Rig Veda 8.49.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 49, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.49
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अजिरासो हरयो ये त आशवो वाता इव प्रसक्षिणः । येभिरपत्यं मनुषः परीयसे येभिर्विश्वं स्वर्दृशे ॥
ajirā́so hárayo yé ta āśávo vātā́ iva prasákṣiṇaḥ | yébhi r ápatyaṃ mánuṣaḥ parī́yase yébhi r víśvaṃ svàr dṛśé ||
भगवान, तुम्हारे पीले रंग के घोड़े बहुत तेज़ हैं। थकते नहीं हैं, हवा की तरह दौड़ते हैं। इनके साथ तुम इंसानों को अपने पास लाते हो। इनके साथ तुम सारी दुनिया को उजिया आसमान दिखाते हो।
Word by Word
- अजिरासः
- swift, quick (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अजिर (प्रातिपदिक) < √अज्/अञ्ज् (गत्यर्थ/वेग) (निरुक्त-परम्परा)
- हरयः
- the tawny (horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ये
- who/whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to you (for you)Pronounचतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान); एकवचन (वैदिक-प्रयोगे ‘ते’ = ‘तुभ्यम्’)Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आशवः
- swiftAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाताः
- windsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot वात (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव
- प्रसक्षिणः
- powerful/able, prevailingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot प्र-सक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < √सह्/√सक्ष् (समर्थ्य/सहने) (वैदिक विशेषण)
- येभिः
- by which/with whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अपत्यम्
- offspring, progenyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- मनुषः
- of Manu (of man)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- परीयसे
- you go around/you encompassVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole KriyāRoot परि-√इ (गत्यर्थ)
- येभिः
- by which/with whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वम्
- all, the whole (universe)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्वः
- heaven, lightNoun (indeclinable-like in Vedic usage)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (वैदिक रूप ‘स्वः’)Role KarmaRoot स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः)
- दृशे
- to see, for seeingVerbal noun (infinitival)दृशे = तुमर्थे दातिव-रूप (वैदिक infinitive in -e)Role PrayojanaRoot √दृश् (दर्शन) → दृश् (कृदन्त/इन्फिनिटिव-प्रयोगः)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरास): अजिरासः | हरयः | ये | ते | आशवः | वाताः | इव | प्रसक्षिणः || येभिः | अपत्यम् | मनुषः | परीयसे | येभिः | विश्वम् | स्वः | दृशे || विशेषम्: ‘ते’ वैदिके चतुर्थ्यर्थे (तुभ्यम्) प्रयुज्यते। ‘स्वः’ = ‘स्वर्’ (द्युलोक/प्रकाश) वैदिक-रूपम्। ‘दृशे’ वैदिक infinitive (-e) ‘द्रष्टुम्’ अर्थे।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra’s tawny horses (harayaḥ) are swift and tireless like rushing winds; with them he moves around/protects the human race and makes the whole world behold the luminous heaven (svar).
Inner meaning
Indra’s ‘tawny steeds’ are the rapid, luminous life-forces (dynamic energies of the illumined mind) that carry the seeker beyond inertia. When these forces are yoked, the divine Mind ranges through and organizes the human being (manuṣaḥ apatyam), and the whole inner world is made capable of seeing ‘Svar’—the plane of truth-light and wide consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires swift, purified energies that can traverse the whole nature; when illumined force is harnessed, consciousness opens to a higher light and the entire being begins to ‘see’ and live by it.
Themes
Indra’s horses, wind-speed powers, illumination, protection of human line
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.49, RV 8.50, RV 1.47 (Kāṇva-related Indra/Agni themes)
Family tradition
Kāṇvas are noted for hymns to Indra and the dynamic conquest of light; their poetry often turns ‘battle’ and ‘journey’ into inner victory over obstruction.
Significance
Kaṇva-vision emphasizes Indra’s swift powers that break limitation and establish the seeing of Svar—an image of yogic ascent through energized illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śakra (the Mighty), Maghavan (the Bountiful), Vṛtrahan (Slayer of the Coverer)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Opens the waters and the sun, releases the cows (rays), and establishes the wide luminous order of Svar.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence-force that drives through resistance, coordinates the energies, and gives the vision of truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma pressing context (general Indra praise)
अ॒जि॒रासो॒ हर॑यो॒ ये त॑ आ॒शवो॒ वाता॑ इव प्रस॒क्षिण॑: । येभि॒रप॑त्यं॒ मनु॑षः प॒रीय॑से॒ येभि॒र्विश्वं॒ स्व॑र्दृ॒शे ॥
अ॒जि॒रासः॑ । हर॑यः । ये । ते॒ । आ॒शवः॑ । वाताः॑ऽइव । प्र॒ऽस॒क्षिणः॑ । येभिः॑ । अप॑त्यम् । मनु॑षः । प॒रि॒ऽईय॑से । येभिः॑ । विश्व॑म् । स्वः॑ । दृ॒शे ॥
ajirāsaḥ | harayaḥ | ye | te | āśavaḥ | vātāḥ-iva | pra-sakṣiṇaḥ | yebhiḥ | apatyam | manuṣaḥ | pari-īyase | yebhiḥ | viśvam | svaḥ | dṛśe
48
4 padas × 12 syllables
Longer, rolling cadence suited to movement imagery (winds/steeds) and expansive vision (svar).
