Rig Veda 8.21.12: Mandala 8, Sukta 21, Mantra 12
Sukta 8.21
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
जयेम कारे पुरुहूत कारिणोऽभि तिष्ठेम दूढ्यः । नृभिर्वृत्रं हन्याम शूशुयाम चावेरिन्द्र प्र णो धियः ॥
jáyema kāré puruhūta kāríṇo’bhí tíṣṭhema dūḍhyàḥ | nṛ́bhir vṛtráṃ hányāma śūśuyā́ma cā́ver índra prá no dhíyaḥ ||
Mögen wir im Wirken siegen, o Vielangerufener, über die Wirkenden, die gegen uns wirken; mögen wir über die hart bedrängenden Nöte treten. Mit Manneskraft mögen wir Vṛtra erschlagen; mögen wir in Tatbegierde glühen. O Indra, führe unsere inspirierten Gedanken voran.
Word by Word
- जये॑म
- may we winVerbलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot जि (धातु)
- का॒रे
- in the contest/battleNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot कार (प्रातिपदिक; ‘युद्ध/संघर्ष/प्रतिस्पर्धा’)
- पुरुहूत
- O much-invoked (Indra)Noun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पुरु-हूत (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र का विशेषण)
- कारिणः
- (we) doers/warriorsNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘करनेवाला/युद्धकर्ता’)
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- तिष्ठेम
- may we stand/press onVerbलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot स्था (धातु) + तिṣ्ठ (प्रसार/विकरण)
- दूढ्यः
- the hard (ones/obstacles/strongholds)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot दूढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘दृढ/कठिन/दुर्जेय’)
- नृभिः
- with men/warriorsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रम्
- Vṛtra (the obstructor)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- हन्याम
- may we slayVerbलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot हन् (धातु)
- शूशुयाम
- may we be eager/press forwardVerbलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot शूशु (धातु; ‘उत्सुक/प्रबल होना, वेग करना/उत्साह करना’)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRole (connector)Root च (अव्यय)
- अवेः
- from the ram (Avi)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अवि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भेड़/मेढ़ा’)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableअव्ययRole (preverb)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- नः
- our / for usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- धियः
- thoughts/insights/prayersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठ में ‘कारिणो॒ऽभि’ = ‘कारिणः + अभि’ (विसर्ग-संधि: अ- के पूर्व विसर्ग → ’)
- अन्य पद-सीमाएँ मूलतः स्पष्ट हैं। ‘प्र णो धियः’ में ‘णो’ = एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ (उच्चारण/पदपाठ-परंपरा में नकार का मूर्धन्यत्व)
The meaning
Outer meaning
May we win in the contest of action; may we overcome those who act against us; may we stand over hard difficulties. With the heroes may we slay Vṛtra; may we be eager; Indra, bring forward our insights.
Inner meaning
In the field of works (kāra), may the soul-force conquer the counter-formations (kāriṇaḥ—forces that ‘do’ against the right doing). May we rise above compressed distress (dūḍhyaḥ). With the nṛbhis—our manly powers (clarified life-forces and courageous faculties)—may we strike down Vṛtra, the inner Coverer that blocks light and free flow. Let there be ardent will (śūśuyāma). Indra, push forward (pra) our dhiyas: inspired perceptions and right-forming thoughts.
Universal truth
Victory in life is not mere struggle but the uplift of intelligence and will: overcome counter-impulses, endure pressure, remove inner obstruction, and let inspiration lead action.
Themes
victory, Vṛtra-slaying (inner), empowered action, inspiration
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.21.11, RV 8.21.13-15
Family tradition
Kāṇva-style Indra stotras emphasizing victory, dhī, and Vṛtra-slaying as an inner event.
Significance
The seer frames sādhanā as a disciplined conquest: right action (kāra) guided by inspired thought (dhī) empowered by Indra.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Puruhūta (much-invoked), Vṛtrahan (Vṛtra-slayer), Avī (protector/helper—‘aver’ in the verse)
- Related deities
- Maruts (hero-powers), Agni (will), Soma (bliss/force), Sarasvatī (inspiration)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods; opens the paths by breaking the Coverer; advances the seer’s dhī for right action.
Inner power
Dynamic illumination: courage + clear intelligence that turns pressure into progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise in Soma yajña; victory hymns in pressing sequences
जये॑म का॒रे पु॑रुहूत का॒रिणो॒ऽभि ति॑ष्ठेम दू॒ढ्य॑: । नृभि॑र्वृ॒त्रं ह॒न्याम॑ शूशु॒याम॒ चावे॑रिन्द्र॒ प्र णो॒ धिय॑: ॥
जये॑म । का॒रे । पु॒रु॒ऽहू॒त॒ । का॒रिणः॑ । अ॒भि । ति॒ष्ठे॒म॒ । दुः॒ऽध्यः॑ । नृऽभिः॑ । वृ॒त्रम् । ह॒न्याम॑ । शू॒शु॒याम॑ । च॒ । अवेः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । प्र । नः॒ । धियः॑ ॥
jayema | kāre | puru-hūta | kāriṇaḥ | abhi | tiṣṭhema | duḥ-dhyaḥ | nṛ-bhiḥ | vṛtram | hanyāma | śūśuyāma | ca | aveḥ | indra | pra | naḥ | dhiyaḥ
Likely Jagatī (approx.; longer pādas common in RV 8 with Indra praise)
48
4 pādas × ~12 syllables (Jagatī movement; exact count may vary)
Longer, marching cadence—suited to sustained effort and overcoming layered difficulties.
