Rig Veda 8.45.40: Mandala 8, Sukta 45, Mantra 40
Sukta 8.45
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
भिन्धि विश्वा अप द्विषः परि बाधो जही मृधः । वसु स्पार्हं तदा भर ॥
bhindhí víśvā apá dvíṣaḥ párí bā́dho jahī́ mṛ́dhaḥ | vásu spā́rhaṃ tád ā́ bhara ||
Zerschlage alle Feindschaften; treibe die Bedrängnis fort; erschlage die feindlichen Angriffe. Dann bring uns den begehrenswerten Reichtum.
Word by Word
- भिन्धि
- split, breakVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (आज्ञा; क्रिया)Root भिद् (भिनत्ति)
- विश्वाः
- all (every)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (भिन्धि—‘all [hostilities/foes]’)Root विश्व (सर्व)
- अप
- away, offIndeclinable (preverb/particle)अव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘away/off’)Root अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- द्विषः
- haters, enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (RV: -ः = -न्)Role कर्म (अप…भिन्धि—‘the haters/foes’)Root द्विष् (द्वेष्टि) / द्विष् (शत्रु) प्रातिपदिक
- परि
- around, awayIndeclinable (preverb/particle)अव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘around/away’)Root परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- बाधः
- oppression, obstructionNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (परि…जही—‘oppression/obstruction’)Root बाध् (बाधते) / बाध (पीडा/विघ्न) प्रातिपदिक
- जही
- strike down, slayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (आज्ञा; क्रिया)Root हन् (हन्ति)
- मृधः
- hostilities, hostile powersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (RV: -ः = -स्)Role कर्म (जही—‘hostilities/foes’)Root मृध् / मृध (संघर्ष/शत्रुता) प्रातिपदिक
- वसु
- wealth, goodNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (भर—‘wealth’)Root वसु (धन/वस्तु) प्रातिपदिक
- स्पार्हम्
- desirable, covetedAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वसु-विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (भर—‘desirable [wealth]’)Root स्पृह् (स्पृहयति) → स्पार्ह (इच्छनीय) प्रातिपदिक
- तदा
- thenIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल; ‘then/at that time’)Root तदा (तद् + दा) अव्यय
- भर
- bring, bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (आज्ञा; क्रिया)Root भृ (भरति)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: भिन्धि | विश्वाः | अप | द्विषः | परि | बाधः | जही | मृधः | वसु | स्पार्हम् | तदा | भर । 1) ‘द्विषः’ RV-रूपम्: द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य -न्-प्रत्ययः लुप्तः (द्विषन् → द्विषः)
- 2) ‘मृधः’ RV-रूपम्: द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य -स्-प्रत्ययः विसर्गरूपेण (मृधस् → मृधः)
- 3) ‘अप’ ‘परि’ उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण क्रियाभ्यां (भिन्धि, जही) सह संबध्येते।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A forceful appeal to Indra to break all hatreds, drive away oppressive attacks, slay hostile assailants, and then bring desirable wealth.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the illumined Mind (Indra) to shatter inner divisions (dveṣa), expel mental-vital pressures (bādha), and strike down hostile formations (mṛdha) that obstruct the ascent. Once the resistances are cleared, Indra is asked to bring “vasu spārham”—the coveted plenitude: clarity, strength, and a stable wideness of being.
Universal truth
Progress requires first the removal of inner antagonisms and pressures; when resistance is conquered, a higher abundance naturally descends as a lived fullness and power.
Themes
victory, purification, boon-request
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.45 (Indra hymn, same refrain vasu spārham tad ā bhara), Rig Veda 8.46 (adjacent Indra hymn continuing the theme of Indra as leader and giver)
Significance
The anonymous seer-voice here is archetypal: the human aspirant invoking the illumined Mind to clear inner hostility and to secure plenitude (vasu) as a stable attainment.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (bountiful), Purūvasu (rich in plenitude), Adrivaḥ (wielder of the thunderstone)
- Related deities
- Agni (will that leads the sacrifice), Soma (bliss that empowers Indra), Bṛhaspati (word of truth that breaks the cave), Uṣas (dawn-illumination that Indra supports)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of the waters/light, establisher of victorious order in the human field.
Inner power
Illuminated, decisive intelligence that detects the falsehood, breaks resistance, and brings down forceful clarity and right enjoyment.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-invocation in Soma-related praise contexts (general Indra stotra usage; specific śrauta assignment not certain from supplied data)
भि॒न्धि विश्वा॒ अप॒ द्विष॒: परि॒ बाधो॑ ज॒ही मृध॑: । वसु॑ स्पा॒र्हं तदा भ॑र ॥
भि॒न्धि । विश्वाः॑ । अप॑ । द्विषः॑ । परि॑ । बाधः॑ । ज॒हि । मृधः॑ । वसु॑ । स्पा॒र्हम् । तत् । आ । भ॒र॒ ॥
bhindhi | viśvāḥ | apaḥ | dviṣaḥ | pari | bādhaḥ | jahi | mṛdhaḥ | vasu | spārham | tat | ā | bhara
4 pādas (as transmitted), imperative-driven cadence; refrain-like close with ā bhara
Percussive, martial, cutting rhythm suited to commands (bhindhi, jahi) and removal of resistance.
