Rig Veda 8.21.16: Mandala 8, Sukta 21, Mantra 16
Sukta 8.21
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मा ते गोदत्र निरराम राधस इन्द्र मा ते गृहामहि । दृळ्हा चिदर्यः प्र मृशाभ्या भर न ते दामान आदभे ॥
mā́ te godatra nír arāma rā́dhasa índra mā́ te gṛhāmahi | dṛḷhā́ cid aryáḥ prá mṛśābhyā́ bhara ná te dā́māna ādábhē ||
હે ઇન્દ્ર, ગોદાત્ર (પ્રકાશ-ગાયો આપનાર), તારા રાધસ્ (દાન-ધન)માંથી અમને બહાર ન હાંકી દે; તારા પાસેથી અમને વિચ્છિન્ન ન કર. શત્રુ-શક્તિ દૃઢ બેસી હોય તોય, તારી આગળ વધતી રક્ષાઓથી અમને પાર ઉતાર; તારા દામાન (બંધનરૂપ નિયમો, જે ધારણ કરે) પર કોઈ હાથ ન ધરે.
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक कण (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गोदत्रे
- in/at the giving of cows (cow-gift)Nounसप्तमी एकवचन (नपुंसक/पुं; प्रयोगे सप्तमी)Role अधिकारणRoot गो-दत्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘cow-gift’)
- निः
- out, awayIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अराम
- duly, fittingly / sufficientlyIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात)Root अरम् (अव्यय; ‘enough, properly, fittingly’)
- राधसः
- of bounty, of giftNounषष्ठी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्गRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)सम्बोधन एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक कणRoot मा (निषेध) अव्यय
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गृहामहि
- we take/acceptVerbलट्/विधिलिङ्? 1पुरुष बहुवचन आत्मनेपद (वैदिक प्रयोग: ‘we would/let us take/accept’)Role क्रियाRoot ग्रह् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
- दृळ्हा
- firm, strongAdjectiveप्रथमा बहुवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग (या प्रथमा एकवचन नपुंसक—पदच्छेदे ‘दृळ्हा’)Role विशेषण (कर्तृ/कर्म-विशेषण)Root दृळ्ह (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘firm, strong’)
- चित्
- evenIndeclinableनिपात (emphatic)Root चित् (अव्यय/निपात)
- अर्यः
- the Arya / noble manNounप्रथमा एकवचन पुंलिङ्गRole कर्ताRoot अर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- मृशाभ्यः
- from falsehoods / against liesIndeclinable (Vedic adverbial form)अव्ययीभूत/तद्धित-प्राय वैदिक रूप; पञ्चमी/तृतीया-बहुवचनार्थक प्रयोगRole अपादान (source/avoidance) / करण (means) संदर्भानुसारRoot मृशा (अव्यय; ‘falsely’) → मृशाभ्यः (वैदिक रूप; ‘from/against falsehoods’)
- भर
- bring, bearVerbलोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भृ (धातु)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध/नकारRoot न (अव्यय)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दामानः
- bonds, fettersNounप्रथमा बहुवचन पुंलिङ्ग (वैदिक बहुवचन)Role कर्ताRoot दामन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bond, cord, fetter’)
- आ
- unto, towardIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- दभे
- harms / injuresVerbलट् 3पुरुष एकवचन आत्मनेपद (वैदिक)Role क्रियाRoot दभ् (धातु; ‘to harm, deceive, injure’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (मुख्य): मा ते गोदत्रे निः अरम् राधसः इन्द्र मा ते गृहामहि । दृळ्हा चित् अर्यः प्र मृशाभ्यः भर । न ते दामानः आ दभे ॥ 1) ‘निरराम’ = ‘निः’ + ‘अराम’ (विसर्ग-सन्धि: निः + अ- → निर्/निर्-; पाठे ‘निर्’/‘निर’)
- 2) ‘राधस इन्द्र’ में विसर्ग + स्वर से संधि (राधसः + इन्द्र → राधस इन्द्र; पदपाठ में विसर्ग पृथक्)
