Rig Veda 8.82.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 82, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.82
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यं ते श्येनः पदाभरत्तिरो रजांस्यस्पृतम् । पिबेदस्य त्वमीशिषे ॥
yáṃ te śyénáḥ padā́bharat tiró rajā́ṃsy áspṛtam | píbéd asya tvám ī́śiṣe ||
एक बाज़ ने सोम लाया है। वो आसमान पार करके आया, किसी चीज़ का हाथ भी नहीं लगा। अब तुम उस सोम को पियो। तुम्हारा हक़ है, तुम उसकी ताकत के मालिक हो।
Word by Word
- यम्
- whom / whichPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्येनः
- the falconNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
- पदा
- with the foot / by (its) stepNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (वेदिक रूप: पदा = पदेन)Role करणRoot पद (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभरत्
- brought / boreVerbलुङ् (अङ्गविकल्प-आorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथम पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरणे)
- इरो
- refreshment, sap, drink (iḷā/irā: nourishing draught)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इर (प्रातिपदिक)
- रजांसि
- the spaces/regions (mid-air realms)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (गत्यर्थे ‘across’)Root रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्पृतम्
- untouched, uncontactedAdjective (past passive participle with privative)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘अ-स्पृत’ = not touchedRole विशेषण (कर्मणः)Root √स्पृश् (स्पर्शने) → स्पृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + नञ्-अ (a-)
- पिबेत्
- let (him) drinkVerbविधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम/तृतीय पुरुष; एकवचन (प्रयोगे: ‘let him drink’)Role क्रियाRoot √पा (पाने)
- अस्य
- of this / of himPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युष्मद्/त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ईशिषे
- you rule / you have powerVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; मध्यम पुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ईश् (ऐश्वर्ये/ईश्वरे)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) ते॑ श्ये॒नः → ते + श्येनः (no change; enclitic te). (2) प॒दाभ॑रत्तिः → पदा + अभरत् (a + a → ā; final -t retained). (3) रजां॒स्यस्पृ॑तम् → रजांसि + अस्पृतम् (i + a → y a; written as -स्य-). (4) पिबेद॑स्य॒ → पिबेत् + अस्य (t + a → d a by external sandhi voicing). Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text are not re-applied here
- forms are given in resolved pada shape
The meaning
Outer meaning
Addressed to Indra: “Drink that Soma which your falcon (śyena) brought by a stride, crossing beyond the mid-regions, untouched.” It recalls the Soma-myth of the eagle/falcon bringing Soma from afar.
Inner meaning
Soma is the delight-substance of awakened consciousness. The śyena is the swift, upward-leaping power of the illumined mind (or inspired intuition) that can traverse the intermediate planes (rajāṃsi) without being stained by their obscurities. Indra, lord of luminous Mind, is urged to drink this untainted Ananda so he may wield his sovereign force (īśiṣe) to break resistances and establish clarity and victory in the inner sacrifice.
Universal truth
The highest joy/clarity is won by an ascent that crosses the mixed middle zones without attachment; when the illumined mind partakes of pure delight, it becomes sovereign over its energies and can act with unerring power.
Themes
Soma-bringing-śyena, transcendence, pure-delight, divine-sovereignty
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.80 (Indra drinking Soma for victory), RV 4.26–4.27 (śyena bringing Soma, psychological ascent), RV 9.63 (Soma as purifier/illuminer)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 8 is predominantly Kāṇva in many hymns; this verse participates in the Indra–Soma mythic-psychological current typical of that stream.
Significance
The anonymous rishi-voice emphasizes the method of ascent: a swift, untainted crossing of the mid-worlds to obtain pure Ananda for the illumined mind (Indra) to act victoriously in the inner yajña.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Soma brought by śyena)
- Epithets
- īśiṣe (sovereign/master)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstruction, wielder of luminous force, establisher of wide heaven (clarity) by drinking Soma and releasing the hidden lights.
Inner power
Illumined mind/mental heroism that, nourished by Ananda, overcomes inner darkness and organizes the energies toward truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yāga / Indra-Soma stotra context (general)
यं ते॑ श्ये॒नः प॒दाभ॑रत्ति॒रो रजां॒स्यस्पृ॑तम् । पिबेद॑स्य॒ त्वमी॑शिषे ॥
यम् । ते॒ । श्ये॒नः । प॒दा । अभ॑रत् । ति॒रः । रजां॑सि । अस्पृ॑तम् । पिब॑ । इत् । अ॒स्य॒ । त्वम् । ई॒शि॒षे॒ ॥
yam | te | śyenaḥ | padā | abharat | tiraḥ | rajāṃsi | aspṛtam | piba | it | asya | tvam | īśiṣe
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4 pādas × ~8 syllables (with Vedic variations due to sandhi and enclitics)
Compact, directive cadence; quick turns suited to an imperative (piba).
