Rig Veda 8.46.20: Mandala 8, Sukta 46, Mantra 20
Sukta 8.46
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
सनितः सुसनितरुग्र चित्र चेतिष्ठ सूनृत । प्रासहा सम्राट् सहुरिं सहन्तं भुज्युं वाजेषु पूर्व्यम् ॥
sánitaḥ su-sánitar ugrá citrá cétiṣṭha sū́nṛta | prā-sáhā sam-rā́ṭ sáhurim sáhantaṃ bhujyúṃ vā́jeṣu pū́rvyam ||
हे बलवान और चमकदार जीतने वाले, तुम सच बोलते हो और सही समझते हो। तुम सबसे ऊपर हो और राजा हो। हमें टक्कर देने वाली ताकत को हरा दो। हमें पुराना धन दे दो जो काम आता है।
Word by Word
- सनितः
- the winner, the gainerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot सनि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विजेता/लाभकर्ता’)
- सुसनितर्
- O good winner!Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सु- + सनि (प्रातिपदिक) → सुसनितृ (‘सु-विजेता’)
- उग्र
- O fierce one!Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (सुसनितर्-सम्बोधनस्य विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्र
- O wondrous/bright one!Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- चेतिṣ्ठ
- O most discerning!Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (superlative; विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot चेत्/चित् (धातु ‘चि/चित्’ = अवबोधने) → चेतिन्; तस्य अतिशयः चेतिṣ्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूनृत
- O fair/sweet speech!Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (स्तुतिवचनरूपेण)Role SambodhanaRoot सूनृत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु-नृत’ = शुभ/सत्य-वचन)
- प्रासहा
- O overpowering one!Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot प्र- + सह (धातु ‘सह’ = सहने/अभिभवने) → प्रासह (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्राट्
- O sovereign king!Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सम्- + राज् (प्रातिपदिक ‘सम्राज्/सम्राट्’)
- सहुरिम्
- the rival/foeNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सहुरि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘शत्रु/प्रतिद्वन्द्वी’—वेदिक)
- सहन्तम्
- conquering, overcomingParticiple (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (भुज्युम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot सह (धातु) → शतृ-प्रत्ययः ‘सहन्त्’ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- भुज्युम्
- Bhujyu (the rescued one)Noun (Proper name)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भुज्यु (प्रातिपदिक; देव/नायक-नाम; ‘भुज्यु’ अश्विनोः रक्षितः)
- वाजेषु
- in contests/prizes (of strength)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्व्यम्
- former, of old, ancientAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (भुज्युम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पूर्व’ + यत्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): सनितः | सुसनितर् उग्र चित्र चेतिṣ्ठ सूनृत | प्रासहा सम्राट् | सहुरिम् सहन्तम् भुज्युम् | वाजेषु पूर्व्यम् । 1) ‘सुसनित॒रुग्र’ = ‘सुसनितर्’ + ‘उग्र’ (र् + उ → रु)
- 2) ‘सहुरिं॒ सह॑न्तम्’ इत्यत्र ‘सहुरिम्’ (द्वितीया) + ‘सहन्तम्’ (शतृ-कृदन्त) — अनुनासिक/अनुस्वार-लिप्यन्तरभेदः। 3) ‘वाजे॑षु॒ पूर्व्य॑म्’—विशेषण-विशेष्यसम्बन्धः: पूर्व्यम् (भुज्युम्) ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A series of epithets to a victorious, strong, luminous power: winner, true in speech, overpowering sovereign—conquer the assailing force; uphold for us the ancient Enjoyer in the fields of vāja (strength/booty).
Inner meaning
Addressed to Indra as the sovereign victorious consciousness. The seer invokes Indra as sanitar/susanitar (the winner who makes others win), ugra (vehement power), citra (luminous-varied), cetiṣṭha (most discerning), sūnṛta (true, right speech). This is the inner kingly mind-force that overcomes the ‘assailer’ (sahuri)—the aggressive resistance that attacks progress. ‘Bhujyuṃ pūrvyam’ is the ancient Enjoyer: the soul’s innate capacity to possess delight and plenitude in action. ‘Vājeṣu’ are fields of effective force—life-situations where power must be rightly used. The mantra asks Indra to re-establish the soul’s rightful enjoyment and mastery in works.
Universal truth
Right victory is not domination by ego but restoration of the soul’s ancient capacity for true enjoyment and effective action, guided by discernment and truthful speech.
Themes
Victory and attainment (san), Truth-speech, Sovereign inner rule, Overcoming hostile powers
The seer
Significance
The mantra is a compact ‘Indra-yoga’ formula: discernment + truth-speech + sovereign force restoring the psychic enjoyment in works—central to the Aurobindonian reading of Vedic victory.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (victorious sovereign aspect)
- Epithets
- sanitar, susanitar, ugra, citra, cetiṣṭha, sūnṛta, prāsahā, samrāṭ
- Related deities
- Maruts, Bṛhaspati, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
King of the luminous heaven; organizer of powers; victor over obstructing forces; establisher of order in the mid-world.
Inner power
Sovereign illumined will: discrimination, truthful expression, and conquering energy that reinstates the soul’s mastery.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise/propitiation in soma offerings (general)
सनि॑त॒: सुस॑नित॒रुग्र॒ चित्र॒ चेति॑ष्ठ॒ सूनृ॑त । प्रा॒सहा॑ सम्रा॒ट् सहु॑रिं॒ सह॑न्तं भु॒ज्युं वाजे॑षु॒ पूर्व्य॑म् ॥
सनि॑त॒रिति॑ । सुऽस॑नितः । उग्र॑ । चित्र॑ । चेति॑ष्ठ । सूनृ॑त । प्र॒ऽसहा॑ । सम्ऽरा॒ट् । सहु॑रिम् । सह॑न्तम् । भु॒ज्युम् । वाजे॑षु । पूर्व्य॑म् ॥
sanitariti | su-sanitaḥ | ugra | citra | cetiṣṭha | sūnṛta | pra-sahā | sam-rāṭ | sahurim | sahantam | bhujyum | vājeṣu | pūrvyam
Two main lines with dense epithet-cluster followed by action petitions.
