Rig Veda 8.13.26: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 26
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्र त्वमवितेदसीत्था स्तुवतो अद्रिवः । ऋतादियर्मि ते धियं मनोयुजम् ॥
índra tvám avitéd asī́tthā stuvató adri-vaḥ | ṛtā́d iyarmi te dhíyaṃ manoyújam ||
Indra, du bist wahrlich der Schützer; so (sei) dem Lobpreisenden, o Steinschleuderer. Aus der Ṛta-Wahrheit setze ich dir den Gedanken in Bewegung, mit dem Geist angespannt.
Word by Word
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अवित्
- helper, protectorNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण-भावेन त्वम्-इत्यस्य)Root अव् (धातु) → अवितृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (एव/खलु-बलार्थक)Root इद् (निपात)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- इत्था
- thus, in this wayIndeclinableरीत्यर्थक-अव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot इत्था (अव्यय)
- स्तुवतः
- of the praising (worshipper)Participle (adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी): ‘of the praiser’Root स्तु (धातु) → स्तुवत् (वर्तमाने कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्रिवः
- O wielder of the stone (for Soma-pressing)Noun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्/वत् (बहुव्रीहि-विशेषणार्थ)
- ऋतादि
- from/according to ṛta (cosmic order), rightlyIndeclinable (compound adverb)समासित-अव्यय: ‘ऋत-आदि’ = ऋततः/ऋतेन आरभ्य (ऋत-आधारित)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
- ईयर्मि
- I set in motion / I raise / I directVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot ईर्/ईरय् (धातु; ‘चल्/प्रेरय्’)
- ते
- for you, yourPronounमध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी): ‘for you / of you’Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- धियम्
- thought, hymn, inspired insightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनःयुजम्
- mind-yoked, joined with the mindAdjective (compound)(धियम् इति विशेष्यस्य) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म-विशेषणRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + युज् (धातु) → युज्/युज्- (कृदन्त/विशेषण ‘युक्त’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्र | त्वम् | अवित् | इद् | असि | इत्था | स्तुवतः | अद्रिवः | ऋतादि | ईयर्मि | ते | धियम् | मनःयुजम् || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) अवितेदसीत्था = अवित् + इद् + असि + इत्था (त्+इ → ति; इद्+असि → इदसि; असि+इत्था → असीत्था)
- (2) ऋतादियर्मि = ऋतादि + ईयर्मि (इ + ई → ई; संहितायां दीर्घ)
- (3) मनोयुजम् = मनः + युजम् (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः: मनः + य → मनो + य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, you are indeed the protector of the praiser, O wielder of the stone; from the Truth I set in motion for you the thought yoked with mind.
Inner meaning
The mantra states a law of inner life: illumination protects the one who sincerely affirms it (‘stuvataḥ’). ‘Adrivaḥ’ (stone-wielder) points to Indra’s force that strikes the obstructing hardness—our fixed subconscious formations. The seer then offers not an ordinary idea but a ‘dhī’ born of ṛta (truth-vision) and yoked to manas—i.e., a disciplined, concentrated thought-force aligned with truth and harnessed to steady attention. This is the inner sacrifice: offering truth-born cognition to the illumined Mind so it may act.
Universal truth
Protection and progress come when thought is aligned with truth and made disciplined; such truth-yoked thinking becomes an offering that invites higher guidance and breaks inner rigidity.
Themes
Rita-born inspiration, Indra as protector, disciplined thought
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.13.23-27
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns frequently articulate the relation between ṛta-born dhī and Indra’s victorious action, highlighting inspired thought as a potent offering.
Significance
This verse explicitly teaches the Aurobindonian key: dhī from ṛta, yoked to mind—intuition disciplined into an effective force, protected and empowered by Indra.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- avitā (protector), adrivaḥ (stone-wielder)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (dhī/word power), Agni (will that carries offerings), Sarasvatī (inspired flow of dhī)
Cosmic role
Champion who breaks obstruction and establishes the reign of light and right order.
Inner power
Protective illumination that both guards the seeker and strikes the hardened formations of ignorance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma ritual; offering of inspired thought (dhī) alongside oblations
इन्द्र॒ त्वम॑वि॒तेद॑सी॒त्था स्तु॑व॒तो अ॑द्रिवः । ऋ॒तादि॑यर्मि ते॒ धियं॑ मनो॒युज॑म् ॥
इन्द्र॑ । त्वम् । अ॒वि॒ता । इत् । अ॒सि॒ । इ॒त्था । स्तु॒व॒तः । अ॒द्रि॒ऽवः॒ । ऋ॒तात् । इ॒य॒र्मि॒ । ते॒ । धिय॑म् । म॒नः॒ऽयुज॑म् ॥
indra | tvam | avitā | it | asi | itthā | stuvataḥ | adri-vaḥ | ṛtāt | iyarmi | te | dhiyam | manaḥ-yujam
Probable Triṣṭubh (11-syllable pādas) given the assertive declarative style; confirm by full scansion
44
4 pādas (11×4 typical Triṣṭubh)
Strong, declarative, hammer-like beats appropriate to ‘adrivaḥ’ and truth-driven propulsion.
