Rig Veda 8.13.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तमह्वे वाजसातय इन्द्रं भराय शुष्मिणम् । भवा नः सुम्ने अन्तमः सखा वृधे ॥
tám ahvé vā́jasātaye índraṃ bhárāya śuṣmíṇam | bhávā naḥ sumné ántamaḥ sákhā vṛdhé ||
তাঁকেই আমি আহ্বান করি—ইন্দ্র, সেই শুষ্মিণ (বল-তেজস্বী)কে—বাজসাতয়, অর্থাৎ বল-সমৃদ্ধির জয়ের জন্য, এবং আমাদের ভার বহনের জন্য। তুমি আমাদের জন্য তোমার সুম্ন (অনুগ্রহ-সুখ) মধ্যে সর্বাধিক নিকট বন্ধু হও; আমাদের বৃদ্ধির বর্ধক সখা হও।
Word by Word
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अह्वे
- I call / invokeVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (आत्मनेपदम्)Role (क्रिया)Root √ह्वे (ह्वा) ‘आह्वाने’
- वाजसातये
- for the winning of prizesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot वाजसाति- (प्रातिपदिक; वाज ‘prize/strength’ + साति ‘winning’)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इन्द्र- (प्रातिपदिक)
- भराय
- for support / for battle (aid)Nounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot भर- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bearing, support, battle/strife’)
- शुष्मिणम्
- the vigorous, mightyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (इन्द्रम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot शुष्मिन्- (प्रातिपदिक; शुष्म ‘might, vigor’ + -इन्)
- भवा
- be (become)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √भू ‘सत्तायाम्’
- नः
- for us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम् (gen./dat. ‘of us/for us’)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुम्ने
- in (your) favor / graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot सुम्न- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘favor, grace, good will’)
- अन्तमः
- the nearest / most intimateAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (भवा इत्यस्य कर्तृ-विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot अन्तम- (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of अन्त ‘near/end’)
- सखा
- friendNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सखि- (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृधे
- for (our) increase / strengtheningNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot वृध्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘growth, increase, strengthening’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): तम् | अह्वे | वाजसातये | इन्द्रम् | भराय | शुष्मिणम् || भवा | नः | सुम्ने | अन्तमः | सखा | वृधे || 1) तम॑ह्वे = तम् + अह्वे (म् + अ → मऽ/म; संहितायां ‘म’ परे ‘अ’ इति). 2) सुम्ने अन्तमः: विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-प्रसङ्गो न
- पदसीमा एव
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls Indra, the powerful, for winning strength and for bearing the burden; asks him to become the closest friend in his gracious happiness and to increase their growth.
Inner meaning
The seeker invokes the illumined Mind-Power (Indra) so that the inner being may win the plenitude of force (vāja) needed for the yoga and carry the load of transformation (bhāra). Indra is asked to become the most intimate companion in the state of grace (sumna)—the supportive Presence that increases our inner expansion (vṛdh).
Universal truth
Progress requires a higher intelligence-force that both empowers effort and shares the weight of change; when that power becomes intimate (friend), growth becomes steady and joyful.
Themes
Invocation, Victory/winning, Divine friendship, Strength to bear the work
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.13.1-8 (same sūkta context), Rig Veda 8.12 (Indra-focused, adjacent thematic field), Rig Veda 8.14 (Indra-related prayers nearby)
Family tradition
Eighth Maṇḍala is largely linked with Kāṇva lineages; however, attribution for this specific verse is uncertain here.
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice functions as the universal aspirant: calling the illumined Power not only for outer victory but for intimate guidance and inner increase.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śuṣmin (mighty, forceful), sakhā (friend), vicarṣaṇi (seer of men; implied by the sūkta context)
- Related deities
- Agni (will that carries the offering), Soma (bliss-ecstasy that empowers Indra), Uṣas (dawn-illumination that Indra helps to manifest), Bṛhaspati (word-power that breaks the cover)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction; lord of luminous mind and victorious force who opens the paths to the solar world.
Inner power
Illuminating intelligence allied with dynamic courage—gives decisive clarity, strength, and forward movement in the inner battle.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma offering context (general).
तम॑ह्वे॒ वाज॑सातय॒ इन्द्रं॒ भरा॑य शु॒ष्मिण॑म् । भवा॑ नः सु॒म्ने अन्त॑म॒: सखा॑ वृ॒धे ॥
तम् । अ॒ह्वे॒ । वाज॑ऽसातये । इन्द्र॑म् । भरा॑य । शु॒ष्मिण॑म् । भव॑ । नः॒ । सु॒म्ने । अन्त॑मः । सखा॑ । वृ॒धे ॥
tam | ahve | vāja-sātaye | indram | bharāya | śuṣmiṇam | bhava | naḥ | sumne | antamaḥ | sakhā | vṛdhe
Invocatory and forward-driving; built for a direct call and affirmation.
