Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 11

Now the hymn beginning with indram visvā in anushtubh metre, has eight Riks. The seer is Jeta, son of Madhucchandas, Indra again is the deity.

This is the first Rik.

1. indram visvā avivſdhantsamudravyacasam giraḥ, rathi tamam rathinām vājānām satpatim patim.
   indram visvāḥ avivsdhan samudra’vyacasam giraḥ rathi’tamam rathinām vājānām sať patim patim.

viśvā ḥ all; giraḥ lauds; indram Indra; avivsdhan have increased; the deity, as he is lauded grows in him who lauds, the receptacle; of what kind is he? samudravyacasam pervading like the sea; better meaning would be all pervading like the sky, mid-region-samudra is used in the sense of the sky (derivation of vyac in the sense of pervading); again, rathinām in the midst of those with chariots; rathitamam superbly charioted; that ratha is derived from ramh in the sense of speed has already been mentioned; this adjective is to demonstrate that he is not inactive like the all-pervading sky but fast-going everywhere; and again vājānām patim of varied opulences, protector, lord; and also satpatim the protector, the lord of all existences, of all that are created.

Tr. All lauds have increased Indra, pervading like the sea, most charioted among those with chariots, the lord of riches, lord of all existences.

This is the second Rik.

2. sakhye ta indra vājino mā bhema savasaspate, tvāmabhi pra nonumo jetāramaparājitam.
   sakhye te indra vājinaḥ mā bhema savasaḥ pate tvām abhi pra nonumaḥ jetāram aparā’ jitam.

savasaḥ pate O Lord of luminous strength; indra Indra; te thine ; sakhye being in friendship; vājinaḥ prosperous we; mā bhema may not fear (elision of ai Vedic) may we not be afraid of foes; tvām thee; abhipraņonumaḥ laud excellently on every side; thee of what kind ? jetāram conqueror everywhere; aparājitam undefeated. Here the devotee, Rishi, praises the Lord in his own name. The technique explained earlier, is to be kept in mind.

Tr. Lord of luminous strength, Indra, opulent in thy friendship, may we not be afraid, we laud excellently from all sides thee who art conqueror, undefeated.

This is the third Rik.

3. pūrvirindrasya rātayo na vi dasyantyūtayaḥ, yadi vājasya gomataḥ stotȚbhyo mamhate magham.
   pūrviḥ indrasya rātayaḥ na vi dasyanti ūtayaḥ yadi vājasya go’mataḥ stot’bhyaḥ mamhate magham.

indrasya of Indra; rātayaḥ gifts (ra to give) ; þūrviḥ many; many are the gifts of his Grace; or else, ancient gifts, natural to him; therefore he, Indra, stotạbhyaḥ for the devotees; gomataḥ endowed with the rays of knowledge; vājasya of wealth denoting opulence, a part of it; magham treasure; mamhate gives; yadi if; ūtayaḥ his growths constant; na vidasyanti do not diminish. There is no diminution for the countless, ever-increasing riches of Indra inspite of daily gifts. The nature of the wealth is stated by the use of terms gomat luminous with knowledge and vāja riches.

Tr. Plentiful are the gifts of Indra. Even if he gives to his praise-singers the treasure of the wealth bright with knowledge, its growths diminish not.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. purām bhinduryuvā kaviramitaujā ajāyata, indro vis vasya karmaṇo dhartā vajri purușțutaḥ.
   purām bhinduḥ yuvā kaviḥ amita’ojāḥ ajāyata indraḥ viſvasya karmaṇaḥ dhartā vajri puru’stutaḥ.

indra this Indra ; ajāyata became; of what prowess ? distinguished by what quality? purām bhinduḥ breaker of the dwelling cities of the titans; bhindu from the root bhid to break, hence difficult to break, fortressed are the cities; considering that they are to be broken, it is indicated that they are connected with the foes of the gods ; yuvā endowed with youth—insolence is necessary for the destruction of the cities of the titans, that is indicated by youth; kaviḥ seer, seer of what is within all, capable of seeing of the concealed, inaccessible dwelling places of the titans; amitaujāḥ of immeasurable strength; visvasya karmaṇaḥ of universal action; dhartā sustainer; by him alone are sustained all the inner sacrifices in ourselves; vajri thunder-armed for the destruction of enemies like Tamas, darkness, Vritra, etc.; puruşțutaḥ praised or resorted to by praise, by many or in many actions.

Tr. Destroyer of cities, young, seer, unlimited in strength, sustainer of all action, thunder-armed, much-extolled Indra, came to be.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. tvam valasya gomato’pāvaradrivo bilam, tvām devā abibhyușastujyamānāsa āvişuḥ.
   tvam valasya go’mataḥ apa avaḥ adri’vaḥ bilam tvām devāḥ abibhyuşaḥ tujyamānāsaḥ āvişuḥ.

