Rig Veda 8.96.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 96, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.96
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मन्ये त्वा यज्ञियं यज्ञियानां मन्ये त्वा च्यवनमच्युतानाम् । मन्ये त्वा सत्वनामिन्द्र केतुं मन्ये त्वा वृषभं चर्षणीनाम् ॥
mánye tvā yajñíyaṃ yajñíyānāṃ mányé tvā cyávanam ácyutānām | mányé tvā sátvanām indra ketúṃ mányé tvā vṛ́ṣabhaṃ carṣaṇīnā́m ||
मैं तुम्हे यज्ञ का असली ताकत मानता हूँ, सबमें सबसे बड़ा। जो हिलता नहीं है, उसको तुम हिला देते हो। इन्द्र, तुम सब ताकतों का दीपक हो, सब लोगों का लीडर हो। तुम लोगों को जीत की तरफ ले जाते हो।
Word by Word
- मन्ये
- I think / deemVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √मन् (मन्यते)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्)
- यज्ञियम्
- worthy of sacrifice; sacrificialAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root यज्ञिय- (यज्ञ + -य)
- यज्ञियानाम्
- of the sacrificial (ones/rites)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root यज्ञिय-
- मन्ये
- I think / deemVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √मन् (मन्यते)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्)
- च्यवनम्
- the mover; the one who makes (others) move/shakeNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (सम्बोधनार्थे विशेष्य)Root च्यवन- (√च्यु ‘to move, fall, deviate’)
- अच्युतानाम्
- of the unshaken/immovable (ones)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अच्युत- (a- + √च्यु)
- मन्ये
- I think / deemVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √मन् (मन्यते)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्)
- सत्वनाम्
- of beings/creatures; of strengthsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root सत्व- (सत् + -त्व)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र-
- केतुम्
- banner; sign; brillianceNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot केतु-
- मन्ये
- I think / deemVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √मन् (मन्यते)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्)
- वृषभम्
- bull; mighty oneNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषभ-
- चर्षणीनाम्
- of the peoples/tribesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root चर्षणि-
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolution): मन्ये त्वा यज्ञियम् यज्ञियानाम् | मन्ये त्वा च्यवनम् अच्युतानाम् | मन्ये त्वा सत्वनाम् इन्द्र केतुम् | मन्ये त्वा वृषभम् चर्षणीनाम् || प्रमुख सन्धि: (1) च्यवनमच्युतानाम् → च्यवनम् + अच्युतानाम् (अ + अ = अ; पदान्त -म् परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-रूप)
- (2) सत्वनामिन्द्र → सत्वनाम् + इन्द्र (म् + इ = मि; अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण)
- (3) वृषभं चर्षणीनाम् → वृषभम् + चर्षणीनाम् (म् + च = ंच; अनुस्वार)
- उच्चारण-चिह्न: मन्ये॑, त्वा, य॒ज्ञियं॑, य॒ज्ञिया॑नां॒, च्यव॑न, अच्यु॑तानाम्, सत्व॑नाम्, के॒तुं, वृष॒भं, च॑र्षणी॒नाम् (ऋग्वैदिक उदात्त/स्वरित चिह्न यथापाठ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
I deem you the sacrificial power among sacrificial powers; I deem you the mover of the immovable. I deem you, Indra, the beacon of strengths; I deem you the Bull of the peoples.
Inner meaning
The repeated manye (‘I hold/recognize’) is a deliberate act of inner assent: the seeker names Indra’s true functions in the yoga. Indra is yajñiya of yajñiyānām: the essential power that makes all inner offerings effective—illumined mind coordinating the sacrifice. He is cyavana of acyutānām: the force that can shift what seems fixed—deep habits, rigid mental formations, even fated patterns—without violating truth, by bringing a higher leverage. He is ketu of satvanām: the luminous banner/sign that guides all strengths (satva here as powers/energies) toward victory. He is vṛṣabha of carṣaṇīnām: the leading force for the human collectivity—uplifting the ‘peoples’ within us (multiple parts of nature) into a unified victorious movement.
Universal truth
Transformation begins with right recognition and consent: when we acknowledge the higher power as the true leader, even the ‘immovable’ can move, strengths align under a guiding light, and the many parts of our nature can be led toward a common victory.
Themes
devata-identification, inner assent, overcoming fixed resistance
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.96.1, Rig Veda 8.96.2, Rig Veda 8.96.3
Family tradition
Likely within the Kāṇva sphere; the style is a fourfold affirmation of Indra’s functions—common in stotra meant to establish inner relation with the deity-power.
Significance
The seer models śraddhā as conscious recognition: by repeatedly ‘manye’, the mind is trained to consent to the higher leadership (Indra) and thus become movable, guided, unified.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (yajñiya; cyavana; ketu; vṛṣabha)
- Epithets
- yajñiya, cyavana, ketu, vṛṣabha
- Related deities
- Agni (yajña leader as will), Bṛhaspati (word-guidance akin to ketu), Maruts (forces that assist movement/cyavana)
Cosmic role
Leader of the inner sacrifice; mover of fixed obstruction; banner of strength; champion guiding the peoples (human nature) toward victory.
