|
Hymn 33: Indra's victory and other deeds
Rişhi:
Hiraņyastūpa Angirasa
MANTRA (1.33.1): ASPIRANTS FOR
KNOWLEDGE
Aspirants for knowledge, come here;
Let us reach Indra who increases our needed thought;
Invincible, he bestows on us plentifully
The supreme knowledge of the wealth of the rays of light.
eta ayāma upa gavyanta
indram
(you) come, (let us) reach, ., aspiring for rays or knowledge,
Indra,
asmākam su pramatim
vāvŗdhāti;
our, ., thought needed (for obtaining the rays), increases,
anāmŗņaĥ kuvit at asya
rāyo
invincible, plentifully, later, his, wealth,
gavām ketam param āvarjate
naĥ.
rays, knowledge, supreme, bestows, on us.
Details:
This is a verse addressed to
gavyanta, the fellow aspirants of the rişhi towards
the Rays. The nature of Indra as the Lord of the illumined mind
is confirmed by the phrase that he increases pramatiĥ,
the thought needed for getting the Rays of Light. Only Indra can
give us this knowledge. Note the last line, rāyo gavām ketam
param, the supreme knowledge of the wealth of the Ray of
Light. The word wealth qualities knowledge because it can be
accumulated and stored.
Translating gavyanta as
desiring for cattle renders the phrase out of context with the
other parts of the verse.
MANTRA (1.33.2): INVOKED IN
YAJŇA JOURNEY
To the bestower of wealth, the unassailable,
I dart swiftly, like the bird soaring to its cherished nest,
Bowing with choice hymns of praise to Indra,
Who is invoked in the yajňa-journey by the singers.
upet aham dhanadām
apratītam
swiftly, I, bestower of wealth, unassilable,
juşhţām na shyeno vasatim
patāmi;
cherished, like, falcon, nest, (I) dart,
indram namasyan
upamebhiĥarkaiĥ
Indra, bowing, choice, with riks or hymns of praise,
yaĥ stotŗbhyo havyo asti
yāman.
who, singer,
invoked, ., in the yajňa-pilgrimage.
Details:
yāman:
journey which is happening in the inner realms of the rişhi.
Recall the word adhvara in the (1.1.8).
shyena:
bird, hawk, falcon. Even though it is a part of the simile, the
bird is the standard symbol for the soul of man which is eager
to fly to its natural habitation in the high heavens.
MANTRA (1.33.3): GIVES THE RAYS
OF LIGHT TO WHOM HE FAVOURS
Lord of the armies, he has fastened the quiver;
The lord gives the rays to him whom he favours;
O Indra, in giving your plentiful wealth of delight,
Be not a Paņi (miser); manifest in us more.
ni sarvasena işhudhīn
asakta
., lord of armies, quiver, fastened,
sam aryo gā ajati yasya
vaşhţi,
., lord, rays, brings, who, aspires,
choşhkūyamāņa indra bhūri
vāmam
in giving, Indra, plentiful, wealth of delight,
mā paņiĥ bhūĥ asmat adhi
pravŗdhda.
no, Paņi (miser), become, in us, ., increased.
Details:
Here the name of the titan Paņi
is used as an adjective. Paņis are known for their
qualities of greed and miserliness. Indra is prayed not to be a
miser, like Paņi, and generously bestow the wealth of
delight.
Indra bestows the Rays of Light on
those whom Indra favours. This phrase is interpreted in the
narrow sense of a person helping his admirers. But this phrase
is the seed of the widely quoted MunČaka Upanishad verse
(3.2.3). "The Self reveals itself to one whom it chooses.'
Notice the phrase "manifest in us'.
Indra's giving is not physical, but Indra's power
increases in the rişhi.
ni + asakta:
fastened.
sam + ajati: brings
.
gā:
Rays of Light; cows for the
ritualists.
MANTRA (1.33.4): UNGIVING FOES
AND THEIR WEALTH
The wealthy Vŗtra has been struck down with the vajra;
O Indra supreme, who is moving along with heroes amidst foes
To your bow, from all sides come
The Sanakās, the ungiving foes, who meet their
end.
vadhīrhi dasyum dhaninam
ghanenam
struck, the evil force Vŗtra, wealthy, with vajra,
ekaĥ charan upashākebhiĥ
indra,
supreme, moving (amidst foes), along with heroes, Indra,
dhanoĥ adhi vişhuņak te
vyāyan
bow, above, on all sides, your, came,
ayajvānaĥ sanakāĥ pretim
īyuĥ.
ungiving foes, Sanakās, death, obtained.
