Rig Veda 8.14.11: Mandala 8, Sukta 14, Mantra 11
Sukta 8.14
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Anuṣṭubh-like shorter meter in this opening
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
त्वं हि स्तोमवर्धन इन्द्रास्युक्थवर्धनः । स्तोतॄणामुत भद्रकृत् ॥
tváṃ hí stóma-várdhana índrā́sy ukthá-várdhanaḥ | stotṝṇā́m utá bhadrá-kṛt ||
इंद्र, तुम ही हो जो स्तोत्र को बड़ा करता है। तुम गाने और बोलने की ताकत को बढ़ा देता है। जो लोग तुम्हे गाते हैं, उनके लिए तुम अच्छा करता है और उनका भला करता है।
Word by Word
- त्वम्
- thou (you)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root हि (निपात)
- स्तोम-वर्धनः
- increaser of the hymn of praiseAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्तोम (स्तु- ‘to praise’ से) + वर्धन (√वृध् ‘to increase’)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- thou artVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)
- उक्थ-वर्धनः
- increaser of the recited praise (uktha)Adjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root उक्थ (√वच् ‘to speak’ से; ‘recited praise’) + वर्धन (√वृध्)
- स्तोतॄणाम्
- of the praisersNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)Root स्तोतृ (√स्तु ‘to praise’ + तृच्)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- भद्र-कृत्
- doer/maker of good (benefactor)Noun/Adjective (agent compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (त्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root भद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (√कृ ‘to do/make’ से; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: त्वम् | हि | स्तोम-वर्धनः | इन्द्र | असि | उक्थ-वर्धनः | स्तोतॄणाम् | उत | भद्र-कृत् । सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) इन्द्रासि = इन्द्र + असि (अ + अ → आ)
- (2) स्तोतॄणामुत = स्तोतॄणाम् + उत (म् + उ → म् उ; पदसंयोगे अनुस्वार/मकार-परिग्रहः)
- (3) समासाः: स्तोमवर्धनः, उक्थवर्धनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास ‘स्तोमस्य/उक्थस्य वर्धनः’), भद्रकृत् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘भद्रं करोति’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra increases the hymn (stoma) and increases the inspired utterance (uktha); for the singers he becomes the doer of good (bhadrakṛt).
Inner meaning
Indra, the illumined Mind, amplifies both aspiration (stoma) and revelation-speech (uktha). When the seeker offers sincere mantra-force, Indra enlarges it into a greater power of expression and realization; he also becomes bhadrakṛt—he shapes the ‘fortunate rightness’ in life, aligning actions and circumstances with the inner truth.
Universal truth
True progress is not self-generated will alone: when consciousness turns upward with sincerity, a higher intelligence increases both understanding and effective expression, and reorganizes life toward the good.
Themes
speech-power, auspiciousness, Indra-support-of-chant
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.14.1-15, Rig Veda 8.6 (Indra as giver of inspired speech themes)
Family tradition
Kāṇva praise-poetry often emphasizes Indra’s reciprocal response: the hymn grows by Indra’s power; speech becomes inspired (uktha).
Significance
The seer highlights a key yogic law: the Divine increases the very instruments (aspiration and speech) by which we approach it—grace acting through effort.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Stomavardhana, Ukthavardhana, Maghavan, Śatakratu (of a hundred powers/works)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (mantric power), Agni (will in sacrifice)
Cosmic role
Strengthens the mantric and mental forces that uphold ṛta; grants victorious intelligence and beneficence to the community of sacrificers.
Inner power
Illumination that augments aspiration and transforms speech into direct seeing; practical beneficence that reorganizes life.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra praising his support of uktha/stoma in Soma rites
त्वं हि स्तो॑म॒वर्ध॑न॒ इन्द्रास्यु॑क्थ॒वर्ध॑नः । स्तो॒तॄ॒णामु॒त भ॑द्र॒कृत् ॥
त्वम् । हि । स्तो॒म॒ऽवर्ध॑नः । इन्द्र॑ । असि॑ । उ॒क्थ॒ऽवर्ध॑नः । स्तो॒तॄ॒णाम् । उ॒त । भ॒द्र॒ऽकृत् ॥
tvam | hi | stoma-vardhanaḥ | indra | asi | uktha-vardhanaḥ | stotṝṇām | uta | bhadra-kṛt
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4 × ~11
Firm, declarative, ‘increasing’ cadence—balanced and authoritative.
