Rig Veda 8.69.10: Mandala 8, Sukta 69, Mantra 10
Sukta 8.69
- Rishi
- Pragātha tradition of Mandala 8
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Triṣṭubh-family
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
आ यत्पतन्त्येन्यः सुदुघा अनपस्फुरः । अपस्फुरं गृभायत सोममिन्द्राय पातवे ॥
ā yát pátanty enyáḥ sudúghā ánapa-sphuraḥ | ápa-sphuraṃ gṛbhāyata sómam índrāya pātáve ||
जब तेज़ चीज़ें उड़ कर आती हैं, अच्छे से, बिना बिखे, तब सोम को पकड़ लो। वो गिरना नहीं चाहिए। इंद्र के लिए पीने के लिए उसे पकड़ के रखना, खुशी को साफ रखना।
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थे/आगमनार्थे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यत्
- that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सम्बन्ध/यदर्थे)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पतन्ति
- they fly, they fallVerbलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role Kartā (क्रियापद)Root पत् (पतति)
- एन्याः
- the swift onesAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (पतन्ति इत्यस्य)Root एनी/एन्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वेगवती/शीघ्रगामिनी’)
- सुदुघाः
- well-milking, yielding abundantlyAdjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (पतन्ति इत्यस्य; एन्याः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-दुघा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सु’ + √दुह् ‘दोहने’)
- अनपस्फुरः
- unfaltering, not slipping awayAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (वैदिके -ः प्रत्ययः स्त्रीबहुवचनेऽपि दृश्यते)Role Kartā (पतन्ति इत्यस्य; विशेषणम्)Root अन-अपस्फुर (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + अपस्फुर ‘विचलन/छलन’)
- अपस्फुरम्
- unfaltering, firmAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (कर्मपदत्वे)Role Karma (गृभायत इत्यस्य)Root अपस्फुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृभायत
- seize!, grasp!Verbलोट् (वैदिक आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (आज्ञा/विधि)Root गृह्/ग्रह् (गृभ्णाति/गृह्णाति ‘ग्रहणे’)
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed drink)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role Karma (गृभायत इत्यस्य)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- for IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पातवे
- to drinkVerbal noun (infinitive)तवेन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् अव्ययीभाववत्; दातृ/उद्देश्ये (इन्फिनिटिव्)Role Prayojana (उद्देश्य/अर्थः)Root पा (पिबति ‘पाने’) → पातृ/पातु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तुमुन्/तवेन्-प्रत्ययः)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: आ + यत् (no change)
- पतन्ति + एन्याः → पतन्त्येन्याः (इ + ए = ये)
- अनपस्फुरः (नञ्-समासः)
- गृभायत (वैदिक लोट्-रूपम्) + सोमम् (no external sandhi)
- इन्द्राय + पातवे (no change). Accent marks in the saṃhitā text indicate Vedic udātta/svarita but do not alter pada segmentation here
The meaning
Outer meaning
When the swift, well-yielding ones fly here without scattering, seize the Soma that does not spill, for Indra to drink.
Inner meaning
The ‘swift ones’ (enyaḥ) are the active energies or illumined impulses that arrive from above; ‘well-yielding’ indicates they bring rich essence. The instruction is yogic: gather and hold the Soma (divine delight) without dissipation (an-apasphura / apa-sphuram). Then offer that steady bliss to Indra—so the mind-force drinks and becomes powerful, clear, and victorious.
Universal truth
Spiritual energy and joy must be collected and stabilized; when delight is not scattered, the higher intelligence can assimilate it and act with mastery.
Themes
Soma preparation, steadiness of consciousness, Indra’s drinking
The seer
- Rishi
- Pragātha tradition (Mandala 8)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.69 (same sūkta context)
Family tradition
Pragātha verses often function as practical instructions embedded in praise—here, a direct discipline of ‘holding Soma’.
Significance
The seer emphasizes containment: the spiritual experience must be ‘non-spilling’ to become transformative power in the mind (Indra).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Somapā (Soma-drinker), Vṛtrahan, Maghavan
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Receives Soma to increase force; then releases light and waters by overcoming obstruction.
