Rig Veda 8.3.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 3, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.3
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अस्येदिन्द्रो वावृधे वृष्ण्यं शवो मदे सुतस्य विष्णवि । अद्या तमस्य महिमानमायवोऽनु ष्टुवन्ति पूर्वथा ॥
asyéd índro vāvṛdhe vṛ́ṣṇyaṃ śávo máde sutásya víṣṇavi | adyā́ tám asya mahimā́nam ā́yavo ’nú ṣṭuvanti pūrváthā ||
इस से इंद्र की ताकत बढ़ती है। सोम पी के नशे में वो स्ट्राँग हो जाता है। आज भी लोग उसकी बड़ाई गाते हैं, जैसे पहले करते थे।
Word by Word
- अस्य
- of this (one/this rite)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) अस्य-रूप
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपातRoot इत् (निपात)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधे
- has grown, has become strongVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वृध् (वृधँ वर्धने)
- वृष्ण्यम्
- manly, virile (power)Adjective/Nounनपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेष्य-रूपेण ‘शवः’ का)Root वृष्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वृषन्’ से)
- शवः
- might, strengthNounनपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्ये सह-कर्तृ/विषयः)Root शवस्/शव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदे
- in exhilaration, in intoxicationNounपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot मद (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतस्य
- of the pressed (Soma)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सु ‘अभिषवे’/‘प्रसवे’ → सुत ‘pressed’)
- विष्णवि
- O ViṣṇuNounपुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (विष्णो इति वैदिक-रूप ‘विष्णवि’)Role सम्बोधनRoot विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकरण (काल)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
- तम्
- himPronounपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of this (one), hisPronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) अस्य-रूप
- महिमानम्
- greatness, majestyNounपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (स्तुति-विषयः)Root महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयवः
- the Āyus/Āyavas (descendants/followers of Āyu), worshippersNounपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot आयु/आयव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आयु’ से जन/वंश/अनुयायी अर्थ)
- अनु
- after, along, in accordanceIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थ)Root अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ष्टुवन्ति
- they praiseVerbलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √स्तु (स्तु॒ञ् स्तुतौ)
- पूर्वथा
- as before, in the former wayIndeclinableरीतिवाचक-अव्ययRole अधिकरण (रीति)Root पूर्वथा (अव्यय; पूर्व + था)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अस्य-इत्-इन्द्रः-वावृधे-वृष्ण्यम्-शवः-मदे- सुतस्य- विष्णवि । अद्य-तम्-अस्य- महिमानम्-आयवः-अनु-ष्टुवन्ति-पूर्वथा । विशेष: ‘अस्येद्’ = ‘अस्य इत्’
- ‘इन्द्रो’ = ‘इन्द्रः’
- ‘आयवोऽनु’ = ‘आयवः अनु’ (ओऽ = विसर्ग-सन्धि)
- ‘अनु ष्टुवन्ति’ में ‘ष्टु-’ प्रारम्भ (ष् + ट्) वैदिक संधि/पद-सीमा पर उच्चारण-परम्परा।
The meaning
Outer meaning
By this (Soma) Indra has increased his manly force in the ecstasy of the pressed Soma, O Vishnu. Today seekers praise his greatness as in the ancient way.
Inner meaning
Indra’s power of illumination grows by the Soma-ecstasy—Ananda distilled by inner pressing (sutasya). Vishnu, the all-pervading wideness, is invoked as the field in which Indra’s action becomes universal and unobstructed. The seekers today repeat the ancient pattern: aspiration + delight + widening → a stronger luminous mind that can conquer limitation.
Universal truth
Consciousness expands and becomes effective when delight is purified and offered; illumination then grows in a wideness that supports right action, and the perennial path can be re-entered ‘today’.
Themes
Indra empowerment, Soma-ānanda, Tradition and continuity
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva lineage (probable; specific seer uncertain)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.3 (context), RV 1.154 (Vishnu’s strides—wideness), RV 1.80 (Indra + Soma empowerment)
Family tradition
Kāṇva Indra hymns often couple Indra’s victory-power with Soma and widening (Vishnu).
Significance
The seer emphasizes the yogic mechanism: Soma-ecstasy increases Indra; Vishnu provides the vastness in which that increase becomes stable and universal.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (supported by Vishnu as wideness)
- Epithets
- vṛṣṇya (bull-like), mahimān (great), soma-pā (Soma-drinker; implied)
- Related deities
- Vishnu, Soma, Maruts/Rudras (near context)
Cosmic role
Indra grows by Soma and acts within Vishnu’s all-pervading space to uphold Ṛta by conquering obstruction.
Inner power
Strengthened discrimination, luminous courage, and victorious clarity sustained by delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra; praise accompanying libation; Vishnu invoked as supporting deity in Soma rites.
