Rig Veda 8.40.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 40, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.40
- Rishi
- Nabhāka
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
या नु श्वेताववो दिव उच्चरात उप द्युभिः । इन्द्राग्न्योरनु व्रतमुहाना यन्ति सिन्धवो यान्त्सीं बन्धादमुञ्चतां नभन्तामन्यके समे ॥
yā́ nu śvetā́v avo divá ut-cárātá úpa dyúbhiḥ | indrā́gnyor ánu vratám uhā́nā yánti síndhavo yā́nt sīm bandhā́d ámuñcatāṃ nábhantām anyaké samé ||
Jene zwei Leuchtenden, die aus dem Himmel emporsteigen und mit ihren Lichtern herannahen: dem Gesetz Indras und Agnis folgend, strömen die Flüsse dahin und tragen ihre Wasser. Mögen sie sie aus der Fessel lösen; mögen die anderen auf demselben Feld zerstreut werden.
Word by Word
- या
- she who / whichPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- नु
- now; indeedIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic/temporal)Root नु (nipāta)
- श्वेतौ
- the two white (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot श्वेत (adj. prātipadika)
- अवः
- help; aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Vedic: often ‘help, aid’ as object/goal)Role KarmaRoot अवस् (n. prātipadika)
- दिवः
- of heaven; of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot द्यौ/दिव् (f. prātipadika)
- उच्चरात्
- rises up; goes forth upwardVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्? (Vedic injunctive/imperatival usage), 3rd person, एकवचन; with preverb उद् ‘up/out’Root उद्-चर् (धातु: चर् ‘to move/go’)
- उप
- towards; nearIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot उप (upasarga)
- द्युभिः
- with the lights of heaven; with days/sky-lightsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot द्युभ्/द्यु (m. prātipadika ‘daylight, heaven’)
- इन्द्राग्न्योः
- of Indra and AgniNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचनRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र + अग्नि (dvandva)
- अनु
- after; according toIndeclinableअव्यय (postposition-like)Root अनु (upasarga/avyaya)
- व्रतम्
- ordinance; fixed law; commandNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot व्रत (n. prātipadika)
- उहाना
- bearing; carrying alongParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-type), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with या)Role KartāRoot वह्/ऊह्? (Vedic participial stem उह- ‘to carry/bring along; to convey’)
- यन्ति
- they goVerbलट्, 3rd person, बहुवचनRoot या (धातु ‘to go’)
- सिन्धवः
- the rivers; streamsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सिन्धु (m. prātipadika)
- यान्त्सीम्
- they go indeed / just goVerb + particleयान्ति (लट् 3pl) with sandhi/saṃhitā contraction to यान्त्-; सीम् = emphatic/enclitic ‘indeed, just’Root या (धातु ‘to go’) + सीम् (enclitic particle)
- बन्धात्
- from the bond; from confinementNounपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot बन्ध (m./n. prātipadika)
- अमुञ्चताम्
- let them release; may they set freeVerbआशीर्लिङ्/लोट् (Vedic: 3rd person plural middle/active imperative-aorist form), बहुवचनRoot मुच् (धातु ‘to release’) with preverb अ-? (here augmentless aorist/imperative-like)
- नभन्ताम्
- let them burst forth; let them swell/streamVerbलोट्, 3rd person, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot नभ् (धातु ‘to burst forth/swell; to spring’)
- अन्यके
- in another (place/way)Adjective/Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Vedic locative)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्यक (adj./pron. stem ‘other’)
- समे
- in the level/plain; in samenessAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सम (adj. prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Saṃhitā resolution applied: इन्द्राग्न्योर् → इन्द्राग्न्योः (gen. dual)
- द्युभि: → द्युभिः
- यान्त्सीं → यान्ति + सीम् (enclitic particle; -न्त्स्- from sandhi of -न्ति + स-)
- बन्धादमुञ्चताम् → बन्धात् + अमुञ्चताम् (t + a)
- नभन्तामन्यके → नभन्ताम् + अन्यके (m + a). Accent marks in the input are preserved in recitation but not required for morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Those two bright ones who rise from heaven and come near with their lights—following the law of Indra and Agni the rivers move bearing their waters; may they release them from the bond; may the others be scattered in the same field.
Inner meaning
The ‘two bright ones’ are Indra and Agni appearing as twin illuminations descending from the higher mind (divaḥ) into the waking being. Their lights approach and establish a law (vrata) by which the inner rivers (sindhavaḥ)—streams of consciousness, prāṇa, and inspiration—begin to move, carrying their currents. The prayer is that these streams be freed from binding constraints (bandha), i.e., habitual blocks and subconscient fixations, so the flow of life and knowledge becomes unobstructed; adverse forces in the same plane are scattered.
Universal truth
When higher clarity and right will descend, the inner currents of life and understanding naturally begin to flow according to a truer law; liberation is experienced as unbinding and free movement.
Themes
rivers following cosmic law, unbinding/release, luminous emergence
The seer
- Rishi
- Nabhāka
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.40.1-9
Family tradition
Kāṇva; adept in imagery of release—waters and bonds as symbols of inner flow and liberation.
Significance
Here the seer shifts from battle language to a liberation image: the goal is not merely defeat of rivals but restoration of free, luminous flow under divine law.
The deity
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Epithets
- śvetau (bright ones) [descriptive]
- Related deities
- Āpas (waters), Sarasvatī, Varuṇa (bond/law)
Cosmic role
Establishers of the divine ordinance that governs the movement of waters/forces; liberators from bonds.
