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Rigveda · Maṇḍala 1

Rigveda Maṇḍala 1, Sūkta 83: The Stream of Grace, the Ancient Sacrificers, and Indra's Joy

📜 6 Verses

Act 1

Act I: The Flowing Waters of Grace and the Pious Worshippers

Verses 1, 2, 3

Verse 1

अश्वा॑वति प्रथ॒मो गोषु॑ गच्छति सुप्रा॒वीरिं॑द्र॒ मर्त्य॒स्तवो॒तिभिः॑ । तमित्पृ॑णक्षि॒ वसु॑ना॒ भवी॑यसा॒ सिंधु॒मापो॒ यथा॒भितो॒ विचे॑तसः ॥

áśvāvati prathamó góṣu gacchati suprāvī́rindra mártyastávotíbhiḥ ǀ támítpṛṇakṣi vásunā bhávīyasā síndhumā́po yáthābhíto vícetasaḥ ǁ

Verse 2

आपो॒ न दे॒वीरुप॑ यंति हो॒त्रिय॑म॒वः प॑श्यंति॒ वित॑तं॒ यथा॒ रजः॑ । प्रा॒चैर्दे॒वासः॒ प्र ण॑यंति देव॒युं ब्र॑ह्म॒प्रियं॑ जोषयंते व॒रा इ॑व ॥

ā́po ná devī́rúpa yanti hotríyamaváḥ paśyanti vítatam yáthā rájaḥ ǀ prācáirdevā́saḥ prá ṇayanti devayúm brahmapríyam joṣayante varā́ iva ǁ

Verse 3

अधि॒ द्वयो॑रदधा उ॒क्थ्यं१॒॑ वचो॑ य॒तस्रु॑चा मिथु॒ना या स॑प॒र्यतः॑ । असं॑यत्तो व्र॒ते ते॑ क्षेति॒ पुष्य॑ति भ॒द्रा श॒क्तिर्यज॑मानाय सुन्व॒ते ॥

ádhi dváyoradadhā ukthyám váco yatásrucā mithunā́ yā́ saparyátaḥ ǀ ásaṃyatto vraté te kṣeti púṣyati bhadrā́ śaktíryájamānāya sunvaté ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

In these opening verses, the Ṛṣi opens a window into the dynamic relationship between the mortal devotee and the supreme lord of force, Indra. Indra is depicted as the foremost protector of the rich-pastured mortal, moving swiftly among cattle and showering abundant blessings. Just as rivers flow toward the ocean, filling and replenishing it, so do the prayers of the devout stream toward Indra, seeking his radiant favor. The imagery shifts to the liturgical space where a husband and wife, holding the pressing-stones with synchronized devotion, offer their hymns. Here, the sacred bond of the householder's ritual becomes an unassailable fortress, protected by a benevolent power that nurtures those who press the soma. We witness an intimate yet cosmic partnership. Indra does not stand aloof in the heavens; he leans into the sacred enclosure where the dual offerers—husband and wife—tend the sacrificial fires with unified hearts. The Ṛṣi assures us that for such a devoted patron, the divine shakti (power) remains ever-watchful, ensuring that prosperity and spiritual growth blossom without obstruction. This is the eternal rhythm of the Vedic household: the human invocation meeting the divine descent in a continuous loop of grace.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 1: Indra, the foremost protector, goes among the cattle with horses and assists the mortal with his bounties; you fill him with ever-growing wealth, just as life-giving waters surround and swell the river.

Verse 2: Like divine rivers they approach the sacred office of the Hotṛ, gazing upon the widespread realm of light; moving forward, the gods guide the lover of the divine, cherishing him as noble suitors cherish a bride.

Verse 3: You have placed the hymn of praise upon the two who hold the sruc ladles together as a pair; under your inviolable protection, the worshipper dwells securely and flourishes, for your grace constantly nourishes the presser of Soma.

📝 Scholar's Reading Note

The direct translations follow the Padapāṭha word roots, while the commentary of Sāyaṇa emphasizes the householder's ritual obligations. Sri Aurobindo views 'gopsu' and 'asvavati' not merely as physical livestock, but as psychological symbols of illumination and vital energy.

