Rig Veda 8.21.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 21, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.21
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यो न इदमिदं पुरा प्र वस्य आनिनाय तमु वः स्तुषे । सखाय इन्द्रमूतये ॥
yó na idám-idam purā́ prá vásya āninā́ya tám u vaḥ stuṣe | sakhā́ya índram ūtáye ||
هو الذي في سالف الزمان جلب إلينا، مرّة بعد مرّة، السَّعةَ الأَفْضَلَ والهناء—إيّاه أمدحه لكم، يا رفاق: إندرا، للعون الذي يُنجي ويرفع.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- of us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इदम्
- this (very)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरा
- formerly, beforeIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पुरा (अव्यय)
- प्र
- forth, forward (intensifier)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (गत्यर्थ/प्रकर्षार्थ)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- वस्यः
- better, more excellentAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (इदम् इदम् इति कर्मणि विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot वस्-यस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक/विशेषण)
- आ
- to, hitherIndeclinableउपसर्गः (आगमन/समन्तात्)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- निनाय
- has led, broughtVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot नी (धातु) + उपसर्गौ प्र-आ-
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed, justIndeclinableअवधारण/अनुनासिक-निपातःRoot उ (निपात)
- वः
- of you / for youPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तुषे
- I praiseVerbलट्, आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot स्तु (धातु)
- सखायः
- O friendsNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, बहुवचनम्Role SambodhanaRoot सखि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतये
- for help, for aidNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot ऊति- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः | नः | इदम् | इदम् | पुरा | प्र | वस्यः | आ | निनाय | तम् | उ | वः | स्तुषे | सखायः | इन्द्रम् | ऊतये || 1) इदमिदम् → इदम् + इदम् (सन्धौ म् + इ → मि; संहितायां ‘इदमि…’)
- 2) आनि॒नाय → आ + निनाय (उपसर्ग ‘आ’ धातोः ‘नी’ सह; ‘प्र’ पूर्वपदे उपसर्गत्वेन क्रियायाम् अन्वेति: प्र-आ-नी)
- 3) तमु → तम् + उ (म् + उ → मु)
- 4) इन्द्रमूतये → इन्द्रम् + ऊतये (म् + ऊ → मू)
- स्वर/उच्चारण-टिप्पणी: मन्त्रपाठे न॑, इ॒दमि॑दं, वस्य॑, आनि॒नाय॒, तमु॑, सखा॑य, इन्द्र॑, ऊ॒तये॑ इत्यादि स्वरचिह्नाः (उदात्त/अनुदात्त/स्वरित) पदच्छेदेऽपि यथासम्भवम् रक्षणीयाः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
He who long ago brought to us repeatedly the better well-being—him I praise for you, comrades: Indra for help.
Inner meaning
Indra is remembered as the recurrent bringer of ‘more excellent’ states (pra vasyaḥ): each time the being is ready, he brings a higher wideness and welfare—progressive realizations. The address to ‘comrades’ (sakhāyaḥ) indicates a collective yoga: a band of seekers encouraging one another by recalling the divine’s past interventions. Praise (stuṣe) is not flattery but a means of attunement: speech that aligns the group with the Indric power of rescue and uplift (ūtaye).
Universal truth
Communities of practice advance by remembrance and invocation: recalling prior help strengthens trust, and aligned speech reopens the channel for further uplift.
Themes
communal praise, help/protection, recurring boons
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.21.1-10, RV 1.100 (Indra’s repeated help), RV 6.18 (Indra as bringer of welfare)
Family tradition
The Kāṇva voice often speaks to a group of companions, emphasizing shared remembrance and collective invocation of Indra’s saving force.
Significance
Highlights the yogic method of smṛti-like remembrance: the past is used as a lever for present faith and future opening.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Helper (ūtī-kṛt), Friend of the seekers (implicit), Bringer of wideness (parīṇas)
- Related deities
- Agni (leader of sacrifice), Soma (delight sustaining progress), Mitra (friendship principle)
Cosmic role
Savior-force that repeatedly restores and elevates the human journey toward light and vastness.
