Rig Veda 8.33.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 33, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.33
- Rishi
- Ghoṣā/Śaśakarṇa?
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
क ईं वेद सुते सचा पिबन्तं कद्वयो दधे । अयं यः पुरो विभिनत्त्योजसा मन्दानः शिप्र्यन्धसः ॥
ká īṃ veda suté sacā́ píbantaṃ kád váyo dadhe | ayáṃ yáḥ puró vibhinátty ójasā mandānáḥ śípry ándhasaḥ ||
مَنْ يَعْلَمُهُ حَقًّا، وَهُوَ يَشْرَبُ مَعَ السُّومَا الْمَعْصُورِ—أَيَّ سَعَةِ كَيْنُونَةٍ اتَّخَذَ؟ هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي يَشُقُّ الحُصُونَ بِقُوَّتِهِ، مُنْتَشِيًا، الشِّبْرِي، بِجَوْهَرِ السُّومَا.
Word by Word
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot क (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईम्
- indeed; just; emphaticallyIndeclinableनिपातः (अव्ययम्)Root ईम् (निपात)
- वेद
- knowsVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root विद् (विदँ ज्ञाने)
- सुते
- in/at the pressed SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) / ‘सुत’ = सोमः
- सचा
- together (with); in companyIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root सच (निपात/अव्यय; ‘सह’)
- पिबन्तम्
- drinkingVerb (participle)वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पा (पिबति)
- क
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (अव्यक्त-प्रश्नार्थकः)Root क (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्वयः
- the two (men/ones)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot द्वि → द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधे
- has placed; has setVerbलिट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root धा (डुधाञ् धारण-पोषणयोः) / दधाति
- अयम्
- this (one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम्-प्रातिपदिक
- यः
- whoPronoun (relative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद्-प्रातिपदिक
- पुरः
- fronts; fortresses; strongholdsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विभिनत्ति
- splits; breaks apartVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root भिद् (भिदँ विदारणे) + वि
- ओजसा
- with strength; by mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदानः
- exhilarating; being gladdened (by Soma)Adjective (participle)वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्/आनच्-प्रकारः), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मद् (मदँ हर्षे) → मन्दान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- शिप्रि
- the ‘Shiprī’ one (Indra; the one with prominent cheeks/jaws)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot शिप्रि (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- अन्धसः
- of the Soma-juice; of the draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक; सोमरसः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: कः | ईम् | वेद | सुते | सचा | पिबन्तम् | क | द्वयः | दधे | अयम् | यः | पुरः | विभिनत्ति | ओजसा | मन्दानः | शिप्रि | अन्धसः । सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) क ईम् → कः + ईम् (विसर्ग-सन्धिः; ‘कः’ उदात्त-प्रश्न, ‘ईम्’ निपातः)
- (2) कद्वयो → क + द्वयः (पदसंयोगे ‘क’ + ‘द्व’ → ‘कद्व’; संहितायां)
- (3) विभिनत्त्योजसा → विभिनत्ति + ओजसा (इकारान्त-समाप्तेः परे स्वरादौ यणादेशः/संहितालोपः; ‘ि + ओ’ संहितायां ‘त्यो’)
- (4) शिप्र्यन्धसः → शिप्रि + अन्धसः (इ + अ → य्-अगमः; ‘शिप्रियन्धसः’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Who knows him, drinking together with the pressed Soma—what breadth he has taken? This is he who breaks the strongholds by force, exhilarated, Shiprī, by the Soma-substance.
Inner meaning
The verse marvels at Indra’s mysterious stature when he drinks Soma (divine delight) in companionship with the offering. ‘What breadth (vayaḥ) has he assumed?’—illumined Mind becomes vast beyond ordinary measure when charged with bliss. Then he breaks the ‘strongholds’ (puraḥ): fixed formations of ignorance and habit in the subconscient. ‘Ojasā’ is the concentrated force; ‘mandānaḥ’ is the glad intoxication of spiritual delight; ‘andhas’ is Soma’s essence—here the very substance of luminous bliss that empowers the victory.
Universal truth
Illumination empowered by inner delight becomes irresistibly transformative: it shatters entrenched structures of darkness that cannot be moved by dry effort alone.