📚 Word-by-Word Breakdown

Verse 1

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
अश्वावति	aśvāvati	possessing horses or swift power
प्रथमः	prathamaḥ	first, foremost
इन्द्र	indra	Indra, lord of might
सुप्रअवीः	supra-avīḥ	one who protects excellently

Verse 2

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
आपः	āpaḥ	waters, streams
देवीः	devīḥ	divine, radiant
होत्रियम्	hotriyam	pertaining to the Hotṛ priest or sacrifice
ब्रह्मप्रियम्	brahma-priyam	dear to prayer or the sacred word

Verse 3

Devanāgarī	IAST	Translation
उक्थ्यम्	ukthyam	worthy of praise, a hymn
यतस्रुचा	yata-srucā	holding the sacrificial ladles uplifted
व्रते	vrate	in the law, rule, or vow
शक्तिः	śaktiḥ	power, capacity, divine force

🧠

Memory Hook

Picture a rushing mountain river feeding a vast lake at sunrise — that is how the devotee's prayers flow toward Indra, who responds by flooding the household with horses, cattle, and unbreakable protection.

Act 2

Act II: The Primordial Pathfinders and the Joy of Indra

Verses 4, 5, 6

Verse 4

आदंगि॑राः प्रथ॒मं द॑धिरे॒ वय॑ इ॒द्धाग्न॑यः॒ शम्या॒ ये सु॑कृ॒त्यया॑ । सर्वं॑ प॒णेः सम॑विंदंत॒ भोज॑न॒मश्वा॑वंतं॒ गोमं॑त॒मा प॒शुं नरः॑ ॥

ā́dáṅgirāḥ prathamám dadhire váya iddhā́gnayaḥ śámyā yé sukṛtyáyā ǀ sárvam paṇéḥ sámavindanta bhójanamáśvāvantam gómantamā́ paśúm náraḥ ǁ

Verse 5

य॒ज्ञैरथ॑र्वा प्रथ॒मः प॒थस्त॑ते॒ ततः॒ सूर्यो॑ व्रत॒पा वे॒न आज॑नि । आ गा आ॑जदु॒शना॑ का॒व्यः सचा॑ य॒मस्य॑ जा॒तम॒मृतं॑ यजामहे ॥

yajñáirátharvā prathamáḥ pathástate tátaḥ sū́ryo vratapā́ vená ā́jani ǀ ā́ gā́ ājaduśánā kāvyáḥ sácā yamásya jātámamṛ́tam yajāmahe ǁ

Verse 6

ब॒र्हिर्वा॒ यत्स्व॑प॒त्याय॑ वृ॒ज्यते॒ऽर्को वा॒ श्लोक॑मा॒घोष॑ते दि॒वि । ग्रावा॒ यत्र॒ वद॑ति का॒रुरु॒क्थ्य१॒॑स्तस्येदिंद्रो॑ अभिपि॒त्वेषु॑ रण्यति ॥

barhírvā yátsvapatyā́ya vṛjyáte’rkó vā ślókamāghóṣate diví ǀ grā́vā yátra vádati kārúrukthyástásyédíndro abhipitvéṣu raṇyati ǁ

📖 Immersive narrative, word breakdowns, and spiritual context

The horizon expands from the individual household altar to the vast sweep of cosmic history. The Ṛṣi recalls the ancient ancestors—the Angirasas and Atharvan—who first blazed the trail of sacrifice, mastered the inner fires, and recovered the stolen treasures (symbolized by the cattle of the Pani). Through precise ritual action (śamī) and skilled craftsmanship of the soul, they shattered the darkness of the hoard and brought forth light. Atharvan laid down the first paths of sacrifice, followed by the birth of Sūrya the guardian of vows, Vena, and the wise Uśanā Kāvya. This lineage of seers established the eternal order that links humanity to the immortal realm of Yama. The Sūkta culminates in a scene of ecstatic celebration. Whether the sacred grass (barhis) is spread for progeny, whether the chant (arka) echoes in the heavens, or whether the pressing-stones (grāvan) ring out with the voice of the singer—it is precisely in these moments of ritual culmination (abhipitveṣu) that Indra delights and rejoices. The god of thunder finds his true home wherever human consciousness awakens into song and sacrifice.

💭 Flowing Translation

Verse 4: Then the Angirasas first sustained their strength, with fires enkindled and skilful labor; the heroes recovered all the wealth of Vani—the cattle, horses, and all provisions.

Verse 5: Atharvan first paved the paths through sacrifices; then Sūrya, guardian of vows, and Vena were born; Uśanā the poet drove forth the cattle in company—we worship the immortal birth of Yama.

Verse 6: Whether the sacrificial grass is arranged for good progeny, or the chant resounds in heaven, or the pressing-stone rings out with the singer's praise—in those very moments of evening decline, Indra rejoices.