Mandala 8
मण्डल 8
The Kanva Collection
Mandala 8 is an early-layer collection strongly associated with the Kāṇva and Aṅgiras poetic lineages and is especially marked by exuberant Indra praise tied to the Soma-pressing ritual. Its hymns repeatedly invite Indra to the pressing, asking for fearless abundance, cattle, and victory, while also featuring prominent Marut and Agni material alongside occasional Varuṇa–Mitra and other deities. A distinctive metrical profile includes frequent Pragātha structures, giving many hymns a dialogic, performance-ready cadence. The mandala also preserves the well-known Vālakhilya appendix, reflecting an accretive transmission history within the Rigvedic corpus.
Suktas in Mandala 8
Sukta 1
Sukta 8.1
This hymn is a concentrated invitation to praise Indra alone, again and again, in companionship with the pressed Soma, so that strength, courage, and victorious power may increase in the singers. Moving between earth and the wide shining heaven, it portrays Indra’s palpable might and the way his presence “fills” the worshipper with plenitude, nourishment, and forward-moving force. The sukta thus functions as both a ritual summons at the Soma-pressing and a psychological rallying-call to steadfast, unified praise.
Sukta 2
Sukta 8.2
RV 8.2 is a Soma-offering hymn that repeatedly invites Indra—addressed also as Vasu—to drink the freshly pressed juice and, in return, to pour out fearless abundance, strength, and victory to the singers. The Kaṇva seers praise Indra as the unrivaled “hundred-helper,” intensifying the libation and eulogy until the hymn broadens into a celebration of nourishing increase and renewed becoming (janitva).
Sukta 3
Sukta 8.3
This hymn is a Soma-invitation and praise of Indra, urging him to drink the pressed sap, enter the shared exhilaration (sadhamāda), and protect the singers with his inspired power (dhī). It celebrates Indra’s unmatched might (indriya) that leads toward the Light, and closes with a more esoteric reflection invoking Rohita/Pākasthāmā as a bounteous, strength-giving principle allied to Indra’s force.
Sukta 4
Sukta 8.4
This hymn to Indra calls the god from every direction, urging his swift arrival to the Soma-pressing and praising him as the victorious breaker of obstacles. It weaves together ritual immediacy (the Adhvaryu urged to make Soma flow) with Indra’s cosmic role as Vṛtra-slayer, concluding in imagery of abundance where even the settled powers of nature seem to “distribute” increase.
Sukta 5
Sukta 8.5
This hymn from the Kāṇva collection opens in the luminous imagery of Uṣas, the true Dawn who arrives from afar and spreads her beams in every direction, awakening life and right movement. As the hymn proceeds, the praise-frame broadens into an Aśvin-oriented petition for thriving—cattle, offspring, strength, and nourishing “iṣ” (increase)—and culminates by contrasting the true path of gain with empty display, commending generous patrons (the Cedayas) as exemplars of right progress.
Sukta 6
Sukta 8.6
RV 8.6 is a Kaṇva hymn to Indra that magnifies his ojas (victorious power) and rain-like generosity, urging him to grow through praise and to come swiftly to protect the worshipping clans. The hymn moves between cosmic images (Indra as the force that widens paths and releases abundance) and ritual immediacy (Soma-offerings and communal invocation), culminating in a dānastuti-style exemplum that celebrates uplift through giving and fame.
Sukta 7
Sukta 8.7
This hymn chiefly invokes the Maruts as a mighty, mountain-ranging host who are awakened and strengthened by the poet’s Triṣṭubh praise, bringing vigor, protection, and victorious momentum. The Kaṇva-inspired formulations are presented as nourishing “streams” (iṣaḥ) like ghee, meant to swell the Maruts’ power and, through them, the sacrificer’s prosperity. The closing movement turns toward Agni as the ancient, radiant knower whose flame-sun sets the powers in their stations, sealing the rite with luminous order.
Sukta 8
Sukta 8.8
This hymn is an urgent dawn-invocation to the Aśvins, calling them to arrive swiftly in their sun-clad chariot and to bestow complete boons—health, protection, and successful rite. It praises them as deep-seeing twins who move by the paths of ṛta (cosmic order), near to living beings, and asks that the worshippers not be left to reproach or failure in the seasonal, properly ordered work.
Sukta 9
Sukta 8.9
This hymn calls the Aśvinau urgently to aid the seer Vatsa and his people, asking for an unassailable, wide protection and the driving away of hostile forces. It expands the Aśvins’ guardianship from immediate shelter to cosmic protection—of the moving world, the body, and the future of one’s children—ending in a more inward, contemplative note of the Twins “seating themselves” through inspired thought and blessing.
Sukta 10
Sukta 8.10
This short Kāṇva hymn calls the Aśvinau from every cosmic station—heaven’s radiance, the ocean-home, and the midspace—urging them to arrive swiftly at the singer’s rite. It praises them as wide-knowing benefactors who move by their own svadhā and who drink the Soma-honey, thereby strengthening the sacrifice and the seers.
Sukta 11
Sukta 8.11
This hymn praises Agni as the vratapā (guardian of sacred order) who willingly comes among mortals and becomes the most worthy of invocation in sacrifice. It repeatedly calls Agni as the ancient yet ever-new Hotṛ, asking him to protect, foster, and bestow saubhaga (felicitous fortune) through his sacrificial mediation.
Sukta 12
Sukta 8.12
This hymn is an urgent Soma-invocation to Indra, praising the intoxicating “mada” that kindles his might and drives him to destroy the light-devouring adversary. The poets repeatedly call Indra to their pressed Soma even if he is “far away,” and they conclude by asking for well-being in the classic Vedic forms—heroic power, horses, and cattle—secured through right offering and ancient priestly insight.
