Rig Veda 7.22.3: Mandala 7, Sukta 22, Mantra 3
Sukta 7.22
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
बोधा सु मे मघवन्वाचमेमां यां ते वसिष्ठो अर्चति प्रशस्तिम् । इमा ब्रह्म सधमादे जुषस्व ॥
bódhā su me maghavan vā́cam emā́ṃ yā́ṃ te vásiṣṭho árcati práśastim | imā́ bráhma sadhamā́de juṣasva ||
اے سخاوت والے، میرے کلام کی طرف بیدار ہو - یہ تعریف جو واسشتھ تیرے لیے ایک بلند شان کے طور پر گاتا ہے۔ سوما کے جلسے کی مشترکہ خوشی میں ان منتروں کو قبول کر۔
Word by Word
- बोधाः
- know/understand (you)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया) मुख्यक्रियाRoot √बुध्
- सु
- well, clearlyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role विशेषण-निपात (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root सु (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- मे
- my / of mePronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्धे), एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘my’Root अस्मद्
- मघवन्
- O bountiful one (Indra)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधन (addressed person)Root मघवन् (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- वाचम्
- speech, utteranceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (object of ‘बोधाः’)Root वाच् (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- इमाम्
- thisPronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role विशेषण (वाचम्-विशेषणम्)Root इदम्
- याम्
- whichPronoun (relative)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (relative; refers to ‘वाचम्’)Root यद्
- ते
- to youPronounचतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (to you)Root युष्मद्
- वसिष्ठः
- VasiṣṭhaNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (of ‘अर्चति’)Root वसिष्ठ (ऋषिनाम)
- अर्चति
- praises, singsVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया) उपवाक्य-क्रियाRoot √अर्च्
- प्रशस्तिम्
- praise, eulogyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (object of ‘अर्चति’)Root प्रशस्ति (प्र-√शंस् से)
- इमा
- thesePronoun (demonstrative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वेदे ‘इमा’ = ‘इमानि’)Role कर्म (object of ‘जुषस्व’)Root इदम्
- ब्रह्म
- sacred formulation, hymnNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (appositional with ‘इमा’)Root ब्रह्मन्
- सधमादे
- at the common feast/banquetNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (locative: at/in the common feast/assembly)Root सधमाद (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- जुषस्व
- enjoy/accept (you)!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया) मुख्यक्रियाRoot √जुष्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: बोधाः | सु | मे | मघवन् | वाचम् | इमाम् | याम् | ते | वसिष्ठः | अर्चति | प्रशस्तिम् || इमा | ब्रह्म | सधमादे | जुषस्व || सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) मघवन् + वाचम् → मघवन्-वाचम् (अनुस्वार/विसर्ग-सन्धि नहीं; केवल संहिता-उच्चारण)
- (2) वाचम् + इमाम् → वाचमेमाम् (म् + इ → मे; परसवर्ण/अनुनासिक संधि)
- (3) इमा + ब्रह्म → इमा ब्रह्म (सन्धि नहीं)
- (4) ‘इमा’ यहाँ वैदिक रूप से नपुंसक द्वितीया बहुवचन ‘इमानि’ के स्थान पर।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is asked to awaken to the poet’s word—this praise sung by Vasiṣṭha. Indra should accept these mantras in the shared joy of the Soma gathering.
Inner meaning
The seer calls the illumined Mind to become conscious of the aspiration embodied in inspired speech (vāc). ‘Bodhā’ is a demand for awakening: let the higher intelligence in us respond, not remain dormant. Vasiṣṭha’s ‘praśasti’ is the articulate soul-praise that aligns the being to Indra. ‘Imā brahma’ indicates the mantric formulations as living forces; ‘sadhamāde’ (common joy) points to the inner Soma-feast where divine powers and the human seeker meet in shared Ananda—illumination consenting to dwell with the offering.
Universal truth
Spiritual speech is effective when it awakens the higher intelligence and invites it into a shared field of joy; mantra works as a meeting-place of human aspiration and divine response.
Themes
invocation to listen, power of mantra, Soma fellowship, praise as offering
The seer
- Rishi
- Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi
- Lineage
- Vasiṣṭha-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 7.22.4 (hear the call; go to the inmost), RV 7.1 (Agni-Vasiṣṭha hymns; thematic continuity of inner sacrifice)
Family tradition
Self-referential seer-line: the rishi explicitly names his own chant, highlighting the authority of realized speech (mantra-dṛṣṭi).
Significance
Vasiṣṭha models the mature yogic stance: speech is not flattery but a conscious instrument to awaken Indra within and to establish communion in Ananda.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bounteous), Somapā (Soma-drinker)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Responds to the hymn, comes to the feast, and empowers the sacrifice with victorious illumination.
Inner power
Awakening intelligence that hears the mantra and turns it into effective light in the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra addressed to Indra during Soma session; invitation to accept the brahman (hymn).
