Rig Veda 8.69.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 69, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.69
- Devata
- Soma
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
प्रप्र वस्त्रिष्टुभमिषं मन्दद्वीरायेन्दवे । धिया वो मेधसातये पुरंध्या विवासति ॥
prá-prá vaḥ triṣṭúbham íṣam mandád-vīrāya índave | dhiyā́ vo medhā́-sātaye purandhyā́ vívāsati ||
वो बार-बार तुम्हारे लिए ताकत लाती है। यह ताकत सोम के लिए है जो वीरों से खुश होता है। अपनी बुद्धि से तुम्हे समझ देता है। यह ताकत तुम्हे सही ज्ञान दिलाने आती है।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- प्र
- forth, stronglyIndeclinableupasarga (repetition for intensification)Root प्र (upasarga)
- वः
- of you (your)Pronoungenitive plural (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive/genitival relation)Root युष्मद् (pronoun stem)
- त्रिष्टुभम्
- the Triṣṭubh (metre/chant)Nounaccusative singular; masculine (Vedic usage for the metre-name)Role कर्म (object)Root त्रिष्टुभ् (prātipadika)
- इषम्
- refreshment, nourishmentNounaccusative singular; feminineRole कर्म (object)Root इष् (prātipadika: iṣ- ‘refreshment, strength, nourishment’)
- मन्दद्वीरा
- to the hero-gladdening (one)Adjectivedative singular feminine (agreeing with इन्दवे); bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa-type Vedic compound ‘having/gladdening heroes’Role सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root मन्द (adj. ‘gladdening’) + वीर (prātipadika) → compound
- इन्दवे
- to Indu (Soma)Noundative singular; masculineRole सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root इन्दु (prātipadika ‘drop; Soma’)
- धिया
- with (our) thought/insightNouninstrumental singular; feminineRole करण (means)Root धी (prātipadika ‘thought, insight’)
- वः
- for youPronoundative plural (enclitic)Role सम्प्रदान (recipient)Root युष्मद् (pronoun stem)
- मेधसातये
- for the attainment of wisdom/skillNoundative singular; feminine/abstract (purpose-dative)Role सम्प्रदान (purpose/recipient)Root मेधसा- (prātipadika ‘wisdom/skill’) + अतय (from √अत्/अति ‘to go, attain’ in noun-formation) → compound
- पुरंध्या
- with Purandhī (Bounty)Nouninstrumental singular; feminineRole करण (means/agency)Root पुरंधि (prātipadika; name/epithet of a goddess, also ‘bounty, liberality’)
- विवासति
- shines forth / makes manifestVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRole क्रिया (verbal action; subject implicit)Root √वास् (to shine/dwell) with vi-; Vedic verb विवासति
Sandhi Notes
- Padaccheda (sandhi-resolved): प्र | प्र | वः | त्रिष्टुभम् | इषम् | मन्दद्वीरा | इन्दवे । धिया | वः | मेधसातये | पुरंध्या | विवासति ॥ Notable: (1) मन्दद्वी॑रा॒येन्द॑वे → मन्दद्वीरा + इन्दवे (a+i sandhi across pada-boundary in saṃhitā). (2) धि॒या वो॑ → धिया + वः (no change; enclitic pronoun). (3) पुरं॒ध्या वि॑वासति → पुरंध्या + विवासति (no external sandhi change). Accents are as in saṃhitā text
- padapāṭha accents may differ
The meaning
Outer meaning
Again and again she brings forward for you the Triṣṭubh-form inspiration and nourishing impulse for Soma who delights in heroes; with thought she serves you for the winning of intelligence; Purandhī offers worship.
Inner meaning
Purandhī—the power of plenitude/fulfilment—manifests repeatedly the strong rhythmic inspiration (triṣṭubhám iṣám) that feeds Soma, the bliss-principle rejoicing in heroic energies (mandad-vīra). Through dhi (illumined thought) she serves the seekers toward medhā (luminous intelligence), i.e., a mind capable of holding and organizing higher light. The ‘worship’ is the continuous inner offering of thought and force to the Ananda (Soma).
Universal truth
Abundance is not mere possession; it is a conscious power that repeatedly brings the right inspiration and nourishment so bliss can grow and intelligence can be won.
Themes
Soma-ritual, inspiration, medhā-winning, abundance
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.69 (Soma hymn sequence)
Family tradition
Kāṇva Soma hymns frequently personify supporting powers (like Purandhī) as inner goddesses aiding the Soma-realisation.
Significance
Frames mantra, meter, and inner goddess as a single yoga: rhythm (chandas) carries inspiration that nourishes bliss and yields medhā.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (with Purandhī as supporting śakti)
- Epithets
- indu (bright drop) implied by indave, mandad-vīra (rejoicing in heroes)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Sarasvatī, Purandhī
Cosmic role
Soma is the delight that sustains gods and humans; it is the sap of immortality and the upholding bliss in creation.
