Rig Veda 2.18.4: Mandala 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 4
Sukta 2.18
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आ द्वाभ्यां हरिभ्यामिन्द्र याह्या चतुर्भिरा षड्भिर्हूयमानः । आष्टाभिर्दशभिः सोमपेयमयं सुतः सुमख मा मृधस्कः ॥
ā́ dvā́bhyāṃ háribhyām indra yā́hy ā́ catúrbhir ā́ ṣáḍbhir hū́yamānaḥ | ā́ṣṭā́bhir dáśabhiḥ soma-péyam ayáṃ sutáḥ sumakha mā́ mṛ́dhaskaḥ ||
आजा इंद्र, दो घोड़ों के साथ आजा। चार के साथ आजा, छः के साथ भी आजा जब हम बुला रहे हैं। आठ के साथ आजा, दस के साथ आजा, सोम पीने के लिए। यह सोम पीस के रखा है, आजा और पी ले। हमें कोई तकलीफ मत देना।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थे/आह्वाने)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- द्वाभ्याम्
- with twoAdjective (numeral)नपुंसक/पुं/स्त्री— (संख्याविशेषण), तृतीया-द्विवचनRole KaraṇaRoot द्वि (संख्या)
- हरिभ्याम्
- with the two bay(-horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-द्विवचनRole KaraṇaRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- या॒हि
- come; go (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot या (धातु)
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- चतुर्भिः
- with fourAdjective (numeral)(संख्याविशेषण), तृतीया-बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot चतुर् (संख्या)
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- षड्भिः
- with sixAdjective (numeral)(संख्याविशेषण), तृतीया-बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot षष् (संख्या)
- हूयमानः
- being invoked; being calledParticipleवर्तमान-कालिक कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रः) / विशेषणRoot ह्वा (धातु) → हूयमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अष्टाभिः
- with eightAdjective (numeral)(संख्याविशेषण), तृतीया-बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अष्टन् (संख्या)
- दशभिः
- with tenAdjective (numeral)(संख्याविशेषण), तृतीया-बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot दशन् (संख्या)
- सोमपेयम्
- to the Soma-drinking; Soma-feastNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (गन्तव्य/प्राप्तव्य-स्थान/वस्तु)Role Karma (या॒हि—किम्?)Root सोम-पेय (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- अयम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole Kartā (सुतः) / निर्देशRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- सुतः
- pressed (Soma); the pressed SomaParticiple (used as noun)भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचनRole Kartā/विषयRoot सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमख
- O good-faced/beautiful-faced oneAdjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root सु-मख (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक निपात (लोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगेषु)Root मा (निषेध)
- मृधस्कः
- O non-injuring one; not hostile (lit. not causing harm)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (मृधस् + क = ‘मृधस्क’)Role (सम्बोधन) / विशेषणRoot मृधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): आ | द्वाभ्याम् | हरिभ्याम् | इन्द्र | याहि | आ | चतुर्भिः | आ | षड्भिः | हूयमानः | आ | अष्टाभिः | दशभिः | सोमपेयम् | अयम् | सुतः | सुमख | मा | मृधस्कः । प्रमुख संधि/संहिता-रूप: षड्भिः + हूयमानः → षड्भिर्हूयमानः (र्-संधि)
- दशभिः + सोमपेयम् → दशभिः सोमपेयम् (विसर्ग/ः-चिह्न पदान्त-लिप्यन्तर)
- अन्यत्र ‘आ’ निपात का पुनरावर्तन आह्वान/गत्यर्थे।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come, Indra, with two tawny steeds; come with four, with six as you are invoked. Come with eight, with ten to the Soma-drinking. Here is the pressed Soma. O good in sacrifice, do not bring harm to us.
Inner meaning
The increasing numbers of harī signify a progressive enlargement of the life-forces placed at the service of illumination. The seeker calls Indra to descend with greater and greater supporting energies—more channels of action, more instruments of the being aligned to the light. Soma is the pressed delight: the distilled essence of experience offered upward so the higher consciousness can drink and intensify joy (mada) without distortion. ‘Do not bring harm’ is a prayer that the intensification of force not overrun the nervous system or ego—may the descent be beneficent, integrated, and purifying rather than violent.
Universal truth
As consciousness expands, more energies must be harmonized and yoked to the higher guidance. Power without integration can injure; power guided by truth becomes blissful strength.
Themes
soma ritual, invitation, numerical symbolism, safe descent of power
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.18, RV 2.12
Family tradition
A line attentive to the gradations of force and the right measure (mātrā) in invocation—calling power stepwise.
Significance
He teaches ‘progressive invocation’: widen the capacity gradually, offer Soma (delight) rightly, and safeguard integration.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- sumakha (good in sacrifice)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Receives Soma, grows in might, and establishes victorious light; protector when rightly invoked.