बोधा॒ सु मे॑ मघव॒न्वाच॒मेमां यां ते॒ वसि॑ष्ठो॒ अर्च॑ति॒ प्रश॑स्तिम् । इ॒मा ब्रह्म॑ सध॒मादे॑ जुषस्व ॥
बोध॑ । सु । मे॒ । म॒घ॒ऽव॒न् । वाच॑म् । आ । इ॒माम् । याम् । ते॒ । वसि॑ष्ठः । अर्च॑ति । प्रऽश॑स्तिम् । इ॒मा । ब्रह्म॑ । स॒ध॒ऽमादे॑ । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ ॥
bodha | su | me | magha-van | vācam | ā | imām | yām | te | vasiṣṭhaḥ | arcati | pra-śastim | imā | brahma | sadha-māde | juṣasva
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Call-and-response feel; imperative openings (‘bodhā’) give sharp awakening beats.
Creates alertness and inward attention; supports a transition from scattered thought to focused invocation.
- बोध (bodha)
- Literal: awake, know. Symbolic: the descent/activation of higher awareness in the mind
- वाचम् (vācam)
- Literal: speech, word. Symbolic: inspired expression of aspiration; mantra as conscious force
- प्रशस्तिम् (praśastim)
- Literal: high praise, acclaim. Symbolic: soul-affirmation that opens the being to the divine power
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred utterance, prayer. Symbolic: mantric force that builds the inner sacrifice and forms a bridge to the gods
- सधमादे (sadhamāde)
- Literal: in common rejoicing/feast. Symbolic: shared Ananda-field where human and divine consciousness commune
- जुषस्व (juṣasva)
- Literal: take delight in, accept. Symbolic: divine consent—illumination embraces the offering and works in it
Mantra of attention: calling Indra to 'wake' to the hymn at the Soma session; reinforces brahma as offering.
During chanting sequences at Soma-feast; when inviting the deity’s attention and acceptance.
Recitation by hotṛ/chanter; offering of Soma and praise.
Use at the start of japa or study: ‘Awake to my word’—a reminder to call the higher mind to attention before practice.
vāc is not mere speech but formative word-power. brahma here is the mantra as a structured force (from √bṛh 'to expand' → 'the expansive formulation'). sadhamāda 'common exhilaration' indicates a shared field where deity and humans partake—psychologically, a synchronized state of uplifted consciousness.
vāc (creative speech), brahma (mantric force), shared consciousness-field (sadhamāda)
Right relation (ṛta) is maintained when human speech and divine hearing answer each other in harmony.
‘Bodhā’ implies truth-awakening, not mere emotional fervor.
Mantra as formative power (brahma) that builds the inner world and invites descent.
Mantric realism (Vedic): word as force; Integral Yoga resonance—invocation awakens higher faculty.
Inner gathering of energies in joy where higher intelligence becomes attentive to the soul’s voice.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the 'god awakened by mantra': Indra is summoned to consciousness by vāc and asked to accept brahma in the shared Soma-joy. The central action is not external combat but the efficacious call that opens divine participation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √budh 'awake' (bodha) corresponds to PIE *bʰewdʰ- 'be awake, notice' (cf. English bid in sense 'command' is not direct; but German bieten etc. are debated; clearer is Sanskrit budh-, Avestan bud-). √arc 'praise' is Indo-Iranian poetic vocabulary; √śaṃs 'proclaim' has parallels in formulaic Indo-European praise diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi explicitly names himself as the channel of praise, emphasizing a conscious reciprocity: Vasiṣṭha offers structured word-power (brahma), and Indra is asked to accept and 'enjoy' it—suggesting that divine force is activated through receptive attention to the mantra.
Invoke the ‘inner Indra’ to wake up and listen; let your mantra become luminous, not mechanical.
viśuddha (mantric speech) → ājñā (illumined hearing/knowing)
Gentle ujjāyī for 5 minutes, then chant once slowly, listening inwardly after each pāda.
Alert receptivity; joyful communion.
After chanting, pause in silence as if awaiting a response; notice any shift toward clarity or wideness—treat it as Indra’s ‘hearing’.
Tri-svara; imperatives (‘bodhā’, ‘juṣasva’) carry clear udātta lift; maintain Vedic sandhi carefully.
Slight emphasis on ‘vasiṣṭho’ (seer-name) and ‘imā brahma’; keep ‘sadhamāde’ flowing as one unit.
‘bodhā’ with aspirated ‘dh’., ‘vasiṣṭho’ retroflex ‘ṣṭh’ cluster distinct., ‘arcati’ = ar-ca-ti (not ‘archati’)., ‘juṣasva’ with retroflex ‘ṣ’ and clear ‘sv’.
Clear, calling tone at start, softening into warm acceptance by the end.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