The titan Vala, kindred of Vritra, stole the cows of Light and lodged them in a mountain cave, somewhere in pitch darkness indicating the inconscient. Breaking open the closed door of the hole with the help of the fearless gods, he freed and secured again those cows of Sun (Light) or of Indra. The rays of the light of consciousness are concealed in the holes of inertia in the body pre-ponderantly obscure by a by a titan titan - one of the enemies of the divine light, by a special force which encircles. The cows of the said form are released by means of the mind bright with the light and strength of the Truth-Consciousness, by Indra presiding over it, heaven-homed, entering the concealed and dense hole. This in brief is the significance and explanation of the narrative. The commentary of the hymn surūpakſtnum is to be here borne in mind.

adrivaḥ O thunder-armed; tvam thou; gomataḥ valasya of Vala with cows; bilam cave (hole) ; apāvaḥ didst uncover (uş to cover, imperfect tense Vedic); devāḥ thy aides-Maruts, say the commentators citing the Brahmanas; abibhyuşaḥ fearless (accusative in the sense of nominative) fearless of the enemy; tujyamānāsaḥ means quick, speeding, says Skandaswamin ; tvām āviṣuḥ entered thee.

(Perfect tense of vis: the absence of reduplication is Vedic, sa becomes șa.)

Tr. O thunder-armed, thou thrust open the cave of Vala with the cows; fearless the gods came to thee speeding.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. tavāham sūra rā tibhiḥ pratyāyam sindhumāvadan, upā tişthanta girvaro viduște tasya kāravaḥ.
   tava aham sūra rāti bhiḥ prati āyam sindhum ā’vadan upa atişthanta girvanaḥ viduḥ te tasya kāravaḥ.

girvaṇaḥ adorable by lauds; šūra valorous Indra; tava rātibhiḥ by thy gifts indicative of grace; sindhum thee flowing like a river; Soma, say some commentators; aham pratyāyam I came to, I have come into thy presence; (āyam, imperfect tense of i to go) doing what ? ā vadan chanting, celebrating everywhere thy glory; indeed, I have everywhere carried on the Yoga-pilgrimage by the light, strength and valour obtained by thy grace, hero that thou art; I have attained to thee who art ever flowing with the eternal sap like the river, unscorched by the Asuras who dry up the soma essence in our body, life and mind -- this is the purport. Note the utility of the use of the terms, sūra, hero, sindhum, river; its connection with māyābhiḥ in the next rik is to be grasped; this is thy greatness that those of purified understanding or capable of sacrifice wait upon thee; the Rishis, creators of mantras, know this of thee - says the later half; adorable by words, O Indra, the wise or the sacrificing ones upātişthanta wait upon thee with lauds; tasya of such; te thy glory; kāravaḥ the makers of the lauds; viduḥ know.

Tr. Adorable by praises, hero, by thy bounties I come to thee who art flowing, proclaiming everywhere they wait upon thee, the makers of the lauds know thy glory.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. māyābhirindra māyinam tuam suşnamavātiraḥ, viduşțe tasya medhirāsteṣām śravāmsyuttira.
   māyābhiḥ indra māyinam tvam śuşnam ava atiraḥ viduḥ te tasya medhirāḥ teşām sravāmsi ut tira.

indra O Indra; tvam thou; māyābhiḥ by thy varied intelligences skilful in the search, finding and destruction of deceit; māyinam yariedly deceitful in intelligence; suşnam Asura of this name; avā tiraḥ hast slain (avatirati means the act of killing, says Skandaswamin); thou hast laid him low, is a fitting meaning; medhirāḥ the wise seers; tasya te glory of thee of this kind ; viduḥ they know; teşām of these Rishis; sravāmsi divine hearings; uttira increase, make them superb; like Vala related to Vritra, Shushna, an Asura of that kind, dries up the sap (of beings, say some). The rest has been explained while dealing with sindhum (river). The repetition of viduşte tasya, and the resonance of medhirāḥ, kāravaḥ, would show the connection between the two Riks.

Tr. Indra, thou hast slain with thy (superior) cunning the cunning Shushna. The wise Rishis know this of thee ; increase their hearings.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. indrami sānamojasābhi stomā anūşata, sahasram yasya rātaya uta vā santi bhūyasiḥ.
   indram iśānam ojasā abhi stomāḥ anūşata sahasram yasya rātayaḥ uta vā santi bhūyasiḥ.

ojasā with might; isānam ruler of the universe, lord (present participle of is to rule); indram Indra; stomāḥ the chanters; abhyanūşata praise face to face (aorist in the sense of present tense); yasya of which Indra; rātayaḥ gifts; sahasram thousand, indicating large number; santi are; uta va or; bhūyasiḥ abundant (change in case) are multifold.

Tr. The chanters praise Indra who rules by his might, direct, him whose gifts are plentiful or variedly abundant.

As the purport has been brought out generally while explaining the terms in this hymn, then and there, more elaboration is not intended. Some say that this hymn also is of Madhucchandas and not of his son. Acharya Anandatirtha thinks so. Let the Rishi be Jeta or not. For the understanding of the purport, the difference of opinion regarding the fixing of the seer is of no consequence, especially in view of the sameness of style. The eleven hymns of Maducchandas foremost in the Rik Samhita have been commented upon. Determining the essential principles of the gods Agni, Indra, etc., as postulated in the Introduction, if these hymns are considered, doubtless the line of esoteric exposition would be clear.

Thus ends the twenty-first group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.

Thus ends the third Section in the first Circle.