Rig Veda 7.22.2: Mandala 7, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 7.22
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यस्ते मदो युज्यश्चारुरस्ति येन वृत्राणि हर्यश्व हंसि । स त्वामिन्द्र प्रभूवसो ममत्तु ॥
yás te mádo yújyaś cā́rur ásti yéna vṛtrā́ṇi haryaśva háṃsi | sá tvām indra prabhūvaso mamattu ||
تیرا وہ نشہ جو مناسب طور پر جوتا ہوا اور خوبصورت ہے، جس سے، اے سنہری گھوڑے والے، تو پردہ ڈالنے والوں کو مارتا ہے، وہ، اے فراوان مادے والے اندر، تجھے نشہ کرے اور بھر دے۔
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- intoxicating exhilaration, raptureNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √मद् (हर्षे/मदे) से भाव
- युज्यः
- yokeable, fit to be yoked (ready for harnessing)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot √युज् (योजने) → युज्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- चारुः
- beautiful, pleasingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √अस् (भुवि)
- येन
- by whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्राणि
- Vṛtras; obstructing foesNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- हर्यश्व
- O you of tawny horses (Indra)Noun (epithet) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot हर्यश्व (समास-प्रातिपदिक: हरि- + अश्व)
- हंसि
- you slayVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √हन् (हिंसायाम्)
- सः
- that (he/it)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वाम्
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रभूवसो
- O abounding in wealth/powerAdjective (epithet) / Vocativeपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot प्रभूवसु (समास-प्रातिपदिक: प्रभू- + वसु)
- ममत्तु
- may it exhilarate / may it gladdenVerbआशीर्लिङ् (वेदिक-प्रयोग; इच्छार्थ/आशीर्वाद), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root √मद् (हर्षे/मदे) → ममत्तु (आशीर्लिङ्/लोट्-रूप, 3sg)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: यस्ते मदो युज्यश्चारुरस्ति येन वृत्राणि हर्यश्व हंसि । स त्वामिन्द्र प्रभूवसो ममत्तु ॥ पद-विच्छेद: यः ते मदः युज्यः चारुः अस्ति | येन वृत्राणि हर्यश्व हंसि | सः त्वाम् इन्द्र प्रभूवसो ममत्तु | मुख्य सन्धि: (1) यस्ते = यः + ते (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि) (2) युज्यश्चारुरस्ति = युज्यः + चारुः + अस्ति (विसर्ग-लोप; र्-आगम/संहिता-रूप) (3) त्वामिन्द्र = त्वाम् + इन्द्र (अनुस्वार/म् + स्वर)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet speaks of Indra’s beautiful, well-harnessed rapture by which he strikes the Vṛtras (coverers). May that rapture intoxicate Indra, who is abundant in wealth.
Inner meaning
The ‘mada’ is not mere intoxication but the inspired ecstasy-power that yokes Indra’s light to effective action—‘yujyaḥ cāruḥ’: rightly harnessed and luminous. With this Ananda-charged force, the illumined Mind smites the coverers (vṛtrāṇi): resistances, obscurations, and subconscient knots that block the flow of light and joy. The prayer asks that this very power fill Indra in us—so the inner Indra becomes fully active, rich in substance (prabhūvasu) and capable of decisive liberation.
Universal truth
Joy that is disciplined and rightly directed becomes a force of victory over inner resistance; illumination acts most powerfully when supported by a beautiful, harnessed ecstasy.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying (innerized), Soma-rapture, victorious force, harnessed power
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.22.1 (Soma invitation), RV 7.22.3-4 (awakening to the seer’s word)
Family tradition
A Vasiṣṭha hallmark is the insistence on ‘right yoking’—powers must be harmonized and directed to break resistance without disorder.
Significance
The seer frames spiritual victory as a synthesis: bliss (Soma/mada) yoked to illumination (Indra) to conquer the coverer.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Haryaśva (tawny-steeded), Vṛtrahan (slayer of Vṛtra), Prabhūvasu (abundant in substance)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Champion who breaks the cosmic obstruction and releases the streams of light and power.
Inner power
Decisive intellect-force supported by Ananda; the capacity to cut through inner darkness swiftly.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise within Soma sacrifice; stotra segments celebrating Vṛtra-slaying power.
