Rig Veda 8.45.30: Mandala 8, Sukta 45, Mantra 30
Sukta 8.45
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
यः कृन्तदिद्वि योन्यं त्रिशोकाय गिरिं पृथुम् । गोभ्यो गातुं निरेतवे ॥
yáḥ kṛntád íd ví yónyam tri-śókāya giríṃ pṛthúm | góbhyo gātúṃ nír-etave ||
वो जिसने एक बड़ी पहाड़ी को फाँक दिया। उसने एक छत फाड़ दी ताकि तीन जगह रोशनी आए। उसने गायों के लिए रास्ता बना दिया ताकि वो बाहर आ सकें।
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कृन्तत्
- cuts / cleavesVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ-क्रियाRoot कृत् (छेदने)
- इत्
- indeed / justIndeclinableनिपातः (एव/अपि-भावे), अव्ययम्Root इत् (निपात)
- वियॊन्यम्
- the cleft/clearing (lit. ‘separated womb/bed’), a passageNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग-आधारः; अत्र नपुंसकलिङ्गवत् प्रयोगः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वि-यॊनि (प्रातिपदिक: यॊनि)
- त्रिशोकाय
- for the threefold-burning one / for him of three flames (epithet)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot त्रि-शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरिम्
- mountainNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृथुम्
- broad, wideAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (गिरिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषणत्वेन)Root पृथु (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोभ्यः
- for the cows / to the cowsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- गातुम्
- a path, passageNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot गातु (प्रातिपदिक; √गा/गम्-सम्बद्धः ‘गमन-पथ’)
- निः
- out, forthIndeclinableउपसर्गः (निर्गमनार्थे)Root निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- एतवे
- to go forth / to come outVerb (infinitive)तुमुन्-अर्थे वैदिक-इन्फिनिटिवः: -तवे, अव्ययवत्; ‘to go/come forth’Role प्रयोजन (क्रियार्थक)Root इ (गत्यर्थे) / ए (गत्यर्थे) → एतुम्/एतवे
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: यः कृन्तदिद्वि यो॒न्यं त्रि॒शोका॑य गि॒रिं पृ॒थुम् । गोभ्यो॑ गा॒तुं निरे॑तवे ॥ पद-विच्छेदः (सन्धि-निरसनम्): यः | कृन्तत् | इत् | वियोन्यम् | त्रिशोकाय | गिरिम् | पृथुम् | गोभ्यः | गातुम् | निः | एतवे | मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) कृन्तत् + इत् → कृन्तदित् (त् + इ → दि, वैदिक-उच्चारणानुसार)
- (2) इत् + वियोन्यम् → इद्वियोन्यम् (द् + वि संयोगः)
- (3) निः + एतवे → निरेतवे (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः: निः + ए → निरे-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra cut open the “womb”—the broad mountain—so that a way out was made for the cows (rays), for the triple brightness.
Inner meaning
The Divine Mind (Indra) breaks the enclosing subconscient “mountain” that holds the luminous powers (go = rays of knowledge) in confinement. By cleaving the hidden “womb” (yoni = secret seat of birth), he releases a path (gātu) for the emergence of triple illumination—often felt as a threefold light: truth-seeing, right-will, and delight, or the three planes (mind–life–body) transfigured by light.
Universal truth
Illumination is not created by force of ego; it is released when the higher intelligence cleaves the inner obstruction and opens a passage for knowledge to flow outward into life.
Themes
cows-as-rays, opening the cave/mountain, liberation, Indra as opener of the ways
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.45.31, Rig Veda 8.45.32, Rig Veda 8.45.33, Rig Veda 8.45.34
Significance
The seer-voice here is that of an aspirant-community invoking Indra’s liberating action: the archetypal ‘breaker of the rock’ motif—release of inner light from concealment.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (bountiful), Śūra (hero), Purandara (breaker of strongholds)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Opens the obstructed rivers of light; establishes luminous order by breaking the powers of concealment.
Inner power
Force of illumined intelligence and victorious will that pierces inertia and releases knowledge.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma-related praise sequences (general Indra invocation rather than a single fixed rite)
यः कृ॒न्तदिद्वि यो॒न्यं त्रि॒शोका॑य गि॒रिं पृ॒थुम् । गोभ्यो॑ गा॒तुं निरे॑तवे ॥
यः । कृ॒न्तत् । इत् । वि । यो॒न्यम् । त्रि॒ऽशोका॑य । गि॒रिम् । पृ॒थुम् । गोऽभ्यः॑ । गा॒तुम् । निःऽए॑तवे ॥
yaḥ | kṛntat | it | vi | yonyam | tri-śokāya | girim | pṛthum | go--bhyaḥ | gātum | niḥ-etave
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Strong, forward-driving cadence suited to ‘breaking open’ imagery.
