Rig Veda 8.88.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 88, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.88
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
द्युक्षं सुदानुं तविषीभिरावृतं गिरिं न पुरुभोजसम् । क्षुमन्तं वाजं शतिनं सहस्रिणं मक्षू गोमन्तमीमहे ॥
dyukṣaṃ su-dānuṃ taviṣībhir āvṛtaṃ giriṃ na puru-bhojasam | kṣumantaṃ vājam śatinaṃ sahasriṇaṃ makṣu gomantam īmahe ||
Lo buscamos: al resplandeciente, de buenos dones, envuelto en poderes como una montaña rica en muchos goces; la plenitud vigorosa, centuplicada y mil veces, que trae presto las riquezas luminosas — rayos/vacas.
Word by Word
- द्युक्षम्
- shining, radiant (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot द्युक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; द्युत्/द्यु ‘दीप्तौ’ से व्युत्पन्न विशेषण)
- सुदानुम्
- bountiful, of good giftsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘good-giving/with good gifts’)
- तविषीभिः
- with powers, with mightsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot तविषी (प्रातिपदिक)
- आवृतम्
- covered, encompassedParticiple (past passive)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मणि कृदन्तः; ‘covered/surrounded’)Role कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root आ-√वृ (वृञ् वरणे/वृ ‘to cover, surround’)
- गिरिम्
- a mountainNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole उपमान (न-उपमा)Root गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमावाचक निपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- पुरुभोजसम्
- richly beneficent, of abundant bountyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root पुरु-भोजस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘much-enjoying/abounding in enjoyment/benefit’)
- क्षुमन्तम्
- vigorous, aboundingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root क्षुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘possessing क्षुम/क्षुमः’ = vigor/abundance)
- वाजम्
- prize, strength, (victory-)bootyNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- शतिनम्
- hundredfold, consisting of hundredsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root शतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having hundreds’)
- सहस्रिणम्
- thousandfold, consisting of thousandsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सहस्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having thousands’)
- मक्षु
- quickly, soonIndeclinableकाल/रीतिवाचक अव्ययRoot मक्षु (अव्यय)
- गोमन्तम्
- rich in cows, cattle-possessingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषणरूपेण)Root गोमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईमहे
- we seek, we requestVerbलट् (वेदिक प्रयोग), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √यम् (यमँ उपरमे/याचने; वेदिक ‘ईमहे’ = ‘we seek/ask’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वेदिक-संधि-निरसन): द्युक्षं सुदानुं तविषीभिः आवृतं गिरिं न पुरुभोजसम् । क्षुमन्तं वाजं शतिनं सहस्रिणं मक्षु गोमन्तम् ईमहे ॥ 1) तविषीभिः+आवृतम् → तविषीभिरावृतम् (विसर्ग/र्-संधि)
- 2) गोमन्तम्+ईमहे → गोमन्तमीमहे (अ + ई = ई; संधि-दीर्घ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The worshippers seek Indra: shining, generous, wrapped in powers like a mountain rich in many enjoyments; a forceful plenitude, hundred- and thousand-fold, swiftly bringing “cows” (riches).
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the luminous Divine Mind/Illumination in us—self-existent radiance (dyukṣa) and beneficence (sudānu). “Wrapped in powers” indicates the many shaktis supporting the ascent; “mountain” (giri) becomes the firm, high consciousness (the inner height) that holds abundant enjoyments (purubhojasa = many capacities of delight/fulfilment). The seeker asks for kṣumant vāja: a plenitude of effective force and victory-energy, multiplying (śatina, sahasriṇa) and “swiftly” (makṣu) bringing the rays of knowledge (go) into the mind and life.
Universal truth
When consciousness aligns with the higher illumined Mind, its powers gather like a mountain of strength; knowledge and right force multiply, and the soul receives swift increase of luminous resources for life’s battle and growth.
Themes
Abundance, Illumination, Indra-force, Swift-bestowal
The seer
- Lineage
- Gautama (probable, by hymn context)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 1.62-64 (Gautamas; Indra and the cows of light), Rig Veda 1.84 (Gautama; Indra’s force and help), Rig Veda 8.88.4 (explicit Gotamāḥ)
Family tradition
Gautamas are associated with clear, forceful Indra-hymns emphasizing victory of light over obstruction and the increase of inner wealth (vaja, go).
Significance
The seer-impulse here is aspiration for multiplied illumination and effective force; the rishi-current stresses quick arrival of ‘go’ (rays) through Indra’s awakened power.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- dyukṣa (shining), sudānu (good-giver), purubhojasa (rich in enjoyments/fulfilments)
- Related deities
- Agni (will leading the sacrifice), Soma (bliss that feeds illumination), Uṣas (dawn of awakening), Bṛhaspati (word-power that breaks the cave)
Cosmic role
Breaker of the coverer; lord of luminous mind who releases the hidden waters and rays, establishing wideness and victory in the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence and decisive will in the mind that gathers powers, concentrates them, and releases knowledge (go) and force (vāja) into the nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña praise sequences (general)
द्यु॒क्षं सु॒दानुं॒ तवि॑षीभि॒रावृ॑तं गि॒रिं न पु॑रु॒भोज॑सम् । क्षु॒मन्तं॒ वाजं॑ श॒तिनं॑ सह॒स्रिणं॑ म॒क्षू गोम॑न्तमीमहे ॥
द्यु॒क्षम् । सु॒ऽदानु॑म् । तवि॑षीभिः । आऽवृ॑तम् । गि॒रिम् । न । पु॒रु॒ऽभोज॑सम् । क्षु॒ऽमन्त॑म् । वाज॑म् । श॒तिन॑म् । स॒ह॒स्रिण॑म् । म॒क्षु । गोऽम॑न्तम् । ई॒म॒हे॒ ॥
dyukṣam | su-dānum | taviṣībhiḥ | āvṛtam | girim | na | puru-bhojasam | kṣu-mantam | vājam | śatinam | sahasriṇam | makṣu | go--mantam | īmahe
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each (Trishtubh cadence)
Driving, expansive, and martial; suited to invoking power and increase.
