Rig Veda 8.17.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 17, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.17
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ त्वा ब्रह्मयुजा हरी वहतामिन्द्र केशिना । उप ब्रह्माणि नः शृणु ॥
ā́ tvā brahma-yújā hárī vahatām indra keśínā | úpa brahmā́ṇi naḥ śṛṇu ||
इंद्र, तुम्हारे दो घोड़े हैं, वो तुम्हे यहाँ लाएँ। ब्राह्मण लोग उन्हे जोड़ा है। तुम्हारे बाल लंबे हैं, चमक रहे हो। हमारे पास आओ और हमारे मंत्र सुनो।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional: ‘towards, hither’)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- त्वा
- you (thee)Pronounद्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (enclitic acc. sg.)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्मयुजा
- yoked with/for sacred prayer (brahman)Adjectiveबहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (here agreeing with ‘हरी’ as m. du. nom.: ब्रह्मयुजा = ‘yoked with/for brahman (sacred formulation)’; Vedic allows stem-form used adjectivally)Root ब्रह्मन् + युज् (समास; प्रातिपदिक)
- हरी
- the two tawny steeds (Indra’s horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- वहताम्
- let (them) carry/bringVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot वह् (धातु)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (addressed recipient) / VocativeRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- केशिना
- O long-/hairy-maned oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (adj. to इन्द्र)Root केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near; towardsIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्ग (near, towards; here ‘attend to’)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ब्रह्माणि
- sacred formulations; prayersNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us; of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक बहुवचन-रूप (gen./dat. pl. ‘of us/to us’)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary) / PossessorRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शृणु
- hear; listenVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot श्रु (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (resolved): आ | त्वा | ब्रह्मयुजा | हरी | वहताम् | इन्द्र | केशिना | उप | ब्रह्माणि | नः | शृणु । Sandhi: (1) ‘वहतामिन्द्र’ = वहताम् + इन्द्र (म् + इ → मि; anusvāra written as म् before vowel in saṃhitā). (2) ‘इन्द्र केशिना’ is simple juxtaposition (vocatives).
- accents in saṃhitā: त्वा॑, ब्रह्म॒युजा॒, हरी॒, वह॑ताम्, के॒शिना॑, उप॒, ब्रह्मा॑णि
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let the two tawny steeds, yoked by the brahman, bring you here, O Indra of flowing mane. Come near; hear our mantras.
Inner meaning
The ‘two tawny steeds’ (harī) are the paired dynamic energies that carry illumination—commonly read as the dual powers of thought-force and life-force (or understanding and execution) harnessed by brahman: the inspired word/true formulation. When the mantra-consciousness yokes the energies rightly, Indra’s light arrives swiftly. ‘Come near’ indicates intimacy of inner contact; ‘hear our brahmāṇi’ is the demand that the higher Mind respond to the true vibration of aspiration.
Universal truth
Higher realization is not reached by raw effort alone; energies must be yoked by right knowledge and right word (true intention and formulation). Then illumination draws near and becomes responsive.
Themes
invocation, mantra-yoking, Indra-steeds, hearing-the-hymn
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (Kāṇva tradition)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.17.1-4
Family tradition
Kāṇvas are renowned for mantric craft: brahman as a yoking power that organizes energies and compels the descent of the gods.
Significance
The rishi stands as ‘mantra-yoktr̥’: one who harnesses the life and mind forces through true speech so that illumination becomes a near and living presence.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Keśin (flowing-maned), Somapā (Soma-drinker)
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (lord of brahman), Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Rider of the tawny steeds; responder to brahman; brings victorious light and force into the human field.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence arriving on harnessed energies—turning aspiration and mantra into effective transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invitation with chariot/steeds motif in Soma setting (general)
आ त्वा॑ ब्रह्म॒युजा॒ हरी॒ वह॑तामिन्द्र के॒शिना॑ । उप॒ ब्रह्मा॑णि नः शृणु ॥
आ । त्वा॒ । ब्र॒ह्म॒ऽयुजा॑ । हरी॒ इति॑ । वह॑ताम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । के॒शिना॑ । उप॑ । ब्रह्मा॑णि । नः॒ । शृ॒णु॒ ॥
ā | tvā | brahma-yujā | harī iti | vahatām | indra | keśinā | upa | brahmāṇi | naḥ | śṛṇu
Not determined from provided data.