Sukta 13
Sukta 8.13
This hymn is an extended Soma-invocation to Indra, praising him as the mighty Vajrin who comes to the pressed Soma and makes the worshiper’s kratu (will, resolve, inspired intelligence) clear and effective for the hymn. It repeatedly links Indra’s “many-colored helps” (citrā ūtayaḥ) with growth: strengthening the inner earth-like powers, enlarging capacity, and making praise itself increase in response.
Sukta 14
Sukta 8.14
This hymn praises Indra as the sovereign of wealth and victory who breaks obstructions, releases the hidden Light (the "cows"), and restores right movement to the sacrificer. It blends a personal aspiration—"if I could command riches like you"—with mythic recollection of Indra’s deeds for the Aṅgirases and his overthrow of Vala and hostile, unsacrificing powers. The purpose is to invoke Indra’s soma-strength to grant prosperity, inspiration, and triumph over inner and outer resistance.
Sukta 15
Sukta 8.15
This hymn is an energizing invocation to Indra—“much-invoked” and “much-praised”—asking him to be drawn near by inspired song and to dwell with the worshipper as victorious power. It celebrates Indra’s vast indriya (sovereign might), his śuṣma (impetuous force), and kratu (right-directed will), and culminates in a prayer that all forms of strength enter the community for increase, stable dwelling, and triumph.
Sukta 16
Sukta 8.16
This hymn is an exultant praise of Indra as the universal sovereign of peoples, invoked with fresh, inspired speech to grant strength, victory, and abundance. It culminates in a direct petition that Indra lead the worshippers on the right path and bestow inner gladness (sumna) along with material plenitudes.
Sukta 17
Sukta 8.17
This hymn from the Kāṇva stream is a Soma-invitation to Indra, calling him to the prepared barhis-seat to drink the well-pressed offering and awaken his victorious power. It praises Indra’s mighty form and his Vṛtra-slaying force—removing obstructions and releasing the free flow of light, strength, and increase for the worshipper.
Sukta 18
Sukta 8.18
This hymn is a sustained supplication to the Ādityas for their súmna (gracious favor), protection (śárman), and moral release from enas (fault/sin). It emphasizes the Ādityas as upholders of ṛta who can loosen human guilt, grant safe passage through peril, and extend life for mortals bound to death.
Sukta 19
Sukta 8.19
This hymn centers on Agni as the rightly-moving leader and carrier of the oblation, whom the gods themselves “set in motion” so the offering rises into the divine sphere. It repeatedly blesses the sacrifice as bhadra—auspicious in fire, gift, rite, and praise—linking correct ritual movement with well-being. Toward the end it shifts into a dānastuti-like register, recalling patrons and social rewards that accompany successful sacrifice and generosity.
Sukta 20
Sukta 8.20
RV 8.20 is a Marut-hymn that calls the storm-host to come forward in unity, not to harm, but to strengthen the sacrificer and the community. It praises their irresistible force and boundless generosity, then turns that same power inward as a prayer for healing—asking the Maruts to calm disturbance, correct what has gone astray, and restore wholeness.
Sukta 21
Sukta 8.21
This hymn is a vigorous invocation to Indra as the ever-fresh protector and giver of vāja (victorious strength, plenitude), asking him to come close to the singers and bestow cattle, horses, and abundant wealth. Indra is praised as the true lord who delights in the soma-pressing and in well-formed praise, and whose generosity can reach the scale of “thousand” and “ten-thousand,” like rain poured out by Parjanya.
Sukta 22
Sukta 8.22
This hymn is an urgent dawn-invocation to the Aśvins (Nāsatyā), calling their wondrous chariot to arrive swiftly with healing, protection, and abundance. It recalls their readiness for Sūryā and repeatedly asks them to mount the golden-seated car and bring “full nourishment” (iṣaḥ) and luminous wealth to the worshipper.
Sukta 23
Sukta 8.23
This hymn is an extended kindling and praise of Agni as Jātavedas—the all-knowing fire who receives offerings, protects the rite, and carries prayers to the gods. It repeatedly asks Agni for abundance (vasu), strength, and a well-ordered sacrifice, presenting him as the unseizable flame whose smoke rises as a visible sign of effective worship. The closing movement emphasizes Agni as the glory of the work and the summoner of Mitra and Varuṇa, aligning the ritual with Ṛta (cosmic order).
Sukta 24
Sukta 8.24
This hymn is a communal call to "set in motion" the inspired Word (brahman) for Indra Vajrin, praising him as the bold, most manly power who breaks obstacles and grants victory. It repeatedly links Indra’s might to the Soma-pressing and offering, urging the Adhvaryu to pour the more exhilarating draught so the ever-increasing Hero may be strengthened. In the background stands the Vala motif: hidden enclosures and secret workings that Indra can pierce to release the luminous "cows" (wealth, light, insight).
Sukta 25
Sukta 8.25
RV 8.25 is chiefly a prayer to Mitra–Varuṇa as universal guardians who uphold Ṛta (truth-order), protect the worshipper, and widen the inner and outer “space” (vārya) needed for right living. The hymn alternates praise of their vigilant protection and requests for safe passage, social harmony, and freedom from constriction, grounding these boons in their moral sovereignty and covenantal friendship.
