Rig Veda 2.18.8: Mandala 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 8
Sukta 2.18
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada, traditional attribution for Mandala 2 hymns
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
न म इन्द्रेण सख्यं वि योषदस्मभ्यमस्य दक्षिणा दुहीत । उप ज्येष्ठे वरूथे गभस्तौ प्रायेप्राये जिगीवांसः स्याम ॥
ná me índreṇa sakhyáṃ ví yoṣad asmábhyam asya dákṣiṇā duhīta | úpa jyéṣṭhe várūthe gábhastau prāyé-prāye jigīvā́ṃsaḥ syāma ||
Nicht werde meine Freundschaft mit Indra zerbrechen; seine Dakṣiṇā, die rechtspendende Kraft, möge für uns Milch geben. Unter dem höchsten, ältesten Schutz, in seiner Hand, mögen wir immer wieder Sieger sein, bei jedem Vorrücken des Weges.
Word by Word
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध (negation)Root न
- मे
- of me / myPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)Role सम्बन्धRoot अहम्
- इन्द्रेण
- with IndraNoun (proper)तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular), पुंलिङ्गRole सह/करण (association/instrumental)Root इन्द्र
- सख्यम्
- friendshipNounप्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.), नपुंसकलिङ्गRole कर्म (with वियोषद्: 'forsake friendship')Root सख्य
- वि
- apart, asunderPreverbउपसर्गRoot वि
- योषत्
- may (he) not separate / may (he) not forsakeVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् 3 एकवचन (optative 3sg), परस्मैपद; Vedic form: योषत्Role क्रियाRoot युष्
- अस्मभ्यम्
- to usPronounचतुर्थी बहुवचन (dative plural)Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्
- अस्य
- of him / of this (one)Pronounषष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)Role सम्बन्धRoot इदम्
- दक्षिणा
- the dakṣiṇā (priestly gift)Nounप्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular), स्त्रीलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (of दुहीत) / विषयRoot दक्षिणा
- दुहीत
- let (it) yield / let (it) give milk (i.e., bestow)Verbलोट् 3 एकवचन (imperative 3sg), परस्मैपद; Vedic injunctive/imperative usageRole क्रियाRoot दुह्
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot उप
- ज्येष्ठे
- in/at the highest (place/one)Adjective (used substantively)सप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular), पुं/नपुंसक (contextual)Role अधिकरणRoot ज्येष्ठ
- वरूथे
- in the protection / shelterNounसप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular), नपुंसकलिङ्गRole अधिकरणRoot वरूथ
- गभस्तौ
- in the hand / grasp (lit. in the palm)Nounसप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग; Vedic loc. sg. in -auRole अधिकरणRoot गभस्ति
- प्राये-प्राये
- again and again / at each timeIndeclinable (reduplicated adverbial) / Noun used adverbiallyअव्ययीभाव/पुनरुक्ति; distributive senseRole काल/अवधि (adverbial)Root प्राय
- जिगीवांसः
- having won, victoriousParticiple (adjectival)परस्मैपदी परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट कृदन्त (perfect active participle), प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (of स्याम)Root जि + जीव् (perf. participial base jigi-vāṃs-)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् 1 बहुवचन (optative 1pl), परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस्
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): न म॒ → न + मे
- इन्द्रे॑ण स॒ख्यं → इन्द्रेण + सख्यम्
- वि यो॑षद॒स्मभ्य॑म् → वि + योषत् + अस्मभ्यम्
- अस्य॒ दक्षि॑णा → अस्य + दक्षिणा
- दुहीत । उप॒ → दुहीत + उप
- ज्येष्ठे॒ वरू॑थे॒ → ज्येष्ठे + वरूथे
- गभ॑स्तौ → (no further split; Vedic loc.sg. -au)
- प्रा॒येप्रा॑ये → प्राये-प्राये (reduplication)
- जिगी॒वांस॑: → जिगीवांसः
- sām (स्याम) unchanged. Accent marks are preserved in the source but not re-applied per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet prays that his friendship (alliance) with Indra will not be severed. He asks that Dakṣiṇā—Indra’s right-giving, rewarding power—“milk” her bounty for the worshippers. Protected in Indra’s supreme shelter and grasp, they wish to win repeatedly at every stage of their onward journey.
Inner meaning
The sakhya with Indra is the constant inner alliance with the illumined Mind (Indra) so the seeker does not fall back into obscurity. Dakṣiṇā is not merely a ritual fee but the right-discerning power that releases nourishment: the spontaneous “milk” of right action, right distribution of energies, and inner reward that comes when the will aligns with Truth. Being held in the “elder” (jyeṣṭha) protection suggests taking refuge in the highest, prior principle of consciousness—Indra’s vast guarding force—so each inner “advance” (prāya) becomes a victory over resistance and relapse.
