Rig Veda 8.62.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 62, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.62
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अयुजो असमो नृभिरेकः कृष्टीरयास्यः । पूर्वीरति प्र वावृधे विश्वा जातान्योजसा भद्रा इन्द्रस्य रातयः ॥
ayujó ásamo nṛ́bhir ékaḥ kṛṣṭī́r ayā́syaḥ | pūrvī́r áti prá vāvṛdhe víśvā jātā́ny ójasā bhadrā́ índrasya rātáyaḥ ||
غيرُ مُقَيَّدٍ بنيرٍ، لا نِدَّ له بينَ الرجال—واحدٌ منفردٌ، لا يَكِلُّ—قد فاقَ الشعوبَ الكثيرة. وقد ازدادَ فوقَ الحدودِ الأولى؛ وبقوّتِه أخضعَ كلَّ ما وُلِد. مُبارَكةٌ عطايا إندرا.
Word by Word
- अयुजः
- unpaired, unmatchedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root अयुज् (प्रातिपदिक; न-समास/नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अ- + युज् ‘युक्त’)
- असमः
- unequalledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root असम (प्रातिपदिक; न-समास/नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अ- + सम ‘equal’)
- नृभिः
- with men, by men (warriors)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (सह/साधनभाव: ‘men/warriors’ as company/means)Root नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- one, aloneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृष्टीः
- peoples, tribesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot कृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयास्यः
- unwearied, untiringAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण कर्तृपदस्य)Root अयास्य (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय: अ- + यास्य ‘to be wearied/effort’)
- पूर्वीः
- the former (ones), earlier (deeds/gifts)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot पूर्वी (प्रातिपदिक; ‘former/earlier’)
- अति
- beyond, exceedinglyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot अति (अव्यय)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग (वावृधे इत्यस्य)Root प्र (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
- वावृधे
- has grown, has increasedVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)Root √वृध् (वृधँ वर्धने)
- विश्वा
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- जातानि
- born (beings/things)Participle (past passive) used as nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole Karma (विश्वा जातानि = ‘all born things’)Root √जन् (जनीँ प्रादुर्भावे) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- ओजसा
- by strength, with mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भद्राः
- auspicious, goodAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणरूपेण ‘रातयः’)Root भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- रातयः
- gifts, bestowalsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot राति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘gift, giving’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धिविच्छेद): अयुजः असमः नृभिः एकः | कृष्टीः अयास्यः | पूर्वीः अति प्र वावृधे | विश्वा जातानि ओजसा | भद्राः इन्द्रस्य रातयः || 1) नृभिः+एकः: विसर्ग/उच्चारण-सीमा पर पदविराम। 2) प्र+वावृधे: उपसर्ग-संयोग। 3) विश्वा+जातानि: विशेषण+कृदन्त-समूह (नपुंसक द्वि. बहु.)
- 4) इन्द्रस्य+रातयः: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra stands alone—unyoked, unequalled among men, tireless—surpassing all peoples; he grows beyond earlier bounds and by force masters all that is born; Indra’s gifts are auspicious.
Inner meaning
The illumined Power (Indra) in the seeker is not bound to the ordinary yokes of habit and herd-mind. When the higher Mind awakens, it outgrows the many “peoples” (the mixed impulses and customary formations in us) and exceeds former limitations of nature. By spiritual strength (ojas) it takes mastery over all that arises in consciousness—thought, desire, emotion—turning them into instruments of Light. The “gifts of Indra” are the descents of clarity, courage, right discernment, and victorious wideness.
Universal truth
True leadership of consciousness is inward: when the mind aligns with a higher luminous intelligence, it becomes free from collective conditioning, surpasses past limits, and governs the whole field of experience. The boons of illumination are inherently beneficent when received in right aspiration.
Themes
Indra-supremacy, transcendence, inner-mastery, divine-bounty
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.62.1, Rig Veda 8.62.3, Rig Veda 8.62.4, Rig Veda 8.62.5, Rig Veda 8.62.6
Significance
The seer-voice here speaks from the stance of victory: Indra is experienced as an inner sovereign who exceeds prior limits of the seeker’s nature, a hallmark of the Eighth Maṇḍala’s energetic, achievement-oriented spirituality.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ekaḥ (the One/alone), asamaḥ (unequalled), ayāsyaḥ (tireless), vīryavān (possessor of heroic powers—implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Lord of the luminous Mind who breaks obstructions and establishes wide order; master of force that conquers and organizes the manifested worlds.