- 3) ‘गृहामहि’ = आ-ग्रह् धातु का वैदिक रूप (उपसर्ग ‘आ’ अर्थतः निहित)
- 4) ‘आदभे’ = ‘आ’ + ‘दभे’ (उपसर्ग-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A prayer to Indra, giver of “light-cows,” asking not to be cast out from his wealth or separated from him; even if an adversary is firmly entrenched, may Indra carry the worshipper forward with his protections, and may none violate Indra’s binding ordinances.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Mind-Power (Indra) not to let the soul fall away from inner riches (rādhas)—the gains of clarity, courage, and right force. “Light-cows” are the rays of knowledge; being “driven out” is relapse into obscurity and dispersal. Even when the hostile resistance (the coverer-forces, subconscient inertia, or entrenched habits) is “hard-set,” Indra’s forward-reaching safeguards (pra-mṛśa) can carry consciousness through. “Dāmānaḥ” are the inner laws/bonds of Truth that hold the being together; the prayer is that no hostile touch deform the discipline and order of the sadhana.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on remaining inwardly connected to the illumining power; when resistance is strong, one must rely on a higher protection and steadfast inner law (dharma/ṛta) so that gains are not lost and the path is not violated.
Themes
Protection, Wealth as spiritual plenitude (rādhas), Recovery/guarding of the Rays (go)
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.21 (adjacent verses in the same sūkta)
Significance
The seer-voice speaks from the battle-line of sadhana: preserving attained light and inner riches against relapse and hostile pressure—an archetypal Vedic psychology emphasized by Sri Aurobindo (Indra vs. the coverers).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- godatra (giver of light-cows), maghavan (bounteous), vṛtrahan (slayer of the coverer—implied), śatakratu (of a hundred powers—implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous Mind who releases the withheld plenitudes and establishes the reign of Truth in the human instrument.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence with executive force—breaks resistance, protects the path, and consolidates inner law (ṛta) in the being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective prayer within Soma offering; securing continuity of Indra’s boons and safeguarding the rite from hostile interruption.
मा ते॑ गोदत्र॒ निर॑राम॒ राध॑स॒ इन्द्र॒ मा ते॑ गृहामहि । दृ॒ळ्हा चि॑द॒र्यः प्र मृ॑शा॒भ्या भ॑र॒ न ते॑ दा॒मान॑ आ॒दभे॑ ॥
मा । ते॒ । गो॒ऽद॒त्र॒ । निः । अ॒रा॒म॒ । राध॑सः । इन्द्र॑ । मा । ते॒ । गृ॒हा॒म॒हि॒ । दृ॒ळ्हा । चि॒त् । अ॒र्यः । प्र । मृ॒श॒ । अ॒भि । आ । भ॒र॒ । न । ते॒ । दा॒मानः॑ । आ॒ऽदभे॑ ॥
mā | te | go--datra | niḥ | arāma | rādhasaḥ | indra | mā | te | gṛhāmahi | dṛḷhā | cit | aryaḥ | pra | mṛśa | abhi | ā | bhara | na | te | dāmānaḥ | ādabhe
Likely 4 pādas with a strong caesura; text presented as two half-lines but functions as a full metrical verse.
Forceful, protective cadence—petition moving into firm resolve.
Creates a sense of guarded forward motion; supports steadiness when chanting during inner struggle.
