Rig Veda 8.95.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 95, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.95
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एतो न्विन्द्रं स्तवाम शुद्धं शुद्धेन साम्ना । शुद्धैरुक्थैर्वावृध्वांसं शुद्ध आशीर्वान्ममत्तु ॥
éto nv índraṃ stávāma śuddháṃ śuddhéna sā́mnā | śuddháir uktháir vāvṛdhvā́ṃsaṃ śuddhá āśī́r-vān mamattu ||
चलो, इन्द्र की तारीफ करते हैं, साफ मन से, साफ गाना गाके। साफ बातें बोलके उसको बढ़ाते हैं। वो साफ शक्ति हमारे पास आए, हमारे मन में खुशी भर दे।
Word by Word
- एतो
- here/now; thusIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात/प्रयोग-विशेष)Role Adhikaraṇa (प्रवृत्तिनिर्देशक/प्रसङ्ग-निर्देशक)Root एत (प्रातिपदिक; एतद्-सम्बद्ध निर्देश/आगमनार्थ) अथवा अव्यय ‘एतो’ (इह/अत्र/एवम्) (वैदिक)
- नु
- now, indeedIndeclinableअव्यय (उपपद/निपात; बलार्थ/समयार्थ)Root नु (निपात)
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as object)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तवाम
- we praiseVerbलट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य वैदिक प्रयोग; उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन (स्तवाम = ‘we praise’)Role Kartā (अस्मद्-कर्तृ)Root √स्तु (स्तवने ‘to praise’)
- शुद्धम्
- pureAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root शुद्ध (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √शुध्/√शुच् ‘to purify/shine’ से)
- शुद्धेन
- with/by (something) pureAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (करण)Role KaraṇaRoot शुद्ध (विशेषण)
- साम्ना
- with a Sāman-chantNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सामन् (प्रातिपदिक; साम-गान/स्तोत्र)
- शुद्धैः
- with pure (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot शुद्ध (विशेषण)
- उक्थैः
- with hymns/recitationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot उक्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्तोत्र/ऋक्-प्रशंसा)
- वा
- or/andIndeclinableअव्यय (विकल्प/समुच्चयार्थ)Root वा (निपात)
- वावृध्वांसम्
- grown, increased; ever-strengtheningParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति); परस्मैपदी धातु से ‘वृद्ध/वर्धित’ अर्थRole Karma (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root √वृध् (वर्धने ‘to grow/increase’) → वावृध्वांस् (परिपूर्ण/अतीत-भावक कृदन्त)
- शुद्धः
- pureAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (आशीर्वान् विशेषयति)Root शुद्ध (विशेषण)
- आशीर्वान्
- possessing blessings; benedictiveAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot आशीस् (स्त्री. ‘blessing, benediction’) + वत् (मतुप्/वतुप्-प्रत्यय ‘possessing’)
- ममत्तु
- may he rejoice/be exhilaratedVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रः/सः)Root √मद् (हर्षे/मदे ‘to rejoice, be exhilarated’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): एतो नु इन्द्रम् स्तवाम शुद्धम् शुद्धेन साम्ना । शुद्धैः उक्थैः वा वावृध्वांसम् शुद्धः आशीर्वान् ममत्तु ॥ मुख्य सन्धयः: (1) न्विन्द्रम् = नु + इन्द्रम् (उ + इ → वि/व्-आगम सहित वैदिक संधि-रूप)
- (2) शुद्धैरुक्थैः = शुद्धैः + उक्थैः (विसर्ग-लोप/र्-आदेश)
- (3) शुद्ध आशीर्वान् = शुद्धः + आशीर्वान् (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come, let us praise Indra the pure with a pure sāman; with pure utterances strengthening him—may the pure, boon-bearing one rejoice (in us).
Inner meaning
Purity (śuddha) is made the condition of contact: pure Indra is met by pure vibration (śuddhena sāmnā) and pure formulations (śuddhair ukthaiḥ). Psychologically, when the mind-vital is clarified—free from mixture, distortion, and ego—illumination can be intensified without being perverted. The ‘boon-bearing’ blessing (āśīrvān) is the descending delight/benediction that ‘rejoices within’ (mamattu) the seeker, indicating an inner consent and sweetness of the higher force in the purified nature.
Universal truth
Like meets like: purity of intention, speech, and vibration creates resonance with higher consciousness, allowing blessing to settle and delight within.
Themes
purity, Sāman-chant, strengthening Indra, blessing
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 9 (Soma: purification motifs), RV 1.112 (purity and right invocation themes, broadly)
Family tradition
A strain of RV 8 emphasizes purification of the instrument—speech, thought, intention—so Indra’s force can act without distortion.
Significance
Teaches the law of resonance: purification of mantra and nature is itself a means of ‘increasing’ the divine action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (as Śuddha)
- Epithets
- śuddha (pure), āśīrvān (blessing-bearing), vāvṛdhvāṃsa (strengthened by pure utterance)
- Related deities
- Soma (purified delight), Sarasvatī (pure speech), Agni (purifying will)
Cosmic role
Purifier and establisher of luminous order; receives the harmonized chant and responds with blessing.
