Rig Veda 4.32.9: Mandala 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 9
Sukta 4.32
- Rishi
- Gotama lineage explicitly named
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभि त्वा गोतमा गिरानूषत प्र दावने । इन्द्र वाजाय घृष्वये ॥
abhí tvā gotamā́ girā́ anū́ṣata prá dā́vane | índra vājā́ya ghṛ́ṣvaye ||
Hướng về Ngài, các Gotama đã cất tiếng kêu bằng thánh ca, để tôn hiển Ngài cho hành vi ban phát. Hỡi Indra, vì sự giành được sung mãn (vāja) và năng lực bừng cháy.
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; governs accusative sense ‘towards/unto’Role Adhikaraṇa (directional/relational) / Upasarga to verbRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- you (acc.)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- गोतमाः
- the Gotamas (Gautama seers)Noun (proper) / collective subjectपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गोतम (ऋषिनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरः
- hymns, praisesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (with verb ‘praise’) / or Karma as ‘praises’ offeredRoot गिर् (स्त्री., ‘स्तुति/वाक्’)
- अनूषत
- praised, have praisedVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; 3 पुरुष बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot नूष्/नुष् (स्तुतौ) — Vedic verb ‘to praise’
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय; intensifier/forward motionRole Upasarga to verbal idea (with दावने/‘giving’)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दावने
- for giving, for bestowalVerbal noun (infinitival dative) / Kṛdantaनपुंसकलिङ्ग (क्रियानाम); चतुर्थी एकवचन (दातिव-अर्थ: ‘for giving’)Role Sampradāna / Prayojana (purpose)Root दा (दाने) → दावन (कृदन्त/नामधातु-भाव) ‘giving’
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole Sambodhana (addressed deity)Root इन्द्र (देवनाम)
- वाजाय
- for the prize, for strengthNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole Sampradāna / Prayojana (for the prize/strength)Root वाज (पुं., ‘प्राइज/बल/अन्न’)
- घृष्वये
- O blazing/ardent oneAdjective (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole Sambodhana (epithet of Indra)Root घृष्वि/घृष्वय (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘उग्र/तेजस्विन्/प्रदीप्त’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: गोत॑मा → गोतमाः (nom. pl.)
- गि॒रानू॑षत → गिरः + अनूषत (visarga sandhi before vowel: गिरः अनूषत → गिरानूषत)
- दा॒वने॑ is a dative (purpose) form from √दा ‘to give’
- वाजा॑य is dative sg.
- घृष्व॑ये is voc. sg. epithet. Accents as in Saṃhitā: अ॒भि (anudātta), त्वा॒ (udātta), गोत॑मा (udātta on त), गि॒रा- (udātta on रा), अनू॑षत (udātta on नू), प्र (usually proclitic), दा॒वने॑ (udātta on दा), इन्द्र॒ (udātta on इन्), वाजा॑य (udātta on जा), घृष्व॑ये (udātta on घृष्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Gotamas have cried to you with hymns, to set you forward for giving, O Indra, for the winning of plenitude and blazing energy.
Inner meaning
The seer-line (Gotamāḥ) directs inspired speech as an active force: it ‘pushes forward’ Indra’s power into the front of the being (pra dāvane). The aim is double: vāja (integral plenitude) and ghṛṣvi (glowing, friction-born brilliance)—the ardent energy of transformation.
Universal truth
A sincere collective aspiration (family of the soul) can precipitate higher powers into action; invocation is a real dynamism that converts potential grace into operative force.
Themes
Rishi-lineage, Evocation by Word, Plenitude pursuit
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama (Gotamāḥ) tradition (explicitly named)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 4.32 (sūkta context), RV 1.58–1.60 (Gautama-related themes of ascent and illumination—traditional attributions vary by recension)
Family tradition
Self-conscious seer-community: the hymn speaks as a corporate voice of a lineage, suggesting sustained sādhanā across generations of inner experience.
Significance
Highlights ‘lineage-as-practice’: the rishi-family becomes a symbol for coordinated inner faculties (thought, will, speech) calling down illumined mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vājī (lord of vāja, implied), Ghṛṣvi (blazing, here as quality)
- Related deities
- Agni (ardor), Soma (ecstatic impetus), Maruts (impelling energies)
Cosmic role
Power that answers the call, enters the front, and makes the giving effective—victory and increase.
