.:SAKSI: Vedic Literature: Rig Veda: Word to word meaning: Yoga:.

Vedic Literature > Rig Veda > Word to word meaning > Indra > Yoga

HYMN 5: Yoga and the arrival of Indra

Rişhi: Madhuchchhandas Vaishvāmitraĥ

MANTRA (1.5.1): CARRIER OF THE CHANTS

Come quickly here and be seated;

Sing forth to Indra,

O companions, conveyors of the chants.

ā tvetā nişhīdata

come quickly, ., take seat,

indram abhi pra gāyata;

Indra, facing, ., chant,

sakhāyaĥ stoma vāhasaĥ.

O friends, chant, carriers.

Details:

stoma vāhasaĥ: stoma is an affirming laud whose definition will be clarified in (1.5.8). The phrase means the carriers of the lauds, the suprasensible powers who reach the lauds to Indra. They are also companions of the rişhi.

ā tveta: a + tu + a +ita; a a ita means come. tu denotes the sense of quick.

MANTRA (1.5.2): INDRA BECOMES MANIFOLD

Indra becomes manifold (in the human aspirant) and is

The lord of many cherished bounties;

purūtamam purūņām

becoming manifold, of many,

īshānam vāryāņām;

lord, desirable things,

indram some sachā sute.

Indra, Soma, along with, pressed or prepared.

Details:

Indra becoming manifold means that many different aspects of Indra-power manifest in the human aspirant.

The first verse calls the 'friends' to sing the song. This verse states the object of the singing.

purūtamam: becomes manifold. S translates this phrase in (6.6.2) this way, whereas in this verse he translates it as “subdues or exhausts the foes''. There is no mention of foe in this verse.

MANTRA (1.5.3): YOGA

May he be favourable to us in yoga;

May he be favourable in riches and in abundant knowledge;

May he come to us with plenty of all riches.

sa ghā no yoga a bhuvat

he, ., us, union, ., (let him be) favourable,

sa rāye sa purandhyām;

him, wealth, him, in the knowledge,

gamat vājebhiĥā sa naĥ.

may he come, with plenty of everything, ., he, to us.

Details:

yoga: Union with the Divine. The idea of yoga in Veda is the reaching out of the being in us to unite itself with the being expressed in other persons, objects or forces (Sri Aurobindo, SV, p. 493). It also refers to the methods of attaining the unattained objects, forces, ideals, etc.,

vāja: see (1.4.8).

ā + gamat: come.

MANTRA (1.5.4): HORSES OF INDRA

In whose site the horses are not restrained,

By the enemies in battles,

To that Indra chant forth.

yasya samsthe na vrņvate

whose, sit, not, restrain,

harī samatsu shatravaĥ;

horses, in battles, enemies,

tasmā indrāya gāyata.

that, to Indra, chant.

Details:

harī: the two horses of Indra. The root is har, in the sense of gain, charm, and lustre. They are not the four-legged animals but denote special powers of inner sight, the divine manifestations of knowledge which are intimately connected to the Word, brahma in the Veda. This viewpoint is explicitly mentioned in RV itself in several mantrās. RV (2.11.6) has the phrase "sūryasya ketu' intuitive rays of the Sun ("we laud your steeds, intuitive rays of Sūrya'). Again, hymns RV (1.84.3) and (1.7.2) state, "the steeds are yoked by the Word'; RV (3.35.4) states "These friendly horses that are yoked by word, I harness by word.' RV (8.2.27) states "Bring the steeds yoked by the word.' Another relevant reference is RV (4.51.5) with the phrase ŗtayugbhir ashvaiĥ, ‘horses yoked by Truth’. The steeds are discussed in the hymn (1.16) of the RV.

Regarding the symbolism of the tail of a horse, see RV (1.10.3).

MANTRA (1.5.5): INDRA MANIFESTS IN THE HUMAN ASPIRANT

To Indra, the Soma recipient, goes this purified Soma

For his advent in the yajamāna,

The Soma, mixed with subtle intellect.

sutapāvne sutā ime

to the recipient of Soma, prepared, these,

shuchayo yanti vītaye;

purified, go, pervasion or advent (in the human seeker),

somāso dadhi āshiraĥ.