Builds a sense of inner pressure and release; supports visualization of obstruction cleaving and light emerging.
- योनि (yoni)
- Literal: womb, source, place of birth. Symbolic: secret inner seat where light is held/formed; the subconscient matrix that can conceal or generate consciousness
- गिरि (giri)
- Literal: mountain. Symbolic: mass of resistance/obstruction; the “rock” of the subconscient or fixed ignorance
- कृन्तद् वि (kṛntad vi)
- Literal: cut open, cleave apart. Symbolic: decisive action of illumined mind that breaks coverings and releases blocked energies
- गो (go) / गोभ्यः (gobhyaḥ)
- Literal: cows. Symbolic: rays of light, herds of knowledge, illuminations recovered from darkness
- गातु (gātu)
- Literal: path, passage. Symbolic: inner channel or way of progress for consciousness; opening of the nadī-like route for light
- त्रिशोकाय (triśokāya)
- Literal: to/for the triple brightness (or triple shining). Symbolic: threefold illumination (e.g., satya–ṛta–bṛhat as truth-order-vastness; or mind–life–body lit by higher light)
Core Indra myth (cleaving the mountain/cave to release the cows/lights); invoked in Soma rites to enact inner release of illumination and right pathways.
During Indra offerings/praises in Soma sacrifice contexts; also adaptable to daily recitation for courage and clarity
Stuti (praise) to invoke Indra’s liberating power; mental offering of aspiration for release of light
Use when feeling ‘blocked’: recite to support breakthrough, learning, and removal of inner inertia.
(kṛnt): from √/√ ‘to cut, sever’. (yoni): ‘womb, source, abode’—often ‘hidden seat’. (giri): ‘mountain’—in Vedic myth the cave/mountain holds back cows (lights) and waters. - (tri-śoka): obscure; likely ‘threefold brightness’ (śoka related to ‘shine/flare’ in some analyses) rather than later ‘grief’; requires lexical caution. (gātu): from √ ‘to go’ → ‘path, course’. -: infinitive from √/√ ‘to go’ with nis- ‘out’.
release of hidden knowledge (go), opening of the source (yoni), threefold light (tri-śoka)
Indra’s act restores ṛta by freeing the rightful movements of light/knowledge.
Truth is ‘hidden’ until the cover is cut; then it streams into manifestation.
Emergence of light from concealment; revelation as a cosmic act repeated in the individual.
Proto-Vedāntic and Yogic symbolism (as read by Sri Aurobindo/Kashyap): ascent from ignorance to illumination.
Rock/cave = subconscient containment; cows = rays of knowledge; cleft/path = opened channel of progress for consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cave of the cows’ myth: Indra cleaves the mountain/enclosure and releases the cows (rays of light/knowledge), creating a gātu (path) for emergence. Psychologically: breaking the subconscient blockage so the threefold light can manifest and the illumined energies can move outward in life.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gā ‘go’ → gātu ‘path’ is an IE motion-root domain (cf. English go). The mythic lexicon of ‘cut/open’ (√kṛnt) plus ‘enclosure/womb’ (yoni) encodes an inherited IE theme of releasing light/wealth from confinement through heroic divine action.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi recalls the decisive liberating deed as a present inner instruction: by invoking Indra as the cleaver of the womb-mountain, the seer asks that the same force open pathways in the consciousness and release the hidden illuminations into active life.
Breaking inner obstruction to let knowledge-light emerge.
Ājñā (brow) / Sahasrāra (crown) as seats of illumination (optional mapping).
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale while visualizing a cleft of light opening; then slow exhale as rays spread.
From tamasic compression to clear, spacious seeing.
Hold a single aspiration (‘open the way for light’). On each recitation, feel the ‘rock’ soften and a channel open for insight to descend into mind-life-body.
Not fully determinable from provided text alone; chant in a neutral sāma-like contour with attention to Vedic word accents if learned from a śākhā recording.
Keep natural stress on meaningful compounds: triśokāya, girim pṛthum, gobhyo gātum; avoid flattening sandhi breaks.
kṛntad: clear retroflex ṇ? (here dental n is not present; pronounce kṛn- with syllabic ṛ), yo-niyam: yoni + yam; keep short o, clear ni, triśokāya: ś is palatal; keep long ā in -kāya, gobhyah: aspirate bh; final ḥ as light visarga, niretave: niḥ-etave; articulate the ḥ sandhi lightly before e
Bright, firm, invoking strength and release.
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