Universal truth
Sustained progress requires a stable friendship with the higher intelligence and a continual inflow of right-giving discernment; when consciousness is sheltered in the highest protection, each step forward can become a repeated conquest over inertia and confusion.
Themes
Divine friendship (sakhya), Grace as right-giving power (Dakṣiṇā), Protection/armour (varūtha), Repeated inner victory
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada Śaunahotra
- Lineage
- Śaunahotra (Angirasa-linked tradition, as transmitted in later Anukramaṇī lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.18, RV 2.19, RV 2.20, RV 2.21
Family tradition
Mandala 2 is traditionally attributed to the Gṛtsamada family line; hymns emphasize Indra’s victorious illumination and the right ordering (ṛta) of the inner sacrifice.
Significance
Gṛtsamada’s voice often moves from prayer for protection and right gift (dakṣiṇā) to a psychology of repeated victory—establishing a durable inner pact with the illumined Mind so the journey does not break or scatter.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bounteous), Vajrahasta (wielder of the thunder-force), Jyeṣṭha (the elder/supreme among powers), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer)
- Related deities
- Dakṣiṇā, Bhaga, Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Releases the waters/light by breaking the cover; establishes expansive order for the worlds and the human journey.
Inner power
Clarity, courage, and victorious illumination that protects the ascent and ensures right distribution of inner gains (through Dakṣiṇā).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-soma praise within Soma-yajña sequences; also used as a victory/protection petition in recitation cycles.
न म॒ इन्द्रे॑ण स॒ख्यं वि यो॑षद॒स्मभ्य॑मस्य॒ दक्षि॑णा दुहीत । उप॒ ज्येष्ठे॒ वरू॑थे॒ गभ॑स्तौ प्रा॒येप्रा॑ये जिगी॒वांस॑: स्याम ॥
न । मे॒ । इन्द्रे॑ण । स॒ख्यम् । वि । यो॒ष॒त् । अ॒स्मभ्य॑म् । अ॒स्य॒ । दक्षि॑णा । दु॒ही॒त॒ । उप॑ । ज्येष्ठे॑ । वरू॑थे । गभ॑स्तौ । प्रा॒येऽप्रा॑ये । जि॒गी॒वांसः॑ । स्या॒म॒ ॥
na | me | indreṇa | sakhyam | vi | yoṣat | asmabhyam | asya | dakṣiṇā | duhīta | upa | jyeṣṭhe | varūthe | gabhastau | prāye--prāye | jigīvāṃsaḥ | syāma
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (Triṣṭubh cadence; slight Vedic flexibility)
Forward-driving, martial yet controlled; suited to vows, victories, and firm resolve.
Builds determination and steadiness; the rhythm supports repeated ‘advances’ and a sense of being held/protected while moving forward.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, Vedic god of power and victory. Symbolic: Illumined Mind; force of clear intelligence that conquers obscurity
- सख्यम् (sakhyam)
- Literal: friendship, alliance. Symbolic: steady inner companionship with the higher consciousness
- दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā)
- Literal: gift/fee; right-hand; rewarding power. Symbolic: right-discrimination and right-giving abundance that ‘rewards’ the aligned seeker
- दुहीत (duhīta)
- Literal: may she milk/yield. Symbolic: release of inner nourishment—energy, insight, support—from the right power
- ज्येष्ठ (jyeṣṭha)
- Literal: eldest, supreme. Symbolic: the highest prior principle; the mature, sovereign protection
- वरूथ (varūtha)
- Literal: defence, shelter, protection. Symbolic: inner safeguard of the Truth-force against relapse
- गभस्ति (gabhasti)
- Literal: hand, grasp; ray. Symbolic: Indra’s holding power; also the ray-like grip of illumination
- प्रायेप्राये (prāye-prāye)
- Literal: at each advance/going forth. Symbolic: each progressive movement in sādhanā; successive inner transitions
- जिगीवांसः (jigīvāṃsaḥ)
- Literal: winning, victorious. Symbolic: recurrent conquest over habitual darkness and resistance
Indra-stotra in Soma sacrifice context (general RV usage: praise to Indra for victory and the flow of gifts; adaptable within Agniṣṭoma/Ukthya sequences where Indra is invoked for overcoming obstructions and receiving dakṣiṇā).
