Rig Veda 8.13.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इयं त इन्द्र गिर्वणो रातिः क्षरति सुन्वतः । मन्दानो अस्य बर्हिषो वि राजसि ॥
iyáṃ ta indra girvaṇo rātíḥ kṣarati sunvatáḥ | mandāná asyá barhíṣo ví rājasi ||
इंद्र, यह हमारी भेंट है जो सोम रस निकालने वाले के लिए बह रही है। गानों से तुम्हारी महिमा गाई जा रही है। तुम खुश हो के यह पवित्र स्थान पर बैठो। वहाँ तुम चमक के सामने आ रहे हो।
Word by Word
- इयम्
- this (f.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्ये ‘रातिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्धेन) / विषय-निर्देशRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to/for youPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘ते’)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (दत्तव्यस्य स्वामि/प्राप्ता) — ‘to/for you’Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिर्वणः
- O praise-delighting / praised oneAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role सम्बोधन (विशेषणम्)Root गिर्वणस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गिर्’ + ‘वणस्’ = स्तुतिभिः प्रियः/स्तुतिवान्)
- रातिः
- gift; givingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (क्षरति इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root राति (प्रातिपदिक; √रा/√दा ‘to give’ से ‘gift, giving’)
- क्षरति
- flows; streamsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √क्षर् (क्षरणे ‘to flow, stream’)
- सुन्वतः
- of the Soma-presserParticiple (present active)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (जनिटिव्) — ‘of the presser’Role अपादान/सम्बन्ध (स्रोतः/उद्गम-सम्बन्धः: ‘from/of the Soma-presser’)Root √सु (सोमसवने ‘to press (Soma)’) → शतृ-प्रत्यय ‘सुन्वत्’
- मन्दानः
- exhilarated; gladdenedParticiple (middle; ‘being exhilarated’)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रः)Role कर्तृ (वि राजसि इत्यस्य कर्ता)Root √मन्द्/√मद् (हर्षे/मदे ‘to be exhilarated’) → मध्यमान/आत्मनेपद-शतृ/शानच् ‘मन्दान’
- अस्य
- of thisPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of this (rite/one)’Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हिषः
- of the sacrificial grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole अधिकारण/सम्बन्ध (वि-राजसि: ‘over/at the barhis’)Root बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sacrificial grass, barhis’)
- वि
- apart; widely; forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (क्रियायाः ‘राजसि’ सह)Role क्रियाविशेषण (विभाग/विशेष-प्रकाशार्थ)Root वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- राजसि
- you shine forth; you ruleVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (वैदिके—स्तुत्यर्थं देवतासम्बोधन-प्रयोगः)Role क्रियाRoot √राज् (दीप्तौ/राज्ये ‘to shine, rule’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इयम् | ते | इन्द्र | गिर्वणः | रातिः | क्षरति | सुन्वतः || मन्दानः | अस्य | बर्हिषः | वि | राजसि । 1) ‘इयं त’ = ‘इयम् ते’ (म् + त् संयोगे अनुस्वार/लोप-प्रवृत्तिः; संहितायां ‘इयं त’ इति)
- 2) ‘इन्द्र गिर्वणो’ = ‘इन्द्र गिर्वणः’ (विसर्गः पदान्ते स्वरव्यञ्जन-संहितायां ‘ओ’ इव श्रूयते/लिख्यते—वैदिक-प्रयोगः)
- 3) ‘बर्हिषो वि’ = ‘बर्हिषः वि’ (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: अः + व् → ओ व् (वैदिक-लिप्यन्तर/संहिता-पाठः))
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra’s gift flows out for the soma-presser; delighted, he shines forth upon the sacred seat/grass of offering.
Inner meaning
When the seeker ‘presses’ (sunvati) the Soma—extracting delight from life and experience—Indra’s giving (rāti) begins to flow as a spontaneous outpouring of light-force. Seated on the inner barhis (the prepared foundation of consciousness), Indra becomes manifest (vi rājasi): illumination stabilizes and radiates.
Universal truth
Genuine aspiration and inner extraction of essence invite a natural descent of help; when the foundation is prepared, higher clarity shines openly and continuously.
Themes
Divine gift, Soma-pressing, Radiance of Indra, Prepared seat (barhis)
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.13.1-8, Rig Veda 8.48 (Soma joy themes; conceptual resonance)
Significance
The seer emphasizes the law of reciprocity: when Soma is ‘pressed’ inwardly, Indra’s radiance naturally manifests on the prepared seat of consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- girvaṇa (praised by song), mandāna (delighted)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Receiver of Soma and giver of victorious powers; makes the luminous order operative in human life.
Inner power
The mind-force that becomes luminous and generous when fed by inner delight; it organizes and radiates from a purified base.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-pressing (savana) praise to Indra.
