Rig Veda 8.56.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 56, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.56
- Rishi
- Kāṇva / Kāṇvāyana
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Not securely determinable from excerpt alone
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
दश मह्यं पौतक्रतः सहस्रा दस्यवे वृकः । नित्याद्रायो अमंहत ॥
dáśa máhyaṃ pauta-kratáḥ sahásrā dasyáve vṛkáḥ | nítyād rāyó amaṃhata ||
मुझे दस मिला, और जो लोग सेवा करते हैं उनको हज़ार। भोले ने अच्छा मन के दिया। हमेशा के खज़ाने से उसने धन की नदियाँ भर दी।
Word by Word
- दश
- tenNoun (Numeral)(विशेषणवत्) नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (अव्ययवत् संख्यापद-प्रयोगः)Role KarmaRoot दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- मह्यम्
- to mePronounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पौतक्रतः
- O Pautakratu (epithet of Indra)Noun (Proper epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनRole KartāRoot पौतक्रतु- (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; ‘पोतृ-क्रतु’/‘पौत-क्रतु’ इति व्युत्पत्तिः)
- सहस्राणि
- thousandsNoun (Numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot सहस्र (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्यवे
- to the Dasyu (enemy/raider)Nounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृकः
- the wolfNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
- नित्यात्
- always; from everAdjective (used adverbially)पञ्चमी एकवचन (अभ्यस्त-निपातवत्: ‘नित्यतः/नित्यात्’ = always/from ever)Role ApādānaRoot नित्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- रायः
- of wealthNounषष्ठी एकवचन (वेदिकः रूपभेदः: रायः = रायेः)Role ApādānaRoot राय्/रायि (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘wealth’)
- अमंहत
- he bestowed; he gave generouslyVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुष एकवचनRole KartāRoot मंह् (धातु; ‘to give bountifully / to bestow’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: दश | मह्यम् | पौतक्रतः | सहस्राणि | दस्यवे | वृकः | नित्यात् | रायः | अमंहत । 1) ‘सहस्रा दस्यवे’ इत्यत्र संहितायां दीर्घस्वर-लोप/प्रगृह्य-प्रयोगः
- पदपाठे ‘सहस्राणि’ (नपुं. बहु.) अपेक्षितम्। 2) ‘रायो’ इति संहितारूपं पदपाठे ‘रायः’ (षष्ठी एक.)। 3) ‘अमंहत’ = √मंह् लुङ् 3sg (वेदिक-आगम/अनुनासिक-प्रयोगः)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
“Ten for me, thousands for the serving one—so the Wolf of purifying will has granted; from the eternal he has increased the streams of wealth.”
Inner meaning
The numbers signal graded distribution of force: ‘ten’ (daśa) can indicate completeness in the human measure (ten powers/senses/organizing capacities), while ‘thousands’ (sahasrā) indicate overflowing superabundance when service becomes integral. Indra as vṛka again is the forceful protector; as pauta-kratu (purifying/purified will), he is the divine Mind whose intention is clean, not mixed. nityāt—‘from the eternal’—points to a source beyond fluctuating vital desire; rādhas/rāyaḥ becomes a steady stream that swells (amaṃhata) as consciousness aligns. The mantra teaches: align will, serve the higher, and abundance becomes a continuous current from the timeless source.
Universal truth
True prosperity is proportional to purity of intention and depth of service. When will is purified, abundance is no longer episodic; it becomes a stable flow from a deeper, enduring source.
Themes
gift-and-increase, purified-will, plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva / Kāṇvāyana (RV 8.56)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.56.1, RV 8.55.4
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns frequently use numerical symbolism for inner measures of force and emphasize purity of kratu (will).
Significance
Highlights the Vedic psychology of kratu: intention is the pivot; when purified, the divine gives in overflowing measure.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛka, Pauta-kratu, Maghavan
- Related deities
- Soma (bliss as ‘wealth’), Agni (will as priest), Bṛhaspati (word that opens)
Cosmic role
Bestower who increases the streams; purifier and enlarger of human capacities.
