restless vital mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The stilling/slaying of named Dasyus (Cumuri, Dhuni) and the many Vṛtra-coverings: Indra not only breaks but also ‘puts to sleep’ the hostile movements so the allied will (Dabhīti) can strike effectively. Innerly, turbulence and perversion are rendered inert, enabling right action.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √svap ‘sleep’ (asvāpayaḥ) reflects PIE *swep- (Latin sopor), showing inherited basic vocabulary used in a mythic-psychological function. The horse imagery as speed/light is also widely IE in heroic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Indra to act in concert with human/inner allies (nṛbhiḥ), so that the aspirant’s will (Dabhīti) becomes ‘su-hantu’—capable of the right decisive blow. The devatā supplies both destruction and pacification of resistance.
Quieten the ‘rumbling’ formations: observe repetitive thought-noise and vital agitation; invoke Indra to ‘put them to sleep’.
viśuddha (noise to clarity) and ājñā (command)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 9 cycles; chant on the long exhale to induce ‘asvāpana’ (stilling).
From rajasic turbulence to sattvic force; calm readiness.
During ‘asvāpayo’, feel the body’s agitation settling downward and outward. On ‘suhantu’, let one clear intention arise and commit to a single precise act.
Triṣṭubh; emphasize udātta on haryaśva and key verbs (haṃsi, asvāpayaḥ). Keep the ‘sleep’ phrase slightly softened in contour.
First pāda strong; second pāda decisive; third pāda slightly quieter (sleeping); fourth pāda crisp and uplifting on ‘su-hantu’.
nṛbhir: vocalic ṛ; keep bh aspirated, nṛmaṇo: retroflex ṇ, devavītau: long ī; vīta as ‘vee-ta’, haryaśva: conjunct ry; ś palatal, cumurim: clear c; short u, dhunim: dh aspirated; dental n, asvāpayaḥ: long ā; avoid inserting extra vowel in sv, dabhītaye: long ī
Strong but controlled; introduce a softer timbre on ‘asvāpayaḥ’, then brighten at the close.
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