Inner power
A strengthening illumination that can scale from small to vast; brings clarity and energetic capacity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invitation to Soma-drinking
आ द्वाभ्यां॒ हरि॑भ्यामिन्द्र या॒ह्या च॒तुर्भि॒रा ष॒ड्भिर्हू॒यमा॑नः । आष्टा॒भिर्द॒शभि॑: सोम॒पेय॑म॒यं सु॒तः सु॑मख॒ मा मृध॑स्कः ॥
आ । द्वाभ्या॑म् । हरि॑ऽभ्याम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । या॒हि॒ । आ । च॒तुःऽभिः॑ । आ । ष॒ट्ऽभिः । हू॒यमा॑नः । आ । अ॒ष्टा॒भिः । द॒शऽभिः॑ । सो॒म॒ऽपेय॑म् । अ॒यम् । सु॒तः । सु॒ऽम॒ख॒ । मा । मृधः॑ । क॒रिति॑ कः ॥
ā | dvābhyām | hari-bhyām | indra | yāhi | ā | catuḥ-bhiḥ | ā | ṣaṭ-bhiḥ | hūyamānaḥ | ā | aṣṭābhiḥ | daśa-bhiḥ | soma-peyam | ayam | sutaḥ | su-makha | mā | mṛdhaḥ | karitikaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Enumerative crescendo; each count feels like a step of intensification.
Produces a sense of widening and accumulating power, ending in a protective, calming closure.
- द्वाभ्याम्/चतुर्भिः/षड्भिः/आष्टाभिः/दशभिः
- Literal: with 2/4/6/8/10. Symbolic: graded expansion of supporting forces and instruments; increasing completeness of the descent
- हरिभ्याम् (haribhyām)
- Literal: with tawny steeds. Symbolic: dynamic life-energies carrying Indra’s illumination
- हूयमानः (hūyamānaḥ)
- Literal: being invoked. Symbolic: response of the higher power to sincere aspiration
- सोमपेयम् (somapeyam)
- Literal: Soma-drinking. Symbolic: receiving and assimilating divine delight/ānanda
- सुतः (sutaḥ)
- Literal: pressed (Soma). Symbolic: distilled essence of experience offered in aspiration
- सुमख (sumakha)
- Literal: good in sacrifice. Symbolic: the power that perfects the inner offering
- मा मृधः कः (mā mṛdhas kaḥ)
- Literal: do not make hurt. Symbolic: let force descend without disharmony or egoic violence
Soma-peya invitation (Indra to drink Soma); typical of Soma liturgy with repeated ā yāhi formulas
During Soma offering sequences to Indra; especially when calling Indra’s ‘coming’ with his steeds.
Recited while offering/approaching Soma libations; reinforces the ‘arrival’ and safe reception of power.
Use as a graded invocation in breathwork: call strength in steps, then end with a protection intention (‘may it be gentle and integrative’).
The graded numbers (2,4,6,8,10) are symbolic expansions of capacity: Indra is invited with increasing totalities of his ‘haris’ (dynamic carriers). Soma (√su ‘press’) is the expressed essence; psychologically the distilled delight/force. mṛdh ‘harm/hostility’ marks resistance or adverse movement that can accompany unassimilated power; hence the prayer for benevolent descent.
graded descent of power, soma as delight and immortality-force, non-injury: assimilation of force without distortion
Right order includes right dosage: power should match capacity.
Truth-guided force prevents harm.
Expansion by graded multiplication of supporting energies.
Integral ascent/descent model: widen the vessel, then receive greater force.
Pressed Soma = refined delight; multiplied steeds = increased prāṇic channels; chariot = embodied system receiving descent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘invited descent to Soma’ mythologem: Indra is summoned in graded fullness to drink the pressed Soma. Innerly, the seeker invites increasing measures of divine force to partake of the distilled delight, while praying that the descent be benevolent and not turn into disruptive intensity (mṛdh).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- Imperative repetition (ā… yāhi) is a common IE hymnic device. Soma from √su ‘press’ is Indo-Iranian cultic lexicon. The numeric ladder functions as an inherited poetic strategy for expressing totality and intensification.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers the expressed essence (suta soma) and simultaneously regulates the descent through invocation and ethical framing (‘do not harm’). It is a guided opening: the human calls, provides the delight, and asks for a harmonious inhabitation by the god-force.
Invite illumined mind with increasing support: first calm energy, then mobilize it, then widen receptivity for bliss.
maṇipūra → anāhata (widening into harmonious joy)
Progressive inhale retention: 4-0-6, then 4-2-6, then 4-4-6 for a few rounds; end with relaxed exhale and a ‘no harm’ intention.
Widened strength with gentle containment.
If intensity rises too fast, return to the closing line as a protective mantra—seek steadiness over force.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on key invocatory words (ā, indra, yāhi); keep enumerations evenly paced; svarita falls should be smooth.
Give each number-group its own micro-pause (not a full stop) to preserve the crescendo.
(dvābhyām): cluster ‘dv’ clean; long ā, (caturbhiḥ): clear ‘bh’ aspiration, (ṣaḍbhiḥ): retroflex ṣ; final ḍ before bh, (āṣṭābhiḥ): retroflex ṣṭ, (daśabhiḥ): ś as palatal, (mṛdhas): vocalic ṛ; soft visarga
Crescendoing call, then softened protective tone in the last phrase.
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