Rig Veda 8.31.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 31, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.31
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
पुरोळाशं यो अस्मै सोमं ररत आशिरम् । पादित्तं शक्रो अंहसः ॥
puroḷā́śaṃ yó asmai sómaṃ rárata āśíram | pā́d íttaṃ śakró áṃhasaḥ ||
Wer ihm den Puroḷāśa darbringt und Soma, gemischt mit der stärkenden Essenz (āśir) — den bewahrt wahrlich Śakra vor Not und Sünde.
Word by Word
- पुरोळाशम्
- puroḷāśa (sacrificial cake), as the offeringNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot पुरोळाश- (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञीय पिष्टपाक/केक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- to himPronoun(पुं/स्त्री/नपुं), चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सोम- (प्रातिपदिक)
- ररत
- gave, bestowedVerbलुङ् (आगम-रहितः वैदिक-अोरिस्टः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √रा (राति/रारति) / वैदिक √रर् (देने/प्रदाने)
- आशिरम्
- a blessing, benedictionNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (वैदिक रूपम्: आशिरम्)Role कर्मRoot आशिस्/आशीर्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आशीः’)
- पादित्तम्
- footed/with feet; (as predicate) made to have footing / set on footAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्/विधेयम्)Role (विधेय-विशेषणम्) कर्मणि-भावःRoot पादि- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पादि’ = पाद-सम्बद्ध/पाद-रूप) + -त (कृत्)
- शक्रः
- Śakra (Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot शक्र- (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य नाम)
- अंहसः
- from distress/sin/anguishNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (अथवा षष्ठी-एकवचनम्; प्रसङ्गे पञ्चमी ‘from’)Role अपादानRoot अंहस्- (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- मन्त्रपाठः ‘पुरोळाशं यो अस्मै सोमं ररत आशिरम् । पादित्तं शक्रो अंहसः ॥’ इति। संधि-विशेषः न्यूनः: ‘यो अस्मै’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग/स्वर-संधि न
- ‘शक्रो अंहसः’ = शक्रः + अंहसः (विसर्गस्य ओ-आदेशः, पदान्त ‘ः’ + अ-आदि)। ‘आशिरम्’ वैदिक-रूपं (क्लासिकल ‘आशीषम्/आशीः’)। ‘ररत’ वैदिक-अोरिस्ट-रूपः (√रा/√रर् ‘देने’)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Who offers the puroḷāśa and Soma mixed with strengthening essence to Indra—him the Mighty One protects from distress/sin.
Inner meaning
Puroḷāśa (the prepared cake) symbolizes the solid, well-formed substance of life offered—disciplined works and organized energies; Soma with āśir (mixture/strengthening essence) is bliss consciously blended with force and aspiration, not a weak sentiment. Indra-Śakra (the powerful illumined Mind) protects such a practitioner from aṃhas—inner distress, wrong movement, guilt, and the oppressive reactions of ignorance.
Universal truth
When life-substance and delight are offered in a strengthened, integrated way, illumination becomes a protection: clarity shields the being from suffering born of confusion.
Themes
Indra protection, Soma and offering, Release from distress
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.31.1, Rig Veda 8.31.3
Significance
Teaches the psychology of offering: not only delight (Soma) but also formed substance (puroḷāśa) must be consecrated; then protection from inner disorder follows.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Śakra)
- Epithets
- Śakra, Indra, gopā (protector, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (preparer/cooker of offering), Soma, Aditi (freedom from constriction, thematic opposite of aṃhas)
Cosmic role
Victorious power of luminous intelligence; guardian who repels hostile forces and inner suffering.
Inner power
Protective illumination: a force that prevents fall into aṃhas by maintaining right perception and courageous energy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering with puroḷāśa accompaniment
पु॒रो॒ळाशं॒ यो अ॑स्मै॒ सोमं॒ रर॑त आ॒शिर॑म् । पादित्तं श॒क्रो अंह॑सः ॥
पु॒रो॒ळाश॑म् । यः । अ॒स्मै॒ । सोम॑म् । रर॑ते । आ॒ऽशिर॑म् । पात् । इत् । तम् । श॒क्रः । अंह॑सः ॥
puroḷāśam | yaḥ | asmai | somam | rarate | āśiram | pāt | it | tam | śakraḥ | aṃhasaḥ
Two lines: relative clause of offering, then result clause of protection.