Stabilizes confidence; supports clear articulation and inner affirmation.
- स्तोमवर्धन (stoma-vardhana)
- Literal: increaser of the hymn. Symbolic: power that magnifies aspiration into effective spiritual force
- उक्थवर्धन (uktha-vardhana)
- Literal: increaser of the inspired word. Symbolic: enhances revelation, intuition, and mantric speech
- स्तोतॄणाम् (stotṝṇām)
- Literal: of the singers/praisers. Symbolic: of practitioners who form and offer aspiration
- भद्रकृत् (bhadra-kṛt)
- Literal: doer/maker of the good. Symbolic: establisher of auspicious rightness; harmonizer of life-movements under truth
Meta-liturgical self-reflexive verse: asserts Indra as enhancer of stoma/uktha; used to intensify recitation efficacy and to request auspicious result (bhadra) for the chanters.
When strengthening the efficacy of praise and inviting Indra’s boon
Recitation to ‘increase’ the hymn and secure auspicious results for the singers
Before study, teaching, or mantra-japa: invoke Indra to increase clarity, expression, and beneficent outcomes.
vardhana- from √vṛdh 'grow/increase'. stoma- from √stu 'praise'. uktha- from √vac/√ukṣ? (uktha as 'solemn recitation' is traditional; associated with inspired utterance). bhadra- 'auspicious, good' (possibly from √bhad 'be fortunate' in later analysis; semantically 'fortunate/pleasant'). kṛt from √kṛ 'do/make' (PIE *kwer- 'make/do').
mantra as formative power, divine cooperation in speech and realization
‘Bhadrakṛt’ implies alignment of life with ṛta—good as right arrangement, not mere pleasantness.
Uktha increased becomes satya-vāc: speech that carries truth-force.
Growth (vardhana) as a cosmic process: consciousness expands by higher reinforcement.
Vedic psychology of Vāc and Kratu (Aurobindo: mantra as power of consciousness).
No dominant nature-image; emphasis is on inner faculties—aspiration (stoma) and inspired speech (uktha) as living powers.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the augmenter of sacred speech: he increases hymn and inspired utterance and returns good to the singers. Innerly, the luminous power enlarges the capacity of expression and makes it effective for transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The compound style (stoma-vardhana, uktha-vardhana, bhadra-kṛt) is characteristic of early Indo-European poetic diction: dense nominal compounding to encode functions/epithets. √kṛ 'make' is a central PIE verb (*kwer-), here used to express divine agency in producing 'the good'.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi depends on Indra to amplify the very instruments of approach (stoma/uktha). The exchange is explicit: the singers offer speech; Indra increases its power and reciprocates with bhadra—an auspicious right ordering of their being.
Offer a short inner hymn; feel it being ‘increased’ into a wider force; rest in beneficent clarity.
Vishuddha (speech/uktha) and Ajna (illumined mind)
4-4 breathing: inhale on ‘tvaṃ hi stomavardhana…’, exhale on ‘…stotṝṇām uta bhadrakṛt’.
Clear, ordered, quietly empowered.
Use as a mantra for right speech: chant before important communication; hold the intention that speech becomes truth-bearing and life-benefiting.
Maintain steady udātta on key compounds ‘stomavardhana’ and ‘ukthavardhana’; keep even cadence for declarative force.
Do not rush compounds; articulate vardhana clearly (var-dha-na).
tvaṃ: nasalized ‘tvam’, stomavardhanaḥ: sto-ma-var-dha-naḥ, indrāsy: in-drā-a-si (avoid swallowing ā-a), ukthavardhanaḥ: uk-tha-var-dha-naḥ (clear aspirate th), bhadrakṛt: bha-dra-kṛt (retroflex ṛ)
Steady, clear, slightly solemn.
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