Rig Veda 10.86.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 86, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.86
- Rishi
- RV 10.86 narrative/dialogue complex
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
परा हीन्द्र धावसि वृषाकपेरति व्यथिः । नो अह प्र विन्दस्यन्यत्र सोमपीतये विश्वस्मादिन्द्र उत्तरः ॥
parā́ híndra dhā́vasi vṛṣā́kaper áti vyáthīḥ | nó áha prá vindasy anyátra sómapītaye víśvasmād índra úttaraḥ ||
इंद्र, तुम भाग रहे हो वृषाकपि की वजह से। लेकिन कहीं और जाके सोम नहीं मिलेगा तुम्हे। सच्ची खुशी सिर्फ सही जगह मिलती है, भागने में नहीं।
Word by Word
- परा
- away, forthIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण (गत्यर्थे)Root परा (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध/हेतु-निपातRoot हि (निपात)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- धावसि
- you run, you rushVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः: त्वम्)Root धाव्
- वृषाकपेः
- of VṛṣākapiNoun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी: ‘of Vṛṣākapi’)Root वृषाकपि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अति
- beyond, overIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थःRoot अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- व्यथिः
- agitation, tremblingNoun (action noun)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ता (धावसि इत्यस्य; ‘व्यथिः’ = agitation)Root व्यथ्
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (our)Root अस्मद्
- अह
- ah!, indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole उद्गार/निपातRoot अह (निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थःRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- विन्दसि
- you find, you obtainVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (कर्तृ: त्वम्)Root विद् (विन्दति)
- अन्यत्र
- elsewhereIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (स्थानवाचक)Root अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
- सोमपीतये
- for the drinking of SomaNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (दत्त्यर्थे: ‘for soma-drinking’)Root सोमपीति (सोम + पीति) (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वस्मात्
- from all, from everyoneAdjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अथवा पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः), पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole अपादान (from all/everything)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत्तरः
- higher, superior, further (beyond)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ता/विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संधि-विच्छेद (पदक्रमानुसार): परा | हि | इन्द्र | धावसि | वृषाकपेः | अति | व्यथिः । नः | अह | प्र | विन्दसि | अन्यत्र | सोमपीतये | विश्वस्मात् | इन्द्र | उत्तरः ॥ 1) ‘वृषाकपे॒रति॒’ = ‘वृषाकपेः’ + ‘अति’ (विसर्ग-लोपः/रेफ-आदेशः पदसंहितायाम्)
- 2) ‘व्यथि॑:’ = ‘व्यथिः’ (विसर्गः)
- 3) ‘नो’ = ‘नः’ (एन्क्लिटिक-रूपे ओ-आदेशः)
- 4) ‘विन्दस्य॒न्यत्र’ = ‘विन्दसि’ + ‘अन्यत्र’ (इ- + अ- संधिः: य्-आगमः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
You run away, O Indra, driven beyond measure by Vṛṣākapi’s disturbance. Yet you will not find elsewhere the Soma-drinking; Indra is higher than all.
Inner meaning
When the vital force disturbs (ati vyathiḥ), the illumined mind may scatter—seeking satisfaction in outer changes. The mantra insists: true Soma (inner bliss) is not found ‘elsewhere’ (anyatra) in dispersion, but by returning to the right inner offering. ‘Indra uttaraḥ’ becomes a discipline: rise above the disturbance by collecting the force and finding delight in the higher consciousness, not in flight.
Universal truth
Escaping discomfort by scattering outward never yields real joy; the higher solution is inner recollection and ascent.
Themes
Indra, Vṛṣākapi, Soma-ritual, Agitation vs. right ecstasy, Transcendence metaphor
The seer
- Rishi
- Indrāṇī (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 10.86.1-24
Family tradition
Saṃvāda hymn pedagogy: dramatizes inner psychology through relational speech.
Significance
Indrāṇī’s voice (as shakti/consent) can be read as the power that calls the illumined mind back from dispersion into right enjoyment of Soma (ānanda).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- uttaraḥ
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts (storm/vital energies)
Cosmic role
To govern energies; to turn disturbance into victorious ascent.