Inner power
A descending surge of illumined force that kindles ardor and secures plenitude.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pressing hymns calling Indra to give; could accompany offering of Soma/oblations
अ॒भि त्वा॒ गोत॑मा गि॒रानू॑षत॒ प्र दा॒वने॑ । इन्द्र॒ वाजा॑य॒ घृष्व॑ये ॥
अ॒भि । त्वा॒ । गोत॑माः । गि॒रा । अनू॑षत । प्र । दा॒वने॑ । इन्द्र॑ । वाजा॑य । घृष्व॑ये ॥
abhi | tvā | gotamāḥ | girā | anūṣata | pra | dāvane | indra | vājāya | ghṛṣvaye
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4 × ~11
Invocatory and propulsive; ‘abhi…pra’ gives a forward thrust.
Energizes aspiration; felt as a ‘calling-in’ mantra that brings power to the forefront.
- गोतमाः (gotamāḥ)
- Literal: the Gotamas. Symbolic: A lineage of seekers; organized aspiration and continuity of inner practice
- गिरा (girā)
- Literal: with speech/hymn. Symbolic: Mantric vibration; inspired formulation that opens the planes
- अनूषत (anūṣata)
- Literal: they have cried/sung forth. Symbolic: Intense call of the soul; insistence of aspiration
- प्र दावने (pra dāvane)
- Literal: for giving forth; for the act of giving. Symbolic: To bring the higher power into active bestowal in life
- वाजाय (vājāya)
- Literal: for plenitude/prize. Symbolic: Fullness and victorious increase of consciousness
- घृष्वये (ghṛṣvaye)
- Literal: to the blazing one; glowing. Symbolic: Fiery brilliance/ardor; tapas-like energy in the mind and vital
Family hymn within Soma ritual; establishes authorial lineage and purpose: to awaken Indra’s giving through stoma
At moments of invitation (āvāhana-like function) and before seeking boons (vāja).
Recitation as a summons and activation of the deity’s giving function.
Group chant before collective work/retreat: align voices to ‘bring forward’ clarity, energy, and shared abundance.
(gir) ‘hymn/word’ is the instrument of evocation; abhi…anūṣata expresses directed vocal force. (dāvana) from √dā ‘give’: the rite aims to make the divine giving active (‘pra dāvane’ = ‘forth into giving’). Repetition of vājāya ghṛṣvaye ties this verse to the hymn’s central pursuit: plenitude + ardent brilliance.
mantra as power of manifestation (pra), gift as descent of force responding to aspiration
Invocation ‘sets forward’ the right power into the field, enabling right action and right increase.
Increase through descent of power responding to mantric call; formation of effective energies (śakti) in the worlds.
Yoga of the Word (Vāc): speech as creative force bridging human and divine.
Glow = inner tapas; sound = shaping vibration; vāja = harvest of luminous force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘the seer’s cry that sets the god into action’: hymns drive Indra ‘forth’ into giving. Innerly, the inspired Word (gir) releases the dynamic response of the higher Power toward plenitude and luminous ardour.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā ‘give’ is Indo-European (PIE *deh₃- ‘give’; cf. Greek δίδωμι, Latin dōnō in related gift semantics). The Vedic dative of purpose (dāvane) is a typical archaic construction encoding teleology (‘for giving’).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Gotamas identify themselves as active agents of evocation: they ‘cry toward’ Indra with gir to precipitate his dāna. The relationship is cooperative—human Word opens, divine giving descends.
Invocation-as-action: feel your mantra ‘advance’ the higher clarity into the front of the mind.
Maṇipūra (navel)
Kapalabhāti (gentle) 30 strokes × 2 rounds, then chant once; rest in the glow.
Ardent, luminous dynamism (tapas with clarity).
On ‘ghṛṣvaye’ feel a clean inner heat; direct it upward to the brow, avoiding emotional strain.
Tri-svara; give a gentle lift on ‘indra’ and sustain brightness through ‘vājāya ghṛṣvaye’.
Mark the directional particles ‘abhi’ and ‘pra’ with slight forward emphasis; keep flow unbroken.
abhi: ‘a-bhi’ with clear aspirated bh, gotamā: long ā at end, anūṣata: long ū; retroflex ṣ, dāvane: long ā; ‘v’ soft labiodental, ghṛṣvaye: retroflex ṣ; cluster ‘ghṛ’ voiced aspirate + ṛ
Bright, calling tone; avoid harshness on aspirates.
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