Themes
Vṛtra/fortress-breaking motif, Soma-rapture, Invictory
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.33.1-? (same hymn context)
Significance
Even without firm attribution, the style is characteristic of Indra-Soma wonder: a seer’s astonishment at the transformative magnitude of illumined consciousness when filled with bliss.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Shiprī, Purandara (fort-breaker, implied), Soma-pā (Soma-drinker)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of light and waters; champion of the gods in the battle against the coverer.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that, exhilarated by bliss, breaks rigid patterns and opens the being to vastness.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise in Soma sacrifice
क ईं॑ वेद सु॒ते सचा॒ पिब॑न्तं॒ कद्वयो॑ दधे । अ॒यं यः पुरो॑ विभि॒नत्त्योज॑सा मन्दा॒नः शि॒प्र्यन्ध॑सः ॥
कः । ई॒म् । वे॒द॒ । सु॒ते । सचा॑ । पिब॑न्तम् । कत् । वयः॑ । द॒धे॒ । अ॒यम् । यः । पुरः॑ । वि॒ऽभि॒नत्ति॑ । ओज॑सा । म॒न्दा॒नः । शि॒प्री । अन्ध॑सः ॥
kaḥ | īm | veda | sute | sacā | pibantam | kat | vayaḥ | dadhe | ayam | yaḥ | puraḥ | vi-bhinatti | ojasā | mandānaḥ | śiprī | andhasaḥ
44
4×11 (probable)
Energetic, questioning opening followed by decisive удар-like closure; suited to breakthrough imagery.
Stimulates courage and a ‘breakthrough’ mood; shifts from wonder to power.
- sute sacā pibantam
- Literal: drinking together with the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: illumined mind in intimate contact with distilled bliss; communion of offering and power
- vayaḥ
- Literal: vigor/breadth. Symbolic: vastness of consciousness, capacity to contain and act
- puro vibhinatti
- Literal: breaks the strongholds. Symbolic: shatters fixed subconscient formations; releases imprisoned light
- ojasā
- Literal: by force, vigor. Symbolic: concentrated spiritual energy/will-force
- mandānaḥ
- Literal: exhilarated, gladdened. Symbolic: joy-powered action; bliss as dynamis
- andhasaḥ
- Literal: Soma-juice/substance. Symbolic: essence of divine delight that fuels illumination
- śiprī
- Literal: Shiprī (Indra epithet). Symbolic: the power with ‘cheeks/jaws’—the strong enjoyer/assimilator of Soma; psychologically, the capacity to take in bliss and convert it to force
Soma-invocation to Indra emphasizing fortress-breaking; suitable for Indra-stotras during Soma pressing.
At Soma offerings to Indra, especially when invoking victory over obstacles.
Offering Soma; praising Indra’s might; invoking his breaking of ‘forts’.
Chant when facing entrenched habits, fear, or inertia; pair with a clear intention to break one ‘fort’ today.
√vid → veda: knowledge as realized seeing. √dhā → dadhe: assumption/establishment of power. vi-√bhid: classic Vedic verb for breaking fortresses; symbolically, opening blocked formations in consciousness. ojas: vital might; not brute force alone but concentrated energy. ándhas: Soma; inwardly the delight that fuels Indra’s victorious action. śíprī: epithet possibly connected with śipra 'jaw/lip/cheek'; suggests the power of forceful taking/consuming—Indra’s capacity to seize the Soma and then seize victory.
Knowledge vs. ignorance (fortresses as obstructions), Ecstatic force (manda/mada), Transformative power (ojas)
Indra’s fort-breaking restores the free flow required by ṛta (right movement).
Truth becomes victorious power when joined with Soma-delight.
Release of imprisoned light leading to widened creation in the being.
Vedic psychological symbolism of battle and liberation
Soma pressing time (savana) implied
Soma = distilled delight; forts = hardened knots in the subconscient; breaking = sudden liberation and flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The pur-bhid mythologem: Indra, exhilarated by Soma, breaks the fortresses. Psychologically, the 'strongholds' are hardened structures of ignorance and limitation; Soma-delight empowers the force of illumination to split them open.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid (veda) continues PIE *weyd- 'to see/know' (cf. Latin videre). √bhid (bhinatti) aligns with PIE *bʰeyd- 'to split' (cognate field: 'bite/cleave' semantics across IE).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi expresses awe at Indra’s immeasurable assumed 'váyaḥ' (breadth/vigor) when he drinks Soma. The offering (pressed Soma) is the enabling condition; Indra reciprocates with decisive action—breaking the obstructions by ojas.
Combine delight (Soma) with will and insight (Indra) to break a specific inner resistance.
Maṇipūra (ojas/force) and Ājñā (illumination)
Kapalabhāti (gentle, 30–60 strokes) then quiet breathing; chant once with strong articulation; sit in stillness to observe ‘forts’ loosening.
Dynamic dhāraṇā leading to breakthrough (udbodhana).
Identify one repetitive pattern as a ‘fort’. While chanting ‘puro vibhinatti ojasā’, feel a clean force cutting through it; afterwards, replace the pattern with one luminous, simple action.
Triṣṭubh with emphatic udatta peaks on power-words; exact accents depend on śākhā pada tradition (not fully enumerated).
Let the interrogatives ‘kaḥ…kad…’ be crisp; strike ‘púro vibhinátti ójasā’ with firm consonants and a slight intensification.
(ka īṃ): sustain long īṃ nasalization lightly, (vibhinatti): double ‘tt’ held briefly, (ojasā): long ā at end, (mandānaḥ): retroflex ḍ? (here dental d), clear long ā, (śiprī): ś + i, long ī
Bright, forceful, victorious; keep tone steady, not shouted.
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.
