Rig Veda 8.13.22: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 22
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
कदा त इन्द्र गिर्वणः स्तोता भवाति शंतमः । कदा नो गव्ये अश्व्ये वसौ दधः ॥
kadā́ ta indra girvaṇaḥ stotā́ bhavāti śáṃtamaḥ | kadā́ no gavyé aśvyé vásau dadhaḥ ||
Hey Indra, tu gaana sun ke khush hota hai. Kab mera gaana itna achha lagega ki tu khush ho jaaye? Kab humein dhan aur taakat milega?
Word by Word
- कदा
- when?Indeclinableकालवाचक-प्रश्नार्थक अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकारण) / प्रश्नRoot कदा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- ते
- your / of youPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic) — ‘of you/your’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) विशेषण-सम्बन्धः ‘स्तोता’ इत्यस्यRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिर्वणः
- O ‘lover of hymns’ (epithet of Indra)Noun/Epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vedic form of गिर्वणस्) — ‘one who delights in hymns/words of praise’Role सम्बोधन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root गिर् + वण (प्रातिपदिक: गिर्वणस्)
- स्तोता
- the praiser / singerNoun (agent) / Kṛdantaपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (भवाति इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root स्तु (धातु) → स्तोतृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- भवाति
- becomes / isVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- शंतमः
- most auspicious / bestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘most auspicious/most beneficent’Role विशेषण (स्तोता इत्यस्य)Root शम् (प्रातिपदिक: शन्त) + तमप् (superlative)
- कदा
- when?Indeclinableकालवाचक-प्रश्नार्थक अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकारण) / प्रश्नRoot कदा (प्रश्नाव्यय)
- नः
- our / of usPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic) — ‘of us/our’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) ‘वसौ’ इत्यस्यRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- गव्ये
- in/for cattle (wealth)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘in/for cattle-wealth’Role Adhikaraṇa (विषय/क्षेत्र) — दधः इत्यस्यRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक) → गव्य (विशेषण)
- अश्व्ये
- in/for horses (wealth)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘in/for horse-wealth’Role Adhikaraṇa (विषय/क्षेत्र) — दधः इत्यस्यRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) → अश्व्य (विशेषण)
- वसौ
- in wealth / in treasureNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘in wealth/treasure’ (locus/field of bestowal)Role Adhikaraṇa (विषय/क्षेत्र) — दधः इत्यस्यRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधः
- you bestow / you giveVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Vedic form ‘दधः’ = ‘दधासि’ (you place/give) with -सि elidedRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): कदा | ते | इन्द्र | गिर्वणः | स्तोता | भवाति | शंतमः || कदा | नः | गव्ये | अश्व्ये | वसौ | दधः || 1) ‘त॑’ = ते (युष्मदः षष्ठी एकवचन, enclitic). 2) ‘नो॒’ = नः (अस्मदः षष्ठी बहुवचन, enclitic). 3) ‘दधः’ is a Vedic present 2sg of √धा, functionally ‘दधासि’
- pada-forms given without explicit accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
When, O Indra who rejoices in the chant, will my praise become most peace-giving? When will you place for us the riches of cows and horses?
Inner meaning
The seeker asks when his stotra will become śaṃtama—most peace-bringing: not merely eloquent but perfectly attuned so that it settles the being in luminous calm. He then asks for gavya and aśvya vasu: not cattle and horses, but the riches of Light (go = rays/knowledge) and Force of movement (aśva = vital energy for right action). Indra, lord of illumination, is asked to establish these in us as stable wealth—knowledge that shines and energy that obeys the soul.
Universal truth
True praise is that which creates peace and alignment; from that state arise the twin riches needed for a fulfilled life: clear knowledge and effective force.
Themes
boon-request, light and force, mantric efficacy
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.13 (culminating query/aspiration), Rig Veda 1.16 (Indra and praise), Rig Veda 6.47 (Indra as giver of rays and strength; thematic)
Family tradition
Kāṇva Indra devotion: emphasis on stotra efficacy and on Indra’s gifts as light and power.
Significance
A mantra of aspiration and self-perfection: the seer seeks not only gifts but the transformation of his own praise into a peace-bearing force capable of receiving higher riches.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Girvaṇaḥ, Maghavan (bountiful, implied by vasu), Vṛtrahan (contextual)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (speech), Soma (delight), Agni (will), Maruts (energies)
Cosmic role
Giver of illumination and victorious energy; establishes wealth of light and force in the worlds and in the seeker.
