Rig Veda 8.87.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 87, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.87
- Rishi
- Priyamedhas
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
पिबतं सोमं मधुमन्तमश्विना बर्हिः सीदतं सुमत् । ता वावृधाना उप सुष्टुतिं दिवो गन्तं गौराविवेरिणम् ॥
pibatam somaṃ madhumantam aśvinā barhiḥ sīdatam su-mat | tā vavṛdhānau upa su-stutiṃ divo gantaṃ gaurāv iveriṇam ||
हे अश्विन भाई, यह मीठा सोम रस पियो। यह पास बिछे आसन पर बैठो, मन साफ रख के। तुम लोग हमारी पूजा से बढ़ रहे हो। आसमान से अच्छी प्रार्थना सुनो। जैसे दो चमकते लोग खुले मैदान में आएँ।
Word by Word
- पिबतम्
- drink (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (क्रिया)Root पा (पिबति)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- मधुमन्तम्
- honey-sweet, sweetAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सोमम्-विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root मधुमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्विना
- O Aśvins (you two)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बर्हिः
- the sacred grass-seat (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole अधिकारण (लक्ष्य-स्थानम्)Root बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सीदतम्
- sit down (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (क्रिया)Root सद् (सीदति)
- सुमत्
- with good will / graciouslyAdjective(अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role (क्रियाविशेषण/प्रकार)Root सुमत् (प्रातिपदिक; सु- + मत्)
- ता
- those two (they two)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ)Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- वावृधानौ
- growing strong, increasingParticiple (Adjectival)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (ता-विशेषण)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root वृध् (वावृधान-; क्त/शानच्-प्रकारः, परस्मैपदीय-परम्परा)
- उप
- towards, nearIndeclinableउपसर्गः (गन्तम् इत्यस्य सह)Role (दिशा/समीप्य)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- सुष्टुतिम्
- well-praise, fine hymnNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (गन्तम्—प्राप्तव्यं)Root सु- + स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवः
- of heaven / of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गन्तम्
- come/go (you two)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole (क्रिया)Root गम् (गच्छति)
- गौरौ
- the two bright/white onesAdjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ-विशेषण/नाम)Role कर्तृ (विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)Root गौर (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविवेरिणम्
- not-to-be-shunned / not-to-be-avoided (i.e., welcome)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सुष्टुतिम्-विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root वि-√वृ (विवेरि/विवेर्; ‘to choose, seek, desire’—वेदिक रूप), नञ्-पूर्वक
Sandhi Notes
- पिबतं सोमं मधुमन्तम् अश्विना → ‘मधुमन्तम्’ + ‘अश्विना’ (अ + अ, पदपाठे पृथक्). अश्विना बर्हिः → विसर्ग/र्-सन्धि न
- पदपाठे ‘अश्विना | बर्हिः’. सीदतं सुमत् → ‘सुमत्’ क्रियाविशेषणवत् (सुमत्या इत्यर्थे). ता वावृधानाः → संहितायां ‘वावृधाना’ (द्विवचन)
- पदपाठानुसारं ‘वावृधानौ’. दिवो गन्तं → ‘दिवः’ (षष्ठी) + ‘गन्तम्’ (लोट्). गौराविवेरिणम् → ‘गौरौ’ + ‘अविवेरिणम्’ (औ + अ, संहितायां ‘गौराव…’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Aśvins, drink the honeyed Soma; sit on the barhis with good intention. Growing by our offering, come to our well-made praise from heaven, like two bright ones on an open plain.
Inner meaning
‘Drink Soma’ means let the divine helpers partake of the bliss-essence released by aspiration and right practice. ‘Sit on the barhis’ is the settling of these forces in a purified, receptive awareness (sumat = right-mindedness, luminous consent). As they ‘grow’ in us through repeated offering, they approach the ‘suṣṭuti’—the rightly formed mantra-vision descending from the higher mind (‘divaḥ’). The image of ‘two bright ones on the open field’ suggests unobstructed movement of illumination across the cleared inner terrain.
Universal truth
When delight (Soma) is offered with right intention, higher helping forces stabilize within us and amplify our capacity to receive and express truth in well-formed speech and insight.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Right-mindedness, Mantra-efficacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Priyamedhas (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.87.3, RV 8.87.5, RV 8.87.6
Family tradition
Priyamedha hymn-cycle emphasizing Aśvin aids and Soma-delight as inner nourishment.
Significance
The Priyamedha approach highlights ‘suṣṭuti’—rightly shaped mantra-speech—as a vehicle for descent of higher light and for stabilizing divine forces in the practitioner.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvins
- Epithets
- Aśvinā, Gaurāu (the bright pair), Vāvṛdhānā (those who grow/increase by offerings)
- Related deities
- Soma, Uṣas, Sūrya, Bṛhaspati (as lord of right speech)
Cosmic role
Bringers of swift succor, restorers of harmony, mediators of the dawn-transition; they respond quickly to correct praise and right offering.