यस्ते॒ मदो॒ युज्य॒श्चारु॒रस्ति॒ येन॑ वृ॒त्राणि॑ हर्यश्व॒ हंसि॑ । स त्वामि॑न्द्र प्रभूवसो ममत्तु ॥
यः । ते॒ । मदः॑ । युज्यः॑ । चारुः॑ । अस्ति॑ । येन॑ । वृ॒त्राणि॑ । ह॒रि॒ऽअ॒श्व॒ । हंसि॑ । सः । त्वाम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । प्र॒भु॒व॒सो॒ इति॑ प्रभुऽवसो । म॒म॒त्तु॒ ॥
yaḥ | te | madaḥ | yujyaḥ | cāruḥ | asti | yena | vṛtrāṇi | hari-aśva | haṃsi | saḥ | tvām | indra | prabhuvaso itiprabhu-vaso | mamattu
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Taut and martial; compact phrases that ‘strike’ like the vajra.
Invokes courageous clarity; helps the listener feel a clean severing of mental fog.
- मदः (madaḥ)
- Literal: rapture, intoxication. Symbolic: Ananda-force that energizes illumination
- युज्यः (yujyaḥ)
- Literal: fit to be yoked. Symbolic: joy harnessed to purpose; disciplined delight
- चारुः (cāruḥ)
- Literal: beautiful, pleasing. Symbolic: luminous harmony of consciousness—joy without disturbance
- वृत्राणि (vṛtrāṇi)
- Literal: Vṛtras/obstructors. Symbolic: coverings of ignorance; subconscient resistance that blocks light
- हंसि (haṃsi)
- Literal: you strike, slay. Symbolic: decisive breakthrough—cutting through obscuration
- प्रभूवसो (prabhūvaso)
- Literal: of abundant wealth/substance. Symbolic: fullness of inner resources; plenitude of consciousness-energy
Soma-invocation emphasizing Indra’s Vṛtra-smiting power; used to intensify Indra’s mada during savana.
During Soma offerings and victory-themed Indra hymns.
Recitation with offering of Soma; emphasis on Indra’s ‘mada’ as empowering force.
Use when facing inertia, addiction, fear, or confusion: invoke ‘rightly yoked joy’ to break the pattern rather than sheer willpower alone.
mada- from √mad 'be glad, intoxicated'—in inner sense, the ecstasy/energy that makes action irresistible. yujya- from √yuj 'yoke' (PIE *yeug-; cf. Latin iugum). vṛtra- from √vṛ 'cover'—obstruction as concealment of light/knowledge. √han 'smite' (hansi) is a common Indo-European strike verb (cf. Greek phonós 'slaughter' is not direct cognate, but PIE *gʷhen- 'strike, kill' underlies Sanskrit han- and English bane via different routes).
covering vs. revelation (vṛtra as concealment of light), right yoking of energies (yujya)
Victory is not chaotic force; it is ‘yoked’ power aligned with ṛta.
The beautiful (cāru) rapture is truth-joy, not tamasic excitement.
Release of blocked energies through luminous force; emergence of plenitude (vasu).
Aurobindonian: Ananda + illumination = effective transformation of the subconscient resistance.
A bright surge of delight harnessed to the mind’s lightning that splits inner clouds.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Vṛtra-slaying: Indra’s Soma-born mada is the operative power by which he smites the coverers. Psychologically, the ecstasy of illumined force breaks the inner obstructions that conceal knowledge and wideness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (yujya) reflects PIE *yeug- 'join, yoke' (Latin iugum, Greek zygón). √han reflects PIE *gʷhen- 'strike/kill' (Avestan jan-, Greek theínō is different but comparable in function). These inherited roots support a shared Indo-European heroic-poetic diction of 'yoking power' and 'smiting the obstructer'.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma not as beverage but as a consciously prepared force (mada) to be 'rightly yoked' in Indra. Indra is invoked as the executor of inner liberation: he uses that offered rapture to break the coverers, returning openness and power to the human field.
Feel a bright delight in the heart, then ‘yoke’ it to a clear intention in the brow; direct it at one inner obstruction to be released.
anāhata → ājñā
Bhastrikā-light (gentle) for 30 seconds, then quiet breathing while repeating ‘yujyaś cāruḥ’ mentally.
Energized clarity; courageous joy.
Distinguish sattvic rapture from restless excitement; keep the ‘mada’ yoked—steady, beautiful, and purposeful.
Tri-svara with emphatic udātta on key nouns; keep ‘vṛtrāṇi’ crisp and weighty.
Mark the caesura after ‘cāruḥ asti’; strike the consonants in ‘vṛtrāṇi … haṃsi’.
‘vṛ’ as syllabic ‘ṛ’ (not ‘ver’)., ‘haṃsi’ nasal ‘ṃ’ before ‘s’ lightly., ‘prabhūvaso’ long ‘ū’ sustained., Keep ‘yujyaś’ with palatal ‘yuj-’ and clear ‘ś’.
Firm, bright, martial; end each pāda with decisiveness.
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