Rig Veda 8.3.6: Mandala 8, Sukta 3, Mantra 6
Sukta 8.3
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्रो मह्ना रोदसी पप्रथच्छव इन्द्रः सूर्यमरोचयत् । इन्द्रे ह विश्वा भुवनानि येमिर इन्द्रे सुवानास इन्दवः ॥
índro mahnā́ rodasī paprathác cháva índraḥ sū́ryam arocayat | índre ha víśvā bhúvanāni yemire índre suvānā́sa índavaḥ ||
इंद्र की बड़ी ताकत ने दुनिया को फैला दिया। इंद्र ने सूरज को चमका दिया। सारी दुनिया इंद्र में स्थिर है। इंद्र के लिए सोम रस बह रहा है।
Word by Word
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- म॒ह्ना
- by (his) greatness/mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot मघन्/मह्न् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘महन्’ का प्राचीन/वैकल्पिक रूप)
- रोदसी
- the two worlds (heaven and earth)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole कर्मRoot रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक; द्विवचन-शब्द ‘heaven-and-earth’)
- पप्रथत्
- has spread/expandedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √प्रथ् (प्रथँ विस्तारे)
- शवः
- strength, powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्यम्
- the sunNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अरोचयत्
- made (it) shine; caused to shineVerbलङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)Role (क्रिया)Root √रुच् (रुचँ दीप्तौ) [णिच्]
- इन्द्रे
- in/with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root ह (निपात)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (भुवनानि के विशेषण)Role कर्तृ (भुवनानि के साथ)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुवनानि
- beings; worlds; existencesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
- येमिरे
- have been held/controlled; are restrainedVerbलिट् (आत्मनेपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √यम् (यमँ उपरमे/नियमे)
- इन्द्रे
- in/with IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुवानासः
- being pressed (out); freshly pressedParticiple (Adjective/Noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (इन्दवः के विशेषण)Role कर्तृ (इन्दवः के साथ)Root √सू (सू प्रसवे) → सुवान (कृदन्त, शानच्/आनच्; ‘pressing/producing’)
- इन्दवः
- Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: ‘इन्द्रो म॒ह्ना’ = ‘इन्द्रः + मह्ना’ (विसर्ग-लोप/ओ-आदेश)
- ‘पप्रथच्छवः’ = ‘पप्रथत् + शवः’ (त् + श → च्छ)
- ‘सूर्यमरोचयत्’ = ‘सूर्यम् + अरोचयत्’ (म् + अ → म्)
- ‘इन्द्र:’ चिह्नित रूप वस्तुतः ‘इन्द्रः’
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra by greatness widened the two worlds by his force; Indra made the Sun shine. In Indra all worlds are held in order; in Indra the pressed Soma streams flow.
Inner meaning
Indra’s illumined consciousness expands the ‘two worlds’ (rodasī)—the inner and outer, or mind and life—so they can contain a larger truth. He makes the Sun (sūrya) shine: brings forward the supramental/gnostic light in the mentality. All planes (bhuvanāni) find their right law and holding in that illumined mind; and when Indra is active, Soma (ananda/bliss) flows—pressed from experience and offered—becoming a current of delight that supports the work.
Universal truth
True illumination enlarges our capacity and harmonizes inner and outer life. When clarity is established, joy naturally flows and the whole being finds order.
Themes
Cosmic support, Light revelation, Soma empowerment, Indra’s greatness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.3 (Indra hymn; this verse links Indra with Sūrya and Soma)
Significance
A compact psychology of realization: expansion (widening worlds), illumination (sun), order (holding worlds), and delight (Soma flow) as a single integrated action of Indra.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- mahat (great), world-widener, sun-releaser, holder of worlds, Soma-companion
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Expands heaven and earth, releases the sun of truth, and establishes the stable order in which Soma can circulate.
Inner power
The master power of illumination that widens, clarifies, organizes, and opens the bliss-current.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma context: praise during Soma pressing cycles; also general Indra stotra.
इन्द्रो॑ म॒ह्ना रोद॑सी पप्रथ॒च्छव॒ इन्द्र॒: सूर्य॑मरोचयत् । इन्द्रे॑ ह॒ विश्वा॒ भुव॑नानि येमिर॒ इन्द्रे॑ सुवा॒नास॒ इन्द॑वः ॥
इन्द्रः॑ । म॒ह्ना । रोद॑सी॒ इति॑ । प॒प्र॒थ॒त् । शवः॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । सूर्य॑म् । अ॒रो॒च॒य॒त् । इन्द्रे॑ । ह॒ । विश्वा॑ । भुव॑नानि । ये॒मि॒रे॒ । इन्द्रे॑ । सु॒वा॒नासः॑ । इन्द॑वः ॥
indraḥ | mahnā | rodasī iti | paprathat | śavaḥ | indraḥ | sūryam | arocayat | indre | ha | viśvā | bhuvanāni | yemire | indre | suvānāsaḥ | indavaḥ
Two hemistichs with parallelism: Indra does X; Indra does Y; in Indra worlds are held; in Indra Soma flows.
