Rig Veda 1.4.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.4
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उप नः सवना गहि सोमस्य सोमपाः पिब । गोदा इद्रेवतो मदः ॥
úpa naḥ savánā́ gahi sómasya soma-pāḥ piba | go-dā́ íd revató mádaḥ ||
اقترب من عصاراتنا؛ تعال. يا شاربَ السُّوما (Soma)، اشرب السُّوما. فإن النشوة التي تمنح الأشعّة (القطعان المستنيرة) هي حقّاً طربُ الوفرة الغنيّة.
Word by Word
- उप
- near, hither; (as preverb) towardsIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्ग (अव्यय)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- नः
- of us / ourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- सवनानि
- pressings; Soma-pressing ritesNounद्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole KarmaRoot सवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- गहि
- come!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; वैदिक रूप (गहि < गच्छ)Role (क्रिया)Root गम्
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्गRole ApādānaRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमपाः
- Soma-drinker (epithet of Indra)Noun (agentive epithet)प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्गRole KartāRoot सोमपा (सोम + पा ‘पानकर्ता’)
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root पा (पिबति)
- गोदाः
- giver of cowsAdjective/Noun (epithet)प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्गRole KartāRoot गोदा (गो + दा ‘दाता’)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय), अवधारण/बलार्थRole (सम्बन्ध/प्रयोगसूचक)Root इत् (निपात)
- रेवतः
- of the wealthy; richAdjectiveषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक-समर्थ (यहाँ ‘मदः’ का विशेषण)Role SambandhaRoot रेवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदः
- intoxication; exhilaration (Soma-rapture)Nounप्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्गRole KartāRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद/सन्धि-निर्णय: (1) सव॒ना → सवनानि (RV पदपाठ में नपुंसक बहुवचन; संहिता में दीर्घ/स्वर-परिवर्तन). (2) गो॒दा इद् → गोदाः इत्: विसर्ग/अः + इ- आरम्भ पर संहिता में ‘इद्’ (निपात) के साथ संयोग
- मूल पद ‘इत्’ (अवधारण). (3) इद्रे॒वतो॒ → इत् + रेवतः: ‘इत्’ के पश्चात् र-आरम्भ पर संहिता-पाठ में ध्वन्यात्मक संयोग/प्रवृत्ति से ‘इद्रे-’ रूप (पदपाठ: इत् रेवतः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, the Soma-drinker, come to our Soma pressings and drink; the ecstasy that gives the cows (wealth) is the rapture of the opulent one.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls Indra—the illumined Mind-force—to the ‘pressings’ (savanā): moments when experience is distilled into essence. By drinking Soma (divine bliss), Indra is empowered to release the ‘cows’—rays of knowledge—from concealment. The true intoxication (mada) is not sensory but the rapture of a luminous plenitude (revataḥ) that enriches consciousness.
Universal truth
When delight is purified into spiritual bliss, the mind becomes a victorious power that releases insight and abundance; true wealth is the overflow of awakened consciousness.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Invocation (āhvāna), Illumination-as-cows (go symbolism), Empowerment through delight (mada), Indra-strengthening
The seer
- Rishi
- Madhucchandas Vaiśvāmitra
- Lineage
- Vaiśvāmitra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.4.1, RV 1.4.3, RV 1.4.4, RV 1.4.5
Family tradition
Vaiśvāmitra invocations often move from Agni (will) to Indra (illumined force) to Soma (delight), mapping an inner ascent.
Significance
The seer’s voice here is a call to the illumined mind to enter the concentrated offering (savana) and transform delight into liberating knowledge.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Somapā (Soma-drinker), Go-dā (giver of the cows/rays), Revān (opulent—implied by revataḥ), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer—contextual)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Maruts
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who breaks the obstruction and releases light, waters, and wideness.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and dynamic courage that, fed by bliss, conquers doubt and inertia and brings forth knowledge.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: Indra’s invitation to drink at the three savanas (morning/midday/evening).
उप॑ न॒: सव॒ना ग॑हि॒ सोम॑स्य सोमपाः पिब । गो॒दा इद्रे॒वतो॒ मद॑: ॥
उप॑ । नः॒ । सव॑ना । आ । ग॒हि॒ । सोम॑स्य । सो॒म॒ऽपाः॒ । पि॒ब॒ । गो॒ऽदाः । इत् । रे॒वतः॑ । मदः॑ ॥
upa | naḥ | savanā | ā | gahi | somasya | soma-pāḥ | piba | go--dāḥ | it | revataḥ | madaḥ
24
3×8
Invitational and propulsive; each pāda acts like a step drawing Indra nearer.