- गोदत्र (godatra)
- Literal: giver of cows. Symbolic: giver of rays of light/knowledge; bestower of illuminations
- राधस (rādhas)
- Literal: riches, bounty. Symbolic: inner wealth: realizations, powers, settled peace and strength
- निः अरा॑म (nir arāma)
- Literal: drive out, deprive of place/rest. Symbolic: expulsion from inner poise; fall from the luminous state
- दृळ्हा (dṛḻhā)
- Literal: firm, hard-set. Symbolic: entrenched resistance; fixed habit of darkness/inertia
- अर्य (aryaḥ)
- Literal: noble/foe (context-dependent). Symbolic: here: adversarial force that challenges the seeker (hostile will)
- प्र मृश (pra mṛśa)
- Literal: touch/guard/handle forth. Symbolic: forward-reaching protection, active safeguarding of consciousness
- दामानः (dāmānaḥ)
- Literal: bands, cords, ordinances. Symbolic: bonds of ṛta—inner law that holds and upholds the being
- आदभे (ādabhe)
- Literal: to seize, injure, lay hands on. Symbolic: hostile interference with the soul’s discipline and truth-order
Protective prayer within Soma offering; securing continuity of Indra’s boons and safeguarding the rite from hostile interruption.
Use as a protective affirmation before meditation or during periods of relapse: ‘May I not be cut off from the inner Light; may the law of Truth in me remain untouched.’
go-datra: go ‘cow/ray’ (multi-valent; Vedic go frequently ‘light-ray/knowledge’) + datra ‘giver’ (agent noun from √dā ‘give’). √bhṛ ‘carry/bring’ (PIE *bher-) in bhara. √dabh ‘to harm/deceive’ marks forces that ‘overreach’ the right law. dā́man- ‘bond/ordinance’ aligns with the idea of dhāman/dhā́man as established supports; here dāmānaḥ as binding norms of Indra’s protection.
Rita as binding ordinance (dāman), struggle of knowledge vs. ignorance
‘dāmānaḥ’ can be read as the binding ordinances of ṛta that uphold the worlds and the seeker’s path.
Protection of the truth-order in consciousness against hostile distortion.
Release and safeguarding of plenitude once won—maintenance of the created order within the human microcosm.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral-Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap style reading): ascent of mind into illumined mind and beyond.
Cows = rays of knowledge; cords/ordinances = inner law that stabilizes the ascent; ‘hard-set foe’ = inertia of the subconscient.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows as rays’ mythologem: Indra as go-datra bestows and protects illuminations/knowledges. The hostile ‘aryá’ (opponent) seeks to obstruct; Indra is asked to carry the seeker through and prevent harm to the binding ordinances of right force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhara from √bhṛ continues PIE *bher- ‘carry’ (Eng. bear, Gk. phérō). The social term arya- is Indo-Iranian with complex semantic development. The prohibitive mā́ is inherited Indo-Iranian usage.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks an unbroken channel of Indra’s rādhas (plenitudes) and petitions against inner/outer adversaries. In exchange, the hymn sustains Indra’s presence through remembrance and offering; the rishi aligns with Indra’s dāmānaḥ (binding laws of right force) rather than egoic seizure.
Staying inwardly ‘not cut off’ from the illumined mind; invoking protection for the truth-order in the practice.
ājñā (brow)
Nadi-śodhana (gentle alternate-nostril) followed by a brief kumbhaka while mentally offering the prayer for protection.
Collected, vigilant, forward-moving (tapas with clarity).
When resistance feels entrenched, do not argue with it—invoke the higher light, reaffirm the inner law (dāmānaḥ), and proceed step-by-step with steady attention.
Not specified in the prompt; chant in a steady Vedic recitation style with clear udātta peaks on accented syllables as per śākhā tradition.
Sustain udātta syllables slightly higher; let anudātta fall; svarita glide downward—maintain caesura after main vocatives (e.g., ‘indra’).
Keep retroflex ḻ in dṛḻhā crisp (not ‘drilha’)., Differentiate dental d (in dāman) from retroflex ḍ (not present here)., Pronounce ‘ṛ’ in mṛśa with a brief vocalic r, not ‘ri’., Maintain visarga/breath where applicable in connected chanting.
Firm, protective, centered in the chest with clear articulation.
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