Rig Veda 8.83.6: Mandala 8, Sukta 83, Mantra 6
Sukta 8.83
- Devata
- Devas
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
वयमिद्वः सुदानवः क्षियन्तो यान्तो अध्वन्ना । देवा वृधाय हूमहे ॥
vayám íd vaḥ su-dā́navaḥ kṣiyántaḥ yā́ntaḥ ádhvan ā́ | devā́ vṛdhā́ya hūmahe ||
إنّا حقًّا، أيّها الأسخياء، سواء أقمنا أو سرنا في الطريق، ندعوكم، أيّها الآلهة، لِزِيادتنا ونمائنا وارتقائنا.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं./स्त्री./नपुं. (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → वयम्
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अविकारी)Root इत् (निपात/अव्यय)
- वः
- to you / of youPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान (दत्तिवाचक) / सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → वः
- सुदानवः
- good-givers, generous onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम् के विशेषणरूपेण)Root सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक: सुदानु) अथवा सु-दान (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) → सुदानवस्
- क्षियन्तः
- dwelling, abidingParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकालिक शतृ-प्रत्ययRole कर्तृ (वयम् के विशेषणरूपेण)Root क्षि (धातु) → क्षियन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)
- यान्तः
- going, proceedingParticiple (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकालिक शतृ-प्रत्ययRole कर्तृ (वयम् के विशेषणरूपेण)Root या (धातु) → यान्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)
- अध्वन्
- the path, journeyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: अध्वन् = अध्वानम्)Role कर्म (गमनस्य)Root अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- देवाः
- O godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बोधन/कर्तृ (हूमहे इत्यस्य सम्बोधनार्थे)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृधाय
- for increase, for growthNoun (purpose-dative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole प्रयोजन-सम्प्रदानRoot वृध् (धातु) → वृधि/वृधा (प्रातिपदिक: ‘वृद्धि/वर्धन’ अर्थे)
- हूमहे
- we invoke, we call uponVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot हू (धातु) + आत्मनेपद
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक संधि-विच्छेद): व॒यम् | इत् | वः | सुदानवः | क्षियन्तः | यान्तः | अध्वन् | आ | देवाः | वृधाय | हूमहे । 1) इद्वः → इत् वः : निपात ‘इत्’ (वैदिक ‘इद्’) परे वकारादौ ‘द्’ → ‘त्’ (उच्चारण/सन्धि-परिवर्तन) तथा ‘वः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम। 2) अध्वन्ना → अध्वन् आ : नकारान्त ‘अध्वन्’ + ‘आ’ इति संधौ न् + आ → न्ना (व्यञ्जन-संयोग/अनुनासिक-समास) । 3) देवा वृधाय → देवाः वृधाय : विसर्ग-लोप/पदपाठानुसारः
- संहितायां ‘देवा’ रूपम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
We call the generous gods for our increase, whether we are settled or traveling on the path.
Inner meaning
The human collectivity (vayam) turns to the Devas as inner helpers in all states—kṣiyantaḥ (dwelling: stable phases of life/practice) and yāntaḥ (journeying: transitions, crises, sādhanā-movements). Adhvan (the path) becomes the inner road of evolution. The call is for vṛdhā (increase): enlargement of consciousness, strengthening of will, and growth of the soul’s formation.
Universal truth
Spiritual growth is not confined to special moments; in stability and change alike, invocation of higher powers supports continuous increase of being.
Themes
Invocation, Growth, Spiritual journey
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.83 (collective invocation; communal tone)
Significance
Represents the sādhaka-community voice: aspiration maintained through all life conditions, not only in ritual hours.
The deity
- Devata
- Devas (collective)
- Epithets
- sudānavaḥ (generous givers)
- Related deities
- Agni, Indra, Soma, Uṣas, Ādityas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Upholders of the worlds and dispensers of boons; they increase life and consciousness through ordered powers.
Inner power
Aiding forces that respond to aspiration by enlarging clarity, strength, harmony, and delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
General collective invocation for vṛddhi (increase); suitable in communal recitations and journey/transition rites.