इ॒यं त॑ इन्द्र गिर्वणो रा॒तिः क्ष॑रति सुन्व॒तः । म॒न्दा॒नो अ॒स्य ब॒र्हिषो॒ वि रा॑जसि ॥
इ॒यम् । ते॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । गि॒र्व॒णः॒ । रा॒तिः । क्ष॒र॒ति॒ । सु॒न्व॒तः । म॒न्दा॒नः । अ॒स्य । ब॒र्हिषः॑ । वि । रा॒ज॒सि॒ ॥
iyam | te | indra | girvaṇaḥ | rātiḥ | kṣarati | sunvataḥ | mandānaḥ | asya | barhiṣaḥ | vi | rājasi
Flowing and luminous; mirrors ‘kṣarati’ (streaming) in cadence.
Encourages receptivity; helps the mind feel ‘seated’ and then brightened from above.
- रातिः (rātiḥ)
- Literal: gift, giving. Symbolic: descent/outpouring of divine support—light, strength, right discernment
- क्षरति (kṣarati)
- Literal: flows, trickles, streams. Symbolic: continuous influx (not a one-time event) of grace and power
- सुन्वतः (sunvataḥ)
- Literal: of the presser (of soma). Symbolic: of the aspirant who extracts bliss/essence through disciplined practice
- मन्दानः (mandānaḥ)
- Literal: delighted, exhilarated. Symbolic: joy of the illumined mind nourished by soma-bliss
- बर्हिषः (barhiṣaḥ)
- Literal: sacrificial grass/seat. Symbolic: prepared inner ground—purified vital-mental field fit for the descent
- वि राजसि (vi rājasi)
- Literal: you shine forth, manifest splendidly. Symbolic: illumination becomes explicit, governing, and widely effective
- गिर्वणः (girvaṇaḥ)
- Literal: praised by songs. Symbolic: power responds to true mantra/word—vibration that calls the deity within
Soma pressing and seating of the on barhis; used to mark the moment of divine arrival and the flowing of gifts in response to pressing.
During pressing/offerings and invocation of Indra to partake and grant boons.
Offer Soma; praise; establish barhis/seat; invite manifestation.
As a meditation cue: ‘prepare the seat’ (posture + calm breath), then invite a steady flow of clarity and generosity in the mind.
girvaṇas- ‘hymn-praised’ (gír ‘song’ + √van ‘to win/like’); rātí- ‘gift’ from √rā ‘give’; kṣarati from √kṣar ‘flow’; sunvat- from √su ‘press Soma’; mandāná from √mand ‘to rejoice, be glad/intoxicated’; barhís- ‘sacrificial grass/seat’ (prepared support). Inner sense: the ‘flowing gift’ parallels Soma flow; as the seeker presses essence, Indra’s rāti streams as spiritual increase, and the god ‘shines forth’ on the prepared inner seat (barhis).
Reciprocity of yajña (offering ↔ gift), Ananda (mandāna as delight), Manifestation (vi- rāj)
Right preparation and right offering produce right manifestation—order as an experiential law.
Indra’s ‘shining forth’ is truth becoming evident in the mental field.
Manifestation (vi-rāj) from a prepared ground—descent of higher light into the human vessel.
Integral psychological symbolism (Soma-Ananda feeding Indra-illumination).
The stream is the continuous inflow of force; the seat is stable posture and purified nature; radiance is awakened intelligence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The flowing rāti (gift) in response to Soma pressing: the mythic reciprocity where the god, delighted, comes to the seat and radiates, releasing streams of power and increase.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √rā ‘give’ participates in an old IE gift-exchange lexicon (though direct PIE reconstruction is complex). √kṣar ‘flow’ is Indo-Iranian; the poetic equation of ‘flow’ with ‘gift’ is a shared IE metaphor of abundance as liquid.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The sacrificer ‘presses’ (sunvat) and prepares the seat (barhis); Indra, delighted, manifests and makes his giving flow. The relationship is explicitly transactional yet inward: preparation and expression of essence evoke radiant presence and spiritual outpouring.
‘Press Soma’ as extracting delight from breath and awareness; let Indra’s gift flow as clear discernment.
viśuddha (mantra/word)
ujjāyī-light or gentle nasal breathing; feel a ‘stream’ on the inhale, radiance on the exhale.
Receptive luminosity (quiet joy + clarity).
Sit as if preparing barhis: align spine, relax belly, steady gaze. Repeat the mantra until you feel a ‘flow’ of support; then remain silent and let the mind shine without effort.
Notated svara unavailable in input; chant with steady rise on key invocatory names and a gentle ‘flowing’ cadence matching kṣarati.
Mark clear pauses at pada ends; give prominence to índra, rātíḥ, kṣárati, sunvataḥ, ví rājasi.
Keep kṣ in kṣarati conjunct clear., Pronounce girvaṇo with retroflex ṇ., barhiṣo: articulate ṣ and avoid turning it into s.
Smooth, resonant, slightly flowing; avoid harsh attack to preserve ‘stream’ quality.
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