Rig Veda 8.49.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 49, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.49
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभि प्र वः सुराधसमिन्द्रमर्च यथा विदे । यो जरितृभ्यो मघवा पुरूवसुः सहस्रेणेव शिक्षति ॥
abhí prá vaḥ su-rā́dhasam índram arca yáthā vidé | yó jaritṛ́bhyo maghávā purū-vásuḥ sahásreṇeva śíkṣati ||
इंद्र की महिमा गाओ जो बहुत देनेवाला है। तुम उसे जान पाओगे। जो लोग उसकी तारीफ करते हैं, वो उनको सिखाता है और देता भी है, जैसे कोई हज़ार गुना कर दे।
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वः
- for you (pl.)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic) — ‘of you/for you’ (Vedic usage)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- सुराधसम्
- the bountiful, of good givingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? अत्र: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सु-राधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्च
- praise! sing!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot अर्च् (धातु)
- यथा
- so that, asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थ अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- विदे
- (that) I may know/obtainVerbलिट्/परिप्रास? अत्र: विधिलिङ्/लोट्-सम्भाव्य; प्रचलित व्याख्या: ‘विदे’ = विद्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचन (Vedic: ‘I may know/attain’)Root विद् (धातु)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- जरितृभ्यः
- to the singers/praisersNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot जरितृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जृ/जर् ‘to sing/praise’)
- मघवा
- the bountiful one (Maghavan = Indra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरूवसुः
- having much wealthAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot पुरु-वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रेण
- with a thousandNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, as ifIndeclinableउपमार्थ अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- शिक्षति
- gives, bestows; trains/instructs (here: bestows)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot शिक्ष् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अ॒भि | प्र | वः | सु॒राध॑सम् | इन्द्रम् | अर्च | यथा | विदे | यः | जरितृभ्यः | मघवा | पुरूवसुः | सहस्रेण | इव | शिक्षति । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) सुराधसम् + इन्द्रम् → सुराधसमिन्द्रम् (म् + इ → मि-प्रवेश/अनुस्वार-परिवर्तन)
- (2) अर्च + यथा → अर्च यथा (विशेष सन्धि नहीं; पदान्त-च् के बाद य- आरम्भ)
- (3) सहस्रेण + इव → सहस्रेणेव (एण + इव → एवे; स्वर-सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Sing forth to Indra of good bounty so that you may know him; he, the bounteous rich in many goods, trains and enriches the praiser as if with a thousandfold power.
Inner meaning
The mantra calls the seeker to active aspiration (arc—praise) toward Indra, the illumined Mind-Power. By sustained invocation, one comes to ‘know’ (vide) Indra—not as concept but as realized force. Indra the Maghavā (giver) and Purūvasu (many plenitudes) educates (śikṣati) the jaritṛ (the one who voices aspiration) by multiplying capacity ‘as with a thousand’: intensifying mental light, courage, and effective action in the inner battle.
Universal truth
Sincere aspiration attracts illumination that not only grants gifts but trains the consciousness—amplifying its capacity far beyond habitual measure.
Themes
Indra praise, Strengthening the singer, Bounty as spiritual accomplishment
The seer
Significance
A teaching-verse on the mechanics of mantra-yajña: praise leads to knowledge; knowledge draws training; training yields multiplied capacity—Indra as guru-force of illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Surādhas (good-bounteous), Maghavā (bounteous giver), Purūvasu (rich in many plenitudes)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods; wielder of vajra; opens the luminous worlds; increases the powers of the sacrificer.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence that trains the will and enlarges capacity; victorious clarity that turns aspiration into effective realization.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma sacrifice / general praise in śastra
अ॒भि प्र व॑: सु॒राध॑स॒मिन्द्र॑मर्च॒ यथा॑ वि॒दे । यो ज॑रि॒तृभ्यो॑ म॒घवा॑ पुरू॒वसु॑: स॒हस्रे॑णेव॒ शिक्ष॑ति ॥
अ॒भि । प्र । वः॒ । सु॒ऽराध॑सम् । इन्द्र॑म् । अ॒र्च॒ । यथा॑ । वि॒दे । यः । ज॒रि॒तृऽभ्यः॑ । म॒घऽवा॑ । पु॒रु॒ऽवसुः॑ । स॒हस्रे॑णऽइव । शिक्ष॑ति ॥
abhi | pra | vaḥ | su-rādhasam | indram | arca | yathā | vide | yaḥ | jaritṛ-bhyaḥ | magha-vā | puru-vasuḥ | sahasreṇa-iva | śikṣati
44
4 x ~11
Exhortative and ascending; strong opening impetus (‘abhi pra’) suitable for invocation.
