Rig Veda 8.66.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 66, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.66
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
कदू न्वस्याकृतमिन्द्रस्यास्ति पौंस्यम् । केनो नु कं श्रोमतेन न शुश्रुवे जनुषः परि वृत्रहा ॥
kadū́ nv asyā́kṛtam índrasyā́sti páuṃsyam | kénō nu kaṃ śrómatena ná śuśruve jánuṣaḥ pári vṛtrahā́ ||
इंद्र की कोई भी करम ऐसी नहीं जो दिखाये में कम हो। सब में ताकत है। उसने वृत्र को मारा, जो दुश्मन था। इसलिए लोग उसकी कहानी सुनते हैं। बच्चा बच्चा जानता है कि वो कितना बलवान है। उसके काम लोगों को जागा देते हैं।
Word by Word
- कदू
- when indeed? / how ever?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (काल/प्रसङ्ग-प्रश्न), अव्ययRoot कदा (प्रश्नाव्यय) + ऊ (निपात/एव) → कदू
- नु
- now; indeed; thenIndeclinableनिपात (अन्वर्थ/प्रेरक), अव्ययRoot नु (निपात)
- अस्य
- of him / of this (Indra)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आकृतम्
- done; accomplished; performedAdjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (कृत-प्रत्यय, भूतकृदन्त)Role विशेषण (to पौंस्यम्)Root आ + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त) ; प्रातिपदिक: आकृत
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्ति
- is; existsVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (सम्बन्धक क्रिया)Root अस् (धातु)
- पौंस्यम्
- manly power; virility; prowessNoun (abstract)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेष्य (वाक्यविषय/प्रथमा)Root पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक) → पौंस्य (भाव/गुणवाचक)
- केन
- by what? with what means?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नु
- indeed; thenIndeclinableनिपात, अव्ययRoot नु (निपात)
- कम्
- whom? which (one)?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रोमतेन
- with famed/renowned (power); with glorious (might)Adjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot श्रोमत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘श्रवस्/श्रु’ से ‘श्रवण-सम्बद्ध/कीर्तिमत्’ अर्थ)
- न
- notIndeclinableनिषेध, अव्ययRoot न (निषेध-अव्यय)
- शुश्रुवे
- has been heard; is heardVerbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot श्रु (धातु) → शुश्रुवे (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट)
- जनुषः
- from birth; of (his) birthNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole अपादान/अधिकरण (परि के साथ: ‘from/around since birth’ भाव)Root जनुस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘जन्’ से)
- परि
- around; all about; from all sidesIndeclinableउपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग, अव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वृत्रहा
- Vṛtra-slayerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्ता (सम्बोधन/विषय: इन्द्र)Root वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + हन्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): कदू नु अस्य आकृतम् इन्द्रस्य अस्ति पौंस्यम् । केन नु कम् श्रोमतेन न शुश्रुवे जनुषः परि वृत्रहा ॥ 1) न्वस्य = नु + अस्य
- 2) अस्याकृतम् = अस्य + आकृतम् (अ + आ → आ)
- 3) इन्द्रस्यास्ति = इन्द्रस्य + अस्ति (अ + अ → आ)
- 4) केनो = केन + उ (उकार-निपात/उत्-प्रश्नवृद्धि; पदपाठ में केन उ)
- 5) कं श्रोमतेन = कम् + श्रोमतेन (अनुस्वार-सन्धि)
- 6) शुश्रुवे जनुषः = शुश्रुवे + जनुषः (सन्धि नहीं, पदसंयोग)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet marvels: which act of Indra is not manly power? Who has not heard, from birth onward, of Indra the Vṛtra-slayer? His deeds are renowned everywhere.
Inner meaning
The soul wonders at the Divine Mind’s unfailing capacity for victorious action. Indra’s “manliness” (pauṃsya) is the steadfast, luminous courage of the awakened intelligence that repeatedly breaks the inner Coverer (Vṛtra)—the inertia, ignorance, and subconscient resistance that blocks the flow of higher Light. The mantra affirms that the possibility of inner victory is native to human existence (“from birth onward”): the call to awakening is woven into our very becoming.
Universal truth
Wherever consciousness turns toward truth, the power of illumination becomes the natural hero-force that defeats obscurity. Spiritual progress is not an anomaly but an inherent destiny: the awakening strength is remembered, heard, and re-heard across generations of the soul’s journey.
Themes
Fame of Indra, Vṛtra-slaying, Heroic power
The seer
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.66 (entire sūkta), Rig Veda 8.6–8.8 (Kaṇva Indra hymns, thematic parallels)
Family tradition
Kaṇvas are noted for hymns to Indra emphasizing victory, illumination, and the recovery of the ‘cows’ (rays).
Significance
The “unknown seer” functions as a representative inner aspirant: the mantra speaks from the universal memory of Indra’s repeated inner conquest, a keynote of the Kaṇva psychological Indra-cycle.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Vṛtrahā)
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahā (slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (lord of plenitude, implied in the sūkta), Vajrin (wielder of the thunderbolt, thematic)
- Related deities
- Agni (will leading the inner sacrifice), Soma (bliss that supports Indra), Uṣas (illumination that Indra brings into day), Bṛhaspati (word-power that breaks the cave)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who releases the waters/light, establishes wide space, and restores the movement of ṛta by defeating the obstructing power.