Inner power
Luminous intelligence that harmonizes (śam) and empowers dynamic progress (aśva) while revealing knowledge (go).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra within Soma ritual; prayer for boons and successful praise
क॒दा त॑ इन्द्र गिर्वणः स्तो॒ता भ॑वाति॒ शंत॑मः । क॒दा नो॒ गव्ये॒ अश्व्ये॒ वसौ॑ दधः ॥
क॒दा । ते॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । गि॒र्व॒णः॒ । स्तो॒ता । भ॒वा॒ति॒ । शम्ऽत॑मः । क॒दा । नः॒ । गव्ये॑ । अश्व्ये॑ । वसौ॑ । द॒धः॒ ॥
kadā | te | indra | girvaṇaḥ | stotā | bhavāti | śam-tamaḥ | kadā | naḥ | gavye | aśvye | vasau | dadhaḥ
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3 pādas × ~8 syllables
Interrogative, yearning; repeated kadā creates a rhythmic ‘knocking’ of aspiration.
Kindles longing for perfection; lifts the mind toward a peaceful intensity and readiness to receive light/force.
- गिर्वणः (girvaṇaḥ)
- Literal: delighting in hymns/chant. Symbolic: the divine Power that responds to mantric vibration and inspired speech
- स्तोता (stotā)
- Literal: praiser. Symbolic: the aspiring mind shaping itself into a fit instrument
- शंतमः (śaṃtamaḥ)
- Literal: most peace-giving. Symbolic: speech/consciousness that brings deep harmony and settled light
- गव्ये (gavye)
- Literal: pertaining to cows. Symbolic: rays of light, illuminations, knowledges (go) bestowed
- अश्व्ये (aśvye)
- Literal: pertaining to horses. Symbolic: right vital energies, powers of action and progress (aśva)
- वसौ (vasau)
- Literal: in wealth/treasure. Symbolic: stable inner riches—attainments that support the whole being
Petitionary refrain in Indra-stotra: request for auspicious effectiveness of praise and for rayi (vasu) in forms of 'cows and horses' (light and force).
During Indra-invocations in Soma offerings; also as a concluding aspiration within a hymn sequence
Chanting/praise to attract Indra’s gifts; request for prosperity
Use as a mantra for seekers balancing calm and power: ask for peace-giving speech (right expression) and for inner resources of insight and energy.
gir-vaṇa 'one who loves song' (vana from √van 'to love, desire, win'). śam-tama superlative from śam 'peace, felicity'. go (cow) as 'ray' justified by RV usage where 'cows' are released as lights/knowledges; aśva (horse) from √aś 'to move swiftly' → energies of rapid effective action. dadhāḥ from √dhā.
śam (peace/felicity), rayi/vasu as fullness of being, mantra as a means of attainment
Śaṃtama praise implies speech aligned with ṛta; then the gifts (go/aśva) descend as ordered powers.
True stotra is satya-utterance—effective because it embodies inner truth.
Manifestation of ‘wealth’ as powers of consciousness: light (knowledge) and force (energy) are creative instruments.
Aurobindo-Kashyap symbolic psychology: prosperity = increase of consciousness-powers, not merely material gain.
Cows = solar rays of knowledge released into the mind; horses = pranic/vital currents disciplined for right action; peace = a settled luminous atmosphere in the being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The request for 'cows and horses' from Indra: mythically wealth; psychologically the recovery of rays of knowledge (go) and energies of effective action (aśva) granted when praise becomes śaṃtama—perfectly harmonized with truth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- go 'cow' continues PIE *gʷṓus (cf. Greek boûs, Latin bōs). aśva continues PIE *h₁éḱwos (cf. Latin equus). These inherited prestige-terms carry both material and symbolic value in Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi asks for a double perfection: (1) his own stotra to become maximally peace-bearing (inner alignment), and (2) the devatā’s response as bestowal of illumination and force—showing mantra and grace as mutually completing.
Refine one’s inner speech into peace-giving mantra; invite the descent of light (clarity) and force (effective energy).
Viśuddha (speech) for śaṃtama stotra; Ājñā (light/go); Maṇipūra (aśva-force)
Japa on exhale with gentle pause after each ‘kadā’ to feel aspiration; then silent inhalations imagining ‘go’ as light entering the brow and ‘aśva’ as steady fire in the navel.
Quiet aspiration; harmonized energy.
Chant 12 times; after 6 repetitions, pause and ask inwardly: ‘What would make my speech peace-giving today?’ Then complete the set, feeling light and strength settle as ‘vasu’.
Accents per text: क॒दा, इन्द्र, गिर्वणः, स्तो॒ता, शंत॑मः, गव्ये॒, अश्व्ये॒ (follow accent marks).
Let each ‘kadā’ begin slightly lifted but end softly; keep ‘śaṃtamaḥ’ as a settling cadence.
girvaṇaḥ: pronounce ‘ṇ’ retroflex; final visarga as light breath, śaṃtamaḥ: anusvāra before ‘t’ as nasalization; do not over-nasalize, gavye: ‘vy’ cluster clear, aśvye: ‘śv’ cluster crisp; avoid ‘ashviye’ extra vowel, vasau: short ‘u’ diphthong ‘au’ clear
Melodic, devotional, ending each half-verse with a gentle repose to embody śam.
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