Sukta 26
Sukta 8.26
This hymn primarily invokes the Aśvinau (Nā́satyā), calling their swift chariot to the sacrificer’s praise and asking for victorious strength, protection, and luminous well-being. It portrays worship as a beautifying, clothing-like act that “wraps” the divine Twins with offerings and service, yielding śubha (radiant auspiciousness). The closing verse turns briefly to Vāyu, seeking mental exhilaration, energetic plenitude (vāja), and the right activation of inspired thoughts in action.
Sukta 27
Sukta 8.27
This hymn opens by establishing Agni as the foremost priestly power in the sacrifice and then expands the invocation to allied divine forces—Maruts, Brahmaṇaspati, and the All-Gods—for protection and successful offering. Midway it turns to Savitṛ’s uplifting dawn-impulse that sets all beings into purposeful motion, portraying cosmic order as a daily re-awakening. It concludes with a communal choice of divine aid—like a son choosing a strong protector—seeking the “better” (vasu/vasīyas) through rightly poured oblations.
Sukta 28
Sukta 8.28
This brief hymn invokes the Viśve Devāḥ—conceived as the “thirty-three” divine powers—to take their properly ordered seats on the sacrificial grass and uphold the right arrangement of the rite. It asks these all-gods to become comprehensive guardians on every side (front, back, above, below), and it culminates in a heptadic (sevenfold) vision of divine forces whose lights, weapons, and splendors are perfectly established.
Sukta 29
Sukta 8.29
This hymn contemplates a singular heroic divine Power—called “the One”—who moves uniquely, clothes himself in golden radiance, and knows the secret paths and inner “treasures.” It links that One to the seers’ inspired chant (Sāman), by which hidden light is brought into manifestation and the Sun is made to shine forth, suggesting an esoteric victory of illumination over concealment.
Sukta 30
Sukta 8.30
This brief hymn to the Viśve Devāḥ (All Gods) affirms that none among the divine powers is “small,” for all are vast in true being and capable of protection. It petitions the collective gods to guard the worshipper, speak on their behalf, keep them aligned with the ancestral human path, and grant broad shelter and prosperity (cattle and horses), with a special nod to the universal fire-force (Vaiśvānara).
Sukta 31
Sukta 8.31
This hymn centers on Indra’s delight in a well-performed sacrifice: Soma pressed, oblations cooked, and the brahman (inspired sacred speech) rightly uttered. It links outer rite with inner preparedness, seeking protection, strength, and victory—culminating in the idea that the devoted yajamāna overcomes the “non-sacrificing” forces of disorder within and without.
Sukta 32
Sukta 8.32
This hymn of the Kāṇvas summons Indra to the Soma-pressing and recounts his accomplished deeds, asking that his victorious power become present through inspired song. It emphasizes the reciprocity and completeness of the rite—praise, offering, and divine response—so that nothing in the sacrifice remains “unpaid” and the worshippers receive strength, protection, and triumph.
Sukta 33
Sukta 8.33
RV 8.33 is an Indra-invocation from the Kāṇva stream centered on the Soma-pressing: the poets, having purified the Soma through the filter, seat themselves around Indra and call him to descend into their clarified flow of praise and offering. The hymn repeatedly urges Indra to come swiftly with his tawny steeds, to outstrip rival claimants to the sacrifice, and to release strength, victory, and upward movement for the worshippers.
Sukta 34
Sukta 8.34
This hymn is an urgent invitation to Indra to arrive with his tawny steeds, accept the Soma, and energize the Kānva seer’s well-fashioned praise. A recurring refrain draws Indra “from that heaven of commanding order” into the worshipper’s present field, asking him to stabilize swift forces and turn motion into victorious, truth-sustaining power.
Sukta 35
Sukta 8.35
This hymn is an insistent dawn-invocation to the Aśvins, asking them to arrive swiftly and drink the pressed Soma in harmony with the entire divine host—Agni, Indra, the Ādityas, Rudras, Vasus, Dawn, and the Sun. It portrays the Aśvins as universal helpers who come with ṛta/dharma, respond to the singer’s call, and repay the sacrificer with “ratnāni” (treasures, plenitudes). The repeated summons (“ā yātam… ā gatam”) frames the sukta as a ritual welcome and a plea for protection, vitality, and prosperity.
Sukta 36
Sukta 8.36
This hymn is a Soma-invitation to Indra—especially Indra “with the Maruts” (marutvān)—asking him to drink the pressed Soma and, through that exhilaration (mada), grant rescue, victory, and expansive strength to the sacrificer. It repeatedly links Indra’s right to the oblation (“the share set for you”) with his proven power to win battles, conquer even in the waters/depths, and uphold the efficacy of inspired speech (brahmāṇi). The final verse personalizes the appeal by naming Śyāvāśva and recalling earlier divine help to Atri and to the royal Trasadasyu, grounding present hope in remembered precedent.
Sukta 37
Sukta 8.37
This hymn summons Indra to the mādhyandina (midday) Soma-pressing, urging him to drink and to extend his “all-aids” (viśvābhir ūtibhiḥ) to the pressing priest and patron. It recalls Indra’s Vṛtra-battles and his power to drive off besieging forces, then closes by invoking his past responsiveness to seers—especially Śyāvāśva and Atri—and his protection of Trasadasyu, as Indra increases kṣatra (sovereign might).
Sukta 38
Sukta 8.38
This gāyatrī hymn invites Indra and Agni together as the twin ṛtvij-priests and victorious powers who make the sacrifice effective and fruitful in all “works of strength” (vājeṣu karmasu). The poet asks them to awaken to the offering, accept the well-formed praise moving in the gāyatrī “course,” and grant protection and inspired speech, with Sarasvatī’s empowering presence explicitly invoked toward the close.
