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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Rigveda Maṇḍala 1, Sūkta 5: The Inward Feast and the Growth of the Divine Sovereign

📜 10 Verses

Act 1

The Assembly of Song and the Invocation of the Sovereign

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

आ त्वेता॒ नि षी॑द॒तेंद्र॑म॒भि प्र गा॑यत । सखा॑यः॒ स्तोम॑वाहसः ॥

ā́ tvétā ní ṣīdaténdramabhí prá gāyata ǀ sákhāyaḥ stómavāhasaḥ ǁ

Verse 2

पु॒रू॒तमं॑ पुरू॒णामीशा॑नं॒ वार्या॑णां । इंद्रं॒ सोमे॒ सचा॑ सु॒ते ॥

purūtámam purūṇā́mī́śānam vā́ryāṇām ǀ índram sóme sácā suté ǁ

Verse 3

स घा॑ नो॒ योग॒ आ भु॑व॒त्स रा॒ये स पुरं॑ध्यां । गम॒द्वाजे॑भि॒रा स नः॑ ॥

sá ghā no yóga ā́ bhuvatsá rāyé sá púraṃdhyām ǀ gámadvā́jebhirā́ sá naḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The Sūkta begins with an intimate gathering of spiritual seekers. Madhucchandas, acting as the master of ceremonies, calls upon his companions—whom he beautifully terms the 'bringers of songs of praise' (stoma-vāhasaḥ)—to assemble, sit down in quiet devotion, and direct their consciousness toward Indra. This represents the necessary preparation of the inner sanctuary. Before any divine descent can take place, the scattered energies of the human mind must be gathered and unified. The companions are urged to sing aloud, raising their vibrational focus to invite the supreme lord of strength into their awareness. Having gathered the council, the seer defines the nature of the deity they invite. Indra is described as 'purūtamam'—the most abundant and manifest among all existing forces, and the absolute sovereign ('īśānam') over every desirable treasure ('vāryāṇām'). The invocation occurs 'some sacā sute'—at the precise moment the Soma juice is pressed. Esoterically, this represents the purification and distillation of the soul's delightful experiences. It is when our inner ecstasy is refined and offered to the divine that the sovereign Lord of Mind reveals Himself to receive it. In the third verse of this movement, the seeker asks for Indra's companionship in three vital phases of the path: 'yoga' (the active labor of spiritual acquisition and effort), 'rāye' (the enjoyment of illuminated wealth and peace), and 'purandhi' (the stabilizing, city-building intelligence that holds our realizations). The rishi prays that Indra arrives with 'vājebhiḥ'—the swift, powerful currents of divine vitality—so that no stage of the seeker's journey remains dry or uninspired.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Come together, sit down, O companions who carry our songs of praise, and sing your hymns of devotion to Indra.

Verse 2: Sing to Indra, the most abundant among the many, the sovereign ruler of all precious treasures, as the Soma juice is pressed for the offering.

Verse 3: May he be with us in our active labor, may he be with us in our illuminated peace, may he support our wise understanding; may he come to us with his swift vital treasures.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Traditional commentators like Sāyaṇa interpret this first act purely in terms of the material ritual, explaining 'yoga' as the acquisition of unpossessed cattle and 'rāye' as the preservation of physical wealth. In contrast, modern spiritual interpreters like Sri Aurobindo highlight that 'yoga' and 'purandhi' denote internal psychological processes—the active discipline of ascending consciousness and the stable, city-like intellect that securely houses divine wisdom.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आ तु इत	ā tu ita	come hither quickly
नि सीदत	ni sīdata	sit down together in assembly
इन्द्रम्	indram	to Indra, the lord of the divine mind
अभि प्र गायत	abhi pra gāyata	sing aloud and praise with enthusiasm
सखायः	sakhāyaḥ	O friends, companions in spiritual labor
स्तोमऽवाहसः	stoma-vāhasaḥ	they who bear or carry the hymns of praise like a chariot

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
पुरुऽतमम्	puru-tamam	the most abundant, supreme among many
पुरूणाम्	purūṇām	of the many, of the abundant forces
ईशानम्	īśānam	the sovereign, the absolute ruler
वार्याणाम्	vāryāṇām	of desirable treasures, of spiritual gifts to be chosen
सोमे सचा सुते	some sacā sute	when the Soma juice is pressed in companionship with the ritual

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
योगे	yoge	in the state of acquisition, effort, union, or labor
राये	rāye	for wealth, prosperity, or the enjoyment of spiritual treasures
पुरम्ऽध्याम्	puram-dhyām	in the active intelligence, or the wisdom that maintains the inner city of consciousness
गमत्	gamat	may he come
वाजेभिः	vājebhiḥ	with vital forces, plumes of victory, or speed-treasures

🧠

Memory Hook

Think of a team of rowers aligning their oars in perfect unison. By sitting together in quiet song, they harness the sovereign power of the current to effortlessly carry them through both hard work (yoga) and peaceful arrival (rāye).