Inner power
Uplifting illumination that leads the mind out of constriction, especially when invoked in collective harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Communal stotra to Indra for aid; adaptable as group recitation
यो न॑ इ॒दमि॑दं पु॒रा प्र वस्य॑ आनि॒नाय॒ तमु॑ वः स्तुषे । सखा॑य॒ इन्द्र॑मू॒तये॑ ॥
यः । नः॒ । इ॒दम्ऽइ॑दम् । पु॒रा । प्र । वस्यः॑ । आ॒ऽनि॒नाय॑ । तम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । वः॒ । स्तु॒षे॒ । सखा॑यः । इन्द्र॑म् । ऊ॒तये॑ ॥
yaḥ | naḥ | idam-idam | purā | pra | vasyaḥ | ānināya | tam | oṃ iti | vaḥ | stuṣe | sakhāyaḥ | indram | ūtaye
44
4 x ~11 (approx.)
Narrative-affirmative cadence; easy to memorize and recite as a communal refrain.
Builds collective confidence; the rhythm supports a sense of repeated ascent (‘again and again’).
- idam-idam
- Literal: this and this, again and again. Symbolic: repeated stages of progress; iterative breakthroughs
- pra vasyaḥ
- Literal: more excellent good, better welfare. Symbolic: ascending degrees of well-being and wideness of consciousness
- ānīnaya
- Literal: brought, led hither. Symbolic: the divine leading-force that conducts the seeker into higher states
- sakhāyaḥ
- Literal: friends, comrades. Symbolic: fellow seekers; collective aspiration
- ūtaye
- Literal: for help. Symbolic: saving uplift; supportive power in inner battle
Communal exhortation: the officiant/poet praises Indra ‘for you, friends’, reinforcing collective confidence in Indra’s recurring assistance.
In gatherings seeking protection and uplift; in modern sangha-like circles as invocation before shared meditation.
Praise addressed to companions and deity; establishes collective intention.
Use as a group mantra: one person recites, group responds with a brief ‘Indram ūtaye’ refrain (optional, non-Vedic adaptation).
: distributive repetition marking recurring divine gifts. : comparative ‘better’ from vasu ‘good, bright wealth’ → inner excellence. : perfect of ā-√nī ‘lead, bring’ (PIE *neH- ‘lead’). : 1sg from √stu ‘praise’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, fame’ semantic field via praise/fame).
recurrence of grace (idam-idam), collective aspiration (sakhāyaḥ), bringing-forward of the ‘better’ (vásyaḥ) as evolutionary progress
Indra’s repeated ‘bringing’ is the ṛta of evolution—stepwise opening of the being.
Remembrance of actual help becomes satya-support for present effort.
Evolutionary unfolding: higher ‘better’ states arriving in sequence.
Integral evolution of consciousness: iterative widenings guided by illumined mind-power.
A path repeatedly opened = successive inner passages; expanse = wider consciousness; comrades = harmonized life-forces in a shared ascent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bringing of the better’ is a compressed form of Indra’s salvific myth: he repeatedly leads forth (ā-√nī) the seeker into wider and better states—an inner counterpart to releasing waters/cows.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ā-√nī ‘bring/lead’ reflects PIE *neH- ‘lead’ (Lat. nōsco not; but Eng. nudge?; more securely: Skt nī-, Gk. néō ‘go’ are debated; core ‘lead’ is Indo-European). √stu ‘praise’ aligns with the fame/hearing complex (PIE *ḱlew-), where praise generates ‘heard-of’ power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as mediator for the group (vaḥ, sakhāyaḥ), converting memory of Indra’s past gifts into present invocation, strengthening the reciprocal bond of praise and protection (ūtí).
Gratitude-based invocation; recollecting prior openings to strengthen present aspiration.
Anāhata (gratitude/collective harmony).
Coherent breathing ~5 breaths/min for 3 minutes while mentally repeating ‘indram ūtaye’.
Settled trust; receptive openness.
Write down (mentally or in journal) two ‘idam-idam’ moments—times help arrived. Chant, then sit with gratitude until the heart feels wide; proceed to meditation from that wideness.
Svara not provided; chant with even tone and clear stress on ‘stuṣe’ and ‘indram ūtaye’.
Slightly lengthen ‘purā’ (long ago) and ‘pra vasyaḥ’ (better welfare) to mark the remembrance.
idam-idam: keep the reduplication crisp, ānīnaya: long ī; nasal n clear, stuṣe: retroflex ṣ; final e as long vowel, ūtaye: long ū; dental t
Warm, communal, rounded tone.
11
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.
