Dashati 18
Aindra stuti: Indra’s increase through purified stomas and the ocean-like expansion of his true power
Indra
Exalting and expansive—beginning with intimate self-offering of praise and widening into vast oceanic majesty
No single ṛṣi is named in the provided data; the second verse foregrounds a collective ṛṣi-tradition emphasizing cumulative potency from repeated stotras across seer-lines.
Aindra-Stuti: Indra wird durch gereinigte Stomas—technisch geformte, singbare Lobformen—vermehrt, und seine wahre, unfehlbare Kraft breitet sich ozeanartig aus. Die rituelle Reinheit und Leuchtkraft des Hymnus (pāvaka-varṇa, śuci) begründen seine Wirksamkeit; die wiederholten Stotras vieler ṛṣis sammeln Indras Macht an. Im Opfergeschehen stiften korrektes Rezitieren und Singen die priesterliche Souveränität (vipra-rājya) und sichern dem Opfernden sieghafte Stärke und Fülle.
Mantras
Mantra 1
इमा उ त्वा पुरूवसो गिरो वर्धन्तु या मम पावकवर्णाः शुचयो विपश्चितो ऽभि स्तोमैरनूषत
Mögen diese meine Lieder dich mehren, o Herr reichen Gutes — Lieder von reinigendem Glanz, rein, die die Weisen mit Stomas besungen haben.
Mantra 2
अयं सहस्रमृषिभिः सहस्कृतः समुद्र इव पप्रथे सत्यः सो अस्य महिमा गृणे शवो यज्ञेषु विप्रराज्ये
Dieser (Indra), von tausend ṛṣis gekräftigt, durch Kraft gewirkt, hat sich wie ein Ozean ausgebreitet — wahrhaftig. Seine Größe besinge ich, seine Stärke: in den Opfern, in der Herrschaft der Priester.
Frequently Asked Questions
It teaches that ritually pure, correctly formed stomas (chantable praises) are not just poetry—they actively ‘augment’ Indra and make his strength present in the sacrifice.
It points to the cumulative force of many ṛṣis’ repeated stotras: the tradition of continual correct praise builds and displays Indra’s power, described as spreading like the ocean.
It is the sphere of priestly dominion—where the vipras ‘rule’ through accurate recitation and Sāman-chant, and where Indra’s greatness is proclaimed effectively in yajña.