Sukta 39
Sukta 8.39
This nine-verse hymn praises Agni as the inspired seer and inner messenger who moves between the human and divine assemblies, carrying offerings and bringing the Gods near. It asks Agni to consecrate the worshippers, to empower the rite, and to drive hostile forces away “into another domain.” The hymn culminates in Agni’s cosmic stature—dwelling in the threefold foundations—while invoking him to worship the divine collectives (the Three and the Eleven) and to increase the sacrificers’ strength and prosperity.
Sukta 40
Sukta 8.40
This hymn invokes Indra-and-Agni as a united power of victory and protection, asking for rayi (plenitude/wealth) that enables endurance and triumph in “firm-set” conflicts. Repeatedly it prays that opponents be scattered in the same arena of struggle, while the inner fire (Agni) drives through obstacles like wind in a forest. It closes by linking the present praise to ancestral seers and requesting “triple-founded” peace and mastery of plenitudes.
Sukta 41
Sukta 8.41
This hymn praises Varuṇa together with the Maruts as the most knowing powers who establish right order (ṛta) and protect the human community, cattle, and prosperity. It repeatedly asks that the divine forces “shine forth” in a higher harmony, portraying Varuṇa as the binder in whom inspired works cohere and by whose support the worlds are held apart and upheld.
Sukta 42
Sukta 8.42
This short hymn opens with a grand portrayal of Varuṇa as the all-knowing Asura who fixed heaven, measured earth, and rules all worlds through his unbreakable ṛta—his “laws” (vratāni) of cosmic order. In its later verses, the focus shifts into a Soma-sacrificial setting, invoking the Aśvins (Nāsatyas) to come to the pressing and drink Soma, harmonizing the movements of the rite in balanced unity.
Sukta 43
Sukta 8.43
This hymn is a sustained praise of Agni as the inspired priest and unfailing sacrificer who awakens divine will and carries human speech and offerings to the gods. It repeatedly petitions Agni to be drawn to the worshipper’s call, to enter the “home” of the sacrificer, and to grant enduring, choice wealth and protection through his steady giving.
Sukta 44
Sukta 8.44
This Agni hymn kindles the sacrificial fire as the divine Guest (atithi), awakened by ghee and invoked to receive offerings and carry them to the gods. It praises Agni’s cosmic stature—head of heaven and lordly summit of earth—who stirs the hidden “seeds” of the waters into life and manifestation. The sukta ends with a protective prayer that Agni, the inspired seer, carry the worshipper’s life and wealth beyond evil and hostile powers.
Sukta 45
Sukta 8.45
This hymn is a sustained invitation to Indra to come to the Soma-pressing, drink the pressed draught, and bestow strength, victory, and desirable wealth upon the sacrificers. It opens by establishing the proper ritual condition—Agni kindled and the barhis spread—by which Indra becomes the youthful friend of the worshippers, then moves through repeated calls for Indra’s exhilaration (mada) and generosity, concluding with a request for the choicest treasure known through Indra’s prior gifts.
Sukta 46
Sukta 8.46
This hymn is a sustained praise of Indra as the community’s protector, guide, and giver of increase, inviting him to come swiftly to the sacrifice with his powers (harīs) and to bestow strength, prosperity, and victory. It develops Indra’s alliance with the Maruts as a dynamic force that furthers human striving and ritual success, and it closes with a vivid image of a returning feminine power that brings mastery and luminous sovereignty—suggesting the fruits of Indra’s aid as both outer and inner attainment.
Sukta 47
Sukta 8.47
This hymn repeatedly invokes the Ādityas—especially Varuṇa and Mitra—as vast, faultless protectors who shield the worshipper from deceit, hostility, and any share of evil. It asks the gods to establish within the sacrificer all forms of well-being—peace, refuge, the “threefold” protection—and ends with a tone of victory and purification, driving away fear and evil dreams as Dawn rises.
Sukta 48
Sukta 8.48
This Soma-hymn celebrates the tasted “sweetness” (madhu) of Soma as a life-giving power that clarifies the mind, widens inner freedom, and gathers gods and mortals around a single sustaining essence. Soma is praised as an indwelling guardian seated in every limb, asked to forgive lapses in right action (vrata), and invoked for all-sided protection and access to the sun-world (svar). The hymn thus moves from ecstatic experience to ethical reconciliation and finally to comprehensive safeguarding by Soma/Indu.
Sukta 49
Sukta 8.49
This hymn praises Indra as the fierce, generous Maghavan whose inexhaustible power and wealth uplift and “train” the singer, making inspired thoughts flow like water from a full skin. It recalls earlier instances of Indra’s aid to the Kaṇva seers and allied peoples, then turns that remembered help into a present petition for radiant, cattle-and-gold prosperity and victorious support.
Sukta 50
Sukta 8.50
This hymn is a Kāṇva praise-invocation to Indra as the famed, bounteous victor who enlarges the sacrificer’s prosperity and secures success in contest and rite. It repeatedly links Indra’s might to Soma-pressing and generous giving, asking him to multiply desired wealth “as if by a thousandfold outpouring” and to open the radiant ‘cows’ (light/boons) for the singer as he did for earlier seers.
Sukta 51
Sukta 8.51
This hymn calls Indra to the Soma-pressing, recalling earlier paradigms of Indra drinking Soma with ancestral figures and friendly hosts. It praises Indra as the giver who “trains” devotees in generosity and thereby grants wealth, strength, and expansion. The closing vision turns the rite itself into a field of increase: the inspired chant, the flowing Soma-drops, and the growth of vṛṣṇya śavas (bull-like power) within the worshippers.