Energizes aspiration and confidence; supports a feeling of Indra’s nearness as helper and friend.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, Vedic king of gods. Symbolic: Divine Mind; illumining power that conquers obscurity and leads to victory
- वाजसातये (vāja-sātaye)
- Literal: for winning vāja (prize/strength). Symbolic: for gaining plenitude of force and effective capacity in the inner work
- भराय (bharāya)
- Literal: for bearing/carrying (the load). Symbolic: for sustaining the burden of sādhanā; carrying the weight of nature’s change
- शुष्मिणम् (śuṣmiṇam)
- Literal: the mighty/impetuous, full of strength. Symbolic: the intense dynamic energy of illumined will
- सुम्ने (sumne)
- Literal: in grace/favor, happiness. Symbolic: state of divine benevolence; gladness that accompanies right opening
- अन्तमः (antamaḥ)
- Literal: nearest/most intimate. Symbolic: the indwelling ally—guidance felt as immediate inner support
- सखा (sakhā)
- Literal: friend. Symbolic: intimate companion-power in consciousness, not distant deity
- वृधे (vṛdhe)
- Literal: for growth/increase. Symbolic: expansion of being; ascent in consciousness and capacity
Invocation verse in Soma sequence; asks Indra to aid ‘winning’ and ‘bearing’—applicable at moments of exertion/pressing and competitive ritual imagery.
During soma-pressing or Indra-invocation sequences; also suitable for personal invocation before effort or challenge.
Calling (āhvāna) and requesting aid for victory and support.
Use as a mantra of inner strength: invoke clear mind-force before demanding work, moral effort, or meditation breakthroughs.
vā́ja- ‘strength, prize, plenitude’ (semantic from ‘vigour/abundance’; linked to √vaj ‘to be strong’); sātí- ‘winning’ (√san ‘to gain’); bhárāya from √bhṛ ‘bear, carry’ (PIE *bʰer-; cf. English bear); śuṣmín- from śúṣma ‘impetuous power’ (possibly √śvas ‘blow/breathe’ → force); sumná- ‘grace, happiness’ (su- + mna?; often ‘good-mindedness/favour’). Inner sense: vājāsāti is not mere ‘prize’ but acquisition of force-fullness needed to carry the yoga of the sacrifice (bhara).
Rayi/Vāja as plenitude of force, Sumná (grace as inner felicity), Sakhya (divine friendship as yogic companionship)
Indra is invoked to establish right movement by overcoming resistance and enabling ordered growth.
Nearness of the divine friend corresponds to truth-guidance felt inwardly as sure direction.
Increase (vṛdh) as evolutionary growth—expansion of consciousness through victory over limitation.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): deities as powers of consciousness.
Storm-force becomes the surge of illumined energy; ‘bearing the load’ becomes sustaining the pressure of transformation without collapse.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘winning of vāja’ with Indra as ally: the heroic acquisition of force/plenitude, with the god as intimate friend who helps carry the burden. This is the Indo-European hero-aid pattern transposed into spiritual striving.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear’ is a clear PIE inheritance (*bʰer-). The friendship term sákhā has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan hakha-). The collocation of ‘calling’ + ‘winning’ mirrors IE heroic diction where invocation secures victory and fame.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi asks Indra not only for power but for intimacy (antamaḥ sakhā): the god is to become a constant inner companion. The reciprocity is affective and functional—grace (sumná) and strength (śuṣma) in return for invocation and offering.
Invoke Indra as the clear, decisive intelligence that carries you through resistance and increases inner capacity.
ājñā (brow)
moderate rhythmic breathing (e.g., sama-vṛtti) while repeating the call to Indra on the exhale.
Active clarity (luminous, forceful concentration).
Begin with a brief inward offering: name the ‘load’ you carry (habit, fear, inertia). Repeat the mantra to feel a nearer inner ally; then act from that clarity rather than strain.
Notated svara unavailable in input; chant with classical Rigvedic three-tone intent (udātta lift on accented syllables, anudātta low, svarita glide) where tradition supplies accents.
Emphasize invocatory words: índram, śuṣmíṇam, bhavā, antamáḥ, sakhā, vṛdhé (with natural stress aligned to pada breaks).
Maintain retroflex ṣ in śuṣmiṇam., Keep short vowels crisp: tam ahve., Avoid inserting extra schwa at word ends; keep -m and -ḥ audible but light.
Clear, firm, uplifting; end each pāda with contained steadiness.
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