Rig Veda 8.100.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 100, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.100
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Indra-Viṣṇu / Ṛta-leading powers
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आ यन्मा वेना अरुहन्नृतस्यँ एकमासीनं हर्यतस्य पृष्ठे । मनश्चिन्मे हृद आ प्रत्यवोचदचिक्रदञ्छिशुमन्तः सखायः ॥
ā yan mā venā́ arúhann ṛtásyaṃ ékam āsī́naṃ haryatásya pṛṣṭhé | mánaś cin me hṛdá ā práty avocad ácikradan śiśú-mantaḥ sakhā́yaḥ ||
जब सच्चाई ढूँढ़ने वाले लोग मुझे उठा कर ले गए, मैं उस एक की पीठ पर बैठा था जो चमक रहा था, तब मेरा मन भी दिल में हाँ बोलने लगा। मेरे साथी जैसे बच्चों जैसे खुश हो गए और सब मिलकर चिल्लाने लगे।
Word by Word
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root आ (upasarga)
- यत्
- when/thatIndeclinablerelative pronoun (neut. nom./acc. sg.) used adverbiallyRoot यद्
- मा
- mePronoun1st pers. acc. sg. encliticRole KarmaRoot अहम् (enclitic)
- वेनाः
- the Venās (inspired seers/poetic spirits; a class of inspired beings)Nounmasc. nom. pl.Role KartāRoot वेन (प्रातिपदिक) / वेन-
- अरुहन्
- (they) mounted/ascendedVerbaorist (injunctive) 3rd pl. parasmaipadaRoot रुह्
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/truth)Nounneut. gen. sg.Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- एकम्
- one, singleAdjectivemasc. acc. sg. (agreeing with आसिनम्)Role KarmaRoot एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- आसीनम्
- sittingParticiplepresent participle (from √आस् ‘sit’), masc. acc. sg.Role KarmaRoot आस् (धातु) → आसीन (कृदन्त)
- हर्यतस्य
- of the golden/greenish (one); of the desirable oneAdjectivemasc. gen. sg.Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot हर्यत (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृष्ठे
- on the back, upon the ridgeNounneut. loc. sg.Role AdhikaraṇaRoot पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनः
- mindNounneut. nom. sg.Role KartāRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्
- indeed, evenIndeclinableemphatic particleRoot चित् (particle)
- मे
- myPronoun1st pers. gen./dat. sg. enclitic (here gen.)Role Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot अहम् (enclitic)
- हृदः
- from (the) heartNounneut. abl. sg. (Vedic: also from stem hṛd-)Role ApādānaRoot हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- forth, towardsIndeclinableupasarga (preverb) with प्रत्यवोचत्Root आ (upasarga)
- प्रति
- back, in return, towardsIndeclinablepreverb/indeclinableRoot प्रति (upasarga/avyaya)
- अवोचत्
- spoke, utteredVerbaorist 3rd sg. parasmaipada (with preverbs ā+prati)Root वच्
- अचिक्रदत्
- cried out, screamedVerbimperfect 3rd sg. parasmaipada (reduplicated intensive/iterative nuance in Vedic spelling)Root क्रन्द्
- शिशुमन्तः
- having a child/young one; childlike; with a babeAdjectivemasc. nom. pl.Role KartāRoot शिशुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सखायः
- companions, friendsNounmasc. nom. pl.Role KartāRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi resolved as: यन्मा → यत् + मा
- वे॒ना अरु॑हन् → वेनाः + अरुहन् (visarga before vowel)
- एक॒मासी॑नम् → एकम् + आसीनम्
- मन॑श्चिन् → मनः + चित्
- हृ॒द आ → हृदः + आ (abl. sg. before vowel)
- आ प्रत्य॑वोचद् → आ + प्रति + अवोचत्
- अचि॑क्रद॒ञ्छिशु॑मन्तः → अचिक्रदत् + शिशुमन्तः (final -t before ś-). Accents retained as in Saṃhitā but not re-marked per pada here
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the venāḥ (seekers/visionaries) lifted me up toward Ṛta, me seated in the One on the radiant’s back, then my mind in the heart responded; and the comrades, full of childlike delight, cried out.
