Rig Veda 1.82.2: Mandala 1, Sukta 82, Mantra 2
Sukta 1.82
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अक्षन्नमीमदन्त ह्यव प्रिया अधूषत । अस्तोषत स्वभानवो विप्रा नविष्ठया मती योजा न्विन्द्र ते हरी ॥
ákṣann amī́madanta hy áva priyā́ adhūṣata | ástoṣata svábhānavo víprā náviṣṭhayā matī́ yója nv indra te hárī ||
रिशियों ने सोम रस पिया और खुश हो गए। उनके दिल में प्यार भरा है। वो नए सोच के साथ इंद्र की तारीफ करते हैं। इंद्र, अब अपने घोड़े जोड़ो।
Word by Word
- अक्षन्
- they ate/they drank (soma)VerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person plural, ParasmaipadaRole Kartā (implicit subject: ते/विप्राः) ; Karma: सोमम् (understood)Root अश् (अश्नोति) / √अश्
- अमीमदन्त
- they became exhilarated / they rejoicedVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada; reduplicated stem (अ-मीमद-)Role Kartā (विप्राः/ते) ; Karma: (सोमेन) understoodRoot मद् (मादयति) / √मद्
- हि
- for, indeedIndeclinableParticleRoot हि
- अव
- down; forth (as intensifier with verb)IndeclinablePreverb/particleRoot अव
- प्रियाः
- the dear ones / the beloved (priests)Adjective (used substantively) / Noun-likeMasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (with अधूषत) / apposition to विप्राःRoot प्रिय
- अधूषत
- they shook/roused (the hymn); they became stirredVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person plural, ĀtmanepadaRole Kartā: प्रियाः (विप्राः) ; Karma: स्तोमम्/स्तुतिम् (understood)Root धूष् / √धूष्
- अस्तोषत
- they praisedVerbImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person plural, ĀtmanepadaRole Kartā: (विप्राः) ; Karma: इन्द्रम् (understood)Root स्तु / √स्तु
- स्वभानवः
- self-radiant ones; radiant (singers)Adjective (used substantively)Masculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (with अस्तोषत) / apposition to विप्राःRoot स्वभानु
- विप्राः
- inspired poets/priestsNounMasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (for the finite verbs in the verse)Root विप्र
- नविष्ठया
- with the newest / freshestAdjectiveFeminine, instrumental singular (agreeing with मती)Role Karaṇa (instrument) with अस्तोषतRoot नविष्ठ (superlative of नव)
- मती
- with (their) thought / hymn / inspirationNounFeminine, instrumental singularRole Karaṇa (instrument) with अस्तोषतRoot मती (from √मन्, ‘thought’)
- योजा
- yoke! harness!VerbImperative (लोट्), 2nd person singular, ParasmaipadaRole (Address to Indra) ; Karma: हरीRoot युज् / √युज्
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableParticleRoot नु
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)Masculine, vocative singularRole Sambodhana (address)Root इन्द्र
- ते
- thy/yourPronounGenitive singular (enclitic)Role Sambandha (possessor) with हरीRoot त्वद् (युष्मद्)
- हरी
- the two bay steedsNounMasculine, accusative dualRole Karma (object) of योजाRoot हरि
Sandhi Notes
- Padapāṭha-style resolution: अक्षन् अमीमदन्त हि अव प्रियाः अधूषत । अस्तोषत स्वभानवः विप्राः नविष्ठया मती । योजा नु इन्द्र ते हरी । Notable sandhi: ह्यव = हि + अव
- न्विन्द्र = नु + इन्द्र (u + i → v/i glide in saṃhitā)
- ते॒ हरी kept separate (no further sandhi)
The meaning
Outer meaning
They have eaten and become glad; the dear draughts have surged. The radiant seers praised with a freshest thought—now, Indra, yoke your two tawny horses.
Inner meaning
The inner being has ‘tasted’ (akṣan) the Soma-like delight and is made glad; the beloved currents of inspiration and joy surge upward. Then the seers within (viprāḥ svabhānavo—self-luminous) offer a new, living thought (naviṣṭhayā matī) rather than stale habit. In response, Indra is called to yoke the tawny forces—illumined energies that carry the consciousness forward.
Universal truth
When delight and inspiration are assimilated, the mind becomes freshly creative and luminous; then higher illumination can be effectively harnessed for progress.
Themes
Soma exhilaration, Seer inspiration, Invocation refrain
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama Rahūgaṇa (traditional attribution)
- Lineage
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.82.1, RV 1.82.3, RV 1.82.4
Family tradition
Hymns where Soma-experience leads to Indra’s dynamic arrival
Significance
Shows the sequence: inner delight → luminous inspiration → invocation of higher mental power for victorious movement.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Hariyukta, Maghavan, Purandara (breaker of strongholds; implied by his coming)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Receives the Soma-force and releases victorious illumination.