Declarative, expansive, with a strong concluding cadence.
Produces widening and brightness; ends with a soothing sense of flow (Soma).
- रोदसी (rodasī)
- Literal: the two worlds (heaven and earth). Symbolic: mind and life/body; inner and outer domains needing harmonization
- मह्ना (mahnā)
- Literal: by greatness. Symbolic: by a higher magnitude of consciousness, wideness
- शवः (śavaḥ)
- Literal: force. Symbolic: effective power of illumination acting in nature
- सूर्यम् (sūryam)
- Literal: the Sun. Symbolic: the central light of truth-consciousness; clear seeing
- भुवनानि (bhuvanāni)
- Literal: worlds, planes. Symbolic: levels of being—physical, vital, mental and beyond—requiring right arrangement
- येमिरे (yemire)
- Literal: are held/controlled/ordered. Symbolic: find their law, right containment, stable functioning
- सुवानासः इन्दवः (suvānāsa indavaḥ)
- Literal: pressed Soma-drops/streams. Symbolic: released currents of bliss and luminous delight when consciousness is rightly ‘pressed’ by aspiration
Soma praise highlighting Indra’s cosmic function (sun-revealing, world-sustaining), typically recited in Soma liturgy to magnify the invoked power.
During Soma pressing/offerings where Indra is invoked as principal recipient; also at dawn invocations due to Sūrya motif.
Recitation praising Indra’s cosmic deeds to establish his presence and right order for offerings.
A meditation mantra for integrating expansion, clarity, order, and joy—use when feeling constricted, confused, or joyless.
arocayat (√ruc ‘shine’) marks Indra as revealer of light; widening of rodasī repeats cosmic expansion motif. √yam ‘hold’ frames Indra as inner law-holder, aligning with ṛta: worlds ‘stand’ rightly in him. √su ‘press’ (Soma) also carries ‘bring forth’ nuance—pressed delight becomes a flow supported by Indra.
Cosmic widening (bṛhat-like expansion), Sustaining order (ṛta via √yam), Revelation of truth-light (sūrya as inner illumination)
‘All worlds are held in Indra’ indicates establishment of ṛta through illumined governance.
Sun-release symbolizes truth made manifest in mind.
World-widening and sun-bringing are classic creation motifs: emergence of ordered manifestation from obstruction.
Integral consciousness cosmology: illumination organizes planes and releases ananda as sustaining nectar.
dawn-to-sunrise (implied by ‘sun made to shine’)
Sun = awakened truth-perception; Soma flow = delight-current; widening worlds = increased capacity; holding worlds = stable integration under higher mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as world-widener and sun-revealer: the power that breaks confinement and establishes luminous order. Innerly, Indra expands the consciousness (rodasī) and kindles the truth-light (sūrya) so that all planes of the being are held in right poise, and the Soma-delight can flow unobstructed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ruc ‘shine’ has IE parallels in light vocabulary (cf. Latin rutilus ‘reddish-golden’, though not direct; PIE *leuk- is the better-known ‘light’ root, but Vedic preserves multiple light-roots). √yam (PIE *yem-) ‘hold’ is strongly IE. The cosmic ‘holding’ of worlds in a deity is a shared IE sacral kingship motif.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra’s cosmic offices to justify and intensify the invocation: because Indra reveals the inner Sun and sustains the worlds, he is competent to stabilize the sacrificer’s inner planes and to make Soma’s delight efficacious.
Widen awareness (rodasī), invoke inner sun (clarity), stabilize order (ṛta-holding), allow Soma (delight) to flow.
sahasrāra (sun/illumination)
Three-stage breath: (1) widen on inhale, (2) hold gently imagining sun in the brow, (3) exhale feeling Soma-flow down the spine.
From constriction to luminous integration with a sweet undercurrent of joy.
Chant once slowly to ‘widen the two worlds’; pause in silence visualizing a clear sun above the brow. Chant again, feeling the inner order settle. End with quiet attention to subtle delight—do not force emotion; let Soma ‘flow’ naturally.
Notated svaras not provided; chant with a bright lift on ‘sūryam arocayat’ and a settling cadence on ‘indre suvānāsa indavaḥ’.
Give expansive emphasis to ‘mahnā’, ‘rodasī’, ‘paprathat’; brighten ‘sūryam’; stabilize ‘viśvā bhuvanāni yemire’; soften into flow on ‘suvānāsa indavaḥ’.
(rodasī): retroflex ḍ not present—keep ‘do’ dental; long ī at end, (arocayat): ‘c’ as ‘ch’ in IAST ‘c’ (palatal), keep ‘yat’ crisp, (bhuvanāni): ‘bh’ aspirated; ‘na’ clear, (indavaḥ): ‘vaḥ’ with visarga, gentle release
Radiant and expansive, ending in a softer, flowing tone.
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