Rig Veda 8.89.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 89, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.89
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
प्र व इन्द्राय बृहते मरुतो ब्रह्मार्चत । वृत्रं हनति वृत्रहा शतक्रतुर्वज्रेण शतपर्वणा ॥
prá va indrā́ya bṛhaté máruto bráhmārcata | vṛtráṃ hanati vṛtrahā́ śatákratur vájreṇa śatáparvaṇā ||
मरुत्स, बड़ा मंत्र लाओ इंद्र के लिए। वो दुश्मन को मारने वाला है। वज्र लेकर वो वृत्र को गिरा देता है। उसकी इच्छा बहुत ताकतवर है।
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- वः
- of you (your)Pronoungenitive plural (Vedic enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (possessive relation)Root युष्मद्
- इन्द्राय
- to/for IndraNounmasculine dative singularRole सम्प्रदानRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहते
- to the greatAdjectivemasculine dative singular (agreeing with इन्द्राय)Role सम्प्रदानRoot बृहन्त् (adj. ‘great’)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounmasculine nominative pluralRole कर्ताRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्म
- a hymn, sacred utteranceNounneuter accusative singularRole कर्मRoot ब्रह्मन् (n. ‘sacred formulation, hymn’)
- अर्चत
- chant/praise (you all)Verbimperative, 2nd person plural, parasmaipada (Vedic injunctive/imperatival use) सक्रियRoot अर्च्
- वृत्रम्
- VṛtraNounmasculine accusative singularRole कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- हनति
- he strikes/killsVerbpresent indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot हन्
- वृत्रहा
- Vṛtra-slayerNoun (epithet)masculine nominative singularRole कर्ताRoot वृत्रहन् (compound: वृत्र + हन्)
- शतक्रतुः
- of a hundred powers/stratagemsNoun (epithet)masculine nominative singularRole कर्ताRoot शतक्रतु (compound: शत + क्रतु)
- वज्रेण
- with the thunderboltNounmasculine instrumental singularRole करणRoot वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शतपर्वणा
- with the hundred-jointed (one)Adjective (epithet)masculine instrumental singular (agreeing with वज्रेण)Role करणRoot शतपर्वन् (compound: शत + पर्वन्)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal here
- व॒ इन्द्रा॑य = वः + इन्द्राय (Vedic enclitic gen.pl. ‘वः’ before vowel)
- बृह॒ते agrees with इन्द्राय (both dat.sg.)
- वृ॒त्रं ह॑नति: anusvāra in वृत्रं is m before h (no change)
- वृत्र॒हा श॒तक्र॑तुः: two nominative epithets in apposition to Indra (implicit subject of हनति)
- वज्रे॑ण श॒तप॑र्वणा: instrumental + agreeing instrumental epithet (‘with the hundred-jointed thunderbolt’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Maruts, bring forward your sacred utterance for the vast Indra. The slayer of Vṛtra strikes down Vṛtra with the hundred-jointed thunderbolt; he is of a hundred powers.
Inner meaning
The Maruts—energies of action—are asked to offer brahma: a formative mantric word that shapes consciousness. This word is offered to the bṛhat Indra, the wide illumined Mind. Indra’s vajra is not only a weapon but the focused discriminative force, ‘hundred-jointed’—multiplying lines of insight and power—capable of breaking complex coverings. Śatakratuḥ indicates a will of many effective formations: repeated, versatile capacities of the illumined intelligence to overcome resistance in every layer.
Universal truth
Right speech and intentional affirmation, offered to higher intelligence, become a many-powered instrument that breaks entrenched resistance and frees the path for growth.
Themes
Vṛtra-slaying, Weaponized illumination, Maruts as allies, Sacred speech efficacy
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.84, RV 1.86, RV 2.23 (Bṛhaspati—brahma and victory, thematic)
Family tradition
The Gautama line often emphasizes brahma (seer-word) as a power that collaborates with Indra’s illumination; speech is an instrument of inner victory.
Significance
The rishi frames inner conquest as a collaboration: life-energies offer disciplined word-power, and illumined mind executes the decisive breakthrough.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- bṛhat, vṛtrahā, śatakratuḥ
- Related deities
- Maruts, Bṛhaspati, Agni
Cosmic role
Champion who destroys the coverer and restores the free movement of light and waters; upholder of victorious order.
Inner power
Executive illumination: the mind’s power to decide, discriminate, and act with many effective faculties.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra for Indra’s Vṛtra-slaying in Soma ritual; emphasizes mantra (brahman) as co-weapon with vajra.