Inner power
They increase the practitioner’s integrative capacity—making delight (Soma) a stable support for clarity and healing.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Aśvins (general)
पिब॑तं॒ सोमं॒ मधु॑मन्तमश्वि॒ना ब॒र्हिः सी॑दतं सु॒मत् । ता वा॑वृधा॒ना उप॑ सुष्टु॒तिं दि॒वो ग॒न्तं गौ॒रावि॒वेरि॑णम् ॥
पिब॑तम् । सोम॑म् । मधु॑ऽमन्तम् । अ॒श्वि॒ना॒ । आ । ब॒र्हिः । सी॒द॒त॒म् । सु॒ऽमत् । ता । व॒वृ॒धा॒नौ । उप॑ । सु॒ऽस्तु॒तिम् । दि॒वः । ग॒न्तम् । गौ॒रौऽइ॑व । इरि॑णम् ॥
pibatam | somam | madhu-mantam | aśvinā | ā | barhiḥ | sīdatam | su-mat | tā | vavṛdhānau | upa | su-stutim | divaḥ | gantam | gaurau-iva | iriṇam
32
4 × ~8 syllables (approx.)
Even, persuasive, ‘seating’ rhythm suitable for inviting and stabilizing.
Encourages settling (sīd-), smoothing the breath and anchoring a sweet, clear mood.
- sóma (सोम)
- Literal: Soma juice. Symbolic: divine Ananda/bliss-essence that nourishes gods and soul
- mádhumant (मधुमन्त्)
- Literal: honeyed, sweet. Symbolic: delightful, harmonizing sweetness in consciousness
- barhis (बर्हिः)
- Literal: sacrificial seat of grass. Symbolic: prepared receptive awareness; purified ground of practice
- sumát (सुमत्)
- Literal: good mind, right-mindedness. Symbolic: luminous intention; consenting intelligence aligned to Ṛta
- suṣṭutí (सुष्टुति)
- Literal: well-praise, good hymn. Symbolic: mantra-formation that accurately carries higher truth
- gauráu (गौरौ)
- Literal: two bright/white ones. Symbolic: twin luminous powers moving freely in clarity
- iriṇa (इरिण)
- Literal: open ground/field. Symbolic: cleared inner field without obstruction/resistance
Soma invitation and seating on barhis; emphasizes su-mat (right-minded receptivity) as a ritual-psychic prerequisite.
During Soma pressing/offerings and invitations to sit on barhis.
Offering Soma; inviting deities to the seat; reciting praise (stuti).
Chant before meditation to ‘sweeten’ the mind and invite healing clarity; pair with mindful sipping of water/tea as a symbolic Soma (non-ritual, contemplative).
Soma from √su ‘press/express’ (essence brought out). su-mat ‘good-minded’ parallels su-mati (8.86.4), stressing right intention as condition for divine presence. √vṛdh ‘grow’ marks mutual increase: gods ‘grow’ by offerings; inwardly powers intensify by right reception. su-stuti from √stu ‘praise’ with su- indicates well-shaped mantra as effective form.
Su-mati (right intention), Mutual increase (vṛddhi) between human offering and divine power
Right-mindedness (sumat) aligns the offering and speech with Ṛta, enabling effective reception.
Suṣṭuti is speech that conforms to satya—accurate expression of inner seeing.
The gods ‘grow’ through exchange—human aspiration releases Soma; divine powers intensify and return as help.
Mantra-Vijñāna orientation (Aurobindo): higher truth descends into formed speech and settled awareness.
dawn-approach (Aśvin context)
Sweetened vital-mental field becomes open and unobstructed, allowing luminous forces to move freely and settle in the heart-mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘mutual nourishment’ mythologem: the Aśvins drink Soma and ‘grow’ (vavṛdhānau) by the offering, while the sacrificer gains their presence and aid. Psychologically, delight received by higher twin powers increases their functioning within the seeker.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ has broad IE cognacy (semantic field of increase). The formula of ‘good praise’ (su-stuti) as a shaped speech-act reflects inherited IE poetics where correct verbal form mediates divine-human exchange.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma and a well-formed hymn; the Devatā is asked to approach ‘with su-mat’—showing that divine descent depends on a concordant mental state. The bond is cooperative: offering and praise awaken the gods; the gods’ acceptance completes the rite inwardly.
Stabilize sweetness (madhumat Soma) and receptive sitting; refine mantra-speech into truthful praise.
Viśuddha (purified speech/mantra) and Anāhata (sweet openness)
Inhale gently on ‘pibatam somaṃ’, exhale long on ‘barhiḥ sīdatam’; then rest in stillness 3 breaths.
Quietly delighted, settled, open.
After chanting, feel a ‘cleared field’ in the chest and brow; offer a simple inner praise (suṣṭuti) without strain—let words arise from silence.
Rigvedic accents as marked; give gentle emphasis to imperatives (pibatam, sīdatam, gantam).
Keep pāda endings clean; do not over-stress conjuncts; allow a slight uplift on ‘madhumantam’.
aśvinā: pronounce śv cluster cleanly (aś-vi-nā), suṣṭutim: keep ṣṭ tight; do not insert extra vowel, gaurō iva: maintain glide between o and i (gaurāviva)
Softly sweet, settled, devotional clarity.
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