Stirs aspiration and confidence; builds a sense of rising force and readiness for inner effort.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, king of gods. Symbolic: Divine Mind/Illumination; lord of luminous intelligence and victorious force
- सुराधसम् (surādhasam)
- Literal: of good bounty. Symbolic: Beneficent illumination that gives right results and true increase
- अर्च (arca)
- Literal: praise, sing. Symbolic: Aspiration that calls down the higher power; mantra as bridge
- विदे (vide)
- Literal: may (you) know. Symbolic: Experiential knowing—direct realization of the illumined consciousness
- मघवा (maghavā)
- Literal: bounteous. Symbolic: The giver of inner riches—light, strength, joy
- पुरुवसु (purūvasuḥ)
- Literal: rich in many goods. Symbolic: Many-sided plenitudes of consciousness (knowledge, force, harmony)
- जरितृभ्यः (jaritṛbhyaḥ)
- Literal: to the praisers. Symbolic: To the aspirant-faculty that constantly calls and articulates the quest
- सहस्रेणेव (sahasreṇeva)
- Literal: as if with a thousand. Symbolic: Vast multiplication of power; supernormal intensification
Indra-stotra in Soma context or general Indra praise; used to invoke Indra’s strengthening and bounty for the sacrificer and singers.
When invoking Indra for increase of power and victory; especially alongside Soma offerings to Indra.
Chanted praise to call Indra and request boon/training for the singer.
Use before demanding tasks or sadhana effort: invoke illumined mind to ‘train’ attention and multiply capacity.
su-rā́dhas: su- 'good' + rā́dhas 'gift, bounty' (√rādh 'to succeed, accomplish; grant')—inner: right effective giving. vidé: from √vid 'know/find'—knowledge as realization through praise. maghávā: from maghá 'gift, power to give' (cf. Indo-Iranian *magha-). śíkṣati: from √śikṣ 'to train, instruct, enable'—Indra as educator of the soul-force, not merely donor of goods.
Knowledge-through-praise (vid via arca), Rayi/plenitude as spiritual fullness, Indra as force of achievement
Indra’s ‘good bounty’ implies gifts aligned to right order, not impulsive gain.
‘Know him’—truth as realization, not belief.
Increase and expansion: Indra as enlarger of the human instrument toward the vast.
Karmayoga-like Vedic: illumination trains action; mantra as means of ascent.
Sound = formative vibration shaping consciousness; ‘thousand’ = boundless amplification of inner energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the bounteous empowerer of the praiser: the god enriches and 'trains' the singer with thousandfold potency. The mythic pattern is reciprocal exchange—praise awakens Indra; Indra multiplies the soul’s force and plenitude.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vid (PIE *weyd- 'see/know') in vidé; maghá- has Indo-Iranian inheritance (Avestan maγa-). The formulaic epithets (maghávā, purū-vásuḥ) reflect inherited IE praise-style: stacked adjectives specifying function and power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community (plural address) engages Indra through arca (hymnic utterance) aiming at vid (realization). Indra reciprocates by śikṣati—educating and empowering the praiser into greater capacity for accomplishment and plenitude.
Invoke a descending clarity in the head/forehead; feel it ‘train’ the mind to sustained attention and decisive choice.
Ājñā (illumination) and Maṇipūra (effective force)
4-4-6 breathing; on exhale, mentally repeat ‘indraṃ arca’ to concentrate aspiration.
Bright, courageous, forward-driving concentration; increased efficacy.
Chant once, then sit: ask inwardly, ‘Show me what to do next.’ Follow the first clear, calm directive (not impulsive). Repeat daily to build the ‘trained instrument’ (śikṣati).
Strong lift on ‘índram’ and on imperative ‘árca’; keep ‘abhi pra’ as a clean upbeat.
Mark the invocation words with clear udatta; avoid dragging—this is a call-to-action verse.
abhi pra: separate clearly (a-bhi / pra), surādhasam: long ā; dh aspirated, indraṃ: final ṃ nasalization, jaritṛbhyo: vocalic ṛ; bhy as cluster, sahasreṇeva: long e; ‘eva’ as e-va
Bright, ringing, confident; slightly emphatic attacks at pāda openings.
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