Rig Veda 8.17.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 17, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.17
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ नो याहि सुतावतोऽस्माकं सुष्टुतीरुप । पिबा सु शिप्रिन्नन्धसः ॥
ā no yāhi sutāvato ’smākaṃ suṣṭutīr upa | pibā su śiprin andhasaḥ ||
इंद्र, हमारे पास आओ, सोम जूस तैयार है। हमारी पूजा अच्छी तरह से की है, सब सही है। तुम इस जूस को पूरा पियो। तुम्हारी ताकत बढ़ जाएगी।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, towards (here)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (directional particle)Root आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचन; enclitic form ‘नः’ = gen./dat. pl.Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- याहि
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot या (गत्यर्थ धातु)
- सुतावतः
- of the soma-presser / of the one with pressed somaAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सुत-वत् (prātipadika: ‘having soma pressed’)
- अस्माकम्
- ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनRoot अस्मद् (pronoun)
- सुष्टुतीः
- good praises, fine hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot सु-ष्टुति (prātipadika)
- उप
- near, up toIndeclinableनिपात/उपसर्ग (approach)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot पा (पाने धातु)
- सु
- well, indeedIndeclinableनिपात (intensifier/approving particle)Root सु (निपात)
- शिप्रिन्
- O Shiprín (epithet: ‘having cheek-jaws/whiskers’; addressed deity)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot शिप्रिन् (prātipadika)
- अन्धसः
- of the soma-juice, of the draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अन्धस् (prātipadika)
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi: (1) सुतावतः + अस्माकम् → सुतावतोऽस्माकम् (अः + अ → ‘ओ’ with avagraha)
- (2) सुष्टुतीः + उप → सुष्टुतीरुप (ईः + उ → ईरु, i.e., visarga replaced by र् before vowel)
- Accent marks in the pada-text are retained in the source but not re-applied per-word here
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come to us who have the pressed Soma; come near our well-formed praises. Drink well, O Śiprin, of the Soma-essence.
Inner meaning
The being that has ‘pressed Soma’ has extracted a subtle joy from life and practice; it invites Indra to that prepared state and to the ‘well-shaped hymns’—rightly formed inner affirmations and mantras. Śiprin (mighty-jawed) suggests the power that can seize, break, and chew through resistance; Indra is asked to drink ‘andhas’—the Soma’s essential sap—so that illumination becomes forceful and effective in the embodied nature, awakening delight as strength.
Universal truth
When aspiration is well-formed and supported by genuine inner joy, higher intelligence not only brings clarity but also the power to bite through obstacles and establish a strong, glad movement in life.
Themes
Indra-invocation, Soma-ritual, Mantric formation (stuti), Empowerment through delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.17.1-3 (same sequence)
Family tradition
Likely within the Kāṇva milieu of Indra-Soma invocations
Significance
Even without a named seer, the verse embodies the rishi-function: shaping praise (suṣṭuti) and preparing Soma (inner joy) to call down a powerful, obstacle-breaking illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śiprin (mighty-jawed), Somapā (Soma-drinker)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts (supporting forces of dynamism)
Cosmic role
Empowered by Soma, Indra destroys resistance and releases the luminous plenitudes; he responds to well-formed praise and offerings.
Inner power
Decisive luminous force that ‘bites through’ inertia, fear, and obscurity; assimilates ananda and converts it into victorious action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra (general)
आ नो॑ याहि सु॒ताव॑तो॒ऽस्माकं॑ सुष्टु॒तीरुप॑ । पिबा॒ सु शि॑प्रि॒न्नन्ध॑सः ॥
आ । नः॒ । या॒हि॒ । सु॒तऽव॑तः । अ॒स्माक॑म् । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तीः । उप॑ । पिब॑ । सु । शि॒प्रि॒न् । अन्ध॑सः ॥
ā | naḥ | yāhi | suta-vataḥ | asmākam | su-stutīḥ | upa | piba | su | śiprin | andhasaḥ
Not determined from provided data.
Direct, intimate imperative (‘come… come near… drink’), giving urgency and closeness.
Invokes nearness and power; energizes the practitioner while keeping devotion central.