Inner power
Ananda that intoxicates the mind into wideness, courage, and luminous intelligence.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma yajña stotra/śastra context (praise to Soma; invoking nourishment and medhā)
प्रप्र॑ वस्त्रि॒ष्टुभ॒मिषं॑ म॒न्दद्वी॑रा॒येन्द॑वे । धि॒या वो॑ मे॒धसा॑तये॒ पुरं॒ध्या वि॑वासति ॥
प्रऽप्र॑ । वः॒ । त्रि॒ऽस्तुभ॑म् । इष॑म् । म॒न्दत्ऽवी॑राय । इन्द॑वे । धि॒या । वः॒ । मे॒धऽसा॑तये । पु॒र॒म्ऽध्या । आ । वि॒वा॒स॒ति॒ ॥
pra-pra | vaḥ | tri-stubham | iṣam | mandat-vīrāya | indave | dhiyā | vaḥ | medha-sātaye | puram-dhyā | ā | vivāsati
44
4 pādas × 11 syllables (normative Triṣṭubh)
Strong, expansive, ‘marching’ inspiration—ideal for heroic Soma-joy.
Opens the chest and breath; stimulates confident clarity and a sense of uplifted power.
- triṣṭubham (त्रिष्टुभम्)
- Literal: Triṣṭubh meter; also ‘threefold support’ (etymic suggestion). Symbolic: strong formative rhythm of inspired speech that builds consciousness
- iṣam (इषम्)
- Literal: impulsion, nourishment. Symbolic: psychic/pranic sustenance that feeds higher delight
- indave (इन्दवे)
- Literal: to Soma. Symbolic: to the Ananda-principle, nectar of consciousness
- mandad-vīrāya (मन्दत्वीराय)
- Literal: for the Soma that rejoices in heroes. Symbolic: bliss that increases when courageous energies are offered
- dhiyā (धिया)
- Literal: by thought, insight. Symbolic: illumined understanding as priest of the inner rite
- medhasātaye (मेधसातये)
- Literal: for winning medhā (intelligence). Symbolic: attainment of luminous, steady, organizing mind
- purandhyā (पुरम्ध्या)
- Literal: Purandhī (a goddess/power of abundance). Symbolic: plenitude that ‘fills the city’—completes the being with right riches
Soma offering and praise; invocation for medhā (inspired intelligence) during Soma rites
During Soma pressing/offerings; when calling Soma’s delight and the supportive powers of abundance.
Recitation as offering of inspired speech and thought to Soma.
For study/creative work: chant to invite medhā (clear intelligence) supported by calm joy rather than strain.
íṣ- ‘impel, invigorate’ → iṣá ‘impulsion/nourishment’. índu/índu- ‘drop’ (Soma) possibly from √ind ‘to drop’ (traditional) / semantic ‘bright drop’. dhī- ‘thought/vision’ central Vedic term for inspired cognition. medhā́ from √medh (complex: ‘wisdom/ritual efficacy’) → here ‘luminous intelligence’ that wins right ordering. purandhī interpreted as puraṃ ‘fulness’ + dhī ‘placing/holding/thought’: the power that ‘places fullness’ in consciousness.
dhī (inspired thought), medhā (luminous intelligence), abundance/fulfilment (Purandhī)
Triṣṭubh as ordered rhythm is a vehicle of ṛta in speech.
Medhā is the mind’s capacity to hold satya without distortion.
Delight (Soma) as a creative substrate nourished by inspired rhythm and plenitude.
Integral Vedāntic psychology: Ananda supports knowledge (medhā) and force (vīra).
dawn-to-morning Soma pressing (typical)
Nectar = bliss-current; rhythm = ordered vibration shaping consciousness; abundance = fullness of being.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘bringing forward of iṣ (impulsion) to Soma’ by an assisting power (Purandhī): mythically, the goddess-like plenitude serves Soma and the gods; psychologically, the fullness-power in the being repeatedly offers energized inspiration so Soma-delight can yield medhā.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The worship/serving verb √vas (vivāsati) participates in an IE semantic field of ‘dwelling/serving’ (cf. Vesta/vestal semantic neighborhood though not a simple cognate mapping). triṣṭubh as metrical term shows inherited Indo-Iranian poetic technology that structures meaning through rhythm.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s dhī actively ‘serves’ to win medhā: aspiration (dhī) is both offering and instrument, while Soma is the delight-force that answers by intensifying intelligence; Purandhī mediates as the abundance that makes the offering effective and complete.
Invoke Purandhī (plenitude) to bring repeated waves of inspired rhythm that feed inner joy and clarify intelligence.
Viśuddha (mantra/speech) supporting Ājñā (medhā).
Chant on a steady 11-beat feel per pāda; let exhale carry the line, inhale silently between pādas.
Joyful concentration—bright, uplifted, and orderly.
Begin with gratitude (Purandhī), chant slowly enough to feel rhythm in the body, then sit and notice a subtle ‘nectar’ ease behind the mind; allow that ease to organize thought without effort.
Svara not provided; as Triṣṭubh, keep clear pāda cadence; slightly elevate key offerings: pra-pra, triṣṭubham, indave, dhiyā, medhasātaye, purandhyā.
Mark the repeated ‘pra-pra’ with two forward pulses; maintain caesura feel mid-pāda.
triṣṭubham: retroflex ‘ṣṭ’; short ‘u’, mandadvīrāya: keep conjunct ‘ndad’ clear; long ‘ī’, indave: ‘v’ soft; final ‘e’ clear, puraṃdhyā: anusvāra before ‘dh’ nasalized; ‘dh’ aspirated
Warm, resonant, devotional yet bright; let the rhythm carry the mind.
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.