अ॒स्येदिन्द्रो॑ वावृधे॒ वृष्ण्यं॒ शवो॒ मदे॑ सु॒तस्य॒ विष्ण॑वि । अ॒द्या तम॑स्य महि॒मान॑मा॒यवोऽनु॑ ष्टुवन्ति पू॒र्वथा॑ ॥
अ॒स्य । इत् । इन्द्रः॑ । व॒वृ॒धे॒ । वृष्ण्य॑म् । शवः॑ । मदे॑ । सु॒तस्य॑ । विष्ण॑वि । अ॒द्य । तम् । अ॒स्य॒ । म॒हि॒मान॑म् । आ॒यवः॑ । अनु॑ । स्तु॒व॒न्ति॒ । पू॒र्वऽथा॑ ॥
asya | it | indraḥ | vavṛdhe | vṛṣṇyam | śavaḥ | made | sutasya | viṣṇavi | adya | tam | asya | mahimānam | āyavaḥ | anu | stuvanti | pūrva-thā
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4 × ~11
Energetic and expansive; the vocative to Vishnu gives a widening turn mid-verse.
Invokes uplift and breadth—useful to move from intensity (Indra) to spaciousness (Vishnu).
- vāvṛdhe
- Literal: has grown, increased. Symbolic: illumination strengthens through repeated inner offering
- vṛṣṇyam śavaḥ
- Literal: bull-like force/strength. Symbolic: irresistible energy of the awakened mind-power
- made
- Literal: in intoxication/ecstasy. Symbolic: rapture of consciousness (Soma-Ananda), not sensory intoxication
- sutasya
- Literal: of the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: Ananda extracted by tapas and discrimination
- viṣṇavi
- Literal: O Vishnu (all-pervading). Symbolic: wideness; expansive consciousness that supports the godheads
- mahimānam
- Literal: greatness. Symbolic: vast effective stature of illumined mind in the being
- pūrvathā
- Literal: as in the ancient way. Symbolic: return to archetypal yogic method of the Vedic seers
Soma praise emphasizing growth of Indra through Soma; often linked with Indra–Viṣṇu paired theology in ritual recitation.
During Soma-stotras/śastras praising Indra’s growth by Soma.
Recitation during offering and praising, affirming Indra’s empowerment through Soma.
Chant when energy is high but narrow—pair strength with wideness; use before work requiring decisive clarity without constriction.
vṛṣṇya- from vṛṣan ‘bull’ → ‘virile/heroic potency’; psychologically: irresistible dynamic force. Address to viṣṇu indicates the Indra–Viṣṇu synergy: pervading stride supports victorious force. √stu ‘praise’ (PIE *ḱlew- ‘hear, fame’ is a common laudation complex; Sanskrit śru is closer to *ḱlew-, but stu belongs to praise-register).
Growth through delight (vāvṛdhe in mada), Indra–Viṣṇu complementarity (force + pervasion), Tradition transmission (pūrvathā)
pūrvathā indicates alignment with the eternal order/method of Ṛta.
Praise ‘after his greatness’ as truthful recognition that strengthens the power invoked.
Growth of divine power in the human instrument through offering of delight; expansion into wideness.
Integral Vedic psychology: Indra (illumination) operating in Vishnu (infinite extension).
Likely morning Soma context (not explicit).
Unspecified
Pressed Soma = distilled joy; Vishnu = spacious awareness; Indra’s growth = increasing luminous capacity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s empowerment through Soma (growth of vṛṣṇya śavas in mada), with Viṣṇu as the pervading support. Innerly, delight is not an end but the fuel by which the heroic truth-force increases; the seekers re-enact the ancient pattern of realization (pūrvathā).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh (growth) links to PIE *werdh-. vṛṣan ‘bull’ has broad IE symbolic parallels of bull = potency/sovereign strength. The coupling of a ‘heroic force’ deity with a ‘pervading stride’ deity parallels IE pairings of might and cosmic extension.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi locates present praise (‘today’) within lineage (‘as of old’), implying that the devatā’s greatness is accessed by repeating the right inner-ritual: offering delight so the divine force grows and acts.
Offer inner joy upward; feel illumination increasing inside a widening, all-pervading awareness.
ājñā (Indra) supported by sahasrāra/space-above (Vishnu-wideness).
Inhale imagining wideness (Vishnu), exhale with a firm inward ‘yes’ (Indra); then chant once per long exhale.
Expansive clarity (wide mind with decisive light).
If practice becomes dry, ‘press Soma’ by recalling pure gratitude/beauty; then rest in wideness and let clear decisions arise.
Svara data not supplied; keep a consistent recitation with a slight lift on vocatives (indra, viṣṇavi) without melodrama.
Mark caesura after made sutasya viṣṇavi; keep ‘adyā’ clearly starting the next thought.
vāvṛdhe: long ā and retroflex ḍh-like aspiration not present—pronounce dh clearly, vṛṣṇyam: vocalic ṛ and conjunct ṣṇy—keep ṣ retroflex and glide into ny, viṣṇavi: ṣṇ cluster; short final i, pūrvathā: long ā at end
Bright and expansive; soften slightly on ‘viṣṇavi’ to evoke wideness.
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