Rig Veda 10.116.3: Mandala 10, Sukta 116, Mantra 3
Sukta 10.116
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
ममत्तु त्वा दिव्यः सोम इन्द्र ममत्तु यः सूयते पार्थिवेषु । ममत्तु येन वरिवश्चकर्थ ममत्तु येन निरिणासि शत्रून् ॥
mámattu tvā divyáḥ sóma indra mámattu yáḥ sū́yate pārthivéṣu | mámattu yéna várivaś cakártha mámattu yéna nir-iṇā́si śátrūn ||
इंद्र, आसमान वाला सोम रस तुम्हे नशा दे। जो सोम रस ज़मीन पे निचोड़ा जाता है वो भी तुम्हे नशा दे। जिस रस से तुमने हमारे लिए जगह बनाई वो तुम्हे नशा दे। जिस रस से तुमने दुश्मन को भगाया वो भी तुम्हे नशा दे।
Word by Word
- ममत्तु
- may (it) gladden/intoxicateVerbLoṭ (imperative/benedictive sense), 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot मद् (मदति)
- त्वा
- youPronounAccusative singular (enclitic)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद्
- दिव्यः
- heavenly, divineAdjectiveMasculine nominative singularRole Kartā (with सोमः)Root दिव्य (← दिव्)
- सोमः
- Soma (the pressed drink/deity)NounMasculine nominative singularRole KartāRoot सोम
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)Masculine vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र
- ममत्तु
- may (it) gladden/intoxicateVerbLoṭ, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot मद् (मदति)
- यः
- which/whoPronoun (relative)Masculine nominative singularRole Kartā (of सूयते)Root यद्
- सूयते
- is pressed/expressedVerbPresent, passive (karmaṇi), 3rd person singular, ātmanepadaRoot सू (सुनोति/सुवति) → passive stem सूय-
- पार्थिवेषु
- among the earthly (ones/places)Adjective (used substantively)Masculine locative pluralRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पार्थिव
- ममत्तु
- may (it) gladden/intoxicateVerbLoṭ, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot मद् (मदति)
- येन
- by whichPronoun (relative-instrumental)Instrumental singular (masc./neut.)Role KaraṇaRoot यद्
- वरिवः
- wide space; free course; room/aidNounNeuter accusative singularRole KarmaRoot वरिवस्
- चकर्त
- you have madeVerbPerfect, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot कृ (करोति) with reduplication (perfect)
- ममत्तु
- may (it) gladden/intoxicateVerbLoṭ, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot मद् (मदति)
- येन
- by whichPronoun (relative-instrumental)Instrumental singular (masc./neut.)Role KaraṇaRoot यद्
- निरिणासि
- you drive out/destroyVerbPresent, 2nd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot नि-री-नश्/नश् (Vedic: ‘to destroy, drive away’)
- शत्रून्
- enemiesNounMasculine accusative pluralRole KarmaRoot शत्रु
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: ममत्तु त्वा (no change)
- दिव्यः सोमः (visarga before s- retained in saṃhitā)
- सोम इन्द्र → सोमः इन्द्र (visarga dropped before vowel in saṃhitā)
- ममत्तु यः (no change)
- सूयते पार्थिवेषु (no change)
- ममत्तु येन (no change)
- वरिवश्चकर्त → वरिवः चकर्त (visarga + c → śc in saṃhitā)
- ममत्तु येन (no change)
- निरिणासि शत्रून् (no change). Accents in the given text are saṃhitā accents
- pada-forms shown without accent marks
The meaning
Outer meaning
May the heavenly Soma intoxicate Indra; may the Soma pressed on earth intoxicate him. May that Soma intoxicate him by which he made wide space for us, and by which he drives out enemies.
Inner meaning
Two Soma sources are invoked: ‘divya’ (heavenly) and ‘pārthiveṣu’ (pressed in the earthly). Psychologically, bliss descends from above as a higher ananda, and it is also extracted within embodied life through practice—both must feed Indra, the illumined mind. The repeated ‘mamattu’ (may it intoxicate) is insistence that divine joy must permeate the power of illumination until it becomes irresistible. The results are (1) varivaḥ—wide room: expansion of consciousness beyond cramped ego-structures; (2) niriṇāsi śatrūn—driving out enemies: expulsion of hostile forces (habits, doubts, impulses) that attack the ascent.
Universal truth
Transformation requires a joy that is both transcendent and embodied; when illumination is fully ‘intoxicated’ with that joy, it expands the inner space and naturally removes hostile formations.
Themes
Soma ecstasy, making wide space, expulsion of enemies
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 10.116.3
Family tradition
Late tenth-maṇḍala Indra-Soma hymn style
Significance
The seer’s insistence (fourfold mamattu) is a yogic technique: repetition as will-force to ensure the descent and embodiment of ananda until expansion and purification occur.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Receiver of divya soma, Widen-maker (varivaḥ-kṛt), Enemy-expeller
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Victorious power that expands the worlds and drives away hostile beings; sustainer of luminous dominion.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that, filled with bliss, widens consciousness and ejects adversarial impulses and formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra soma-libation emphasizing soma’s empowering effect and Indra’s protective victories.