Builds a sense of surging momentum culminating in a widening ‘seeing’—good for energizing yet expansive meditation.
- हरयः (harayaḥ)
- Literal: tawny horses of Indra. Symbolic: luminous dynamic energies; swift powers of the illumined mind acting in life
- आशवः (āśavaḥ)
- Literal: swift, rapid. Symbolic: quick responsiveness of the inner force to the call of truth
- वाताः इव (vātā iva)
- Literal: like winds. Symbolic: free, unobstructed movement of prāṇa/force when released from tamas
- परि ईयसे (parīyase)
- Literal: you go around/encompass. Symbolic: the divine Mind pervades and orders the whole human nature
- स्वः (svaḥ / svar)
- Literal: heaven, luminous world. Symbolic: plane of Truth-Light; higher consciousness of illumination
- दृशे (dṛśe)
- Literal: to see. Symbolic: inner vision; gnostic seeing/recognition of truth
Evocation of Indra’s horses/powers in the invitatory; supports the ‘bringing’ of Indra to the Soma
During Soma offerings/pressing sequences where Indra is invoked for strength, victory, and illumination.
Recitation/chant with offering (āhuti) and praise (stuti) to invoke Indra’s powers.
Use as an energizing invocation before study/meditation: ‘May the swift luminous forces make my whole being see the higher light.’
‘tawny’ used for Indra’s horses; symbolic of dynamic light-force. : wind (√vā ‘blow’; PIE *h₂weh₁-). ṣ: from Manu, ‘human’, linked with √man ‘think’ (PIE *men-). √dṛś ‘see’ (PIE *derk- ‘see’).
svar as illumination (truth-light), pervasion/protection (pari-īyase) as divine governance, human becoming (apatya) as inner formation
Indra’s encompassing movement establishes a right ordering of the human field so it can align with Svar.
‘Seeing Svar’ implies awakening to truth-vision rather than opinion or impulse.
Ascent from the human to the luminous world through released powers.
Proto-Vedantic / integral yoga-compatible reading (Aurobindo: ascent to Svar as higher mind/illumination).
Wind/steeds = liberated life-force; heaven = illumined consciousness; movement = yogic progress through the nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s haris as cosmic carriers of revelation: the steeds are not mere animals but personified speeds by which Indra pervades humanity and makes ‘svar’ visible. The mythic chariot becomes an inner vehicle of illumination.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dṛś ‘see’ (dṛśe) aligns with PIE *derk- (vision lexicon). √vā ‘blow’ (vāta) aligns with PIE wind vocabulary. The semantic pairing ‘wind-speed’ and ‘vision/light’ is a common IE poetic coupling (swift movement enabling revelation).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer appeals to Indra’s operative energies (harayaḥ) as instruments for human transformation: they ‘encompass’ the human progeny—i.e., shape and protect the evolving inner formations—and open perception to svar, the luminous plane of truth.
Invoke swift luminous energy to pervade the whole being and open inner sight of higher truth.
Manipura–Ajna (force and illumination)
Moderate kapalabhati-like clearing (gentle) followed by steady nāḍī-śodhana to stabilize widened awareness.
Energized clarity moving toward expansive, sky-like awareness.
Feel a tawny-gold force rising and circulating through the body-mind; offer restlessness into speed-with-control; end by resting in a bright, wide ‘upper sky’ of awareness.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per pada; key lifts often on deity/power words (e.g., índra-, svàr-). For exact svara, consult Śākala recension accent notation.
Maintain clear udātta rises on emphasized invocatory terms; avoid flattening long compounds; keep pada breaks clean at |.
: ‘a-ji-rā-so’ (clear long ā), : ‘ha-ra-yo’ (short a, clear y), : keep slight separation ‘vā-tāḥ | i-va’, : visarga lightly aspirated; do not add extra vowel
Bright, forward, resonant; steady airflow to mirror ‘wind-like’ motion.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