Inner power
Illumined leadership that organizes energies, dislodges inertia, and provides a guiding sign of right direction.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra (affirmational praise)
मन्ये॑ त्वा य॒ज्ञियं॑ य॒ज्ञिया॑नां॒ मन्ये॑ त्वा॒ च्यव॑न॒मच्यु॑तानाम् । मन्ये॑ त्वा॒ सत्व॑नामिन्द्र के॒तुं मन्ये॑ त्वा वृष॒भं च॑र्षणी॒नाम् ॥
मन्ये॑ । त्वा॒ । य॒ज्ञिय॑म् । य॒ज्ञिया॑नाम् । मन्ये॑ । त्वा॒ । च्यव॑नम् । अच्यु॑तानाम् । मन्ये॑ । त्वा॒ । सत्व॑नाम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । के॒तुम् । मन्ये॑ । त्वा॒ । वृ॒ष॒भम् । च॒र्ष॒णी॒नाम् ॥
manye | tvā | yajñiyam | yajñiyānām | manye | tvā | cyavanam | acyutānām | manye | tvā | satvanām | indra | ketum | manye | tvā | vṛṣabham | carṣaṇīnām
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Declarative and balanced; anaphora (‘manye tvā’) creates steady affirmation and mental fixation on truth.
Builds conviction (śraddhā), steadies aspiration, and aligns scattered energies under a single luminous intention.
- manye
- Literal: I think, I deem, I recognize. Symbolic: act of faith/assent; conscious alignment of the mind with truth
- yajñiyam
- Literal: fit for sacrifice/sacrificial. Symbolic: power that makes inner offering effective; divine functioning in yoga
- yajñiyānām
- Literal: of the sacrificial ones/powers. Symbolic: all instruments of the inner yajña (will, speech, mind, life)
- cyavanam
- Literal: mover, shaker, dislodger. Symbolic: transformative impetus that shifts fixed patterns
- acyutānām
- Literal: of the immovable, unfallen. Symbolic: rigid structures of nature; entrenched formations resistant to change
- satvanām
- Literal: of the strong beings/strengths. Symbolic: energies and capacities in the being needing direction
- ketum
- Literal: banner, sign, beacon. Symbolic: guiding light of discernment; orientation toward victory
- vṛṣabham
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: sovereign force, leader-energy of conquest
- carṣaṇīnām
- Literal: of the peoples/communities. Symbolic: the many ‘tribes’ of our nature (mind, vital, body parts) and the human collectivity
Confessional praise (manye…) used to establish right relation before asking boons.
When establishing Indra’s presence before offerings; also when seeking to overcome ‘immovable’ obstacles.
Stuti as sankalpa-like affirmation; calling Indra to lead the yajña and move resistance.
Use as an affirmation-mantra in daily practice: before meditation, before difficult conversations, and when trying to change entrenched habits.
mánye from √man ‘to think, to hold in mind’ indicates inner recognition (not mere opinion); cyavana from √cyu ‘to move, stir, dislodge’ → the power that dislodges fixedness (acyuta ‘unfallen/immovable’ from √cyu with privative a-); ketú ‘banner/light-sign’ related to ‘perception/brightness’; yajña from √yaj ‘to worship/sacrifice’ as disciplined offering of energies.
yajña as inner offering, overcoming inertia (acyuta), ketu as guidance-sign of consciousness
Ketu as banner of ṛta—directional sign of right order for strengths.
Repeated ‘manye’ is a satya-acceptance: naming the true function of the divine power.
Re-ordering of the inner ‘peoples’ into a coherent kingdom under Indra—creation of integrated personality.
Integral Yoga reading: yajña as inner offering; gods as functional powers; transformation of fixed nature by higher leverage.
Banner = orientation and guidance; bull = sovereign strength; moving the immovable = shifting deep inertia in body/vital/mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the dislodger of the ‘immovable’—the archetype of breaking the fixed obstruction (Vṛtra-like inertia) and establishing a guiding light (ketu) for the human collectivity.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man ‘think’ is a core IE root (cf. Latin mens, English ‘mind’). The privative construction a-cyuta shows productive Indo-Iranian morphology; ‘bull’ as power is an inherited praise-metaphor across IE traditions.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The repeated mányé is a deliberate act of alignment: the seer ‘recognizes’ Indra in multiple functions (sacrificial power, mover of inertia, guiding sign, leader of peoples), establishing reciprocity—right perception invites right action of the deity within the practitioner.
Fourfold contemplation: (1) Indra leads my inner sacrifice, (2) Indra moves what is stuck, (3) Indra is my guiding sign, (4) Indra leads all parts of me to victory.
ājñā (ketu/guidance) and maṇipūra (vṛṣabha/leadership-force)
On inhale: ‘manye tvā’; on exhale: silently affirm one epithet (yajñiyam / cyavanam / ketum / vṛṣabham) cycling through four rounds.
From doubt → assent → unified directed force.
Use as daily sankalpa: chant 4 times, each time dwelling on one function; then choose one ‘immovable’ area and apply a small consistent change for 7 days.
Notated svaras not provided; keep the anaphora ‘manye tvā’ identical each time to build saṃskāra; mark triṣṭubh pāda pauses.
Do not clip ‘yajñiyam’ (palatal ñy); keep ‘acyutānām’ with clear ‘cyu’; emphasize ‘ketum’ lightly as the pivot word.
yajñiyam: ‘yaj-ñi-yam’ with nasal palatal ‘ñ’, cyavanam: ‘cya-va-nam’ (palatal ‘cya’), acyutānām: ‘a-cyu-tā-nām’ long ā, carṣaṇīnām: retroflex ṣ; long ī; ‘car-ṣa-ṇī-nām’
Steady, declarative, confident; less percussive than battle verses—more like a vow.
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