Inner power
Mental heroism fueled by bliss; transforms joy into strength and clear seeing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-stotra environment; praise after tasting Soma
अक्ष॒न्नमी॑मदन्त॒ ह्यव॑ प्रि॒या अ॑धूषत । अस्तो॑षत॒ स्वभा॑नवो॒ विप्रा॒ नवि॑ष्ठया म॒ती योजा॒ न्वि॑न्द्र ते॒ हरी॑ ॥
अक्ष॑न् । अमी॑मदन्त । हि । अव॑ । प्रि॒याः । अ॒धू॒ष॒त॒ । अस्तो॑षत । स्वऽभा॑नवः । विप्राः॑ । नवि॑ष्ठया । म॒ती । योज॑ । नु । इ॒न्द्र॒ । ते॒ । हरी॒ इति॑ ॥
akṣan | amīmadanta | hi | ava | priyāḥ | adhūṣata | astoṣata | sva-bhānavaḥ | viprāḥ | naviṣṭhayā | matī | yoja | nu | indra | te | harī iti
24
3 × 8
Lively, jubilant, with a refrain-like ‘yoking’ close
Raises mood and prāṇa; supports a ‘surging’ feeling in the chest and head, conducive to inspired thought.
- akṣan
- Literal: they ate/consumed. Symbolic: assimilation of the inner nectar (experience made substance)
- amīmadanta
- Literal: they rejoiced/became glad. Symbolic: uplift of the vital and mind by tasted delight
- priyāḥ (draughts implied)
- Literal: dear (drinks). Symbolic: beloved movements of Soma: joy, inspiration, sweetness of consciousness
- adhūṣata
- Literal: they surged/ran. Symbolic: rising flow of inner currents (ānanda/inspiration) through the being
- svabhānavo
- Literal: self-luminous. Symbolic: faculties that see by their own light (intuitive mind)
- viprāḥ
- Literal: seers. Symbolic: the inspired perceivers in us
- naviṣṭhayā matī
- Literal: with the newest thought. Symbolic: fresh intuition, living mantra-thought not mechanical repetition
- harī
- Literal: tawny steeds. Symbolic: energized illumination yoked for action
Soma session description: the prepared draughts and inspired praise culminate in the refrain calling Indra’s arrival.
After libation/pressing moments symbolically ‘tasted’ by priests; during Indra-Soma sequences
Chant following Soma offering to invite Indra’s energized presence
Use after a meditation that evokes joy (ānanda): chant to stabilize and channel that joy into clear action and insight.
akṣan: √aś 'eat, consume' (also 'drink' in soma context). amīmadanta: intensive/reduplicated from √mad. adhūṣata: from √dhūṣ/√dhū 'to shake, surge, be vehement'—describes soma’s stirring. svabhānu: sva- 'self' + bhānu 'light, radiance' (< √bhā 'shine'). vipra: inspired seer (possibly from √vip 'tremble, thrill' indicating inspired vibration). matí: thought/inspiration (< √man 'think').
Transformation by Ananda (mad), Illumined inspiration (mati), Rita as right surge of offering and praise
Fresh inspired thought aligns action with ṛta rather than habit.
Self-luminous seeing (svabhāna) as a mark of satya in cognition.
Delight as a creative fuel: from Soma to inspired mind to effective force.
Integral Vedic psychology: ānanda → intuition → illumined action.
The ‘drink’ is the inward nectar; surging indicates rising currents through nāḍīs and levels of mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rite reaches intensity: Soma is consumed, exhilaration rises, seers blaze with self-radiance, and the god is summoned. Psychologically it depicts the sequence: assimilation of delight → inner surge → inspired illumination → call for the divine force to act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man (mati) is central IE (mind/thought). √bhā (shine) is an old IE poetic root for radiance. The reduplicated intensive of √mad is an archaic expressive strategy, common across early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishis prepare the inner condition—delight received, inspiration renewed—and then demand the divine response: Indra must yoke his powers. The relationship is performative: correct inner state and utterance compel a corresponding descent of force.
Taste-and-channel practice: feel inner sweetness, then call Indra to convert it into luminous resolve.
Anāhata (heart) rising to Ājñā
Bhrāmarī (5 rounds) to evoke inner sweetness, then chant steadily
Uplifted, inspired, quietly powerful
After chanting, write one ‘fresh thought’ (naviṣṭhā matī) received—an insight or next step—then commit to it as Indra’s yoking.
Rigvedic accents; keep the middle ‘surge’ phrase fluid, then crisp on the refrain.
Let ‘astoṣata’ and ‘yojā nu’ land clearly; do not rush conjuncts in ‘svabhānavo’.
akṣan: kṣ conjunct clear, not ‘aksan’, amīmadanta: long ī; keep dental d, adhūṣata: long ū; retroflex ṣ, viprā: v+i, not ‘we’; long ā, naviṣṭhayā: retroflex ṣṭh cluster; long ā at end, matī: long ī
Warm, buoyant, with a smiling resonance; end with a firm call
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