Inner power
Illumined discernment and victorious will in the mind that breaks fixed patterns of ignorance and opens the channels for higher inspiration and delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stuti in Soma context (general)
कदू॒ न्व१॒॑स्याकृ॑त॒मिन्द्र॑स्यास्ति॒ पौंस्य॑म् । केनो॒ नु कं॒ श्रोम॑तेन॒ न शु॑श्रुवे ज॒नुष॒: परि॑ वृत्र॒हा ॥
कत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । नु । अ॒स्य॒ । अकृ॑तम् । इन्द्र॑स्य । अ॒स्ति॒ । पौंस्य॑म् । केनो॒ इति॑ । नु । क॒म् । श्रोम॑तेन । न । शि॒श्रु॒वे॒ । ज॒नुषः॑ । परि॑ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽहा ॥
kat | oṃ iti | nu | asya | akṛtam | indrasya | asti | paiṃsyam | keno iti | nu | kam | śromatena | na | śiśruve | januṣaḥ | pari | vṛtra-hā
Triṣṭubh (probable for 8.66; many Indra verses in this hymn-family are Triṣṭubh)
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Strong, questioning drive with heroic cadence; emphatic interrogatives intensify the forward thrust.
Energizes resolve and awakens confidence; the repeated ‘kad ū nu’ works like a mantraic goad to recall Indra’s ever-available power.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, lord of power. Symbolic: Divine Mind/Illumined Intelligence that leads to victory over ignorance
- पौंस्य (pauṃsya)
- Literal: manliness, virility. Symbolic: Spiritual courage and decisive luminous force in action
- वृत्रहा (vṛtrahā)
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: Power that breaks the inner obstruction/covering of consciousness
- श्रोमतेन / श्रवण (śromatena/śravaṇa)
- Literal: by hearing, by report. Symbolic: Śruti as inner receptivity—hearing the truth within, intuitive reception
- जनुषः परि (januṣaḥ pari)
- Literal: from birth around/ever since birth. Symbolic: Across the soul’s embodied becoming; innate orientation toward awakening
Praise emphasizing universally heard fame of Indra’s heroic deeds; supports invocation by establishing śravas/kleos as a power in itself
During Soma pressing/offerings or Indra invocations in śastra/stotra sequences (general placement)
Recitation to invite Indra’s force and confirm his victory over obstruction before/alongside offerings.
Use as an affirmation before challenging work: ‘no act of the illumined mind is without power’; recite to dispel doubt and inertia.
: from √kṛ ‘do/make’. : from púṃs ‘man’ (PIE *puh₂-?; cf. Latin pūbēs in broader semantic field), denotes heroic/virile force. : derivative of √śru ‘hear’ (PIE *ḱleu-) indicating ‘by report/fame’. : perfect middle/active of √śru. : vṛtra (cover) + han (slay) as above.
śruti/śravas as transmission of awakened power, pāuṃsya as soul-force/heroic energy, Vṛtra as cover of ignorance
Indra’s Vṛtra-slaying reopens the true movement (waters/light) that Vṛtra blocks—reestablishing ṛta in the being.
The ‘hearing’ of Indra’s deed points to truth as something received inwardly and confirmed in experience.
Release of blocked energies and expansion into wide space—creation as progressive unveiling.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral (Aurobindo): ascent through illumination; ignorance as a covering to be broken.
unspecified
unspecified
Storm = dynamic illumination; waters = currents of consciousness; widening sky = expanded mind freed from constriction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Universal fame of the Vṛtra-slayer: the dragon-slayer’s deeds are archetypal and ‘heard’ by all. Inwardly, this is the inevitability of the awakening-force once the tradition of inner hearing (śru) is activated.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The ‘hearing/fame’ complex is PIE *ḱleu- (Skt √śru; Gk kléos). The hero’s renown is not ornament but an operative force: what is ‘heard’ becomes a channel for power and memory across generations.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi amplifies Indra by proclaiming his universally acknowledged pāuṃsya; the proclamation itself participates in the power it names—strengthening the presence of Indra in the sacrificer through śro-mata (heard tradition).
Recall the indwelling power of illumination that has ‘always been heard’; let the mind turn from doubt to decisive clarity.
ājñā (brow)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating ‘vṛtrahā’ on the exhale to symbolize release of obstruction.
From restless questioning to settled heroic confidence (sattvic-vīrya).
Begin with the question ‘what in me is still covered?’; invoke Indra as clear discernment; end with a firm inner ‘yes’ to action aligned with truth.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita per Rigvedic accent; key lifts on ‘índrasya’, ‘vṛtrahā́’.
Keep interrogatives light but forward (‘kad ū nu’), rise on the deity-name, and land firmly on ‘vṛtrahā’.
Maintain retroflex in ‘vṛtra’ (ṛ + ṭr cluster)., Keep ‘pauṃsyam’ with nasalization (auṃ)., ‘śuśruve’—repeat ‘śu’ clearly, avoid ‘su’., Do not drop visarga-like breath in ‘januṣaḥ’ (final ḥ audible).
Bright, steady, heroic (chest-supported) with clear consonants.
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