म॒मत्तु॑ त्वा दि॒व्यः सोम॑ इन्द्र म॒मत्तु॒ यः सू॒यते॒ पार्थि॑वेषु । म॒मत्तु॒ येन॒ वरि॑वश्च॒कर्थ॑ म॒मत्तु॒ येन॑ निरि॒णासि॒ शत्रू॑न् ॥
म॒मत्तु॑ । त्वा॒ । दि॒व्यः । सोमः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । म॒मत्तु॑ । यः । सू॒यते॑ । पार्थि॑वेषु । म॒मत्तु॑ । येन॑ । वरि॑ऽवः । च॒कर्थ॑ । म॒मत्तु॑ । येन॑ । नि॒ऽरि॒णासि॑ । शत्रू॑न् ॥
mamattu | tvā | divyaḥ | somaḥ | indra | mamattu | yaḥ | sūyate | pārthiveṣu | mamattu | yena | vari-vaḥ | cakartha | mamattu | yena | ni-riṇāsi | śatrūn
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Incantatory insistence through repetition; steady and hammering without being rushed.
Creates saturation—mind is repeatedly turned to ananda-power; evokes widening and purgation as felt effects.
- ममत्तु (mamattu)
- Literal: may it gladden/intoxicate. Symbolic: may ananda saturate and empower illumination
- दिव्यः सोमः (divyaḥ somaḥ)
- Literal: heavenly soma. Symbolic: transcendent bliss descending from higher consciousness
- पार्थिवेषु (pārthiveṣu)
- Literal: among earthly realms. Symbolic: embodied practice extracting delight within life
- वरिवः (varivaḥ)
- Literal: wide space, room. Symbolic: inner wideness; liberation from constriction
- चकर्थ (cakartha)
- Literal: you made/did. Symbolic: Indra’s established realization—widening as accomplished fact
- निरिणासि (niriṇāsi)
- Literal: drive out, expel. Symbolic: remove hostile forces from the nature
- शत्रून् (śatrūn)
- Literal: enemies. Symbolic: inner adversaries: inertia, falsehood, division, temptation
Soma praise emphasizing its empowering effect for liberation (varivas) and victory over hostile forces.
During soma offerings when invoking Indra’s help for protection and expansion; also in prayers for victory over adversities.
Offer soma; inwardly, call for ananda to fill illumination and drive out inner enemies.
Chant when feeling constricted or attacked by negative patterns; use as a ‘widening and clearing’ mantra before sleep or meditation.
Repeated mamattu (√mad) is a mantraic intensifier: Soma’s ecstasy is the enabling power. pārthiva ‘earthly’ contrasts divya ‘heavenly’: the same delight descends and is prepared in embodied life. varivas ‘wide room’ (from √vṛ ‘cover/choose’? semantic ‘space/opening’) is a standard RV image for liberation from constriction. √kṛ in cakartha marks decisive accomplishment; ni-√ri ‘drive out’ expresses complete expulsion of hostile powers.
liberation as widening (varivas), victory over inner enemies, descent of divine delight into embodiment
Widening (varivaḥ) restores the true cosmic space in which ṛta can act; hostility is what distorts order.
Enemies are forces of untruth; Indra’s ananda-filled power establishes truth-space.
From heaven to earth: descent and embodiment of divine substance enabling expansion of the worlds.
Aurobindonian integral reading: higher ananda must descend and be realized in earthly nature for complete victory.
Sky = higher consciousness; earth = embodied nature; soma = delight-substance bridging both; widening = inner space like open sky.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma-intoxication empowers Indra to ‘make wide room’ and expel enemies. Mythically, the god’s victory is fueled by Soma; psychologically, delight widens consciousness and drives out constricting formations.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad and √kṛ are core Indo-Iranian/Indo-European roots. The anaphoric repetition (mamattu… mamattu…) is an inherited oral device for sacral intensification and mnemonic stability.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi reminds Indra of his characteristic works—widening (varivas) and expulsion of hostile forces—seeking to reactivate these powers through Soma. It is a reciprocal ‘memory’ contract: praise recalls the god’s nature, and the god re-enacts it for the sacrificer.
Invoke ananda from above and within; aim for wideness (bhūman-like vastness) and clearing of hostile movements.
Sahasrara/Ajna (divya soma descent) integrating with Anahata (wideness) and Manipura (expulsion force).
4-breath cycle: inhale silently ‘divya soma’; exhale chant pāda 1; inhale ‘earthly soma’; exhale chant pāda 2; then normal breathing for pādas 3–4 with emphasis on ‘varivaḥ’ and ‘śatrūn’.
Vast, bright, protected.
Chant 12 times. After each, pause and feel the inner space widen like sky; then notice one ‘enemy’ movement and let it be expelled by the widened light.
Notated svaras not provided; keep ‘mamattu’ as a repeated refrain with identical pitch contour each time for incantatory power.
Slight stress on ‘divyaḥ somaḥ’, ‘varivaḥ’, and ‘śatrūn’; pause briefly after each ‘mamattu’ clause.
mamattu: double m; short a; dental t, divyaḥ: clear ‘vy’ glide; visarga lightly, sūyate: long ū; palatal y, pārthiveṣu: long ā; aspirate th; ṣ retroflex, niriṇāsi: retroflex ṇ; long ā, śatrūn: long ū; ś palatal
Steady, saturated, mantra-like; not shouted—let repetition build power.
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