Energizes resolve; stimulates ‘forward movement’ of dhī and prāṇa.
- जये॑म (jayema)
- Literal: may we conquer. Symbolic: inner victory—mastery over lower nature and circumstances
- का॒रे (kāre)
- Literal: in the doing/making. Symbolic: the yoga of works; formation of life by conscious action
- का॒रिणः (kāriṇaḥ)
- Literal: doers/makers. Symbolic: counter-forces that ‘construct’ error, habit, or opposition in the nature
- दू॒ढ्यः (dūḍhyaḥ)
- Literal: hard-pressed, difficult. Symbolic: compressed knots of difficulty; constricted prāṇa and circumstance
- नृभिः (nṛbhiḥ)
- Literal: with men/hero-powers. Symbolic: inner virile energies disciplined by light; effective soul-forces
- वृत्रम् (vṛtram)
- Literal: Vṛtra, the coverer. Symbolic: subconscient obstruction, ignorance, inertia that blocks illumination
- शूशुयाम (śūśuyāma)
- Literal: may we be eager/ardent. Symbolic: tapas of the will—fervor to accomplish the inner conquest
- धियः (dhiyaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: illumined understanding; truth-forming intuition
Victory-prayer in the Indra-cycle: asks for success in action (kāra), overcoming difficulties, and Vṛtra-slaying—classically aligned with Indra’s role in Soma rites for victory and force.
During offerings to Indra for strength and victory; adaptable for daily recitation before work/endeavor
Stotra to invoke conquering power and the arising of inspired thought
Use as a ‘work mantra’: before study, leadership, athletic effort, or confronting procrastination/inner inertia.
: optative 1pl √ji ‘conquer’ (PIE *gʷyeh₂- ‘live/conquer’ debated; Vedic √ji firmly ‘win’). : from √duh/√duh? as ‘hard to milk’ metaphorically ‘hard to draw out’; here ‘difficulties’ (semantic hard-pressed). : from √vṛ ‘cover, obstruct’ → the Coverer. : optative √han ‘strike, slay’ (PIE *gʷhen- ‘kill’). : from √av ‘protect’ (PIE *h₂ew- ‘protect’ often proposed).
inner battle: knowledge vs. obstruction (vṛtra), forward movement of inspiration (pra dhī), collective heroic energies (nṛ-bhiḥ)
Right action wins when aligned with Ṛta; opposition is overcome by restoring true order in the nature.
‘Pra ṇo dhiyaḥ’—let truth-vision come to the front of consciousness.
Indra advances creation by breaking the cover and enabling inspired formation (kāra) in the human.
Integral-psychological reading: Vṛtra as inner obstruction; dhī as supramental/intuitive precursor in mind.
Battle = inner struggle for mastery; pressure = constricted prāṇa and circumstance; storm victory = breakthrough of illumination and free flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Explicit Vṛtra-slaying: the obstructor (covering power) is to be struck down so that inspiration and force can flow; the myth is read inwardly as the defeat of ignorance and inertia in the human instrument.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √han ‘slay’ corresponds to PIE *gʷhen- (cf. Gk. phénō ‘slay’, Av. jan-). √sthā ‘stand’ corresponds to PIE *steh₂- (Lat. stō). The verse uses inherited battle-and-standing formulas for ethical/psychic conquest.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi requests Indra’s av (protection) to convert aspiration into conquest: human nṛ-power acts, but Indra must ‘bring forward’ dhī—divine illumination guiding human effort in the inner war.
Bring forward dhī (inspired intelligence) to lead action; identify and strike the inner Vṛtra (habitual obstruction).
maṇipūra (will/effort) guided by ājñā (clear direction)
Kapalabhati-light or brisk 1–2 minutes (if appropriate), then calm breathing while repeating ‘pra ṇo dhiyaḥ’.
Active, luminous striving—sattvic force with heroic steadiness.
Name the counter-maker (kāriṇa) as a specific pattern (doubt, avoidance, anger). Invoke Indra; feel nṛbhis as organized inner powers; affirm decisive release; then sit quietly to let a clear next step (dhī) arise.
Rigvedic accenting per saṃhitā marks; maintain clear udātta peaks on accented syllables; reset at pāda breaks.
Keep strong lift on ‘jayema’, ‘vṛtram hanyāma’, and resolve on ‘pra ṇo dhiyaḥ’.
puruhūta: keep long ū; aspirate h lightly, 'bhi tiṣṭhema: clear conjunct ‘ṣṭh’, dūḍhyaḥ: long ū; retroflex ḍh, nṛbhiḥ: vocalic ṛ; final ḥ light, hanyāma: palatal ny, śūśuyāma: long ū, repeated śū- cleanly, dhiyaḥ: dh voiced aspirate; final ḥ
Bright, forceful, uplifting; avoid shouting—power through clarity.
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