Details:
It is said in the Brāhmaņa
texts that Vŗtra's body of darkness and ignorance enveloped
everything, all the deities, all the knowledge, all the
strength, etc. The character of these demons, also called
Sanakās, is not to share their wealth with others. Indra
strikes their leader, Vŗtra, recovers the knowledge and
gives it to the Gods for distribution to the humans. The third
and fourth lines mean that the Sanakās come to fight
Indra.
ayajvānaĥ:
Those who do not give, non-performers of yajňa in which the most
important act is giving. The person who performs yajňa is called
dāshuşhe, the giver.
MANTRA (1.33.5): THE FOES
SCATTERED
O Indra, turning their heads away,
The yajňa - obstructers who were contesting with
the sacrificers or the aspirants ran away
When you, Indra, with tawny horses, firm of poise and heroic,
Scattered them from the midregion, heaven and earth, the beings
opposed to both esoteric and external rites.
parāchit shīrşhā vavŗjuĥta
indra
turn away, head, run, they, Indra,
ayajvāno yajvabhiĥ
spardhamānāĥ;
yajňa-obstructors, performers of yajňa or the
human aspirants, contesting,
pra yat divo harivaĥ
sthātaĥugra
., when, midregion, the tawny horses, firm of poise, heroic,
niĥ avratān adhamo rodasyoĥ.
., beings opposed to rites, scatter, heaven and earth.
Details:
The battle between Indra and the
demons takes place in the midregion or midworld, both in the
microcosm (subtle body of rişhi) and the macrocosm.
avratān:
riteless persons, those who do not perform the works which
uphold the dharma. Vrata is not merely a religious
act. It is the name for all actions conducive to the integration
both at the level of the microcosm and macrocosm.
niĥ+ pra + adhama:
scattered.
MANTRA (1.33.6):
VRTRAS RUN AWAY
The blameless Indra and his army fought the Vŗtrās eager for a
battle
As urged by the Navagva seers;
The Vŗtrās showing their weakness, like an emasculate before a
potent hero,
Ran away by steep paths, dispersed by Indra.
ayuyutsan anavadyasya
senām
eager for a fight, blameless one (Indra), army of,
ayātayanta kşhitayo
navagvāĥ,
urged (Indra), men, Navagvās (Angirasās),
vŗşhāyudho na vadhrayo
niraşhţāĥ
potent hero, like, emasculate persons,
pravadbhiĥ indrāt chitayanta
āyan.
by steep
paths, by Indra, showing, fled or ran away,
Details:
It is well-known that both
Navagvās and Dashagvās are Angirasa seers who
help in the recovery of the stolen Rays of Light. As mentioned
earlier, this and other verses imply that the two events, the
recovery of the Rays of Light with the help of Angirasa
seers and the release of Waters, are really aspects of one vast
event.
MANTRA (1.33.7): VICTORY IN THE
MID WORLD
The Vŗtrās, both in tears and in laughter,
Fought with you beyond the midregion, O Indra.
You have burnt down the Vŗtra from the high heaven;
You have superbly protected the Soma-offerers lauding you with
hymns.
tvam etān rudato jakşhataĥ
cha
you, them (Vŗtrās), in tears, in laughter, and,
ayodhayo rajasa indra
pāre,
(you) fought, midregion, Indra, beyond,
avādaho diva ā dasyum
uchchhā
burnt, heaven, from, robber (Vŗtra), high (heavens),
pra sunvataĥ stuvataĥ shamsam
āvaĥ.
excellently (pouring) Soma, lauding you, hymns, guard.
Details:
Even though the residence of the
demons Vŗtrās and Vala, is in the midregion,
antarikşha, they had occupied even parts of the heaven
beyond the midregion rajasa pāre. Indra chases them away.
Indra protects particularly the
offerer of Soma, because by offering Soma, their own Delight
becomes increased by Indra.
pra + āvaĥ:
guard excellently.
MANTRA (1.33.8): SPIES OF VRTRA
Surrounding the earth on all sides,
Shining with the golden jewels and
Hastening (to fight), they could not overcome Indra,
Who covered the spies of Vŗtra with the sun.
chakrāņāsaĥ parīņaham
pŗthivyā
flying round or doing, surrounding on all sides, earth,
hiraņyena maņinā
shumbhamānāĥ,
golden, jewelled, shining,
na hinvānāsaĥ titiruĥ ta
indram
no, hastening, overcome, they, Indra,
pari spasho adadhāt
sūryeņa.
on all sides,
spies, covered, of Sūrya (the sun).
