🌐 Language:

Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

The Harnessing of the Divine Steeds: A Sūkta of Invocation and Ecstasy to Indra

📜 6 Verses

Act 1

The Awakening Call and the Feast of Joy

Verses 1, 2

Verse 1

उपो॒ षु शृ॑णु॒ही गिरो॒ मघ॑व॒न्मात॑था इव । य॒दा नः॑ सू॒नृता॑वतः॒ कर॒ आद॒र्थया॑स॒ इद्योजा॒ न्विं॑द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥

úpo ṣú śṛṇuhī́ gíro mághavanmā́tathā iva ǀ yadā́ naḥ sūnṛ́tāvataḥ kára ā́dartháyāsa ídyójā nvíndra te hárī ǁ

Verse 2

अक्ष॒न्नमी॑मदंत॒ ह्यव॑ प्रि॒या अ॑धूषत । अस्तो॑षत॒ स्वभा॑नवो॒ विप्रा॒ नवि॑ष्ठया म॒ती योजा॒ न्विं॑द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥

ákṣannámīmadanta hyáva priyā́ adhūṣata ǀ ástoṣata svábhānavo víprā náviṣṭhayā matī́ yójā nvíndra te hárī ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi sounds a clarion call to Indra, urging the generous Lord not to turn away as if indifferent. The invocation is vibrant, demanding the attention of the deity who brings bountiful truth and abundance. The Ṛṣi reminds Indra of his praise and asks him to harness his two tawny steeds, the Harī, which carry him across the cosmic realms. Moving into the second verse, the atmosphere shifts to one of celebration and satisfaction. The Soma has been pressed, consumed, and rejoiced in; the dear offerings have shaken forth their blessings. The radiant, self-luminous sages have sung their newest, freshest hymns of praise. Indra is once again beckoned to yoke his horses, having partaken fully of the spiritual ecstasy prepared by the devoted seekers.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Hearken closely now to our songs, O Maghavan, do not pass us by like one indifferent; when you make us possessors of truth, then do you proceed to our desire—yoke now your two bay steeds, O Indra.

Verse 2: They have feasted, they have rejoiced indeed, the dear offerings have stirred; the self-luminous sages have praised with a newest hymn—yoke now your two bay steeds, O Indra.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa interprets 'akṣan' as the consumption of the oblations by the deities, while Sri Aurobindo sees deeper psychological dimensions where the powers of the mind and senses partake in the divine delight of Soma.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
उपोषु	upo ṣu	listen closely, attend now
मघवन्	maghavan	possessor of bounty, generous one (epithet of Indra)
हरी	harī	the two tawny/golden steeds of Indra

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अक्षन्	akṣan	they have eaten/consumed
अमीमदन्त	amīmadanta	they have rejoiced, been gladdened
स्वभानवः	svabhānavaḥ	self-luminous, shining by their own light

🧠

Memory Hook

Imagine a vibrant morning festival where drummers call out to a beloved king, waking him with joyous songs and overflowing cups until he steps forth and harnesses his golden chariot.

Act 2

The Radiant Chariot and the Divine Union

Verses 3, 4, 5

Verse 3

सु॒सं॒दृशं॑ त्वा व॒यं मघ॑वन्वंदिषी॒महि॑ । प्र नू॒नं पू॒र्णवं॑धुरः स्तु॒तो या॑हि॒ वशाँ॒ अनु॒ योजा॒ न्विं॑द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥

susaṃdṛ́śam tvā vayám mághavanvandiṣīmáhi ǀ prá nūnám pūrṇávandhuraḥ stutó yāhi váśām̐ ánu yójā nvíndra te hárī ǁ

Verse 4

स घा॒ तं वृष॑णं॒ रथ॒मधि॑ तिष्ठाति गो॒विदं॑ । यः पात्रं॑ हारियोज॒नं पू॒र्णमिं॑द्र॒ चिके॑तति॒ योजा॒ न्विं॑द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥

sá ghā tám vṛ́ṣaṇam ráthamádhi tiṣṭhāti govídam ǀ yáḥ pā́tram hāriyojanám pūrṇámindra cíketati yójā nvíndra te hárī ǁ