Sukta 52
Sukta 8.52
This Indra hymn from the Kāṇva stream invites the god to the present Soma-pressing by recalling how he gladly drank and accepted praise in the ancient sacrifices of Manu, Vivasvat, and Trita. It celebrates Indra as the giver of wealth and growth (rāyaḥ, poṣa), and culminates in a vision of Indra setting vast plenitudes in motion—harmonizing earth and sun as Soma’s bright powers exhilarate him.
Sukta 53
Sukta 8.53
This Indra-hymn from the Kāṇva stream invokes Indra as the supreme bountiful power—elder among the strong, breaker of forts, and finder of the “cows” (rays/wealth)—to win plenitude and protection. It asks him to crush hostilities, to drink Soma to fullness, and to lead the worshipper through the contest of life toward victory, cattle, and horse-force (strength and dynamism).
Sukta 54
Sukta 8.54
This Indra-hymn praises the god’s vīrya (heroic power) as something reached by inspired speech and luminous insight, the way the “ancients” attained him. The poet then turns the praise into a practical petition: may Indra awaken toward the singers as their companion in shared joy and establish for them a firm, undiminishing abundance—especially for Praskaṇva.
Sukta 55
Sukta 8.55
This short Kāṇva hymn to Indra celebrates the manifest surge of his vīrya (heroic power) as it “comes toward” the worshipper, bringing rādhas (bounty) to the striving supplicant. Through striking enumerations of “hundreds” and “four hundreds,” it frames Indra’s gift as overflowing plenitude—material, martial, and vital. It culminates in an image of Indra establishing a sevenfold order and driving the dark obstructive forces beyond the paths, clearing the way for fame, sight, and success.
Sukta 56
Sukta 8.56
This short Kāṇva hymn chiefly praises Indra as the “wolf-like” strong protector whose vast, undiminishing bounty becomes manifest to the devoted seeker. It celebrates tangible prosperity (cattle, service, resources) as a sign of Indra’s expansive power, and closes with a luminous ritual turn: Agni awakens as the knowing oblation-bearer, making the Sun’s radiance shine forth—linking Indra’s gifts to the sacrificial fire’s revelation.
Sukta 57
Sukta 8.57
This short hymn is an invitatory to the Aśvins (Nāsatyas) to arrive in their powerful chariot and drink the “third pressing” of Soma. It praises their admirable deeds across heaven and earth, affirms that their allotted share is prepared, and asks them to protect and prosper the sacrificer through their efficacious powers (śacī).
Sukta 58
Sukta 8.58
This brief hymn is a reflective probe into the yajña itself: how the many ritual arrangements, priests, and roles still aim at a single coherent sacrificial intention. It articulates a striking unity-vision—one Agni, one Sun, one Dawn—appearing in many forms, and then turns to an Aśvin-invocation linked with the Soma-drinking and the luminous “chariot” imagery of swift aid.
Sukta 59
Sukta 8.59
This short hymn invokes the dual divinities Indra and Varuṇa as joint guardians of the Soma-pressing, asking them to hasten to each sacrifice and accept their rightful shares. It links their outer cosmic sovereignty and victorious power with the inner ordering of the sacrificer—training him toward Ṛta (right measure) and granting prosperity, progeny, and long life.
Sukta 60
Sukta 8.60
This hymn is an invocation to Agni as the chosen hotṛ, urging him to come and sit on the barhis to conduct the sacrifice and carry offerings to the gods. It repeatedly asks Agni for protection—especially from rakṣas (hostile/dark forces), yātu (sorcery), obstruction, ill-being, and hunger—while also praying for strength, increase, and successful gains (vājas). Overall, it frames Agni as both ritual priest and near, reliable guardian who secures the sacrificer’s path.
Sukta 61
Sukta 8.61
This hymn is a direct, urgent invitation for Indra to hear the poet’s call “from both sides” and to come near for Soma-drinking, empowered by inspired thought (dhī). It praises Indra as the strong-armed breaker of obstacles and fortified enclosures (purandara), repeatedly asking him to arrive, accept the offering, and release wealth, protection, and victorious force. The closing imagery concentrates Indra’s might into the poised vajra, ready to shatter resistance and establish triumphant order.
Sukta 62
Sukta 8.62
This Indra hymn urges the community of Soma-pressers to bring forward exalted praise, because Indra delights in well-formed stotra and uktha and responds with “bhadrā rātayaḥ” (auspicious gifts). It celebrates Indra’s divinely-endowed heroism and guardianship over all becoming, contrasting the prosperity and “many lights” granted to Soma-offerers with the severe consequence for neglecting the Soma rite.
Sukta 63
Sukta 8.63
This hymn continues the Mandala 8 stream of Indra-praise, depicting Indra as the ancient “seeker” approached by deliberate powers (kratu) and as the divine gate through which human aspiration and inspired thought enter the realm of the gods. It links communal invocation (the fivefold human community) with the ritual act of spreading the barhis (sacred seat) and culminates in a protective appeal where the Rudras and all gods, with Indra foremost, support the worshipper in the Vṛtra-slaying struggle—outer battle and inner obstruction alike.
Sukta 64
Sukta 8.64
This hymn is a vigorous Soma-invocation to Indra, asking that praise-songs exhilarate him so he grants abundance (rādhas) and breaks the powers that hate the sacred Word (brahma-dviṣ). It portrays Indra as the unbowing, youthful bull of might, difficult to approach except by true brahman (inspired utterance), and culminates in the urgent call: “come quickly and drink” the bright Soma for heroic, blazing force.
