Rig Veda 8.85.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 85, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.85
- Rishi
- Kṛṣṇa
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
छर्दिर्यन्तमदाभ्यं विप्राय स्तुवते नरा । मध्वः सोमस्य पीतये ॥
chardír yantám adā́bhyaṃ víprāya stuvaté narā | mádhvaḥ sómasya pītáye ||
अश्विन, इस रिशि के पास आओ। वो तुम्हारी तारीफ कर रहा है। उसके लिए शांति लाओ और मीठा सोम पियो।
Word by Word
- छर्दिः
- shelter, protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Karma (स्तुत्य-वस्तु/प्रार्थ्य-वस्तु) अथवा विधेय-नामRoot छर्दिस् (प्रातिपदिक) < √छृद्/छर्द् (आच्छादन/रक्षण) (निघ.)
- यन्तम्
- going, coming (approaching)Verb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (स्तुवते इति क्रियायाः कर्म-विशेषणम्)Root √या (गत्यर्थ) → यत्/यन् (वर्तमान कृदन्त) ‘यन्त्’
- अदाभ्यम्
- unassailable, not to be harmed/deceivedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (विप्राय… स्तुवते—स्तुत्यं नरम् विशेषयति)Root अदाभ्य (प्रातिपदिक) < √दभ् (हिंसा/द्रोह/छल) + अ- (निषेध)
- विप्राय
- to/for the inspired sage (vipra)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तुवते
- (to one) praising / as he praisesVerbलट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (यजमान/विप्रः—स्तुति-कर्ता)Root √स्तु (स्तुतौ)
- नरा
- O man/hero (Nara)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (सम्बोधन-प्रायः; RV में द्वितीया-सम्बोधन प्रयोग)Role Karma (स्तुत्य-देव/वीर) / सम्बोधनRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- मध्वः
- of sweetness, of honey (sweet)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (सोमस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध) / अपादान-प्रायः (पीतये हेतु-सम्बन्ध)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतये
- for drinkingVerbal noun (infinitival)तुमर्थे दतिव्/चतुर्थी एकवचन (अर्थे: ‘पानाय’)Role प्रयोजन (उद्देश्य/हेतु)Root √पा (पाने) → पीति (कृदन्त-भाव) ‘पीतये’
Sandhi Notes
- छर्दिर्यन्तमदाभ्यं = छर्दिः + यन्तम् + अदाभ्यम् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + य → र्य)
- मध्वः सोमस्य = मध्वः + सोमस्य (पद-सन्धि नहीं; षष्ठी-षष्ठी सम्बन्ध)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Aśvins, come bringing an unassailable shelter (chardiḥ) to the inspired seer who praises, for drinking the honeyed Soma.
Inner meaning
The twin divine helpers bring a wide protective peace (chardiḥ)—a stable covering of harmony—so the vipra’s inspired consciousness can safely receive and hold Soma-delight without being attacked by inner disturbances.
Universal truth
Spiritual sweetness needs a vessel: protection, peace, and right conditions. Higher help often comes first as a sheltering harmony that makes deeper joy sustainable.
Themes
divine protection, inspiration (vipra), Soma-delight
The seer
- Rishi
- Kṛṣṇa (contextual speaker in the series; not securely provable from excerpt alone)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.85.2, Rig Veda 8.85.3, Rig Veda 8.85.4, Rig Veda 8.85.6
Family tradition
Mantra sequence with refrain suggests a cohesive seer-intention: calling, hearing, sheltering, arriving.
Significance
The rishi-function here is vipra—receptive inspiration. The mantra teaches that divine delight descends best when the being is sheltered in peace and protected poise.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Narā, Adābhya-bringers (by action), Healers, Protectors
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (protective order), Mitra (harmony), Soma
Cosmic role
Guardians at the threshold of awakening; they provide safe passage and protection during transitions and inner openings.
Inner power
They establish a protective peace-field and restore balance, preventing the loss or distortion of Soma-delight by agitation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-invitation to Aśvins; protective blessing tone
छ॒र्दिर्य॑न्त॒मदा॑भ्यं॒ विप्रा॑य स्तुव॒ते न॑रा । मध्व॒: सोम॑स्य पी॒तये॑ ॥
छ॒र्दिः । य॒न्त॒म् । अदा॑भ्यम् । विप्रा॑य । स्तु॒व॒ते । न॒रा॒ । मध्वः॑ । सोम॑स्य । पी॒तये॑ ॥
chardiḥ | yantam | adābhyam | viprāya | stuvate | narā | madhvaḥ | somasya | pītaye
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4×8 with refrain
Soothing yet purposeful; the word ‘chardiḥ’ gives a ‘covering’ feel
Induces safety and containment; supports settling of nerves and mind for deeper sweetness.
