Rig Veda 8.24.25: Mandala 8, Sukta 24, Mantra 25
Sukta 8.24
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
तदिन्द्राव आ भर येना दंसिष्ठ कृत्वने । द्विता कुत्साय शिश्नथो नि चोदय ॥
tád indrā́va ā́ bhara yénā daṃsiṣṭha kṛ́tvane | dvitā́ kútsāya śiśnatho ní codaya ||
इंद्र, वो मदद हमारे पास लाओ जिससे तुम बड़े काम कर सकते हो। तुमने कुत्सा को फिर से ताकत दी और दबाव को नीचे गिरा दिया।
Word by Word
- तत्
- that (thing/act)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अवः
- help, aidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भर
- bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √भृ (भृञ्)
- येन
- by whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दंसिष्ठ
- O most wondrous/most skillfulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot दंसिष्ठ (विशेषण; दंस- ‘अद्भुतकर्मन्/कुशल’ इत्यस्य अतिशय)
- कृत्वने
- for (the) doer/workerNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot कृत्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘कर्ता/कर्मकुशल’)
- द्विता
- a second time; againIndeclinableअव्ययRoot द्विता (अव्यय)
- कुत्साय
- for Kuts(a)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot कुत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
- शिश्नथः
- you two strike/crushVerbलट्, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √शिथ्/√श्नथ् (श्नथ् ‘to strike, crush, pierce’)
- नि
- down, forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (नि-)Root नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- चोदय
- impel! urge!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √चुद् (चुद् ‘to impel, urge’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रह): तत् | इन्द्र | अवः | आ | भर | येन | दंसिष्ठ | कृत्वने | द्विता | कुत्साय | शिश्नथः | नि | चोदय । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) तदिन्द्रावः → तत् + इन्द्र + अवः (द् + इ → त्; तत् इन्द्र…; तथा इन्द्र + अवः = इन्द्रावः)
- (2) भ॑र॒ येना॑ → भर + येन (सन्धि-रहित संयोग)
- (3) शिश्नथो॒ नि → शिश्नथः + नि (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ḥ + n → o (RV-पदपाठ-प्रकारेण))
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, bring that help by which you are most powerful for accomplishing the work; with it you again strengthen Kutsa and drive the opposing force downward.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Mind to bring the specific ‘aid’ (avaḥ)—the effective power of right intelligence—that makes accomplishment possible. ‘Kutsa’ becomes the inner warrior-aspirant (or the soul-personality under Indra’s guidance) who is strengthened repeatedly. The hostile pressure is not merely an enemy outside, but the upward-rising resistance (pratipakṣa) of the lower nature; Indra’s force presses it down into its place, removing its claim over the consciousness.
Universal truth
True accomplishment needs a higher aid: clarity plus force. When that aid descends, the inner protagonist is strengthened and opposing pressures lose their leverage.
Themes
prayer for help, victory over opposition, hero-aid (Kutsa), effective power
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.24.24–28 (unit addressing Indra; Kutsa appears as a heroic figure in multiple Indra hymns), RV 1.53 (Indra-Kutsa motifs occur elsewhere in Indra lore)
Significance
The verse speaks in the voice of collective aspiration: calling for the effective help that turns effort into accomplishment—central to the Aurobindonian reading of ‘yajña’ as inner work.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Daṃsiṣṭha (most capable), Helper/Protector (avaḥ-bringer), Down-driver of opposition (ni-codaya)
- Related deities
- Agni (will that executes), Soma (bliss that sustains), Maruts (energies that support Indra)
Cosmic role
Giver of victorious power for works; champion who restores the Aryan advance by subduing hostile forces.
Inner power
Pragmatic illumination—knowledge that acts; force of accomplishment (siddhi-śakti) in the mental being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation for success in the rite and victory over obstacles; can accompany offerings in Soma ritual sequences.
तदि॒न्द्राव॒ आ भ॑र॒ येना॑ दंसिष्ठ॒ कृत्व॑ने । द्वि॒ता कुत्सा॑य शिश्नथो॒ नि चो॑दय ॥
तत् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । अवः॑ । आ । भ॒र॒ । येन॑ । दं॒सि॒ष्ठ॒ । कृत्व॑ने । द्वि॒ता । कुत्सा॑य । शि॒श्न॒थः॒ । नि । चो॒द॒य॒ ॥
tat | indra | avaḥ | ā | bhara | yena | daṃsiṣṭha | kṛtvane | dvitā | kutsāya | śiśnathaḥ | ni | codaya
Likely Triṣṭubh (common in RV 8th maṇḍala Indra verses)
44
4 × ~11
Commanding, petitionary rhythm—invocation followed by decisive action.
