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Rig Veda · 996 of 1027
Mandala 10: HYMN CLIX. Saci Paulomi.
1.YON Sun hath mounted up, and this my happy fate hate mounted high. I knowing this, as conqueror have won my husband for mine own.
2.I am the banner and the head, a mighty arbitress am I: I am victorious, and my Lord shall be submissive to my will.
3.My Sons are slayers of the foe, my Daughter is a ruling Queen: I am victorious: o’er my Lord my song of triumph is supreme.
4.Oblation, that which Indra gave and thus grew glorious and most high,— This have I offered, O ye Gods, and rid me of each rival wife.
5.Destroyer of the rival wife, Sole Spouse, victorious, conqueror, The others’ glory have I seized as ’twere the wealth of weaker Dames.
6.I have subdued as conqueror these rivals, these my fellow-wives, That I may hold imperial sway over this Hero and the folk.
Asked of Guide
Why does the speaker boast of conquering rival wives and claiming supremacy over her husband?
The speaker is a victorious consort celebrating ritual and social power: she credits an oblation “that which Indra gave” for making her triumphant and removing rivals. Her language — “I am the banner and the head,” “Sole Spouse, victorious” — frames marital success as public, sacred victory backed by the gods.
This hymn treats household rivalry as a locus of honor and cosmic sanction; claiming the husband and rivals’ “glory” is a way to assert lineage and political authority for her sons and daughter. Compare Rig Veda Mandala 10 hymns where divine favor legitimizes kingship and domestic status, tying personal triumph to communal order.
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