Sukta 65
Sukta 8.65
This hymn is an urgent, all-direction invocation of Indra, asking him to come swiftly as immediate help whenever and wherever he is called. It praises Indra as uniquely “accessible” even among the eternal powers, and seeks strength, protection, and renown through divine generosity. The closing tone widens toward Indra’s radiant emanations (“napātaḥ”), emphasizing thousandfold aid and fame among the gods.
Sukta 66
Sukta 8.66
This hymn is an energetic Soma-offering invocation to Indra as the wealth-finder and battle-aid, called to the sacrifice through expansive song and clarified intention. It praises Indra’s dynamic powers that “take pleasure in the workings” (vayuneṣu) and asks him to accept the stoma, come forward with luminous intelligence, and drive away wasting darkness so strength and prosperity can act.
Sukta 67
Sukta 8.67
This hymn petitions the Ādityas—royal upholders of ṛta (cosmic order)—for shelter, graciousness, and the successful attainment of aims. Moving from invocation to urgent protection in danger and finally to a sweeping banishment of hatred, sin, and oppressive affliction, it frames the Ādityas as both guardians of law and healers of social and inner disorder.
Sukta 68
Sukta 8.68
This hymn summons Indra’s chariot to the sacrifice, praising him as the mightiest protector of ṛta (cosmic right) who overcomes all assaults and brings “sumná” (wholeness, well-being). Through yajña and inspired speech, the poet asks Indra to repeat his ancient help—granting vāja (victorious strength, abundance) and faultless protection for his allies. The closing tone stresses the irreproachability of the divine working: no mortal detractor can successfully place blame upon the Indraic company.
Sukta 69
Sukta 8.69
This hymn centers on Soma as the inspirer and strength-giver, repeatedly brought forward through the Triṣṭubh chant and supported by Purandhī, the power of plenitude that “fills” the sacrifice and the mind with increase. It moves through images of careful, non-spilling Soma preparation and offering—so that the draught is held steady for Indra’s drinking—while stressing disciplined ritual order (trimmed barhis, rightly-set energies) as the condition for attaining the ancient, original “advance.”
Sukta 70
Sukta 8.70
This hymn is a vigorous praise-invocation of Indra as the sovereign of peoples and the undefeated champion who overcomes every battle and destroys Vṛtra. It calls him as the ever-available power to be invoked in near and far places—"in the depths" and "in the reaches"—for victory, strength, and generous giving. The closing verse also preserves a patron-style remembrance (Karṇagṛhyā), linking Indra’s bounty to concrete gifts and ritual prosperity.
Sukta 71
Sukta 8.71
This hymn to Agni is a protective and prosperity-invoking prayer: the singers ask the Fire-god to guard them with his great powers from want, hostility, and human hatred. Agni is praised as the rightful lord of riches (vasu), the one whose gift must not be driven away by ungodly forces, and as a clan-protector who brings peace, well-being, and a secure abode for the seers’ inspired energies.
Sukta 72
Sukta 8.72
This hymn is a liturgical instruction and praise centered on the Adhvaryu’s correct performance—preparing the havis, moving by ordinance (praśāsana), and advancing the sacrifice so it “wins” its goal. Through vivid libation imagery (pouring into the deep, wide-circling vessel) it links precise ritual action with the cosmic circulation of soma/oblation and the sustaining order of yajña. The closing vision hints at a deeper layer: the “station” (pada) of the desirable power is spread around heaven by the tongue—suggesting Vāk (sacral utterance) as the subtle force that completes the rite.
Sukta 73
Sukta 8.73
This Aśvin hymn repeatedly summons the twin divine physicians to rise, yoke their chariot, and come close, so that their help may be “near and seated” within the worshipper. Through a refrain-like insistence, it asks for swift rescue, strengthening, and the breaking of obstructing darkness, as if storming a fortress. The overall purpose is immediate aid—healing, protection, and the restoration of ṛta (right order) in life and mind.
Sukta 74
Sukta 8.74
This hymn chiefly praises Agni as Atithi (the divine Guest) and Jātavedas, the indwelling household fire welcomed and installed by every clan as the bringer of force, plenty, and auspicious peace. Through intimate, near-at-hand imagery, the poet asks that Agni accept the sweetest praise and grow strong through it, securing prosperity for the worshippers. A closing movement also invokes the great river Paruṣṇī, linking the hymn’s power and protection motif to a concrete landscape of Vedic life and travel.
Sukta 75
Sukta 8.75
This hymn invokes Agni specifically in his Hotṛ (sacrificial priest) aspect: the one who is best called by the gods, who takes his seat in the rite, and carries offerings with skill and ancient authority. Alongside the liturgical invitation, the poet prays for protection amid hostility—asking that the assault of surrounding enemies not strike the worshippers like a wave striking a boat. The sukta closes in filial trust: Agni’s help is known “from of old,” like a father’s support, and his gracious favor (sumná) is sought again.
Sukta 76
Sukta 8.76
This hymn invokes Indra “with the Maruts” as the unconquerable lord of power, urging him to come to the sacrifice, drink Soma, and secure victory and increase for the worshippers. Alongside the martial and ritual summons, it also contains a reflective note on inspired speech (Vāc) arising through Indra, linking outer conquest with inner formation through ṛta (truth-order).
Sukta 77
Sukta 8.77
This hymn praises Indra from his very birth as the decisive, many-powered hero who seeks worthy allies and immediately turns to battle and bounty. It recalls his breaking-open of the mountains to release nourishment and wealth, and it lauds his perfectly fashioned weapons and arms as instruments of victorious order. The purpose is to invoke Indra’s hearing and help—strength, protection, and abundance—for the sacrificer and community.