Inner power
A clarified, sattwic illumination that delights to act in a purified mind-heart.
In ritual
Where it is used
Sāman/chant-based praise to Indra; conceptually aligned with Soma purification and refined stotra performance.
एतो॒ न्विन्द्रं॒ स्तवा॑म शु॒द्धं शु॒द्धेन॒ साम्ना॑ । शु॒द्धैरु॒क्थैर्वा॑वृ॒ध्वांसं॑ शु॒द्ध आ॒शीर्वा॑न्ममत्तु ॥
एतो॒ इति॑ । नु । इन्द्र॑म् । स्तवा॑म । शु॒द्धम् । शु॒द्धेन॑ । साम्ना॑ । शु॒द्धैः । उ॒क्थैः । व॒वृ॒ध्वांस॑म् । शु॒द्धः । आ॒शीःऽवा॑न् । म॒म॒त्तु॒ ॥
eto iti | nu | indram | stavāma | śuddham | śuddhena | sāmnā | śuddhaiḥ | ukthaiḥ | vavṛdhvāṃsam | śuddhaḥ | āśīḥ-vān | mamattu
44
4 × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Balanced and purifying; repetition of śuddha creates mantra-like cleansing rhythm.
Induces clarity and inner cleanliness; repetitive ‘śuddha’ works like a sonic wash, settling the nerves and quieting agitation.
- शुद्ध (śuddha)
- Literal: pure, cleansed. Symbolic: clarified consciousness; unmixed intention and vibration
- सामन् (sāman)
- Literal: chant, melodic hymn. Symbolic: harmonized vibration that aligns inner rhythms
- उक्थ (uktha)
- Literal: solemn utterance. Symbolic: charged truth-speech that builds inner force
- वावृध्वांसम् (vāvṛdhvāṃsam)
- Literal: increasing/strengthening. Symbolic: intensifying the Indra-force through purified practice
- आशीर्वान् (āśīrvān)
- Literal: boon-bearing, blessing-bearing. Symbolic: descending benediction; grace that carries fulfillment
- ममत्तु (mamattu)
- Literal: may he rejoice/be delighted. Symbolic: inner delight and consent of the higher power within the practitioner
Purificatory framing in Soma praise; emphasis on purity of chant (sāman) and uktha suggests performance alongside Sāmavedic style chanting or a ‘sāman’-like melodic recitation in Soma ritual ambiance.
When emphasizing purity of chant and offering; could be used in preparatory purification moments of a rite.
Singing/reciting with attention to correctness and purity; strengthening Indra through faultless utterance.
Use as a ‘purification prelude’ before meditation: chant to cleanse speech, mind, and intention; helpful after emotional disturbance or before important meetings.
śuddha- from √śudh ‘to purify, cleanse’; here purity is both ritual and psychological (clarity of consciousness). sāman (instr. sāmnā): chant; linked to ordered sonic form that stabilizes consciousness. mamattu from √mad ‘rejoice, be intoxicated’; indicates divine delight as operative power, not mere emotion.
purification (śuddhi) as prerequisite for R̥ta, mantra/chant as ordering vibration, divine delight (mad) as transformative force
Purity supports r̥ta by removing distortion; right order manifests through right vibration.
Truthful utterance (uktha) requires inner cleanliness; satya is protected by śuddhi.
Creation through pure sound: harmonized chant as a channel for blessing to descend.
Sāttvic discipline leading to higher action (compatible with Yoga/Integral Yoga emphases on purification).
Purity = clear water/clear sky of mind; sāman = harmonic resonance like a well-tuned instrument.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Purity as power: Indra is invoked as ‘śuddha’, strengthened by ‘śuddha’ chants. The mythic action is the making-present of the god through purified speech; innerly, clarified consciousness and right vibration allow the luminous force to delight (mad) and bless effectively.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mad ‘rejoice/intoxicate’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan mad-). The repeated instrumental constructions (śuddhena… śuddhaiḥ…) encode an archaic performative logic: the means (speech/chant) must match the nature of the invoked power (pure).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community offers purified speech (sāman, uktha) to invoke Indra-as-pure; Indra responds as āśīrvān, a bearer of blessing. The exchange is a discipline: purification of the human instrument enables the divine delight to settle and act.
Śuddhi of speech and mind: let repetition of ‘śuddha’ wash the inner field; invite Indra as pure illumination.
Viśuddha (throat) as the gateway of purity in expression
Slow, even breathing; chant each pāda on one comfortable exhale; short silent pause after ‘śuddham’ to feel clarity.
Sattwic quietude; transparent attention.
Set an intention of non-mixture (no self-justification, no agitation). Chant, then sit sensing a white-gold clarity in the throat and head; let any impurity surface and dissolve without analysis.
Keep a steady base tone; gently lift on udātta syllables, especially on repeated ‘śuddha’.
The repeated ‘śuddha’ should be uniform—avoid emotional coloration; let purity be audible as steadiness.
śuddha: retroflex ḍḍh; keep double consonant firm, sāmnā: long ā; nasal ‘mnā’ cluster, ukthair: aspirated kh; roll lightly into ‘r’, āśīrvān: long ī; clear ‘rv’
Soft, clear, even; minimal vibrato.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