- सुतावतः (sutāvataḥ)
- Literal: those who have the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: practitioners with distilled inner joy available as support
- सुष्टुतीः (suṣṭutīḥ)
- Literal: well-praised, well-formed hymns. Symbolic: right formulations—mantras/affirmations shaped in truth and beauty
- शिप्रिन् (śiprin)
- Literal: mighty-jawed. Symbolic: force of illumination that can seize and break resistance decisively
- अन्धसः (andhasaḥ)
- Literal: Soma-juice, essence. Symbolic: the concentrated sap of bliss-consciousness (ananda-essence) that empowers transformation
- पिबा सु (pibā su)
- Literal: drink well/deeply. Symbolic: full assimilation of ananda by the illumined Mind so it can act strongly
Soma offering/invitation (general Soma-yajña context; Indra’s soma-drinking as empowerment of victorious force)
During Soma pressing when inviting Indra to approach the hymns and drink the essence.
Invitation, praise-recitation, offering Soma-essence.
Use when energy is low or resistance is strong: chant to call decisive clarity and a deeper taste of inner joy.
yāhi: √yā ‘go, move’ (2sg imp.); piba: √pā ‘drink’ (2sg imp.). su-stutīḥ: su- ‘well’ + stuti- from √stu ‘praise, set forth’; in inner sense, right-formulated mantra-affirmations. andhas-: ‘juice, soma’; semantic field of sap/essence. śiprin: epithet traditionally ‘with strong jaws’; psychologically, capacity to seize, digest, and transform resistance.
Rita (right order through right hymn and right offering), Ananda (delight as soma-essence assimilated by the divine power)
Suṣṭuti (rightly shaped hymn) expresses ṛta in speech; Soma-pressing expresses ṛta in force—together they invite effective divine action.
Well-formed praise implies truth in expression, not flattery—speech aligned with inner experience.
Essence (andhas) as concentrated creative sap; when taken by Indra, it becomes world-changing force in the field of life.
Integral psychological reading: ananda as fuel for transformative illumination.
Drinking essence = absorbing concentrated bliss; mighty jaw = decisive power over resistance; well-formed hymn = ordered vibration shaping consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indra-Soma complex: Indra is invited to drink Soma so his victorious force may act. Mythically, Soma-drinking precedes Indra’s overcoming of obstructing powers; psychologically, the divine will-force is summoned to assimilate delight-essence and intensify effective action against inertia/ignorance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yā ‘go’ aligns with PIE *h₁ey- ‘to go’ (cf. Sanskrit yāti). √pā ‘drink’ aligns with PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’ (cf. Latin pōtus ‘drunk’, English ‘potable’ via Romance). The imperative forms (yāhi, piba) preserve archaic Indo-European injunctive/imperative-style direct address typical of early hymn diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity of offering and descent: the seer offers ‘su-stutīḥ’ (rightly-shaped speech) and Soma-essence; Indra is asked to come near and drink—i.e., to take up residence in the rite/psyche and return strength, victory, and ordered power (Rita) to the aspirant community.
Call the decisive illumined Mind to approach your best inner affirmations and drink the concentrated joy you have distilled; then face resistance with luminous strength.
maṇipūra (force to overcome) supported by anāhata (joy/devotion)
3-part practice: (1) a few deeper breaths to ‘approach’ (upa), (2) slow japa on exhale, (3) brief silent pause after each repetition to ‘drink’ and feel assimilation.
Nearness + power: devotional intimacy with strong clarity.
Prepare one ‘well-shaped praise’ (a clear inner truth you can stand by). Chant the mantra, then immediately apply it: confront one specific resistance with calm force, sustained by a subtle sweetness.
Not provided; use a Rigvedic svara edition for exact udatta/anudatta/svarita placement.
Two clear invitations (‘ā no yāhi…’, ‘…upā’) then a stronger command ‘pibā su’; emphasize ‘śiprin’ distinctly.
(sutāvataḥ): keep ‘taḥ’ crisp with visarga, (asmākaṃ): long ā, (suṣṭutīḥ): retroflex ṣṭ; long īḥ at end, (śiprin): short i; retroflex ṇ at end, (andhasaḥ): ‘ndh’ cluster; final aḥ with light visarga
Invocatory, strong, slightly more forceful on ‘pibā su’; finish with steady resonance.
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