Inner power
Illuminating intelligence allied with courageous will—dispelling confusion, enlarging consciousness beyond old bounds, and governing all arising movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stuti within Soma-related praises; recitation to invoke strength and victorious gifts
अ॒यु॒जो अस॑मो॒ नृभि॒रेक॑: कृ॒ष्टीर॒यास्य॑: । पू॒र्वीरति॒ प्र वा॑वृधे॒ विश्वा॑ जा॒तान्योज॑सा भ॒द्रा इन्द्र॑स्य रा॒तय॑: ॥
अ॒यु॒जः । अस॑मः । नृऽभिः॑ । एकः॑ । कृ॒ष्टीः । अ॒यास्यः॑ । पू॒र्वीः । अति॑ । प्र । व॒वृ॒धे॒ । विश्वा॑ । जा॒तानि॑ । ओज॑सा । भ॒द्राः । इन्द्र॑स्य । रा॒तयः॑ ॥
ayujaḥ | asamaḥ | nṛ-bhiḥ | ekaḥ | kṛṣṭīḥ | ayāsyaḥ | pūrvīḥ | ati | pra | vavṛdhe | viśvā | jātāni | ojasā | bhadrāḥ | indrasya | rātayaḥ
Likely Triṣṭubh (common in Indra hymns of RV 8; refrain cadence fits), but unconfirmed without full pada-syllable verification
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (Triṣṭubh-type)
Driving, expansive, victory-march cadence
Builds confidence and wideness; supports a felt sense of inner mastery and upward exceeding.
- अयुजः (ayujaḥ)
- Literal: unyoked, not harnessed. Symbolic: free from lower compulsions; unbound consciousness
- असमः (asamaḥ)
- Literal: unequalled. Symbolic: the higher faculty surpassing ordinary mentality
- एकः (ekaḥ)
- Literal: one, alone. Symbolic: the One power of illumination leading the inner sacrifice
- कृष्टीः (kṛṣṭīḥ)
- Literal: peoples, communities. Symbolic: multiplicity of inner formations and drives
- अयास्यः (ayāsyaḥ)
- Literal: tireless, unwearied. Symbolic: persistent tapas of the illumined will
- ओजसा (ojasā)
- Literal: by force, vigor. Symbolic: spiritual strength/energy of realization
- विश्वा जातानि (viśvā jātāni)
- Literal: all beings that are born. Symbolic: all emergent movements in consciousness
- रातयः (rātayaḥ)
- Literal: gifts, boons. Symbolic: descents of light, power, wideness, right joy
Praise of Indra’s unmatched might within Soma hymnody; supports the ritual aim of invoking victorious, boundary-surpassing power for the sacrificer.
During Soma pressing/offerings or Indra-focused stotras; also suitable for daily japa as a courage-invocation
Praise (stuti) and invitation of Indra’s rātis (boons)
Use before demanding work or sādhanā sessions to surpass inertia and inherited limits; set an intention of ‘exceeding the former measure’.
ayujá 'unyoked' from a- + yuj 'yoke' (PIE *yeug-; cf. Latin iugum, English yoke). asama 'unequal' from sama 'equal' (PIE *sem- 'one/same'). √vṛdh 'grow' → vavṛdhe (perfect). ojas 'vigour' related to strength semantics; often denotes concentrated vital-mental energy in RV.
transcendence of limits (ati), singular sovereignty (eka) of the luminous power, ojas as concentrated energy enabling mastery over formations
Indra’s mastery ‘over all that is born’ implies establishment of right governance in the manifested nature.
Truth as exceeding prior limits—growth into a truer, wider consciousness.
Expansion beyond ‘former bounds’ echoes the Vedic motif of widening the worlds by the gods’ power.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent from mental limitation to luminous mind and supramental openness (as trajectory).
Unyoked force = liberated energy of consciousness; ‘peoples’ = inner crowds of impulses; mastery of ‘all born’ = governance of prakṛtic movements.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the peerless, unbounded power who surpasses all tribes and all born things—an image of universal sovereignty. Innerly, it is the emergence of a free, unyoked will-force in the seeker that exceeds inherited limits and governs the multiplicity of nature.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- yuj/yoke is a clear PIE inheritance (*yeug-). The opposition ayuja (unyoked) vs. constraint mirrors an Indo-European poetic polarity of freedom vs. binding. sama/asama reflect PIE *sem- 'one/same'.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra’s singularity (eka) and tirelessness (ayāsya) as the model-force to be installed in human life. The hymn implies that aligning with Indra’s ojas allows the human being to exceed the 'former' measures and establish mastery in ṛta.
Invoke the ‘unyoked’ luminous mind that exceeds inherited limits; practice inner mastery over arising thoughts and impulses.
ajna
moderate kumbhaka after inhale while contemplating ‘ojas’ expanding beyond former bounds
Dynamic concentration leading to widening (bṛhat) and confident clarity
Begin with a brief offering of intention (saṅkalpa): ‘Let the higher light govern all that arises.’ Repeat the refrain mentally on the exhale, feeling auspicious descent (rāti) into the mind.
Notated svaras not provided; chant with standard Rigvedic accenting: preserve udātta peaks on accented syllables; avoid flattening compounds.
Keep clear lift on key words: ayujaḥ, asamaḥ, ekaḥ, ojasā, bhadrāḥ; maintain cadence into the refrain ‘bhadrā indrasya rātayaḥ’.
Distinguish retroflex ṇ in nṛbhir (nṛ-bhiḥ) and dental n elsewhere., Hold long vowels: pūrvīḥ, vāvṛdhe, viśvā., Pronounce ṛ clearly in kṛṣṭīḥ, nṛbhir, vāvṛdhe (vāvṛ-) without adding a vowel.
Bright, ringing, confident; slight upward lift on the refrain
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