Soma, curds (subtle intellect), mixed with.

Details:

By drinking the Soma, the God Indra spreads or grows in the human seeker i.e., the power of Indra manifests in the human seeker by his offering of Soma, the Delight of Existence, after it is purified and assimilated with Knowledge.

dadhyāshiraĥ: mixed with curds, dadhi; In the ritual, Soma juice is mixed with milk, curds and barley. The esoteric meaning of the three are the rays of the original knowledge, subtle intellect and dense external knowledge, respectively.

sutapāvne: to the drinker of Soma namely Indra. It has the alternate meaning of "distilled for purification'. The Soma is purified in the sense that all the claims of the individual for the work involved are given up.

MANTRA (1.5.6): THE HAPPY DOER, INDRA

By the drink of the prepared Soma,

You increase in us at once

For the pre-eminent work (in us), O Indra, O happy doer.

tvam sutasya pītaye

you, of the pressed (Soma), to drink,

sadyo vŗdhdo ajāyathāĥ;

at once, grown, born,

indra jyaişhţhyāya sukrato.

Indra, for pre-eminent action, O happy doer.

Details:

The growth of the Indra-power in the rişhi or seeker is referred to as the increase of Indra in the first line.

In (1.5.5) Indra manifests in the seeker. In this verse he carries out the pre-eminent work.

MANTRA (1.5.7): FORWARD - ACTING WARENESS

May the pervading Somās enter you,

O Indra, adored by lauds;

May they be happy and peaceful to you in your awareness.

ā tvā vishantu āshavaĥ

., you, may enter, pervading,

somāsa indra girvaņaĥ;

Somās, Indra, adorable by lauds,

sham te santu prachetase.

happy, your, become, in your forward-acting awareness.

Details:

In the earlier mantra, Soma empowered Indra for eminent work. Here Somās enter Indra forming superb knowledge.

prachetase: Forward-acting awareness. "The epithet is not merely ornamental.... The most serious obstacle of the sādhaka or [rişhi] is the difficulty of combining action with a basis of calm; When intense forces enter the system and is put out in activity, it brings eagerness, disturbance.... It is easy to avoid this when ānanda is merely enjoyed, not utilised [for work]. Indra, as mental force, has to be prachetas, consciously active, putting his consciousness forward in thought and action; he has to absorb the Soma-Wine and lose nothing of its fire, yet preserve the peace of the liberated soul.'' [Sri Aurobindo, SV, P.498.]

MANTRA (1.5.8): THE STOMA AND THE RIK

Stoma chants have increased you,

And so the rik, O doer of a hundred deeds;

May our words of praise increase you.

tvām stomā avīvŗdhan

you, stoma chants, increased,

tvām ukthā shatakrato;

you, the rik mantrās, Indra,

tvām vardhantu no giraĥ

you, increase, our, words.

Details:

Sri Aurobindo and Kapāli Sāstry clearly differentiate the several terms dealing with lauds or chants namely stoma, ukthā, shamsa and gāyatra, some of which appear in this hymn, some later. Stoma is derived from stu, to establish firmly. Stoma is the expression of these qualities in the deity which the seer aspires to bring out in his own being and activity. Stoma is the hymn which establishes or confirms in habitual action the desired power or qualities.

The verses for the stoma-chant are from the Sāma Veda and are sung in the musical format associated with it. We may recall that most of the verses of Sāma Veda occur also in RV. arkam appearing in (1.10.11) is a rik, a verse from the RV, which also means a verse of illumination. arch means to shine.

ukthā is the prayer which desires or wills, involving a particular type of a rik or mantra from Rig Veda called shāstra. gāyatra is a hymn which is sung, typically in the fashion of Sāma Veda chanting. It brings up an idea and sets it in motion. Shamsa is used for other verses whose purpose is to bring the thought into the field of expression.

A common idea in the Veda is that the chants in the form of mantrās increase the occult growth or manifestation of Gods in the worshipper.