Details:
The spies of Vŗtra, shining
bright, had enveloped the earth with their darkness. The spies
are the inimical psychological forces who pose to be friendly.
Indra covers these coverers.
The first line can be translated as
'Even though they were flying round the earth's periphery'. This
indicates that the global shape of earth was known to the Vedic
sages [K.V. Sharma, Vivekananda Kendra Patrika, Feb. 1983, pp.
101]
pari + adadhāt:
covered on all sides.
MANTRA (1.33.9): MANTRA DEFEATS
THE DASYU
Enjoying completely the earth and heaven and
By encompassing everything with your vastness
You have scattered the foes with the aid of your devotees, O
Indra;
By the mantrās (of the rişhis) you have cast down the dasyu.
pari yat indra rodasī ubhe
abubhojīĥ
fully, when, Indra, heaven and earth, the two, enjoying,
mahinā vishvataĥ sīm;
vastness, everywhere, and,
amanyamānān abhi manyamānaiĥ
those who disrespect, towards, (your) devotees,
niĥ brahmabhiĥ adhamo dasyum
indra.
by the mantrās, dasyu (Vŗtra), Indra.
Details:
Note here the weapon vajra
is not mentioned. By the mantrās is the dasyu Vŗtra
is defeated.
niĥ+ adhamaĥ:
cast down, scatter.
brahma:
in the Veda, it always means the mantra, not the four-headed
purāņic God.
MANTRA (1.33.10): WATERS CANNOT
MOVE UP OR DOWN
They (waters) from heaven could not reach the end of earth
(stalled by Vŗtra);
Under Vŗtra's magic, they could not reach Indra,
the bounteous.
Indra, the showerer, used his vajra and
Milked the rays of light out of the darkness.
na ye divaĥ pŗthivyā antam āpuĥ
na
no, they (waters), from heaven, to earth, ends, attain, not,
māyābhiĥ dhanadām
paryabhūvan,
magic acts, wealth-giver (Indra), reached,
yujam vajram vŗşhabhaĥ chakra
indro
yoked, vajra, showerer (Indra), did, Indra,
niĥ jyotişhā tamaso gā
adukşhat.
in, the light, darkness or inconscient, rays, milked.
Details:
The waters are not, of course,
physical, but divine energies in streams, with their origin in
Heaven. Vŗtra blocked their entry to earth. Also By his
occult powers, Vŗtra made the waters unable to reach
Indra, who is in Heaven.
The last line is
very interesting. Just as a milker obtains milk from a cow by
squeezing its udders, Indra obtains the Rays of Light by
milking or squeezing the Darkness or Inconscient.
Even though RV speaks of the pair
of opposites like good and evil in everyday life, it contains
the deep Truth popularised by later Vedānta that there is only
one Godhead, the ONE from which all have come out. Hence, even
Darkness or the Inconscient must have the presence of the ONE in
it. Thus, by squeezing the Darkness, one can get spiritual
knowledge. Recall the mantra RV (4.2.11) quoted in the
explanation in (1.32.9), describing the knowledge and ignorance
as complementary.
The idea of knowledge in ignorance is symbolically expressed in
many places in the RV by phrases such as, the Sun lying in
darkness, RV (3.39.5) or RV (1.130.3).
In the last line, S regards
tamasa as cloud and gā as waters and declares that
waters are released from the cloud. This interpretations
completely arbitrary and renders a chaotic meaning to the verse.
gāĥ:
Rays of Spiritual Light; cows for the ritualists.
MANTRA (1.33.11): VRTRA'S
THOUGHTS TURN TO INDRA
The waters flowed according to the self-law of Indra;
Vŗtra waxed mighty (though fallen) in deep waters;
Vŗtra, whose thoughts were turned towards him
(Indra),
Was smote by Indra with his mighty vajra days later.
anu svadhām akşharan āpo
asya
following, self-law (of Indra), flowed, waters, his,
avardhata madhya ā
nāvyānām,
increased (Vŗtra), amidst, ., deep waters,
sadhrīchīnena manasā tam
turned towards (Indra), mind or thoughts, him (Vŗtra),
indra ojişhţhena hanmanā ahan
abhi dyūn.
Indra, powerful, with the killing-weapon (vajra), smote,
several, days.