व॒यमिद्व॑: सुदानवः क्षि॒यन्तो॒ यान्तो॒ अध्व॒न्ना । देवा॑ वृ॒धाय॑ हूमहे ॥
व॒यम् । इत् । वः॒ । सु॒ऽदा॒न॒वः॒ । क्षि॒यन्तः॑ । यान्तः॑ । अध्व॑न् । आ । देवाः॑ । वृ॒धाय॑ । हू॒म॒हे॒ ॥
vayam | it | vaḥ | su-dānavaḥ | kṣiyantaḥ | yāntaḥ | adhvan | ā | devāḥ | vṛdhāya | hūmahe
32
4 × 8 (approx.)
forward-moving, processional
Supports perseverance; the cadence feels like steady steps on a path.
- सुदानवः (sudānavaḥ)
- Literal: good-giving, generous. Symbolic: divine powers that freely pour light, strength, and joy when called
- क्षियन्तः (kṣiyantaḥ)
- Literal: dwelling, inhabiting. Symbolic: periods of inner settlement—established practice, stable mind
- यान्तः (yāntaḥ)
- Literal: going, journeying. Symbolic: phases of transition—seeking, ascent, struggle, change
- अध्वन् (adhvan)
- Literal: road, path. Symbolic: the evolutionary path of consciousness; the yoga-journey
- वृधाय (vṛdhāya)
- Literal: for increase, growth. Symbolic: expansion of being—widening, intensification, maturation of the inner sacrifice
- हूमहे (hūmahe)
- Literal: we invoke/call. Symbolic: active aspiration (āhvāna) that opens the being to descent of help
General collective invocation for vṛddhi (increase); suitable in communal recitations and journey/transition rites.
At the start of travel, work, study, or daily sādhanā—any ‘setting out’ or ‘settling in’.
Simple āhvāna (invocation) before offering (mental or physical).
A ‘walking mantra’ for commuters or during life transitions: chant softly while moving, aligning breath with the sense of adhvan (inner path).
from su- ‘good’ + dāna ‘gift’ (√dā) → the gods as givers of right energies, not mere wealth. (√kṣi) contrasts with (√yā): both stability and movement are included, suggesting an integral yoga of rest and progress. ‘path’ becomes the inner way. (√hū) is a direct call, again in middle voice nuance of personal engagement.
Vṛddhi (increase) as growth of consciousness-force, Integral movement: dwelling and going
Adhvan is governed by ṛta—right steps and right timing in growth.
Growth (vṛdhā) is true when it increases sincerity and clarity, not egoic expansion.
Evolutionary movement: the being grows by repeated invocation and response.
Integral yoga orientation: life as field of sādhanā—dwelling and journeying equally spiritual.
The ‘path’ is the inner journey; ‘home’ is settled consciousness; both are arenas for divine increase.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the ‘journey on the path’ supported by generous Gods: whether the seeker is settled or advancing, the divine powers are invoked for vṛddhi. It encodes the Vedic life as a guided progression toward greater being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go’ is a classic IE motion verb (cf. Greek ἰέναι in the broader IE motion field). √dā ‘give’ is strongly IE (Latin dare). The pairing of ‘dwell’ (√kṣi) and ‘go’ (√yā) mirrors archaic poetic antithesis, a stylistic inheritance across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi speaks as a constant caller: in all states (rest or progress), the human maintains invocation. The Devata respond as ‘good-givers’ whose true gift is vṛddhi—an enlargement of the inner being and capacity to hold truth.
Offer all states—rest and movement—to the Divine; ask for vṛddhi (growth) in consciousness rather than mere outer success.
mūlādhāra (stability while dwelling) and maṇipūra (forward movement/effort)
equal breathing (sama-vṛtti) while chanting; feel ‘steps’ in the breath
quiet aspiration with continuity
Chant 3–9 times before beginning a task. During exhale feel ‘hūmahe’ as offering; during inhale receive ‘vṛdhā’ as widening. Keep the sense that all life-situations are the adhvan of yoga.
Standard Vedic accents; maintain clarity on clusters (kṣ-, dv-).
Give a slight lift on ‘devā́’ and keep ‘vṛdhā́ya’ clear and sustained; ‘adhvannā́’ should not be rushed.
vayam id vaḥ: sandhi—keep ‘vaḥ’ visarga audible before consonant, sudānavaḥ: long ā, kṣiyantaḥ: ‘kṣi’ with conjunct kṣ, adhvannā: double n—hold briefly, hūmahe: long ū; ‘mahe’ open vowels
gentle, steady, devotional
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