Inner power
Descent of light (Indra) and flame-will (Agni) that sets the inner currents in right motion and unbinds them.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Agni invocation connected with waters/flow and release from bonds; could accompany libations and water-related rites within soma sequence
या नु श्वे॒ताव॒वो दि॒व उ॒च्चरा॑त॒ उप॒ द्युभि॑: । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्न्योरनु॑ व्र॒तमुहा॑ना यन्ति॒ सिन्ध॑वो॒ यान्त्सीं॑ ब॒न्धादमु॑ञ्चतां॒ नभ॑न्तामन्य॒के स॑मे ॥
या । नु । श्वे॒तौ । अ॒वः । दि॒वः । उ॒त्ऽचरा॑तः । उप॑ । द्युऽभिः॑ । इ॒न्द्रा॒ग्न्योः । अनु॑ । व्र॒तम् । उहा॑नाः । य॒न्ति॒ । सिन्ध॑वः । यान् । सी॒म् । ब॒न्धात् । अमु॑ञ्चताम् । नभ॑न्ताम् । अ॒न्य॒के । स॒मे॒ ॥
yā | nu | śvetau | avaḥ | divaḥ | ut-carātaḥ | upa | dyu-bhiḥ | indrāgnyoḥ | anu | vratam | uhānāḥ | yanti | sindhavaḥ | yān | sīm | bandhāt | amuñcatām | nabhantām | anyake | same
48
4×12 (approx.)
Fluid, wave-like movement mirroring river-flow; gentle lift on ‘śvetau… dyubhiḥ’.
Creates a felt sense of cleansing and release; supports opening of breath and subtle flow sensations.
- श्वेतौ (śvetau)
- Literal: two bright/white ones. Symbolic: twin lights of illumination and will; purity and clarity descending
- दिवः (divaḥ)
- Literal: from heaven. Symbolic: from higher consciousness (supramental/overmental or higher mental planes in yogic reading)
- द्युभिः (dyubhiḥ)
- Literal: with lights. Symbolic: rays of knowledge, luminous energies
- व्रतम् (vratam)
- Literal: law, vow, ordinance. Symbolic: inner dharma of the sadhana; right order established by the gods
- सिन्धवः (sindhavaḥ)
- Literal: rivers. Symbolic: streams of consciousness-force; currents of prāṇa and inspiration
- उहानाः (uhānāḥ)
- Literal: bearing, carrying. Symbolic: carrying the liberated waters/energies into the active nature
- बन्धात् अमुञ्चताम् (bandhāt amuñcatām)
- Literal: may they release from the bond. Symbolic: untying inner bindings—release of blocked energies and fixed patterns
Release motif suited to Soma ritual symbolism of flowing offerings and the freeing of life-waters; also protective prayer to unbind.
When seeking unobstructed flow—prosperity, inspiration, and release from constraints; also as a prayer for freeing ‘bound’ waters.
Recitation with offering; symbolic ‘unbinding’ intention.
A mantra for unblocking—creative stagnation, emotional constriction, or prāṇic tightness; pair with breathwork and a short visualization of rivers flowing.
śveta ‘white/bright’ from √śvit/śvit ‘to be bright’. sindhu ‘river’ (also ‘sea’), major Vedic cosmological image. √muc ‘to release’ (amuñcatām imperative/optative). vrata from √vṛ ‘to choose/will; to restrain’ → law/ordinance.
vrata/ṛta (divine law), release from bondage (bandha-mokṣa motif), descent of higher light into life-streams
Rivers move ‘anu vratam’—flow in accordance with cosmic order as restored by Indra-Agni.
Light descending from ‘div’ reveals the truthful path for energies to move.
Waters descending from heaven—movement from higher to lower, enabling manifestation and life.
Integral/psychological Vedic symbolism: descent of higher light organizing lower currents.
dawn-like luminosity (implied by ‘bright ones’ and lights)
Sky = higher mind; rays = illuminations; rivers = prāṇic and mental currents; bonds = constrictions formed by ignorance and habit.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The release of bound waters: rivers moving under Indrāgnī’s law and a prayer to free what is held in bondage—continuous with the Vedic ‘waters released’ myth-complex.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √muc ‘release’ participates in an old IE semantic field of loosening/binding (cf. Latin mūnus? not cognate; direct cognates uncertain), but the bind/release opposition is a widespread inherited poetic structure. dyu- ‘sky/light’ continues PIE *dyew-.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi appeals to Indrāgnī as governors of vrata so that even the life-streams (sindhavaḥ) obey right law and the bound powers are released—divine order becomes liberation in the seeker.
Visualize twin lights descending; feel inner rivers (breath, prāṇa, thought-stream) begin to move smoothly under a higher law; release a specific ‘bond’.
viśuddha (flow/expressive channel) and suṣumṇā flow support; optional ājñā for descending light
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) 5 minutes, then recite slowly; on ‘amuñcatām’ soften the exhale and release tension.
From constricted to flowing; from effort to guided movement.
Name one binding pattern; during recitation imagine it as a knot on a river; let the river’s force gently loosen it rather than forcing.
Follow accent marks; keep a gentle rise on ‘śvetau’ and clarity on ‘indrāgnyor anu vratam’.
Maintain phrase flow without chopping: … uccarāta upa dyubhiḥ | indrāgnyor anu vratam …
uccarāta: double c (uc-ca-rā-ta)., dyubhiḥ: dyu as one syllable-like glide; final ḥ audible but light., sindhavo: clear dh aspirate., amuñcatām: ñc cluster (a-muñ-ca-tām).
Clear, fluid, slightly softened; emphasize continuity like a stream.
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