Creates a focused push upward—invoking swift ascent (śyena) and decisive assimilation (drinking Soma) that energizes resolve and clarity.
- श्येन (śyena)
- Literal: falcon/eagle. Symbolic: swift ascensional force of intuition/inspired mind that seizes the nectar of higher consciousness
- सोम (soma)
- Literal: pressed soma-juice. Symbolic: divine bliss/ananda, immortal delight that intensifies illumination
- रजांसि (rajāṃsi)
- Literal: spaces/regions (mid-air realms). Symbolic: intermediate planes of consciousness where mixture and turbulence can taint the seeker
- अस्पृत (aspṛta)
- Literal: untouched, unstained. Symbolic: pure consciousness not contaminated by lower desire or confusion
- पिब (piba)
- Literal: drink. Symbolic: assimilate/receive into the being; make the delight a living power
- ईशिषे (īśiṣe)
- Literal: you rule/are sovereign. Symbolic: mastery over force/energy through illumined delight
Soma myth integrated into offering: recalling the archetypal acquisition of Soma to intensify Indra’s claim and right to drink.
During Soma pressing/offerings and Indra invocations; also adaptable to personal recitation before meditation.
Offering/mentally offering Soma; calling Indra to partake and empower the sacrifice.
Use as a mantra of ‘pure uplift’: before study/meditation, invoke untainted joy and clear force to cross mental turbulence.
śyena: falcon/eagle; in Soma mythology, the bird brings Soma from the far realm—psychologically, the swift ascending mind (or supramental messenger) retrieves delight from beyond ordinary planes. √bhṛ 'bear' is a major IE root (cf. Greek pherō, Latin ferō). rajāṃsi: 'spaces/regions'—cosmic planes. aspṛta: privative purity 'untouched' from √spṛś 'touch'.
descent of higher delight into the human plane, purity/untouched essence (aspṛta), trans-world movement (tiraḥ rajāṃsi)
The ‘crossing beyond the spaces’ suggests moving in accord with ṛta—ascending through ordered planes without deviation.
Aspṛta points to truth-substance uncontaminated by falsehood or desire.
Recovery of the hidden nectar/light from beyond the mid-worlds; re-establishing luminous sovereignty in the manifested being.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): ascent to higher mind and Ananda to transform nature.
The bird’s flight is the soul’s leap; the mid-air is the mixed vital-mental field; Soma is the distilled delight that purifies and empowers mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Soma-theft/bringing myth: the śyena carries Soma across the cosmic regions untouched. In inner terms, a swift ascending power retrieves the pure delight-essence from beyond the ordinary planes and brings it for Indra’s use in overcoming obstruction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ 'to bear/carry' is a strong PIE inheritance (Greek pher-, Latin fer-). The 'bird as divine messenger/robber of a heavenly substance' is a widespread archaic motif; the Vedic śyena version preserves a very early Indo-Iranian mythic layer around Soma/Haoma acquisition.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi legitimizes the offering by recalling its archetypal origin: Soma is not a mere pressed drink but a trans-world essence brought in purity. Indra is therefore urged to drink as rightful sovereign (īśiṣe), converting that pure delight into mastery and victory in the human field.
Invoke the ‘falcon-force’ of intuition to bring pure Ananda into the mind; then rest in illumined strength.
ājñā (intuition/illumination)
Inhale gently imagining ascent through the mid-regions; pause briefly (antar-kumbhaka) to ‘seize’ Soma; exhale to spread calm power through the system.
Uplifted, bright, victorious quietude (illumined mind supported by delight).
Before action or inner work, repeat slowly; feel a clean joy descending from above the head into forehead and heart, then offer it to the inner Indra (luminous will of the mind) to govern impulses.
Vedic svaras as per Śākala tradition: maintain udatta on marked syllables (e.g., te, pibed), with svarita/anudatta following; consult a pada-svara text for exact contour.
Lean on the imperatives and key nouns: śyenaḥ, rajāṃsi, aspṛtam, piba; let ‘piba’ land firmly.
śyenaḥ: palatal ś, clear ‘ye’ glide, rajāṃsi: nasal ‘ṃ’ before s, keep ‘jā’ long, aspṛtam: vocalic ṛ as brief ‘ri’ (not ‘ra’), īśiṣe: long ī; retroflex ṣ, not dental s
Bright, steady, slightly heroic; avoid heaviness—suggest flight and purity.
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