Act 2

The Unstoppable Chariot and the Pure Offering

Verses 4, 5, 6

Verse 4

यस्य॑ सं॒स्थे न वृ॒ण्वते॒ हरी॑ स॒मत्सु॒ शत्र॑वः । तस्मा॒ इंद्रा॑य गायत ॥

yásya saṃsthé ná vṛṇváte hárī samátsu śátravaḥ ǀ tásmā índrāya gāyata ǁ

Verse 5

सु॒त॒पाव्ने॑ सु॒ता इ॒मे शुच॑यो यंति वी॒तये॑ । सोमा॑सो॒ दध्या॑शिरः ॥

sutapā́vne sutā́ imé śúcayo yanti vītáye ǀ sómāso dádhyāśiraḥ ǁ

Verse 6

त्वं सु॒तस्य॑ पी॒तये॑ स॒द्यो वृ॒द्धो अ॑जायथाः । इंद्र॒ ज्यैष्ठ्या॑य सुक्रतो ॥

tvám sutásya pītáye sadyó vṛddhó ajāyathāḥ ǀ índra jyáiṣṭhyāya sukrato ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The rishi turns our attention to the unmatched power of Indra's vehicle—his two bright bay horses (harī). These horses are not mere animals; they represent the twin forces of divine perception and swift execution. In the battlefield of life, where hostile, darkening forces try to block our evolution, these divine horses are absolutely unstoppable ('na vṛṇvate'). No enemy can obstruct their advance when they are harnessed to the chariot of the divine mind. The poet calls upon the seekers to sing specifically to this invincible aspect of Indra, establishing absolute faith in his protection. To feed this divine champion, the offering must be prepared with the highest care. The Soma juices are described as 'śucayaḥ' (pure, glowing, and radiant) and are blended with milk or curds ('dadhyāśiraḥ'). This blending represents the integration of our refined devotional ecstasy (Soma) with the solid, nurturing products of clear thinking and mental purity (milk). This rich blend goes straight to the feast of the 'sutapāvan'—the established drinker of the pressed draft. Then, a profound mystery is revealed: the moment this pure draft is offered, Indra is born 'already grown' ('sadyo vṛddhaḥ'). Unlike mortal strengths that require slow, painful development, the divine will and clarity within us manifest instantly in full majesty ('jyaiṣṭhyāya') when fed with pure, distilled devotion. He shows himself as 'sukratu'—the lord of perfect will and flawless action.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: Sing your praise to that Indra, whose two swift bay horses cannot be held back by any enemies in the midst of battle.

Verse 5: These pure and glowing Soma juices, enriched with clarifying curds, hasten to the feast of the drinker of the pressed cup.

Verse 6: For the drinking of the pressed Soma, you were born instantly grown to your full stature, O Indra, for supreme lordship, O performer of perfect deeds.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa focuses on the ritualistic preparation, noting that 'dadhi' (curds) is added to the Soma to make it physically palatable for the deity. Esoteric readings, however, view the milk/curds as the mentalized life-force (Prāṇa) that stabilizes the volatile, ecstatic flow of Soma, allowing the divine mind (Indra) to immediately manifest its full, coordinated power without delay.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सम्ऽस्थे	sam-sthe	in the standing-together of battle, the conflict
न वृण्वते	na vṛṇvate	they do not obstruct, they cannot hold back
हरी	harī	the two bright bay horses (representing vital energy and perception)
शत्रवः	śatravaḥ	the enemies, the forces of limitation and darkness
तस्मै	tasmai	to him, to that one

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुतऽपाव्ने	suta-pāvne	for the drinker of the pressed Soma
शुचयः	śucayaḥ	pure, bright, glowing with clarity
यन्ति	yanti	they go, they flow swiftly
वीतये	vītaye	for the feast, for enjoyment
दधिऽआशिरः	dadhi-āśiraḥ	mixed with curds/milk to enrich and cool the mixture

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सद्यः	sadyaḥ	instantly, on the same day, immediately
वृद्धः	vṛddhaḥ	grown, magnified, fully expanded
अजायथाः	ajāyathāḥ	you were born, you manifested
ज्यैष्ठ्याय	jyaiṣṭhyāya	for supremacy, for the highest status
सुऽक्रतो	su-krato	O lord of perfect conscious will and effective action

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a high-performance engine fueled by pure, refined racing fuel. The moment the key turns, it instantly roars to life at maximum power. That refined fuel is the pure Soma (dadhyāśiraḥ), causing Indra's power to awaken instantly (sadyo vṛddhaḥ) to break through all obstacles.