Details:
Note that the third line, which
mentions Vŗtra as, he whose thoughts were turned to
Indra', is reminiscent of the stories in the purāņās
like Bhāgavatam, where the thoughts of the demon-foes are
always on the supreme One, even though they hate the One and are
happy to be killed by the Great One. Vŗtra having
thoughts of Indra, the Lord of the Divine Mind, is another
instance of the Presence of Light in darkness or inconscience
referred to earlier.
nāvyānām:
literally it means waters which are deep or navigable. The
symbolic meaning of this phrase and the second line is clear.
Waters are a standard symbol for energies. Even though Indra
released a vast amount of energy to drown or overcome Vŗtra,
Vŗtra was not drowned. Rather, he appears to have waxed
using this energy.
MANTRA (1.33.12): ILIBISHA AND
SHUSHNA DEMONS
Indra stormed the firm dwelling of Ilībisha;
He pounded the haughty Shuşhņa.
O wealthy Indra, with your
swiftness and might,
You slew the battle-eager foe,
Vŗtra, with your vajra.
nyāvidhyat ilībishasya
dŗļhā
stormed, of the demon Ilībisha, firm dwelling of,
vi shŗngiņam abhinat shuşhņam
indraĥ;
., one with horns or haughty, pounded, the demon Shuşhņa, Indra,
yāvattaro maghavan
yāvadojaĥ
your swiftness, wealthy, your might,
vajreņa shatrum
avadhīĥpŗtanyum.
with vajra, the foe, slew, eager for battle.
Details:
ilībisha:
the evil force who can assume any form.
shuşhņa:
the evil force who sucks up or dries up the sap or essential
energies both in humans and the world.
MANTRA (1.33.13): RENT THE
CITIES (OF THE TITANS)
His vajra confronted his enemy.
He rent the cities of the foe on all sides with his sharp and
powerful vajra.
Indra reached Vŗtra with his vajra.
He achieved his purpose, slaying him (Vŗtra).
abhi sidhmo ajigāt asya
shatrūn
facing or on, the weapon vajra, went, his, foes,
vi tigmena vŗşhabheņā puraĥ
abhet,
., sharp, powerful, cities (of the foes), rent,
sam vajreņā asŗjat vŗtram
indraĥ
., with vajra, united or reached, Vŗtra,
Indra,
pra svām matim atirat
shāshadānaĥ.
., his own, purpose, achieved, after slaying.
Details:
pura:
city (of the Vŗtra), formations in the subtle body of the
yajamāna.
MANTRA (1.33.14): KUTSA, THE
OBJECT OF LOVE
O Indra, you have guarded Kutsa, the object of your love;
You have protected in battle Dashadyu, the pre-eminent;
The dust released by the feet of your steeds reaches heaven;
Son of Shvitra stood up to be rescued by strong men.
āvaĥ kutsam indra yas mim
chākan
guarded, Kusta, Indra, whom, you love,
prāvo yudhyantam vŗşhabham
dashadyum,
(you) guard, battling, famous,
shaphachyutaĥ reņuĥ nakşhata
dyām
released from the feet (of your steeds), dust, reaches, the
heaven,
ut shvaitreyo nŗşhāhyāya
tasthau.
up, son of Shvitra, lifted up by strong persons, stood up.
Details:
The names of rişhis like
Kutsa indicate their original spiritual achievement and
victory.
Kutsa:
One who looks down on the enemies of Gods or enemies of yajňa.
Dashadyu:
One whose Light is spread in ten directions.
Shvitra:
one who is drowned in the chores of livelihood before attaining
knowledge. He was rescued by Indra from his sickly nature and he
subsequently became fearless.
MANTRA (1.33.15): PROTECTION FOR
THE SON OF SHVITRA
He who remained serene even amidst impelling currents, a hero,
The son of Shvitra, a shaft of light and the conqueror of earth
was guarded by you, O Maghavan.
Your foes fostered enmity for long;
You have inflicted pain on those hostiles.
āvaĥ shamam vŗşhabham tugryāsu
guarded, serene, the hero, impelling energy currents,
kşhetrajeşhe maghavan
shvitryam gām;
the conquerer of the earth, wealthy (Indra), son of Shvitra,
rays,
jyokchit atra tasthivāmso
akran
for a long
time, here, fostering, enmity,
shatrūyatām adharā vedana
akaĥ.
hostile, sharp, pains, inflicted. |