Energizes resolve; supports a sense of ‘aid descending’ and resistance being pressed down.
- अवः (avaḥ)
- Literal: help, aid, protection. Symbolic: descending grace/power of the higher consciousness that makes the work effective
- दंसिष्ठ (daṃsiṣṭha)
- Literal: most wondrous/capable. Symbolic: the most effective power of illumination—competence of the divine Mind
- कृत्वने (kṛtvane)
- Literal: for doing, for the work. Symbolic: the inner sacrifice/work of transformation and right action
- द्विता (dvitā)
- Literal: again, a second time. Symbolic: renewed descent; repeated reinforcement when resistance returns
- कुत्सा (kutsāya)
- Literal: to Kutsa (a seer/hero). Symbolic: the striving soul-personality being fortified for victory
- नि चोदय (ni codaya)
- Literal: drive down, impel downward. Symbolic: subduing uprisings of ego, doubt, inertia; putting the lower pressure back beneath the rule of the higher mind
Petitionary verse in Indra praise: used to request Indra’s ‘avaḥ’ for victory and right accomplishment, especially in Soma offerings.
At moments requiring reinforcement of the sacrificer’s intention and success of the act (karman).
Calling down Indra’s avaḥ; mentally offering effort and asking for decisive subjugation of opposition.
Before a demanding task or during a difficult phase of sādhanā: chant to invite ‘effective help’ and to quiet intrusive counter-forces.
√av (avaḥ) expresses protective favor; √bhṛ (bhara) is the ‘bringing’ of divine power into the human vessel; √cud (codaya) ‘impel’ indicates directed force; daṃsiṣṭha from daṃsas ‘skill/marvel’ marks effective power rather than mere spectacle.
divine aid (avaḥ), accomplishment in works (kṛtvá), renewal of force (dvitā)
Indra’s aid aligns action with Ṛta so the work bears true fruit.
‘Most potent for the work’ implies truth-power, not mere effort.
Descent of power enabling manifestation—making the ‘work’ real in the field of becoming.
Integral/psychological Vedism: divine powers as functional forces for transformation.
Downward driving = settling of turbulent uprisings; strengthening = infusion of prāṇa and clarity into the striving being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indra-Kutsa alliance: Indra empowers the human champion and drives down the opposing force—an archetype of divine-force assisting the aspirant to overcome inertia/hostility.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ reflects PIE *bher- (English bear, Latin ferō); √av ‘protect’ is Indo-Iranian-specific development but aligns with common IE semantics of favor/protection; √cud ‘impel’ resonates with causative/impulsion roots across IE poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi requests a specific operational ‘help’ (avaḥ) as a means (yena) for effective works; the relationship is pragmatic reciprocity—invocation aims at actionable descent of power, not abstract praise.
Ask for the specific form of help that makes your current practice effective; then feel a ‘descent’ of clear force into mind and will.
Maṇipūra (effective action) with support from Ājñā (right discernment)
Inhale with ‘ā bhara’ (bring); exhale long with ‘ni codaya’ (drive down).
From effortful striving to supported, effective doing.
Name one concrete inner ‘work’ (habit to change, truth to live). Chant, then act immediately on one small step—training the system to receive and apply Indra’s aid.
Follow saṃhitā accent marks: raise on udātta syllables (notably around índra/ā́/ bhara-type accents as marked), keep others level; allow svarita glide where indicated by Vedic accent rules.
Make the call ‘tad indrāva ā bhara’ clearly invocatory; give extra firmness to ‘ni codaya’ as the decisive close.
daṃsiṣṭha: keep nasal ‘ṃ’ and retroflex ṣṭh cluster clean, kṛtvane: vocalic ṛ as a short ‘r̥’ sound, śiśnathaḥ: articulate both śi syllables; avoid slurring, codaya: ‘co’ is ‘cho’ (palatal) not ‘so’
Bright, forceful, forward-thrusting.
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