- छर्दिः (chardiḥ)
- Literal: shelter, covering, protection. Symbolic: a wide peace/guard of harmony that stabilizes the being
- अदाभ्यम् (adābhyam)
- Literal: unassailable, not to be harmed. Symbolic: invulnerable inner poise; protection from forces of ignorance and disturbance
- विप्र (vipra)
- Literal: inspired seer. Symbolic: illumined faculty; the part of us that receives truth by inspiration
- स्तुवते (stuvate)
- Literal: to the praising one. Symbolic: the being in active gratitude and aspiration
- मध्वः सोमस्य पीतये
- Literal: for drinking honeyed Soma. Symbolic: for assimilating Ananda as conscious nourishment
Protective invocation alongside Soma offering; requests ‘chardiḥ’ (shelter) as the Ashvins approach the rite.
In sequences seeking the Aśvins’ coming and beneficence during Soma offerings
Recitation as invitatory/blessing; mentally ‘placing’ a protective canopy over the rite
Chant for protection and inner stability before deep meditation, during anxiety, or when opening to intense experiences.
chardíḥ: Vedic ‘covering/shelter’ (cf. √chṛd/√chard ‘to cover, to ward’; semantic: protection/secure expanse). adā́bhya: from √dabh ‘to harm, deceive’ with privative a-; a key RV adjective for divine powers as inviolable. vipra: from √vip ‘to tremble, vibrate, be inspired’—the mind that vibrates with mantra-illumination. yantám: participle of √yā/√i ‘go’—the gods are not abstract; they ‘move’ into the human domain when invoked.
rakṣā (protection) as a condition for inner work, vipra-consciousness (inspired mind), Rita as stability: the ‘unassailable shelter’ maintains right order against disruptive forces
Chardiḥ is r̥ta’s shelter—order as protection; it prevents chaos from invading the sacrificial field of consciousness.
Adābhya indicates a truth-poise that cannot be shaken by falsehood.
Building the ‘vessel’ (protected field) for the descent of delight.
Integral Yoga resonance: peace and protection as prerequisites for stable Ananda.
dawn (Aśvins)
Shelter = psychic protection/peace; honey-Soma = sweetened consciousness; dawn = first safe opening to higher light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Ashvins as protectors who ‘come bringing shelter’—a recurring mythic role where the Twins rescue, heal, and safeguard the sacrificer. Innerly, the approach of higher energies must be accompanied by a stabilizing peace (chardiḥ) so the Soma-delight can be safely assimilated without disturbance from hostile or chaotic impulses.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nárā again reflects PIE *h₂nḗr. The privative formation a-dā́bhya is a productive Indo-European pattern (negating an action/quality); it marks the divine as beyond the reach of deception/harm, a common IE poetic contrast between mortal vulnerability and divine inviolability.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi is vipra—one whose intelligence is awakened by mantra. The Ashvins are asked not only to receive Soma but to establish an inviolable protective field around the inspired work; the reciprocity is: praise opens the channel, the gods provide shelter so inspiration can proceed in right order.
Establish a protective peace; receive delight without leakage into restlessness.
Anāhata (peace-shelter) with support to Sahasrāra (descent of Ananda)
Lengthen exhale (e.g., 4 in / 6 out) while repeating ‘chardiḥ yantam adābhyam’ mentally
Protected openness; calm receptivity
Visualize a golden-green canopy of peace around the body; chant 7 times; then silently receive ‘Soma’ as sweetness descending from above the head into the heart.
Not provided; chant with gentle emphasis on ‘chardiḥ’ and ‘adābhyam’; precise Vedic accents require marked text.
Let ‘adābhyam’ be clearly articulated (long ā), conveying invulnerability; keep refrain flowing.
chardiḥ: aspirated ch; dental d; visarga ḥ light, adābhyam: long ā; bhy conjunct clear, viprāya: keep pr conjunct crisp; long ā, stuvate: avoid ‘stu-və-te’; keep three clear syllables
Soft, protective, inward
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