प्र व॒ इन्द्रा॑य बृह॒ते मरु॑तो॒ ब्रह्मा॑र्चत । वृ॒त्रं ह॑नति वृत्र॒हा श॒तक्र॑तु॒र्वज्रे॑ण श॒तप॑र्वणा ॥
प्र । वः॒ । इन्द्रा॑य । बृ॒ह॒ते । मरु॑तः । ब्रह्म॑ । अ॒र्च॒त॒ । वृ॒त्रम् । ह॒न॒ति॒ । वृ॒त्र॒ऽहा । श॒तऽक्र॑तुः । वज्रे॑ण । श॒तऽप॑र्वणा ॥
pra | vaḥ | indrāya | bṛhate | marutaḥ | brahma | arcata | vṛtram | hanati | vṛtra-hā | śata-kratuḥ | vajreṇa | śata-parvaṇā
44
4 × ~11
Hammering, decisive; strong caesura supports ‘strike’ imagery.
Sharpens will and mental edge; supports determination and clarity in action.
- brahma
- Literal: sacred word/hymn. Symbolic: mantric formulation that builds and directs consciousness
- bṛhate
- Literal: to the vast. Symbolic: to widened consciousness beyond ego limits
- vṛtra
- Literal: the Coverer. Symbolic: inertia/ignorance that blocks flow of light and force
- śatakratuḥ
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: many-effective will; versatile executive intelligence
- vajra
- Literal: thunderbolt. Symbolic: concentrated force of discrimination and decisive action
- śataparvan
- Literal: hundred-jointed. Symbolic: multi-faceted insight; articulated power hitting many knots
Stotra for Indra’s Vṛtra-slaying in Soma ritual; emphasizes mantra (brahman) as co-weapon with vajra.
Indra stotras in Soma rites and victory-seeking contexts; Maruts as co-invoked supporters.
Offering of brahma (hymn) as an inner/outer oblation accompanying Indra invocation.
Use before difficult decisions, confronting habits, or breaking procrastination; recite as ‘mantric resolve’ practice.
bráhman in RV: potent formulation from √bṛh ‘grow’ or √bṛṃh ‘strengthen’ (traditional linkage) → speech that increases power. vájra- ‘thunderbolt’ (weapon) → inner: concentrated decisive force that breaks obstruction. śatá-kratu: krátu as effective will; ‘hundred’ indicates multiplicity/completeness. parván ‘joint/segment’ → articulated action; ‘hundred-jointed’ = power with many effective points of impact.
Mantra as force (brahman), Kratu as conscious will, Bṛhat as vastness
Implicit: victory restores right functioning of powers (ṛta).
Truth manifests as effective will (kratu) when illumination acts.
Creation as progressive unveiling through articulated powers (‘hundred joints’).
Psychological Veda: speech-force + illumined mind = transformation.
Thunderbolt equals concentrated insight; storm equals mobilized energies supporting decisive inner action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Classic Vṛtra-slaying: Indra smites obstruction with vajra. Innerly, the ‘thunderbolt’ is the concentrated luminous decision that breaks the knot of ignorance; the Maruts’ brahman (mantric force) supports this act as an allied power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The weapon-myth and storm-god combat is a widespread IE pattern (dragon/serpent vs. thunderer). While specific lexemes differ, the structural formula—heroic thunderer + weapon + obstruction/serpent—aligns with comparative Indo-European myth (e.g., Indra/Vṛtra; Thor/Jörmungandr motif family at the level of pattern).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi (through Maruts) offers brahman as an active collaborator, not mere praise. Indra’s action is invited to occur inwardly: the manifold will (śatakratu) must operate through many ‘joints’ (parvan) of the being, implying integral transformation rather than a single dramatic event.
Use mantra as a ‘cutting’ practice: align speech, intention, and illumined action.
maṇipūra (kratu/will) and ājñā (vajra-like discrimination)
Recite with kumbhaka-lite: inhale, brief pause, chant one pāda on exhale; keep gentle.
Decisive, concentrated, victorious clarity.
Before chanting, state one inner ‘Vṛtra’ (habit/fear). On ‘vajreṇa’ feel a focused line of force from brow to navel; on ‘śatakratuḥ’ affirm many supportive capacities awakening.
Accents per śākhā; keep energetic lift on ‘índrāya’, ‘vṛ́trahā’, ‘vájreṇa’.
Caesura after ‘bṛhate’ and before the strike-phrase; articulate ‘śatakratuḥ’ distinctly.
brahmārcata: ‘brahmā’ long ā, ‘rc’ as ‘rch’ cluster, śatakratuḥ: retroflex ṭ? (here śata- with dental t), keep kratu as ‘kra-tu’, śataparvaṇā: ‘par-va’ clear, long ā at end
Firm, martial, clean consonants; avoid dragging.
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