Builds a sense of ascent and gathering force; the repeated abundance-terms (śatina/sahasriṇa) create an inner momentum toward plenitude.
- द्युक्षम् (dyukṣam)
- Literal: shining, radiant. Symbolic: illumined consciousness; the bright Indric mind-force
- सु-दानुम् (su-dānum)
- Literal: good-giving, bountiful. Symbolic: grace that bestows inner wealth (light, strength, wideness)
- तविषीभिः आवृतम् (taviṣībhir āvṛtam)
- Literal: covered/wrapped with powers. Symbolic: enveloped in multiple shaktis; protected and empowered consciousness
- गिरिम् (girim)
- Literal: mountain. Symbolic: inner height; stable summit-consciousness (higher plane holding riches)
- पुरुभोजसम् (purubhojasam)
- Literal: enjoying many things. Symbolic: many-sided fulfilment; capacities of delight and possession in the soul
- क्षुमन्तम् वाजम् (kṣumantam vājam)
- Literal: abundant/plentiful force, winning power. Symbolic: plenitude of effective energy for progress and victory
- शतिनम् सहस्रिणम् (śatinam sahasriṇam)
- Literal: hundred-fold, thousand-fold. Symbolic: multiplying intensities of light-force; exponential growth of inner resources
- मक्षु (makṣu)
- Literal: swiftly. Symbolic: rapid descent/arrival of illumination when openness is complete
- गोमन्तम् (gomantam)
- Literal: possessing cows. Symbolic: possessing rays of knowledge/illumination (go = light)
Praise-seeking formula for Indra’s abundant bestowal in Soma context; supports petitions for swift increase of ‘gomat’ illuminations and vāja.
During Indra laud (śastra/stotra) segments; also suitable for personal invocation of strength before effort or contest.
Recitation/chanting to invite Indra’s presence and the ‘gift’ of vāja and go (victory-force and illumination).
Used as a mantra of rapid empowerment: invoking luminous mind, quick clarity, and multiplied inner resources for study, work, and sādhanā.
dyukṣa- from dyu ‘light’ + formative, ‘radiant’. su-dānu ‘good giver’ (√dā ‘give’; PIE *deh3-). taviṣī ‘force’ (intensified energy). āvṛta from √vṛ ‘cover/enclose’. giri ‘mountain’ as symbol of concentrated might/abundance. kṣu-mant ‘rich in nourishment/vigor’ (kṣu related to nourishment/strength). vāja as ‘plenitude of force’ (not merely food/prize). īmahe from √ī ‘seek, go for’.
Vāja (plenitude of force), Go (illumination/knowledge-rays), Taviṣī (spiritual energy)
Indra’s powers uphold r̥ta by releasing true light and effective force into the human field.
‘Go’ as satya-rays: truths that become possessions of consciousness.
Increase and manifestation: the higher mind multiplies powers and brings down riches of light.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent to higher consciousness and descent of light-force.
Dawn-to-daybreak transition (implied by ‘shining’ and swift arrival of rays)
Mountain = stable higher plane; radiance = awakened mind; swift motion = rapid descent of insight; ‘cows’ = rays of knowledge filling the inner field.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘mountain of riches’ mythologem: the deity is like a mountain abundant in enjoyments, holding concentrated power and bestowal. Psychologically, it is the image of a stable, high consciousness storing energies and releasing them as swift illuminations (gomat) and plenitude (vāja).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- su-dānu foregrounds √dā ‘give’ (PIE *deh3-), a core IE sacral exchange verb. The hyperbolic numerals (hundred/thousand-fold) reflect an inherited Indo-European poetic intensifier strategy for abundance and divine capacity.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stance is īmahe—seeking/going toward the deity—through praise and aspiration. The Devatā is characterized as su-dānu and gomant: the reciprocal gift is swift descent of illuminations and forceful plenitudes that empower the seeker’s progress.
Invoke the ‘shining giver’ to gather inner powers and receive swift rays of knowledge for right action.
Ājñā (illumined mind) and Maṇipūra (force/vāja)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while feeling ‘taviṣī’ gather around the mind; release on ‘gomantam’.
Active illumination—clear, decisive, uplifted mental force.
Chant slowly at first to build presence; then feel a ‘mountain-stability’ in the head/upper chest and invite a quick descent of insight; end with silent receptivity for the ‘go’ (rays) to settle.
Vedic accenting as per śākhā tradition; maintain udatta peaks on key invocatory words (e.g., dyukṣám, sudā́num) with natural anudatta grounding; svarita as falling glide after udatta.
Let the main lift occur on the deity-qualities; keep the cadence steady through the abundance-cluster (kṣumantam vājam śatinaṃ sahasriṇam).
dyukṣaṃ: keep ‘kṣ’ crisp (k+ṣ), not ‘sh’, sudānuṃ: long ‘ā’ sustained, taviṣībhir: retroflex ‘ṣ’ clear; ‘bhir’ light, gomantam: hard ‘g’, long ‘o’ not over-rounded, īmahe: long ‘ī’ then soft ‘h’
Bright, forward, and steady; slight heroic firmness without strain.
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