Builds a sense of approach and arrival; stimulates energy and confidence, preparing the mind for an illumined ‘breakthrough’.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine mind, lord of illumination and victorious force
- सवना (savanā)
- Literal: Soma pressings. Symbolic: inner distillations—concentrated moments of offering and extraction of essence
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: Soma juice. Symbolic: divine bliss, nectar of consciousness
- सोमपाः (soma-pāḥ)
- Literal: Soma-drinker. Symbolic: the power that can contain and use bliss to act and illumine
- मद (madaḥ)
- Literal: intoxication, ecstasy. Symbolic: spiritual rapture that energizes illumination
- गोदा (go-dā)
- Literal: giver of cows. Symbolic: giver of rays/knowledges; releaser of illumined herds
- रेवत् (revataḥ)
- Literal: opulent, wealthy. Symbolic: plenitude of being; abundance of conscious force
Soma-yajña context: invitation to Indra at the savanas (pressings), especially aligned with the Trisavana sequence (morning/midday/evening) in Agniṣṭoma and related Soma rites; functionally an āhvāna (invocation) for Indra to partake of Soma.
At Soma pressings, especially in Indra-focused sequences.
Āvāhana and offering of Soma; strengthening Indra for victory and gifts.
Use before study/creative work: invite the higher mind to ‘drink’ concentrated attention and release clear insights (go/rays).
Key terms: (1) savaná- from √su/√sū 'to press out, to extract' → Soma-pressing; psychologically, the pressing out of essence from experience into delight and truth. (2) gahi: imperative (2nd sg.) of √gam 'to go/come' with Vedic injunctive/imperative nuance, inviting descent. (3) soma-pā́ḥ: compound soma + √pā 'to drink, protect' (here 'drinker'); Indra is strengthened by Soma (delight) for victory. (4) piba: imperative of √pā 'drink'. (5) go-dā́ḥ: go 'cow' also 'ray of light' (Vedic polysemy tied to √gā/√gam 'to go' and the semantic field of shining/moving herds of light); dā́ from √dā 'to give' → giver of rays/illumination. (6) máda- from √mad 'to rejoice, be exhilarated' → ecstasy/rapture; in inner sense, the intensification of consciousness-force by Ananda. (7) revá- related to ráyī-/revát 'wealthy, splendid' from √ru/√rev 'to shine, be rich/excellent' → plenitude and luminous abundance.
Ānanda (mada as conscious delight that empowers), Rita (right order implied by proper offering/arrival at savana), Rayi/Revat (plenitude as spiritual abundance)
Indra’s right victory restores ṛta by breaking the false order of obstruction and releasing true movements.
The ‘cows’ symbolize satya-knowledge; their giving is the manifestation of truth in mind.
Release of light and plenitude through the energizing bliss of Soma.
Integral Vedantic psychology: mind-force becomes divine when nourished by ānanda.
tri-savana cycle (morning/noon/evening)
Pressing = concentration; Soma = refined delight; cows = illuminations; Indra’s drinking = assimilation of bliss into power.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indra-myth of empowerment through Soma: the divine Force (Indra) is invited to the pressings to drink the delight-essence, becoming capable of releasing the 'cows'—not merely cattle, but the luminous rays/knowledges withheld by darkness. The verse compresses the classic sequence: invocation → Soma-drinking → arising of mada (ecstatic power) → bestowal of go (illumination).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Several items preserve archaic Indo-European verbal and semantic patterns: √gam 'go/come' (gahi) aligns with PIE *gʷem- 'to go, come' (cf. Gk. baínō via different root, but Latin venīre is distinct; closer are cognate formations in Indo-Iranian). √pā 'drink' (piba) reflects PIE *peh₃- 'to drink' (cf. Lat. pōtō, Gk. pínō). √mad 'be exhilarated' (mada) continues an Indo-Iranian poetic motif of inspired intoxication (cf. Avestan mad-). The compound strategy soma-pāḥ and go-dāḥ shows productive Vedic compositional morphology, a hallmark of early Indo-European hymn diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- It is reciprocal and transactional in an inner-sacrificial sense: the seer offers Soma (the distilled delight and aspiration) and calls Indra to 'come near' and 'drink'; Indra, strengthened by this conscious delight (mada), returns the gift as go-dāḥ—bestowing illumination/knowledge and revat (plenitude). The 'offering' is thus the seeker’s refined experience and aspiration; the 'dakṣiṇā' is the descent of victorious force and luminous understanding.
Offer concentrated attention (‘pressing’) and invite the higher mind to drink bliss and convert it into insight.
ājñā (illumined mind)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 6 rounds to ‘press’ attention; then chant on natural breath.
Energized clarity; luminous enthusiasm without restlessness.
Chant 11 or 21 times; on ‘piba’ feel the head-space filling with cool, clear delight; on ‘godā’ visualize rays descending into thought as precise understandings.
Maintain Vedic accent as in saṃhitā; keep the imperative calls (gahi, piba) crisp and slightly lifted where accented.
Give a clear rise on सोम॑ and सोमपाः where marked; do not over-lengthen short vowels in rapid phrases like upa naḥ.
: light ‘upa’, dental n in naḥ with visarga, : v as soft ‘va’, not ‘wa’, : hard g, short i, : long āḥ with visarga, : long ō quality on go, then dā with long ā
Clear, ringing, confident—like a call to a powerful ally.
21
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