Inner meaning
The ‘venāḥ’ are inner faculties of vision—intuitions and aspiring energies—that raise the consciousness from divided mentality to ṛta. ‘Seated in the One’ signals entry into unity-consciousness; ‘on the radiant’s back’ suggests being carried by a luminous power (Indra’s bright force or a solar/harit radiance). The heart-mind gives assent (a crucial inner consent), and the companions (supporting powers in the being) rejoice with a ‘new-born’ (śiśu) delight—fresh Soma-like ananda arising with the ascent.
Universal truth
Spiritual ascent occurs when aspiration and insight lift us into a higher order of truth; the turning point is inner consent. When the heart agrees, the whole nature rejoices as if newly born.
Themes
inner ascent, intuition and inspired speech, unity-consciousness, companionship of inner powers
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (probable within RV 8.100); specific rishi uncertain
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.100 (context hymn), RV 8.2 (Kāṇva Indra hymns), RV 8.48 (Kāṇva Soma experience)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often portray inner ascent powered by Soma/Indra and a collective of aiding forces (sakhāyaḥ).
Significance
A classic Vedic image of ‘lifted’ consciousness: the seer is raised into unity and truth by vision-powers; the heart’s assent births delight.
The deity
- Devata
- Ṛta-leading luminous Power (Indra-Viṣṇu background possible); emphasis on Ṛta and the One
- Epithets
- Haryata (radiant/pleasant), Ekam (the One)
- Related deities
- Indra (illumined mind-force), Viṣṇu (wide strides into higher worlds), Sūrya/Savitr (radiant ascent), Soma (delight of realization)
Cosmic role
Uplifts the seeker into truth-order and unity; carries consciousness beyond division.
Inner power
Luminous support (prabhā/tejas) that enables ascent; harmonizing force that makes mind and heart consent together.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing praise; experiential ‘ascent’ verse within Indra-related liturgy
आ यन्मा॑ वे॒ना अरु॑हन्नृ॒तस्यँ॒ एक॒मासी॑नं हर्य॒तस्य॑ पृ॒ष्ठे । मन॑श्चिन्मे हृ॒द आ प्रत्य॑वोच॒दचि॑क्रद॒ञ्छिशु॑मन्त॒: सखा॑यः ॥
आ । यत् । मा॒ । वे॒नाः । अरु॑हन् । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । एक॑म् । आसी॑नम् । ह॒र्य॒तस्य॑ । पृ॒ष्ठे । मनः॑ । चि॒त् । मे॒ । हृ॒दे । आ । प्रति॑ । अ॒वो॒च॒त् । अचि॑क्रदन् । शिशु॑ऽमन्तः । सखा॑यः ॥
ā | yat | mā | venāḥ | aruhan | ṛtasya | ekam | āsīnam | haryatasya | pṛṣṭhe | manaḥ | cit | me | hṛde | ā | prati | avocat | acikradan | śiśu-mantaḥ | sakhāyaḥ
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4 × ~11 syllables; internal caesura supports narrative ascent
Rising movement with a clear turn at mid-verse (heart’s assent) and a celebratory close (companions’ cry).
Induces an upward pull and then a warm opening in the chest; ends in collective joy.
- venāḥ (वेनाः)
- Literal: seekers, desirers; those who ‘see’. Symbolic: intuitive faculties/aspirations that perceive and pursue truth
- aruhann (अरुहन्)
- Literal: they climbed/lifted up. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness from lower to higher planes
- ṛtasya (ऋतस्य)
- Literal: of Ṛta. Symbolic: truth-law; right arrangement of consciousness
- ekam (एकम्)
- Literal: the One. Symbolic: unity-consciousness, the indivisible ground
- haryatasya pṛṣṭhe (हर्यतस्य पृष्ठे)
- Literal: on the back of the radiant/greenish-golden one. Symbolic: supported by luminous force (Indra’s radiance / solar power carrying the seeker)
- manaḥ…hṛd (मनः…हृद्)
- Literal: mind…heart. Symbolic: mental instrument consenting within the psychic center
- śiśumantaḥ (शिशुमन्तः)
- Literal: having a child; childlike. Symbolic: new-born joy and freshness of consciousness
- sakhāyaḥ (सखायः)
- Literal: companions, comrades. Symbolic: supporting inner powers—prāṇic, mental, intuitive allies harmonized in the ascent
Likely Soma-pressing praise context (savana); used as a stotra-like affirmation of ascent and inspired speech (general Soma ritual milieu).