Inner power
Capacity to assimilate ānanda into luminous strength; turning joy into victorious clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering/praise to Indra as Soma-drinker
आ यत्पत॑न्त्ये॒न्य॑: सु॒दुघा॒ अन॑पस्फुरः । अ॒प॒स्फुरं॑ गृभायत॒ सोम॒मिन्द्रा॑य॒ पात॑वे ॥
आ । यत् । पत॑न्ति । ए॒न्यः॑ । सु॒ऽदुघाः॑ । अन॑पऽस्फुरः । अ॒प॒ऽस्फुर॑म् । गृ॒भा॒य॒त॒ । सोम॑म् । इन्द्रा॑य । पात॑वे ॥
ā | yat | patanti | enyaḥ | su-dughāḥ | anapa-sphuraḥ | apa-sphuram | gṛbhāyata | somam | indrāya | pātave
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4 × ~11 syllables
Quick opening movement (‘patanti’) followed by firm, grasping cadence (‘gṛbhāyata’).
Encourages alert collection; stabilizes attention after an influx of energy.
- ā
- Literal: hither, toward. Symbolic: inward turning; calling higher movements into the field of practice
- patanti
- Literal: they fly. Symbolic: descending inspirations/energies arriving swiftly
- enyaḥ
- Literal: swift, impetuous, eager. Symbolic: dynamic forces of life-mind responding to the call
- sudughāḥ
- Literal: well-milking, yielding well. Symbolic: energies that bring abundant essence (rasa)
- anapasphuraḥ
- Literal: not scattering, not spilling about. Symbolic: non-dissipation; collected prāṇa and attention
- apasphuram
- Literal: non-spilling (Soma). Symbolic: stable ānanda held in the vessel of consciousness
- gṛbhāyata
- Literal: seize, grasp, hold. Symbolic: dharanā: firm holding of experience without loss
- somam
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine delight, immortal rasa
- indrāya pātave
- Literal: for Indra to drink. Symbolic: offer delight to illumined mind so it can strengthen and govern nature
Handling/holding Soma so it is not spilled; offering prepared for Indra’s drinking in Soma-yāga
At Soma pressing and offering; also in Indra-focused stotras seeking strength and clarity.
Call the ‘well-yielding’ flows, prevent spilling, offer to Indra.
Use when energy is high but scattered: chant, then practice steady witnessing and ‘contain’ joy/force before action or speech.
patanti: from √pat ‘fly, fall’ (PIE *pet- ‘fly’). √sphur ‘jerk, quiver, spurt’ with apa-/anapa- gives ‘spilling/scattering’ vs ‘not spilling’—psychologically dispersion vs collectedness. gṛbhāyata: from √grah/gṛbh ‘grasp’ (PIE *gʰrebʰ- ‘grab’). soma: from √su ‘press’ (soma as pressed essence), innerly ‘distilled delight’.
collectedness vs dispersion (anapa-sphura), retention of essence (√grah) for divine assimilation
R̥ta as right measure: delight must be held in proper form to become power.
Truth is sustained when experience is not distorted by dispersion.
Descent of energies → containment → assimilation by higher mind → effective action.
Yoga of collection (saṃyama-like discipline) within Vedic symbolism.
Inflow of prāṇa/inspiration; the ‘vessel’ of attention prevents leakage; Soma becomes steady bliss.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The careful ‘seizing/holding’ of Soma for Indra’s drink—mythically the rite ensures the god’s portion; innerly it is the discipline of retaining the distilled delight without dispersion so the Indra-force can assimilate it and act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pat ‘fly’ corresponds to PIE *pet- (cf. Greek pétomai). √grah ‘grasp’ aligns with IE ‘grab’ roots. The prefixal play (apa-/anapa-) shows early Indo-European preverb semantics used to encode psychological nuance (dispersion vs stability).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi assumes responsibility for steadiness—he ‘holds’ the Soma (essence) undispersed; Indra is the one who drinks and converts that essence into victorious force. The reciprocity is discipline offered, power returned.
Contain and stabilize delight/energy; offer it upward to illumined mind for right action.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (rasa) regulated by Maṇipūra (containment/will)
Inhale as ‘ā yat patanti’ (receive); exhale as ‘gṛbhāyata somam’ (hold). Add gentle internal kumbhaka to prevent ‘spilling’.
Collected joy becoming luminous strength.
After chanting, sit 2–5 minutes: feel a ‘cup’ in the heart holding sweetness; avoid outward expression until it stabilizes; then act from clarity.
Chant with Vedic tri-svara per recension; in absence of accent marks, keep a gentle lift on invocatory words (‘indrāya’).
Make ‘anapasphuraḥ’ crisp (no slurring); stress the imperative ‘gṛbhāyata’.
enyaḥ: ‘e-nyaḥ’ (clear palatal ‘ny’), sudughāḥ: ‘su-du-ghāḥ’ with voiced ‘gh’, anapasphuraḥ/apasphuram: articulate ‘sph’ cluster cleanly, pātave: long ‘ā’
Clear and contained; avoid overly loud chanting to embody ‘non-spilling’.
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