Sukta 78
Sukta 8.78
This hymn to Indra petitions the god of victorious force to bring abundant Soma-joy, wealth, and the “herds” of light that sustain life and insight. It praises Indra as unfailing and undeceivable—one who foresees and restrains mortal anger and hostile intent. The sukta culminates in an intimate act of trust, placing even the sickle in Indra’s hand and asking him to fill the harvest, whether freshly gathered or stored.
Sukta 79
Sukta 8.79
This hymn praises Soma as an unconquered, all-winning power who breaks open what is shut and makes the poet-seer luminous through inspired vision. It presents Soma as the fulfiller of true aims—leading seekers to the giver’s gift and turning restless thirst into satisfaction. It culminates in a royal petition to Soma, enthroned among the gods, to look down upon crooked thoughts and drive away hostile and obstructing forces.
Sukta 80
Sukta 8.80
This hymn is an urgent appeal to Indra as the unrivaled strong one and healer who can “set right” what is broken, granting mercy, victory, and well-being. It asks Indra to arrive with his plenitude-bringing chariot, remove obstacles, and make the worshippers conquerors. The closing verse broadens the vision: the immortals and goddesses cooperate to increase the divine light, preparing praised “rādhas” (bounty/glory) and a swift dawn-coming of inspired wealth.
Sukta 81
Sukta 8.81
This nine-verse hymn is a direct invitatory praise to Indra, asking him to come near and “grasp” for the worshippers a vivid, abundant share of power, wealth, and victorious force. It emphasizes the efficacy of right-handed action (dakṣiṇā), the sung sāman that Indra is urged to hear, and the swift arrival of Indra’s luminous vāja-s (plenitudes) to ripen growth and success.
Sukta 82
Sukta 8.82
This Indra-hymn is a swift invitation for the Vṛtrahan to come from near and far and accept the sweet Soma offering prepared for his exhilaration. It celebrates Soma’s pressing, Indra’s delight and strength, and recalls the mythic Soma brought by the śyena (falcon), urging Indra to drink as lord of its power.
Sukta 83
Sukta 8.83
This hymn invokes the collective Devas—especially the sovereign Ādityas (Varuṇa, Mitra, Aryaman)—as a vast, protective Help (avaḥ) chosen by the worshipper for inner and outer strength. It praises their vigilant consciousness, moral governance, and power to repel evil, culminating in an address to the generous divine host led by Indra.
Sukta 84
Sukta 8.84
This hymn praises Agni as the most beloved “Guest” of the sacrifice—friend-like, approachable, and the effective carrier (like a chariot) of the rite’s intention. It also turns inward with a reflective question about the right mental offering and proper address in worship, and it concludes with Agni’s protection granting secure well-being (kṣema) and the growth of heroic strength (suvīrya). Overall, it is a compact invocation for correct sacrifice, right attitude, and safeguarded prosperity through Agni’s guardianship.
Sukta 85
Sukta 8.85
This short Aśvin hymn repeatedly invites the Nāsatyas to come swiftly to the poet’s call and drink the honeyed Soma. It asks the divine Twins to bring secure protection (chardiḥ), to strengthen the singer’s inspired speech, and to make the rite fruitful through their timely arrival and aid.
Sukta 86
Sukta 8.86
This brief Jagatī hymn invokes the Aśvins as wondrous twin healers and joy-bringers, asking them to “shape the embodied being” (tanūkṛ-) and to keep the bond of friendship unbroken. Across its refrained petitions, the seer Viśvaka recalls the Aśvins’ benefactions and frames their help as protection of vital wholeness, prosperity, and steadfast companionship under Ṛta (cosmic order).
Sukta 87
Sukta 8.87
This short Aśvin hymn invites the twin divine physicians to swiftly arrive at the Soma-pressing, as a radiant praise that "sprinkles" and summons them. It asks them to sit on the barhis, drink the honeyed Soma, and grant strength, success in gaining wealth/force (vājasāti), and responsive hearing to the poets’ inspired call.
Sukta 88
Sukta 8.88
This short Indra hymn praises the wonder-working, Soma-delighting warrior who surpasses all born beings by will, strength, and effective deeds. The poets (Gautamas) press toward him with speech like cows to their calf, asking him to awaken to their chant and grant unbounded generosity, protection, and victory in the gaining of power.
Sukta 89
Sukta 8.89
This short hymn calls the Maruts to sing a “bṛhat” (vast) praise that awakens Indra, the Vṛtra-slayer, so he may release light, waters, and the wide luminous realm (svaḥ). Across the verses Indra is urged to advance boldly, split open the obstructing power, and set the cosmic order in motion—sun, waters, and truth-strengthening energies moving together. The purpose is both ritual (to invigorate Indra for victory and rain) and inner (to rouse the divine force that breaks inertia and brings clarity).
Sukta 90
Sukta 8.90
This six-verse hymn invokes Indra to be present “in all battles,” to draw near to the poets’ mantras and Soma-pressings, and to break obstructing powers (vṛtra) that hinder victory and prosperity. It praises Indra as truthful, unbending, and thunder-weaponed, asking him to bring wealth close and to extend his protection like a wide mantle. The hymn culminates in seeking Indra as the far-seeing Asura (lordly power) whose grace (sumná) and shelter are to be attained.
Sukta 91
Sukta 8.91
This short hymn presents Soma as a found and carried treasure, pressed expressly for Indra, the victorious power who drinks the offering and grants strength. It moves from the vivid mythic image of Soma’s discovery to a mood of hopeful invocation—“perhaps” Indra will act for our betterment—culminating in the Apālā episode where Indra’s purifying force renews and illumines.
