Ṛgveda · Maṇḍala 1 · Sūkta 16

Ṛk 1.16.1

Indra · Medhātithi Kāṇva

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Saṃhitā

आ त्वा॑ वहंतु॒ हर॑यो॒ वृष॑णं॒ सोम॑पीतये ।
इंद्र॑ त्वा॒ सूर॑चक्षसः ॥

आ त्वा वहन्तु हरयो वृषणं सोमपीतये |
इन्द्र त्वा सूरचक्षसः ||

ā́ tvā vahantu hárayo vṛ́ṣaṇam sómapītaye ǀ
índra tvā sū́racakṣasaḥ ǁ

ā tvā vahantu harayo vṛṣaṇaṃ somapītaye |
indra tvā sūracakṣasaḥ ||

Padapāṭha

आ । त्वा॒ । व॒ह॒न्तु॒ । हर॑यः । वृष॑णम् । सोम॑ऽपीतये ।
इन्द्र॑ । त्वा॒ । सूर॑ऽचक्षसः ॥

आ । त्वा । वहन्तु । हरयः । वृषणम् । सोमऽपीतये ।
इन्द्र । त्वा । सूरऽचक्षसः ॥

ā́ ǀ tvā ǀ vahantu ǀ hárayaḥ ǀ vṛ́ṣaṇam ǀ sóma-pītaye ǀ
índra ǀ tvā ǀ sū́ra-cakṣasaḥ ǁ

ā ǀ tvā ǀ vahantu ǀ harayaḥ ǀ vṛṣaṇam ǀ soma-pītaye ǀ
indra ǀ tvā ǀ sūra-cakṣasaḥ ǁ

References

Maṇḍala · Sūkta · Ṛk
01.016.01
Aṣṭaka · Adhyāya · Varga · Ṛk
1.1.30.01
Maṇḍala · Anuvāka · Ṛk
01.04.049
Devatā देवता
Indra
Ṛṣi ऋषि
Medhātithi Kāṇva
Chandas छन्दस्
Gāyatrī
Svara स्वरः
षड्जः

Text and interpretations from the Ṛgveda database of theveda.org.in.

Ṛgveda 1.16.1

Interpretations

Kapali Shastri

Introduction

ā tvā vahantu begins the fifth hymn (of nine Riks) in the fourth Section. The Rishi and the metre are as before. The deity is Indra.

Translation

Tr. May the steeds bring thee, showerer, to drink the Soma; thee, O Indra, the luminous-eyed.

Commentary

O indra Indra vsṣaṇam showerer; tvā thee; harayaḥ thy horses; somapitaye to drink the Soma; āvahantu may they bring; tvā thee ; sūracakşasaḥ those whose eye is like the sun, that is with vision like that of the sun (the termination as in cakşa is Vedic); may those horses bring : this is the connection. The double repetition of tvā is to denote respect, also because of the separate half-Rik. The sights of the horses of Indra, like that of the sun, are far-reaching and illumined. Some comment that they have the vision of the sun; that is not wrong either. Sayana says they are priests, Ritviks, of solar sight. In that case they cannot be human. The priests who adorn the sacrificial chamber, chant the Veda as prescribed and at the termination of the sacrificial ritual, receive the prescribed gifts as per their labours in the ceremony and return happy, are certainly not those who have vision like the sun. If then these are gods as priests, then this is not their function. The carriers of Indra are the steeds, not priests (Ritviks). Agni is lauded as one who brings all the gods. And it is known that Indra comes along with all the gods. Where is it heard that the gods becoming priests bring Indra ? The illumined seers' may be Rishis who have attained Godhead. That is not relevant here. There is no doubt that it is the horses of Indra that are relevant here ; and later too in the hymn it is the laudation of the horses of Indra that is the subject-matter. It is not proper to say that priests with solar vision are called to bring Indra.