Energetic and kinetic; imagery of swift transport gives a forward surge.
Stimulates prāṇic uplift and focused invocation; good for overcoming inertia before practice.
- ब्रह्मयुजा (brahma-yujā)
- Literal: yoked by brahman (sacred word). Symbolic: energies disciplined and directed by inspired knowledge/mantric truth
- हरी (harī)
- Literal: two tawny steeds. Symbolic: twin dynamic forces that carry the divine Mind—swift powers of effective movement
- केशिना (keśinā)
- Literal: with flowing mane. Symbolic: abundant, streaming rays of illumination; unbound luminous energy
- ब्रह्माणि (brahmāṇi)
- Literal: sacred utterances/hymns. Symbolic: formulations of truth that open channels between human and divine consciousness
- शृणु (śṛṇu)
- Literal: hear. Symbolic: the divine response—inner hearing, sanction, and guidance
Āvāhana with chariot imagery: the mantra ‘yokes’ Indra’s steeds; request that Indra hear the brahmāṇi during Soma offering.
During the call for Indra’s arrival prior to Soma offering and recitation.
Yoking (symbolic) and inviting; reciting brahman; requesting divine hearing/response.
Use as a mantra for ‘harnessing energies’: before study, creative work, or meditation—align speech/intention, then mobilize life-force.
yuj from √yuj ‘yoke’ (PIE *yeug- ‘yoke’); vah from √vah ‘carry’ (PIE *weǵʰ- ‘convey’ often compared); √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, fame’); keśin ‘hairy/maned’ from keśa ‘hair’ (lexical). brahman again from √bṛh ‘expand’.
mantra as yoking power (brahma-yuj), hearing as receptivity of higher consciousness
Right yoking by brahman is alignment with ṛta—energies move in the true order and therefore carry the godhead.
Brahmāṇi as truth-formulations; when speech is satya, the higher Mind ‘hears’.
Word (brahman) as formative power that organizes force and brings down higher consciousness into manifestation.
Mantra-śakti oriented Vedic psychology (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): speech as conscious power.
Steeds = mobilized prāṇa and thought-speed; mane = streaming light; yoking = disciplined integration; hearing = inner guidance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘divine chariot drawn by steeds’ mythologem: Indra’s arrival is mediated by harī, here explicitly ‘yoked by brahman’—innerly, mantra harnesses and directs life-forces to bring the illumined power near.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- brahma-yujā contains √yuj (PIE *yeug-) a clear Indo-European inheritance. √śru (PIE *ḱlew-) connects hearing with fame/renown across Indo-European poetics. The dual forms (harī, vahatām) preserve archaic grammatical number.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘yokes’ Indra through brahman: the Word is the means of contact. Indra is asked to ‘hear’—i.e., to consent and become active within the rite and the inner field of the chanter.
Harness the ‘two steeds’: unify mind-force and life-force under a single mantric intention; invite illumined guidance to ‘hear’ and respond.
maṇipūra (mobilized force) leading upward to ājñā (illumination)
Brisk-energetic japa with slightly stronger exhale on ‘vahatām’ and ‘śṛṇu’ to feel forward movement and then receptivity.
Energized alignment → inward listening.
First purify speech/intention (brahman); then feel prāṇa and thought yoked together; finally rest in attentive listening for the Indra-force (clear directive intuition).
Not provided; apply Rigvedic svara from a reliable svara edition if available.
Let ‘brahma-yujā’ be articulated as a single compound; slight lift on vocative ‘indra’; soften into ‘upa… śṛṇu’ as a listening close.
(brahma-yujā): keep ‘hm’ conjunct; ‘yujā’ with long ā, (harī): long ī, (keśinā): palatal ś; long ā, (brahmāṇi): long ā; retroflex ṇi, (śṛṇu): vocalic ṛ; don’t say ‘shri-nu’
Bright, projecting, then slightly softer on the final ‘śṛṇu’.
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