Sukta 92
Sukta 8.92
This Indra-hymn is a sustained stotra urging the singers to praise and “press forward” Indra through Soma, so his victorious power (vṛtrahan) becomes active among the worshippers. It celebrates Indra as world-conquering and most generous to the peoples, and repeatedly asks that his exhilarating might and strength-giving rapture enter the community.
Sukta 93
Sukta 8.93
This hymn is a dawnward invocation where Sūrya is hailed as the rising, victorious power who “carries beyond,” while the praise simultaneously adopts strong Indraic language of conquest, protection, and boon-giving. It asks for awakening, strength, and prosperity—especially the overcoming of obstacles (Vṛtra-like restraints), abundant vitality, and winning power (vāja) for the worshippers.
Sukta 94
Sukta 8.94
This hymn invokes the Marut-host as luminous, impetuous powers who break through obstacles and move like streaming waters, bringing force, clarity, and victorious momentum. It links their cosmic storm-energy with the Soma rite, calling them—mountain-seated and virile—to partake of the pressed Soma and to propel the sacrificer’s ascent and fame.
Sukta 95
Sukta 8.95
This hymn is an Indra-invocation centered on the Soma offering: the bright pressings are said to stream toward Indra, and he is urged to drink the prepared essence and enter the sacrificer’s works. Through praise (giraḥ, ukthāni) the poets “increase” Indra, asking to win his many powers—wealth, victory, and the force (vāja) that overcomes Vṛtra-like obstructions. A marked refrain-like emphasis on Indra’s “purity” (śuddha) presents him as the purified, clarifying might who grants treasures and destroys hindrances.
Sukta 96
Sukta 8.96
This hymn praises Indra as the power who enables a safe “crossing”—from night to dawn, from obstruction to passage—assisted by Uṣas (Dawn) and the nourishing Waters/Rivers (Āpas/Sindhus). It asks Indra to carry the inspired Word (uktha) and to propel the seeker’s understanding like a boat toward the farther shore, culminating in Indra’s Vr̥tra-slaying, skillful, swift-to-manifest help.
Sukta 97
Sukta 8.97
This hymn is an invitation to Indra to come to the pressed Soma, accept the sweet draught, and enlarge the singer and the well-prepared sacrificers. It recalls Indra’s power to win radiant “sun-world” goods from hostile Asuric forces, asks for protection through ṛta (truth-order), and prays to be carried beyond duritā (hardships/wrongs) into abundant, universally beneficent prosperity.
Sukta 98
Sukta 8.98
This compact Indra-hymn is a call to sing the Sāman for the Vast seer Indra, praised as the establisher of dharma and the giver of victorious strength. The poets “set in motion” their great aspirations toward him like surging waters and end by asking for suvīrya—noble, effective heroism and power for right action.
Sukta 99
Sukta 8.99
This Indra hymn is an urgent invitation for the Vajra-bearer to hear the singers and come swiftly to their call, as he has been strengthened by praise before. It celebrates Indra as the universal conqueror who breaks hostile resistances and false speech, granting repeated aids and right outcomes to the striving worshipper.
Sukta 100
Sukta 8.100
This hymn exalts Indra as the decisive victor who breaks obstruction (Vṛtra) and releases the life-giving rivers, while the Viśve Devāḥ and allies like Viṣṇu and Dyauḥ are invoked to widen the cosmic space for his thunderbolt. The poet approaches with the sense of being led and supported by the gods, asking Indra to “set the portion” (bhāga) so that heroic action and prosperity can be accomplished. The sukta thus blends personal empowerment, communal rallying, and the archetypal Vṛtra-slaying myth into a single ritual and psychological movement from constraint to release.
Sukta 101
Sukta 8.101
This hymn primarily invokes Mitra and Varuṇa as the twin guardians of ṛta (cosmic order), asking them to be set “in front” as protectors so the sacrifice and the sacrificer may prosper. Along the way it touches allied sacrificial powers (notably Vāyu and the clarified Soma-stream) and culminates in a striking reverence for Vāc as the divine Cow—speech/insight that must not be harmed or driven away. Overall, it weaves social-ethical order, ritual correctness, and inspired speech into one vision of protection and flourishing.
Sukta 102
Sukta 8.102
This hymn to Agni praises him as the youthful, wise “lord of the house” who grants the sacrificer expansive vitality, protection, and right guidance. Agni is invoked as a powerful, victorious force—like a winning steed—and as a Mitra-like regulator who drives away hostility and disorder. The sukta culminates in the inner act of kindling: the mortal enkindles Agni with mind and awakened thought, aligning with luminous order.
Sukta 103
Sukta 8.103
This hymn praises Agni as the supreme “finder of the path” (gātuvittama), the one in whom the ordinances of ṛta are established and through whom the sacrificer’s speech reaches the gods. It calls the singers to approach Agni with well-fashioned laudation, describing him as vast, bright-flamed, bountiful, and allied with the Maruts/Rudras. The sukta culminates in an explicit invitation for Agni to come for Soma-drinking, delighting in the Sobharyās’ praise and strengthening right-ordered noble growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is strongly tied to the Kāṇva and Aṅgiras families, shows frequent Pragātha-style composition, and is associated with the Vālakhilya appendix—together indicating both performative metrical habits and layered compilation.
Indra dominates, most often addressed in the context of the Soma-pressing: the hymns invite him to drink Soma and to grant fearless abundance, cattle, and victory to the patrons and priests.
It points to an accretive transmission history: a compact set of short hymns circulated as a recognizable sub-collection and was preserved alongside Mandala 8 material, reflecting how Rigvedic books could grow through curated additions.