Martial and regal; rapid epithet stacking then a decisive command.
Builds an inner ‘kingly’ posture—upright spine, decisive mind, confident breath.
- सनीतः / सुसनीतः (sanitaḥ / susanitaḥ)
- Literal: winner / good winner. Symbolic: power that attains and enables attainment; victorious consciousness
- उग्र (ugra)
- Literal: fierce, strong. Symbolic: intense force that can break resistance
- चित्र (citra)
- Literal: bright, variegated. Symbolic: luminous intelligence with many powers
- चेतिष्ठ (cetiṣṭha)
- Literal: most perceptive/discerning. Symbolic: keen discrimination (viveka-like) in action
- सूनृत (sūnṛta)
- Literal: true/right speech. Symbolic: mantric truth; speech aligned with satya and ṛta
- प्रासहा (prāsahā)
- Literal: overpowering. Symbolic: capacity to overmaster lower nature
- सम्राट् (samrāṭ)
- Literal: sovereign king. Symbolic: inner ruler-mind establishing order
- सहुरिम् (sahurim)
- Literal: assailing foe. Symbolic: aggressive resistance, hostile vital force
- भुज्युम् (bhujyum)
- Literal: enjoyer/possessor. Symbolic: psychic being’s rightful enjoyment and possession of works
- वाजेषु (vājeṣu)
- Literal: in vāja-fields (prizes/strengths). Symbolic: domains of effective force and accomplishment
- पूर्व्यम् (pūrvyam)
- Literal: ancient, former. Symbolic: primordial soul-capacity to delight in divine action
Soma-hymnic praise for strengthening Indra’s victory-power and securing gains (vāja, rayi) for the sacrificer; adaptable to victory/acquisition rites.
When seeking victory, discernment, and successful outcome in the sacrificial work.
Stuti (praise) followed by niyoga-like petition (conquer, uphold).
Before difficult decisions or leadership tasks; to align speech with truth and act from sovereign clarity rather than reactivity.
from √san ‘to gain, win, obtain’ (cf. ‘sanction’ etymologically unrelated but semantic ‘grant’ resonates); in Vedic, san is attainment. (su-nṛta) ‘good/true utterance’: nṛta overlaps with ‘truth’/‘right expression’—speech that manifests ṛta. √cit in cetiṣṭha conveys noticing/awakening (cetas ‘mind, awareness’). (vāja-) is not merely ‘prize/food’ but ‘strength, plenitude of force’ (root sense of vigor/impulsion), hence the psychological ‘fields of effective power’.
Satya-vāc (truth-speech as power: sūnṛta), Rita as right discernment (cetiṣṭha), Sovereignty of the inner being (samrāṭ)
Indra as samrāṭ restores ṛta in the ‘fields of vāja’—ordered effectiveness in life.
Truth-speech (sūnṛta) is a power that makes victory legitimate and creative.
Re-establishing the ‘ancient enjoyer’ indicates recovery of original divine delight in manifestation.
Integral yoga hermeneutic: divine kingship as inner governance of nature by the psychic and illumined mind.
Storm = forceful tapas; sun-radiance = clear discernment; ‘battlefield’ = life’s action-field where consciousness must rule.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Indra as the victorious ‘Winner’ (sanitar), who overcomes the oppressive assailant (sahuri). Rather than a tribal battle, the inner reading frames it as conquest of coercive forces that distort consciousness; the gain is vāja—effective force and fulfilled capacity to enjoy/hold the attainment (bhujyu).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The victory lexicon (√san ‘win/obtain’, √sah ‘overpower/endure’) parallels inherited Indo-European heroic diction. The stacking of epithets (ugra, citra, cetiṣṭha, sūnṛta) is an archaic poetic technique also seen in Greek hymnody: accumulation of divine attributes to ‘activate’ the power addressed.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers precise naming of Indra’s faculties—discernment (cetiṣṭha) and truth-speech (sūnṛta)—as the basis for victory. The reciprocity is: the hymn supplies right designation and alignment with ṛta; Indra responds by converting that alignment into concrete overcoming and secure enjoyment (bhujyu) of the attained vāja.
Assume the ‘inner sovereign’: witness the assailing impulses; invoke discernment and truth-speech; re-center in the psychic enjoyer.
Ajna (discernment) + Vishuddha (truth-speech) + Manipura (sovereign will).
Square breathing (4-4-4-4) to stabilize sovereignty; on the ‘hold’ feel samrāṭ steadiness.
Upright, lucid, masterful calm.
Repeat epithet cluster slowly to ‘install’ the Indra-force; then on ‘sahuriṃ sahantam’ visualize resistance losing grip; end by feeling a quiet joy in action (bhujyuṃ).
Maintain consistent three-tone contour; epithets can be chanted in a slightly rising sequence, resolving firmly on ‘samrāṭ’.
Do not rush the epithet chain; keep clear word boundaries: ugra | citra | cetiṣṭha | sūnṛta.
: ‘ce’ (palatal) not ‘ke’., : long ū; retroflex ṇ in -nṛta., : conjunct ‘mr’ clean, final ṭ crisp., : ‘bhuj’ with voiced aspirate; final nasalization light.
Regal, steady, resonant; end-lines with a grounded cadence.
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