Creates firmness and clarity; supports concentration and the feeling of a ‘truth-thought’ being launched.
- अविता (avitā)
- Literal: protector, helper. Symbolic: guarding power of illumination that preserves the seeker’s advance
- स्तुवतः (stuvataḥ)
- Literal: of the one who praises. Symbolic: of the one who aspires, affirms, and aligns with the higher power
- अद्रिवः (adri-vaḥ)
- Literal: stone/rock-wielder. Symbolic: force that smashes inner hardness—fixed habits, inertia, subconscient resistance
- ऋताद् (ṛtāt)
- Literal: from ṛta (truth/order). Symbolic: from truth-consciousness; intuition/vision rather than opinion
- धियम् (dhiyam)
- Literal: thought, understanding, inspired intelligence. Symbolic: illumined cognition (dhī) as offering and instrument
- मनोयुजम् (mano-yujam)
- Literal: yoked with mind. Symbolic: concentrated thought harnessed to steady attention; integration of intuition with mental discipline
- इयर्मि (iyarmi)
- Literal: I set in motion, I impel. Symbolic: active offering—launching the thought-force for divine action
Stuti concluding affirmation: Indra as protector of the praiser; offering of dhī arising from ṛta (truth-ground) in Soma hymn context.
During stotra/śastra praising Indra as protector and breaker of obstacles
Recitation as an oblation of speech/thought; aligning the rite with ṛta
Use before study, decision-making, or inner work: to align thinking with truth and invoke protection against confusion and inertia.
avitā from √av 'to protect'. adri-vaḥ 'having the stone' (adri) evokes both Soma pressing and the thunderbolt symbolism. ṛta 'truth-order' (√ar 'fit') is the source-field of effective dhī. iyarmi from √īr 'to set in motion, raise' (cf. īrayati). manoyujam from √yuj (PIE *yeug- 'yoke'; cf. Latin iugum, English yoke) indicates disciplined joining of mind and inspired thought.
Rita as source of inspired thought, yoking (yuj) as discipline, protection/grace (av)
Explicit: dhī is launched ‘from ṛta’—truth is the source of effective thought and victorious action.
Truth-born cognition is the stable basis for protection and progress.
Manifestation through word/thought aligned with truth—creative power of dhī.
Vedic psychology leading toward Upaniṣadic emphasis on truth-consciousness; compatible with Integral Yoga interpretation.
Rock = hardened subconscious formations; striking = decisive insight/force that breaks fixed patterns; ṛta = the ‘sunlit’ law behind right thought.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as protector and awakener of effective inspired thought: the mythic stone/bolt-holder becomes the power that sets the dhī in motion, but only when it rises from ṛta—the truth-order—showing victory as a function of truth-consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj (PIE *yeug-) in manoyujam is a clear IE inheritance. √as 'to be' (asi) and √av (protect) represent archaic verbal and semantic strata. The ṛta concept is Indo-Iranian (Avestan aša) indicating a shared proto-mythic notion of cosmic order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi offers not material but ṛta-born dhī: he 'sets in motion' a mind-yoked thought for Indra, and in return affirms Indra’s role as avitā of the stuvant—protection that follows right-aligned inspiration.
Offer a truth-born intention (dhī) and concentrate it with steady mind (mano-yuj).
Ājñā (truth-guided cognition)
Bhrāmarī or quiet nasal breathing with a brief focus pause at the brow; on exhale, mentally ‘iyarmi’—release the intention into silence
Collected, clear, protected; readiness for decisive insight.
Form one concise truth-aligned resolve; chant once; then hold the resolve in still attention at the brow; feel Indra’s protective clarity surrounding the mind; allow the ‘stone’ of resistance to soften and break without strain.
Respect Saṃhitā accents; keep ‘índra’ opening clear; maintain a stronger tonal rise on key words like avitā, adrivaḥ, ṛtāt, dhiyam.
Declarative firmness in first half; slightly more inward, concentrated tone on ‘ṛtād iyarmi… manoyujam’.
adrivaḥ: roll ‘dr’ lightly; keep vḥ visarga audible but soft., ṛtād: vocalic ṛ; long ā if sandhi indicates; keep final d crisp., iyarmi: pronounce ‘ya’ clearly (i-ya-rmi), not ‘ee-armi’., manoyujam: keep ‘yu’ short and clear; avoid swallowing ‘j’.
Firm, focused, ‘truth-speaking’; avoid excessive volume.
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