During savana recitations where ascent/ṛta themes are invoked
Recitation accompanying Soma offering and invocation of uplifting powers
Use before meditation as an ‘inner ascent’ invocation: asking intuitive faculties to lift awareness into unity and truth.
Key terms: venāḥ < √ven ‘to desire, seek, love’ → ‘seekers of vision/longing’; aruhan < √ruh ‘rise, mount’ (aorist) → inner ascent; ṛtasya < ṛta (from √ṛ ‘to fit, to go rightly’) → truth-order as dynamic law; āsīnam < √ās ‘sit’ → established poise; haryatasya (adj.) ‘delightful, radiant’ related to hari- ‘golden, luminous’; hṛd- ‘heart’ as inner seat; avocat < √vac ‘speak’ (aorist) indicates inner response; śiśu-mant- ‘endowed with childlike freshness’ marking a rebirth of consciousness; sakhāyaḥ ‘companions’ from sakhā ‘friend’ (shared movement).
Ṛta (truth-order), Ekam (the One), inner speech arising from the heart (vāc-inward)
Central: ascent is explicitly ‘toward ṛta’.
Satya as the stable realization of the One that the heart-mind confirms.
New birth (śiśu) of delight and a renewed collective harmony in the being.
Bridges Vedic mysticism with Upanishadic unity (Ekam) and yogic ascent.
dawn (implied by awakening/renewal imagery)
Ascent = rising of consciousness; radiance = illumined mind; dawn-like renewal = emergence of fresh ananda.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘ascent to ṛta’ mythologem: the seeker is raised by the venāḥ (powers of longing/vision) to a seat in the One, supported by a radiant carrier. This is not a physical ride but the classic Vedic movement from divided mind toward truth-order and unity, culminating in a surge of collective exultation (the sakhāyaḥ crying out).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac ‘speak’ (avocat) continues PIE *wekw- ‘to speak’ (cf. Lat. vox, Eng. voice via Germanic developments); √hṛd (hṛd/hṛdaya) aligns with PIE *ḱerd- ‘heart’ (cf. Gk. kardia, Lat. cor). √ruh ‘rise’ parallels Indo-European ascent verbs (semantic field of rising/climbing). The abstract ṛta (truth-order) represents an Indo-Iranian development (Avestan aša) from the notion of ‘rightly fitted/ordered’ action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer is not bargaining for outer goods; the relationship is pedagogical and transformational. The devatā-powers (as venāḥ and the luminous support) elevate the human being into ṛta; in reciprocity, the human instrument (mind-in-heart) ‘answers’—i.e., consents and becomes capable of inspired utterance. The ‘companions’ signify allied faculties or assisting powers that rejoice when the ascent stabilizes in unity.
Allow inner ‘venāḥ’ (aspiration + intuition) to lift attention into a unified field; then wait for the heart’s clear yes.
Anāhata (heart assent) and Sahasrāra (Ekam/unity)
Inhale: feel rising up the spine; pause gently at the crown; exhale: let the heart ‘answer back’ with calm consent.
Uplifted unity with quiet joy (ananda emerging).
Chant 6–12 times; after chanting, place attention in the heart and ask for a simple inner ‘yes’ to truth; notice any childlike freshness that follows.
Maintain Vedic accent if known; otherwise keep a gentle upward stress on key udatta syllables; do not sing in rāga style.
Lean on: venāḥ, aruhann, ṛtasya, ekam, hṛda, sakhāyaḥ; slight pause after each pāda.
venāḥ: long ē; final visarga soft, ṛtasyam̐: nasalization indicated by ‘m̐’—light anusvāra, śiśumantaḥ: pronounce both śi clearly; retroflex ṭ in -ntaḥ is dental ‘t’ here (nta)
Uplifting, clear, slightly bright tone.
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