Inner power
Mastery over prāṇic agitation; recollection of true delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma context; admonitory exemplum: force must be rightly satisfied and not diverted by agitation
परा॒ ही॑न्द्र॒ धाव॑सि वृ॒षाक॑पे॒रति॒ व्यथि॑: । नो अह॒ प्र वि॑न्दस्य॒न्यत्र॒ सोम॑पीतये॒ विश्व॑स्मा॒दिन्द्र॒ उत्त॑रः ॥
परा॑ । हि । इ॒न्द्र॒ । धाव॑सि । वृ॒षाक॑पेः । अति॑ । व्यथिः॑ । नो इति॑ । अह॑ । प्र । वि॒न्द॒सि॒ । अ॒न्यत्र॑ । सोम॑ऽपीतये । विश्व॑स्मात् । इन्द्रः॑ । उत्ऽत॑रः ॥
parā | hi | indra | dhāvasi vṛṣākapeḥ | ati | vyathiḥ | naḥ | aha | pra | vindasi | anyatra | soma-pītaye | viśvasmāt | indraḥ | ut-taraḥ
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4 × ~11
Quick, admonitory; strong caesura supports ‘turn back’ instruction.
Checks restlessness; builds a firm inward pivot at the refrain.
- परा धावसि (parā dhāvasi)
- Literal: you run away. Symbolic: dispersion of attention; fleeing inward conflict
- अति व्यथिः (ati vyathiḥ)
- Literal: excess disturbance. Symbolic: over-activated prāṇa; rajasic turbulence
- अन्यत्र (anyatra)
- Literal: elsewhere. Symbolic: seeking outside oneself; substituting novelty for truth
- सोमपीतये (somapītaye)
- Literal: for Soma-drinking. Symbolic: for tasting inner ānanda; true delight of consciousness
- उत्तरस् (uttaraḥ)
- Literal: higher. Symbolic: superior poise above agitation
Soma context; admonitory exemplum: force must be rightly satisfied and not diverted by agitation
Chant when anxious or scattered; use as a ‘return-to-center’ mantra before meditation or important decisions.
√dhāv ‘run’ expresses dispersive force; √vyath ‘tremble’ marks disturbance. √vid again ties ‘finding’ to ‘knowing’ (PIE *weid-). somapītaye is a purpose-dative: ‘for Soma-drinking’, i.e., the act that legitimately empowers Indra; psychologically, right joy is the fuel of victorious force.
Discrimination of right delight vs. dispersion, Ṛta as right place/right act (not ‘anywhere’), Control of agitation (vyath) for higher ascent (uttara)
‘Ati’ (excess) is anti-ṛta; the mantra restores measure through recollection.
True Soma is not elsewhere—truth is inwardly present when the mind is upright.
Evolutionary correction: from scattering to ascent (uttara).
Psychological Veda (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): inner energies disciplined under light.
Motion = prāṇic restlessness; Soma = inner sweetness; ‘elsewhere’ = extroversion; ‘higher’ = elevated poise.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘misdirected force’ motif: Indra runs off under Vṛṣākapi’s agitation, but true empowerment (Soma-drinking) is not found ‘elsewhere’. Psychologically it warns that the seeker’s dynamism must not be hijacked by restless impulses; the true nectar is in the rightly ordered practice.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid (vindasi) continues PIE *weid-; the semantics of knowledge-as-finding is a deep IE inheritance. Spatial particles (parā, pra, anyatra, uttara) encode an IE cognitive map: away/forward/higher as moral-psychological vectors.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks almost as a guide correcting Indra’s movement: even the god-force must be ‘rightly fed’. The reciprocity is pedagogic—divine force models the aspirant’s energy, and the mantra redirects it toward the true Soma (inner delight aligned with ṛta).
Stop ‘parā dhāvasi’: gather attention into the heart and brow; seek Soma within.
ajna
Box breathing 4-4-4-4 for 7 cycles, then silent witnessing; feel agitation subside.
From rajasic scattering to luminous steadiness.
On ‘anyatra’ notice the mind’s impulse to seek outside; on ‘somapītaye’ turn inward and taste a subtle sweetness; end with ‘uttaraḥ’ as a vertical lift of awareness.
Vedic accenting per śākala; emphasize the contrast between ‘parā’ (away) and ‘somapītaye’ (for Soma-drinking) with clear udātta peaks as marked.
Make a slight rhetorical pause after ‘ati vyathiḥ’; then deliver ‘na… anyatra’ firmly; lift the refrain.
: ‘parā’ long ā, : ‘dhāvasi’ voiced dh, long ā, : ‘vṛṣākapeḥ’—final ḥ light, : ‘vyathiḥ’—y cluster clean, visarga light, : ‘somapītaye’ long ī
Corrective, steady; not harsh—like guiding a restless mind back to center.
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