Energizes will and confidence; supports a psychological ‘clearing’ before invoking plenitude.
- भिन्धि (bhindhi)
- Literal: break, cleave. Symbolic: pierce the knot of obstruction; cut through ignorance and fixed negative formations
- द्विषः (dviṣaḥ)
- Literal: hatreds, hostile powers. Symbolic: inner aversions, divisive impulses, egoic antagonisms that fragment consciousness
- बाधः (bādhaḥ)
- Literal: pressure, oppression, constraint. Symbolic: compressive forces of anxiety, fear, depression, compulsions in the vital-mental
- जहि (jahi)
- Literal: slay, strike down. Symbolic: decisive overthrow of adverse suggestions and habitual reactions
- मृधः (mṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: hostile assailments, attackers. Symbolic: organized resistance of the subconscient/hostile thought-forms that attack the sadhana
- वसु (vasu)
- Literal: wealth, good, treasure. Symbolic: essential riches of being: strength, clarity, harmony, right power
- स्पार्हम् (spārham)
- Literal: coveted, desirable. Symbolic: the soul’s true object of desire—plenitude of consciousness, not outer gain
- आ भर (ā bhara)
- Literal: bring here. Symbolic: draw down and establish the higher force in the embodied life
Standard Indra victory-boon request in Soma praise: destruction of adversaries and granting of vasu (riches). Suitable for rites seeking protection and increase (general Soma ritual usage).
During Indra-stotras in Soma pressing or victory/protection invocations
Recitation to invoke Indra’s aid: removal of hostile forces and bestowal of vasu (riches/strength).
Use as a protective and clearing mantra before meditation or important action—mentally offering obstacles into Indra’s light and calling down steadiness and force.
bhindhi from √bhid 'split, break' (PIE *bʰeyd- 'split', cf. Eng. bite via different development; Slavic cognates). dviṣ from √dviṣ 'hate' (PIE *dwey- 'two' gives 'dual/divide' in some semantic theories; direct cognacy debated; Vedic dviṣ is well-established 'hate'). bādha from √bādh 'press, oppress'. mṛdh 'hostility' (battle/strife). vasu 'good, wealth' as ontological substance; spārha 'desirable' from √spṛh 'to desire'. The verse is a program of inner victory: remove division/oppression/assault, then install plenitude.
battle of light vs. division (dviṣ), removal of oppression (bādha), plenitude (vasu) as stabilized being
Indra restores ṛta by breaking hostile pressures that deform right movement.
Truth is experienced as a power that ‘slays’ falsehood rather than merely describing it.
Release of blocked plenitude—abundance emerges when coverings are split.
Proto-Vedantic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent of consciousness via victory of illumined mind over subconscient resistance.
Storm = dynamic illumination; ‘pressure’ = constriction of consciousness; ‘slaying’ = decisive transformation of adverse formations.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The classic Indra mythologem of obstacle-breaking and enemy-slaying, but read inwardly: hatreds are divisive movements, bādha are oppressive pressures, mṛdha are hostile assaults within the consciousness. The boon (vasu) is the resulting stable plenitude of force and being.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhid 'split' plausibly continues PIE *bʰeyd- 'split' (cf. various IE 'cleave/bite' families). √spṛh 'desire' aligns with an IE desiderative semantic field (cf. Lat. sperō 'hope' is not direct but comparable in function). The imperative chain (bhindhi…bādha…jahi…bhara) is an inherited poetic strategy: performative commands to enact transformation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi commissions Indra’s force for a twofold work: first the clearing of hostile movements, then the positive installation of vasu. The exchange is sacrificial-psychological: invocation calls down divine action, and the human formation becomes fit to hold the desired plenitude.
Inner clearing: observe hatred/pressure/attack as movements; invoke illumined mind to cut them away and invite plenitude.
Manipura (will, victory)
Exhale-focused release: on exhale ‘bhindhi… jahi’; on inhale ‘vasu spārham… ā bhara’.
Dynamic concentration (tapas) moving toward widened clarity.
Name the obstruction precisely (dveṣa/bādha/mṛdha) without drama; make a firm inner command for removal; then sit quietly to receive the ‘vasu’ as calm strength and right joy.
Not supplied; chant with standard RV accent discipline: preserve udātta peaks on imperative verbs (bhindhí, jahí) and maintain a clear fall into the refrain.
Give crisp emphasis to bhindhi / jahi; keep ‘vasu spārham’ slightly elongated; land firmly on ‘ā bhara’.
: pronounce -ndh- as a single cluster (bin-dhi, not bi-n-dhi), : viśvāḥ with clear ś (palatal), : dviṣaḥ with short i and retroflex ṣ, : bādhaḥ with long ā, : mṛdhaḥ with vocalic ṛ (mṛ-), : spārham with long ā
Firm, bright, commanding; avoid harshness—strength with clarity.
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