Inner power
Purified will-force that turns finite measures (ten) into superabundance (thousands) by opening the eternal source.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-dāna praise in Soma rites (general)
दश॒ मह्यं॑ पौतक्र॒तः स॒हस्रा॒ दस्य॑वे॒ वृक॑: । नित्या॑द्रा॒यो अ॑मंहत ॥
दश॑ । मह्य॑म् । पौ॒त॒ऽक्र॒तः । स॒हस्रा॑ । दस्य॑वे । वृकः॑ । नित्या॑त् । रा॒यः । अ॒मं॒ह॒त॒ ॥
daśa | mahyam | pauta-krataḥ | sahasrā | dasyave | vṛkaḥ | nityāt | rāyaḥ | amaṃhata
24
3 x ~8 (approx.)
Quick, gift-declaring cadence; numerical contrast (ten/thousands) creates a punchy lift.
Invokes confidence in increase; energizes aspiration toward purity of will.
- दश (daśa)
- Literal: ten. Symbolic: complete human measure; organized faculties ready for use
- सहस्राः (sahasrāḥ)
- Literal: thousands. Symbolic: overflowing plenitude; superabundant inflow of force
- मह्यम् (mahyam)
- Literal: to me. Symbolic: the individual instrument receiving a measured portion
- दस्यवे (dasyave)
- Literal: to the servant. Symbolic: the surrendered nature receives vast increase
- पौतक्रतः (pauta-krataḥ)
- Literal: of purified/purifying resolve (kratu). Symbolic: clean will aligned to the divine intention
- नित्यात् (nityāt)
- Literal: from the eternal. Symbolic: from the stable supramental/inner source beyond fluctuation
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: riches, streams of wealth. Symbolic: currents of force, clarity, joy, capacity
- अमंहत (amaṃhata)
- Literal: has increased, made to swell. Symbolic: augmentation of the inner flow; expansion of capacity
Dāna/praise of Indra’s granting; could be associated with dakṣiṇā (gift) motifs around Soma rites, but exact Śrauta mapping uncertain.
To affirm Indra’s granting and increase of ‘rāyaḥ’ during offerings
Recitation accompanying oblations; celebratory acknowledgment of boon
Use to consecrate intention before receiving resources: chant, then state a purified aim (kratu) for how the resource will serve growth.
krátu as effective will/intelligence; pūta ‘purified’ (√pū ‘purify’). rayí is not mere wealth but plenitude of being. √maṃh indicates enlarging/increasing (also ‘gladden’), fitting the inner sense of swelling felicity from a nitya (constant) source.
nitya (the constant/eternal ground), kratu (purified will), rāyas (plenitude of being)
Purified kratu aligns action with ṛta, allowing increase without distortion.
Purity implies truth in motive—no divided desire.
Abundance as a flow from the eternal into time when channels are opened.
Vedic psychology of will (kratu) and descent of plenitude
Streams = currents of prāṇa/ānanda/knowledge; swelling = increased capacity; wolf = cutting protector of the flow.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The hyperbolic gift mythologem (ten/thousands) expressing superabundance as a sign of Indra’s victorious plenitude. Innerly, finite measures (‘ten’) open into immeasurable increase (‘thousands’) when the will (kratu) is purified.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- daśa ‘ten’ reflects PIE *deḱm̥. sahasra is Indo-Iranian for ‘thousand’ (PIE *ǵʰeslo- debated; Indo-Iranian innovation likely). kratu is a characteristically Indo-Iranian theological term without a simple single PIE equivalent, but it embodies an IE pattern of ‘mental force’ terms used in heroic-religious poetry.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi receives and witnesses the scaling of abundance: Indra as pūta-kratu grants in proportion to receptivity, and from the ‘nitya’ ground makes rayi increase. The bond is transformative: purification of will enables a greater descent of plenitude.
Purify kratu: feel the difference between desire and intention aligned to the soul; invite the ‘nitya’ source as a quiet background presence.
Maṇipūra (kratu/will) with support from Anāhata (purity of motive)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) gently; on exhale, release mixed motives; chant once at the end of a cycle.
Steady will with trust in an enduring source.
Write one intention that is ‘pauta’ (clean, service-oriented). Chant, then act on one step; observe how the ‘stream’ of support increases over days.
Svara not provided; keep the numerical phrases crisp and balanced; slight lift on pauta-krataḥ.
daśa | mahyam || pauta-krataḥ | sahasrā || dasyave | vṛkaḥ || nityāt | rāyaḥ | amaṃhata.
(pauta-krataḥ): ‘au’ diphthong; ‘kr’ cluster clean, (sahasrā): stress ‘ha’; long ā at end, (amaṃhata): nasal ‘ṃ’ before h; do not over-nasalize
Clear, confident, with a sense of ‘flow’ in the last pāda.
3
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