Verse 5

यु॒क्तस्ते॑ अस्तु॒ दक्षि॑ण उ॒त स॒व्यः श॑तक्रतो । तेन॑ जा॒यामुप॑ प्रि॒यां मं॑दा॒नो या॒ह्यंध॑सो॒ योजा॒ न्विं॑द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥

yuktáste astu dákṣiṇa utá savyáḥ śatakrato ǀ téna jāyā́múpa priyā́m mandānó yāhyándhaso yójā nvíndra te hárī ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The Ṛṣi continues his fervent prayer, desiring to behold Indra in all his magnificent splendour. He prays that the Lord, bearing full burdens of grace and praised by the community, may speed forward to the gatherings and riches. The imagery becomes intensely dynamic as the verses describe the bull-like, conquering chariot of Indra, which is destined to win the light and find the hidden cows of spiritual illumination. In the fifth verse, the intimacy deepens. The Ṛṣi prays that both the right and left reins (or powers) of Indra be properly yoked. With this divine alignment, Indra—gladdened by the pressed Soma juice—approaches his beloved consort, symbolising the blissful union between the divine power and the receptive soul or divine energy.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 3: May we attain the vision of you in your beauty, O Maghavan; praised by us, speed forth now with your heavily-laden chariot toward our desires—yoke now your two bay steeds, O Indra.

Verse 4: Verily, he shall mount that conquering chariot which wins the cows, he who perceives the vessel of Hāriyojana filled to the brim—yoke now your two bay steeds, O Indra.

Verse 5: Let your right and left steeds both be yoked, O Śatakratu; gladdened by the Soma, approach with it your dear consort—yoke now your two bay steeds, O Indra.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Commentators differ on 'jāyām upa priyām': Sāyaṇa takes it literally as Indra approaching his wife Indrāṇī after the sacrifice, while esoteric commentators view it as the divine consciousness uniting with its inherent śakti (power).

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
सुसंदृशम्	susaṃdṛśam	easy to behold, of beautiful appearance
पूर्णवन्धुरः	pūrṇavandhuraḥ	having a full seat or loaded chariot body

Verse 4

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
वृषणम्	vṛṣaṇam	bull-like, showerer of benefits, powerful
गोविदम्	govidam	finding the cows (rays of light or streams of wisdom)
हारियोजनम्	hāriyojanam	the vessel associated with yoking the Harī steeds

Verse 5

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
शतक्रतो	śatakrato	O lord of a hundred powers/sacrifices
प्रियाम्	priyām	dear, beloved consort/wife (often identified with Indrāṇī)
अन्धसः	andhasaḥ	of the pressed Soma juice

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a magnificent golden chariot pulled by twin sun-coloured horses, charging swiftly across the sky to unite heaven and earth in a joyous celebration.

Act 3

The Master Yoke and the Ecstasy with Pūṣan

Verses 6

Verse 6

यु॒नज्मि॑ ते॒ ब्रह्म॑णा के॒शिना॒ हरी॒ उप॒ प्र या॑हि दधि॒षे गभ॑स्त्योः । उत्त्वा॑ सु॒तासो॑ रभ॒सा अ॑मंदिषुः पूष॒ण्वान्व॑ज्रि॒न्त्समु॒ पत्न्या॑मदः ॥

yunájmi te bráhmaṇā keśínā hárī úpa prá yāhi dadhiṣé gábhastyoḥ ǀ úttvā sutā́so rabhasā́ amandiṣuḥ pūṣaṇvā́nvajrintsámu pátnyāmadaḥ ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In this concluding verse, the Ṛṣi takes an active, priestly role, declaring: 'I yoke your two maned steeds with the sacred utterance (brahman).' He hands the reins over to Indra's own hands, ready for the upward journey. The pressed juices have exhilarated the deity to the utmost, and accompanied by Pūṣan—the nourisher and guardian of paths—the thunder-wielding Indra revels in supreme delight alongside his divine consort.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 6: I yoke for you with prayer the two maned steeds; ride forth, holding them in your hands. The forceful, pressed drops have exhilarated you; accompanied by Pūṣan, O Vajrin, you have rejoiced together with your consort.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

Sāyaṇa emphasizes the ritual act of the priest harnessing the deity's chariot through mantra, whereas Yāska and later mystic interpreters see the mantra ('brahmaṇā') as the inner spiritual concentration that aligns the mind with divine forces.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 6

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
युनज्मि	yunajmi	I yoke, harness
ब्रह्मणा	brahmaṇā	with sacred prayer, formula, or spiritual force
केशिना	keśinā	long-maned (referring to the two horses)
वज्रिन्	vajrin	wielder of the thunderbolt (Indra)

🧠

Memory Hook

Envision an expert charioteer holding the reins of two wild, glowing horses, securing them firmly with a chanted mantra while festival drums roll in the background.