During Indra-stotras/śastras in Soma rites; contextually when invoking Indra’s protection and reward (dakṣiṇā).
Recitation/chant with offering intention—affirming alliance and requesting right-flow of reward.
Use as a daily affirmation mantra for sustaining inner alliance with clarity; recite before challenging work to invoke ‘right reward’ and repeated success without egoic strain.
Key terms: (1) sakhyam: from sakhí 'friend/ally' (< PIE *sekw- 'to follow, accompany'; cf. Latin sequor). Here denotes an inner alliance with Indra’s force. (2) yoṣat: verbal form from √/-? In RV, yoṣ- commonly 'to separate/keep away/withdraw' (contextual); optative/jussive nuance with : 'let it not break away'. (3) ṇā dakṣiṇā: from 'able, right, skilled' (√ 'to be able, to be competent'); lit. 'the right-hand/rightness', ritually the priestly fee, psychologically the rightly-apportioned grace/power that nourishes. (4) duhīta: optative from √ 'to milk, yield'; symbolic yielding of sustaining essence (like Soma/inner nourishment). (5) varūtha: 'cover, protection, armour' (possibly from √ 'to cover, enclose'); the protecting formation of divine force. (6) gabhasti: 'hand, ray'; in many RV contexts also 'ray of light'; here 'in the grasp/hand'—Indra’s hold that prevents relapse. (7) -: from pra-āya 'going forth, advance' (√ 'to go'); marks repeated progressive movements of sadhana.
R̥ta as right-order expressed as 'dakṣiṇā' (right apportioning), progressive ascent (prāye-prāye) as stages of inner becoming, victory over obstruction (jigīvāṃsaḥ)
Dakṣiṇā ‘milks’ only when action and intention align with ṛta—right measure and right exchange in consciousness.
Unbroken sakhya implies fidelity to truth-perception; protection in the ‘elder’ indicates grounding in the prior Truth.
Progressive manifestation through stages (prāya-prāya): the worlds are won repeatedly as consciousness advances.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo): ascent to the Vast through illumined Mind and right powers.
Milk = nourishment of consciousness; shelter = protective poise; hand/ray = grip of illumination; journey = stages of inner growth.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not the outer Vṛtra-slaying scene but the mythologem of 'divine alliance and safeguarded advance': the seeker prays that the bond with Indra (victorious luminous force) not be severed, and that the rightly-apportioned grace (Dakṣiṇā) may 'milk' its sustaining essence. The recurring 'prāye-prāye' frames the mythic action as repeated crossings where protection (varūtha) and Indra’s grasp (gabhasti) ensure victory over returning darkness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- (sakhyam) aligns with the companionship semantic field seen in PIE *sekw- 'follow' (Lat. sequor), supporting the idea of 'accompanying alliance'. The protective notion in (varūtha) resonates with covering/enclosing from √ (PIE *wer- 'to cover'), while the yielding in √ (to milk) reflects an old Indo-European pastoral metaphor extended in Vedic to the flow of inner sustenance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- It is reciprocal and covenantal: the ṛṣi seeks stable sakhya (alliance) with Indra, and in return asks that Indra’s Dakṣiṇā (right-giving distributive power) actively 'yield' nourishment to the community of aspirants. The speaker does not bargain for outer wealth but for a protected continuity of inner progress—Indra’s varūtha and grasp preventing the rupture of the yogic advance and enabling repeated victory.
Stabilize the inner alliance with illumined intelligence; invite right-discerning abundance to ‘flow’ into action and speech.
ājñā (for clarity/Indra) and anāhata (for sakhya—inner companionship and trust)
Moderate, even inhalation-exhalation; brief pause after exhale while contemplating ‘varūtha’ (protective stillness).
Steady, victorious composure—dynamic peace (śānta-vīra).
Before tasks or decisions, recite slowly 3–9 times; feel a clear, bright mind above the brow; then offer the day’s actions as ‘advances’ where right reward comes as alignment, not as craving.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per Śākala tradition; key udāttas typically on prominent deity/power words (índreṇa, dákṣiṇā).
Maintain clear udātta lift on ‘índreṇa’, ‘dákṣiṇā’; avoid flattening compound ‘prāye-prāye’.
Keep retroflex ṇ in ‘indreṇa’ clear and nasalized vowel length in ‘prāye’., Pronounce ‘dakṣiṇā’ with kṣ as a single conjunct (k+ṣ), not ‘kha’., ‘gabhastau’: crisp bh, and keep final au diphthong open.
Firm, bright, protective tone; end each pāda with gentle resolve rather than force.
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