Protective closure: the second line lands firmly on pād… aṃhasaḥ, giving a sealing effect.
Creates a sense of guardedness and moral-psychological cleansing; helpful when facing anxiety or self-doubt.
- पुरोळाशम् (puroḷāśam)
- Literal: puroḷāśa offering-cake. Symbolic: well-prepared life-substance; disciplined work offered to the Divine
- सोमम् (somam)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine delight/ānanda distilled in consciousness
- आशिरम् (āśiram)
- Literal: mixed, seasoned; strengthening essence. Symbolic: bliss combined with aspiration/force; fortified offering
- शक्रः (śakraḥ)
- Literal: the Mighty (Indra). Symbolic: decisive illumined power that can protect and conquer
- अंहसः (aṃhasaḥ)
- Literal: from distress, sin, narrowness. Symbolic: from suffering and error born of ignorance; constriction and hostile pressure
- पात् (pāt)
- Literal: protects, guards. Symbolic: establishes a protective clarity and right force
Indra-offering with puroḷāśa and Soma; used to seek protection from aṃhas (distress/evil) and to stabilize the sacrificer’s force.
During offering sequences to Indra; praising the efficacy of correct oblation.
Offering prepared food (puroḷāśa) and Soma-mixture to Indra; recitation as śastra/stotra adjunct.
Use when seeking protection from negativity: offer one concrete habit/act (puroḷāśa) and one inner sweetness (Soma) consciously to the higher mind-force.
śakra from √śak ‘to be able, have power’ marks Indra as capability itself. √pā ‘protect’ frames Indra’s guardianship. aṃhas denotes constriction/anguish and moral-psychic ‘sin’ as deviation—inner bondage. āśir is a ‘mixing/seasoning’ that strengthens: psychologically, Soma (delight) blended with right intention and formative substance (puroḷāśa) becomes a complete offering.
protection as removal of constriction (aṃhas), power/capacity (śakra), delight (Soma) allied with formed will (puroḷāśa)
Protection is the law-result of right alignment and consecration.
True strength (śakra) guards from falsehood-induced distress (aṃhas).
Integration of substance and delight in the sacrificial evolution of the being.
Integral/psychological yajña: consecration transforms and protects the nature.
unspecified
Food = formed life-energy; Soma = delight; mixing = integration; protection = luminous force holding the system together.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The protective pact: offering to Indra yields safeguarding from aṃhas. Mythically, Indra protects his worshipper; psychologically, when delight (Soma) is offered together with a well-formed substance of will (puroḷāśa) and strengthening admixture (āśir), the Indra-force in us guards against constriction, error, and suffering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect’ is an inherited protective root (cf. pastoral/protective semantics across IE). The epithet śakra (√śak ‘be able’) parallels an Indo-European emphasis on divine potency as ‘ability/capacity,’ not mere kingship.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi codifies reciprocity: give the right oblation, receive protection. The Devata is responsive to the quality of offering—when the human presents refined delight and formed substance, Indra answers by guarding the inner life from constricting forces (aṃhas).
Consecrate both ‘substance’ (body-life discipline) and ‘delight’ (heart sweetness) to Indra-like clarity.
maṇipūra (strength/protection)
steady 1:2 exhale lengthening to soothe aṃhas (distress) while chanting.
Protected clarity; reduced inner turbulence.
Make a small, tangible offering (a disciplined act) and an inner offering (gratitude/joy). Then sit and call Indra-Śakra to guard the mind from negative spirals.
Honor the saṃhitā accents; keep ‘śakraḥ’ bright and emphatic; end ‘aṃhasaḥ’ with clear anusvāra resonance.
Slightly stress the offering nouns (puroḷāśam, somam, āśiram) then seal with a firm cadence on pād… śakraḥ…
puroḷāśam: retroflex ḷ if in your tradition; don’t turn it into ‘l’., āśiram: long ā; ś is palatal., aṃhasaḥ: nasalize aṃ; keep h audible.
protective, grounded, steady
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