Act 3

The Ocean of Devotion and the Sovereign Shield

Verses 7, 8, 9, 10

Verse 7

आ त्वा॑ विशंत्वा॒शवः॒ सोमा॑स इंद्र गिर्वणः । शं ते॑ संतु॒ प्रचे॑तसे ॥

ā́ tvā viśantvāśávaḥ sómāsa indra girvaṇaḥ ǀ śám te santu prácetase ǁ

Verse 8

त्वां स्तोमा॑ अवीवृध॒न्त्वामु॒क्था श॑तक्रतो । त्वां व॑र्धंतु नो॒ गिरः॑ ॥

tvā́m stómā avīvṛdhantvā́mukthā́ śatakrato ǀ tvā́m vardhantu no gíraḥ ǁ

Verse 9

अक्षि॑तोतिः सनेदि॒मं वाज॒मिंद्रः॑ सह॒स्रिणं॑ । यस्मि॒न्विश्वा॑नि॒ पौंस्या॑ ॥

ákṣitotiḥ sanedimám vā́jamíndraḥ sahasríṇam ǀ yásminvíśvāni páuṃsyā ǁ

Verse 10

मा नो॒ मर्ता॑ अ॒भि द्रु॑हन्त॒नूना॑मिंद्र गिर्वणः । ईशा॑नो यवया व॒धं ॥

mā́ no mártā abhí druhantanū́nāmindra girvaṇaḥ ǀ ī́śāno yavayā vadhám ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this final, triumphant movement, the rishi invokes a beautiful image of absolute absorption. The swift Soma juices are invited to pour into Indra, filling him up like rivers entering the vast ocean. This intake must bring delight to his highly conscious, discerning mind ('pracetase'). The poet then reveals one of the most vital secrets of Vedic psychology: 'The songs of praise have grown you, the sacred chants have magnified you, O Lord of a hundred deeds; may our current words continue to grow you!' This shows that the relationship between the human devotee and the divine force is reciprocal. By our prayers, our conscious focus, and our expressions of truth, we actively feed and 'grow' the presence of Indra within our own experience. When Indra is grown to his full capacity through our songs, he rewards us with 'akṣita-ūtiḥ'—an undiminished, imperishable protection. Under his shield, the seeker wins the 'vāja sahasriṇam'—a thousandfold vitality and spiritual abundance wherein all heroic powers ('pauṃsyā') dwell. This is not just protection from physical foes, but the acquisition of an unshakeable, dynamic strength that rules over all planes of existence. The Sūkta closes with a practical, grounding prayer for physical and psychological safety. The rishi asks that mortal men ('martāḥ') with hostile, deceptive intentions ('abhi druhan') never succeed in harming their physical bodies ('tanūnām'). He calls upon Indra, who reigns as the supreme master, to actively turn away the weapon ('vadham') of the adversary, ensuring that the seeker can continue their spiritual work in complete peace and security.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 7: May the swift Soma drafts enter into you, O Indra, lover of songs; may they bring peaceful delight to your highly discerning mind.

Verse 8: The songs of praise have magnified you, the sacred chants have increased you, O Lord of a hundred deeds; may our present words also continue to grow your presence.

Verse 9: May Indra, whose protection never decays, win for us this thousandfold vital force, in whom all supreme heroic strengths are centered.

Verse 10: Let no mortal bring harm or malice to our bodies, O Indra, lover of songs; as our sovereign master, drive far away the weapon of the destroyer.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

A significant point of debate centers on 'śatakrato'. Sāyaṇa translates this literally as 'he of a hundred sacrifices' (referencing the classical Aśvamedha or Somayajña rituals required to attain Indra's status). Sri Aurobindo and older etymologists like Yāska suggest that 'kratu' means conscious will or power of action. Thus, 'śatakrato' is the 'lord of a hundredfold conscious power,' indicating the infinite capacity of the divine mind to manifest perfect willpower.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 7

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आ विशन्तु	ā viśantu	let them enter fully
आशवः	āśavaḥ	swift, flowing with speed
गिर्वणः	girvaṇaḥ	O lover of songs, who finds joy in the singer's voice
शम् ते सन्तु	śam te santu	may they be pleasant, therapeutic, or beneficial to you
प्रऽचेतसे	pra-cetase	to the highly conscious, intelligent, and discerning one

Verse 8

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
स्तोमाः	stomāḥ	the songs of praise, the structural hymns
अवीवृधन्	avīvṛdhan	they have grown, increased, or magnified
उक्था	ukthā	the spoken chants, the utterances of truth
शतऽक्रतो	śata-krato	O Lord of a hundred wisdom-wills or powerful ritual actions
नः गिरः	naḥ giraḥ	our voices, our current words of praise

Verse 9

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अक्षितऽऊतिः	akṣita-ūtiḥ	he of undiminished, imperishable, and uncorrupted protection
सनेत्	sanet	may he conquer, obtain, or win for us
वाजम्	vājam	the vital prize, speed-wealth, or spiritual plenitude
सहस्रिणम्	sahasriṇam	thousandfold, infinitely rich
पौंस्या	pauṃsyā	heroic powers, manly forces, supreme energies

Verse 10

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
मा मर्ताः	mā martāḥ	let not mortal men, the transient ones
अभि द्रुहन्	abhi druhan	act with malice, injure, or plot deceit against
तनूनाम्	tanūnām	of our physical bodies, our physical vehicles
यवय	yavaya	ward off, separate, keep at a distance
वधम्	vadham	the weapon, the blow of destruction or violence

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine throwing dry wood onto a crackling bonfire. The fire doesn't just swallow the wood—it flares up, growing taller and brighter. Our songs are that wood, actively feeding and growing (avīvṛdhan) the protective flame of Indra within us.