Rig Veda 8.2.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 2, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.2
- Rishi
- Medhyātithi Kāṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
इन्द्र इत्सोमपा एक इन्द्रः सुतपा विश्वायुः । अन्तर्देवान्मर्त्याँश्च ॥
índra it sómapā éka índraḥ sutapā viśvā́yuḥ | antár devā́n martyā́ṃś ca ||
Indra sungguh satu-satunya peminum Soma; Indra peminum perasan yang tertekan baik, yang merangkum segenap-hayat. Ia berdiri di dalam, di antara para dewa dan insan fana, menjadi pengantara lintasan dari upaya manusia menuju daya ilahi.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root इत् (निपात)
- सोमपाः
- Soma-drinkerNoun (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सोमपा (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + पा ‘पिबति’)
- एकः
- alone, oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतपाः
- drinker of the pressed SomaNoun (agentive epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root सुतपा (प्रातिपदिक; सुत ‘pressed (Soma)’ + पा ‘पिबति’)
- विश्वायुः
- of all life / life-giving to allAdjective/Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root विश्वायु (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + आयु)
- अन्तः
- within, in-betweenIndeclinableअव्यय (स्थानवाचक)Role अधिकरण (स्थान/अवस्थान)Root अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थक)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अन्तः इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे ‘among/between’)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्त्यान्
- mortalsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (अन्तः इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे)Root मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (समुच्चयार्थक निपात)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्रः इत् सोमपाः एकः इन्द्रः सुतपाः विश्वायुः । अन्तः देवान् मर्त्यान् च । 1) इन्द्र॒ इत् → इन्द्रः + इत् (विसर्गः पदान्ते, संहितायां ‘इन्द्र॒’ इति)
- 2) सोम॒पा → सोमपाः (प्रथमा-एकवचनः, -आः)
- 3) इन्द्र॑: → इन्द्रः (विसर्ग-चिह्नभेदः)
- 4) सुत॒पा → सुतपाः
- 5) अन्तर्दे॒वान् → अन्तः + देवान् (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः: अन्तः + द- → अन्तर्-)
- 6) मर्त्याँ॑श्च → मर्त्यान् + च (न् + च संयोगः; लेखने ‘ाँ’ अनुनासिकचिह्नः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra alone is truly the Soma-drinker; he drinks the well-pressed Soma, is ‘all-life’, and stands inwardly between the gods and mortals.
Inner meaning
Indra (the illumined divine Mind) is the sole power that can rightly receive and assimilate Soma (the bliss/nectar of awakened consciousness). By drinking the ‘well-pressed’ Soma (essence extracted by tapas and sincere aspiration), Indra becomes viśvāyuḥ—pervading and sustaining all the life-forces in us. He stands ‘within’ as the mediator: between our mortal movements (mixed, struggling vital-mental activities) and the gods (higher luminous powers), translating human effort into divine effectiveness.
Universal truth
When consciousness is purified and concentrated, a higher intelligence can receive delight without distortion and use it to bridge the finite and the infinite—turning striving into illumined action.
Themes
Indra as Soma-drinker, Mediating power, Ascent from mortality to divinity
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.2.1-8.2.20 (same sūkta context: Indra-Soma praise; exact rishi attribution varies by tradition and recension)
Significance
The anonymity itself fits the mantra’s function: it voices a general yogic law of mediation—Indra as inner bridge—more than a personal devotional signature.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- somapā (Soma-drinker), sutapā (drinker of the well-pressed), viśvāyuḥ (all-life/pervading life), antar (the inward mediator)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, establisher of the luminous order; channel through which Soma-delight becomes victorious force.
Inner power
Illumined discernment that receives ānanda and converts it into effective will and right movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra in Soma-yajña sequences (invocation/praise while Soma is prepared/pressed and offered)
इन्द्र॒ इत्सो॑म॒पा एक॒ इन्द्र॑: सुत॒पा वि॒श्वायु॑: । अ॒न्तर्दे॒वान्मर्त्याँ॑श्च ॥
इन्द्र॑ । इत् । सो॒म॒ऽपाः । एकः॑ । इन्द्रः॑ । सु॒त॒ऽपाः । वि॒श्वऽआ॑युः । अ॒न्तः । दे॒वान् । मर्त्या॑न् । च॒ ॥
indra | it | soma-pāḥ | ekaḥ | indraḥ | suta-pāḥ | viśva-āyuḥ | antaḥ | devān | martyān | ca
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (likely)
Compact, declarative, with emphatic repetitions of ‘indra’ creating a hammering certainty.
Builds conviction and inward centering; repetition of the deity-name functions like a mantra-japa anchor for the mind.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, Vedic god of power and victory. Symbolic: Divine Mind / illumined intelligence that conquers obscurity and leads to right action
- सोमपा (somapā)
- Literal: Soma-drinker. Symbolic: One who can contain and assimilate spiritual delight (ānanda) without fall into desire
- सुतपा (sutapā)
- Literal: drinker of the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: Receiver of the distilled essence gained by inner pressing (tapas, discrimination, offering)
- विश्वायुः (viśvāyuḥ)
- Literal: all-life; possessing all vital breath. Symbolic: Pervader and harmonizer of prāṇa and life-energies under illumination
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within, inwardly. Symbolic: In the inner being where mediation between higher and lower consciousness occurs
- देवान् (devān)
- Literal: the gods. Symbolic: Luminous faculties/powers (light, truth, vastness, harmony)
- मर्त्यान् (martyān)
- Literal: mortals. Symbolic: The finite nature: ego-bound mind, life, and body in struggle
Praise in Soma libation: affirming Indra’s privileged right/fitness to drink the pressed Soma in the session.
During Soma pressing and offering cycles, especially Indra-oriented stotras/śastras
Recitation to invite Indra to drink Soma and to affirm his mediating presence
Use as a meditation preface before ‘inner offering’: mentally offer breath and attention as Soma to the illumined mind for guidance.
(sóma-pāḥ) = soma + √ ‘to drink, protect’ (PIE *peh₃- ‘drink’). (sutá) ‘pressed’ from √ ‘to press out/express’; psychologically ‘essence expressed from experience’. (viśvā́yu) = viśva ‘all’ + āyu ‘life-force, lifespan’ (cf. √ ‘to go’ underlying vitality/motion semantics). (antár) carries the spatial ‘between/inside’, enabling the mediator sense.
Mediation between mortal and divine planes, Transformation of life-force (āyu) by ecstasy (Soma)
Indra’s mediation is the functional bridge by which r̥ta descends into mortal action.
The gods symbolize satya-forces; Indra makes them operative in the human instrument.
Transformation rather than first creation: converting mortal movement into divine power through Soma.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap line): ascent and descent between planes of consciousness.
Soma = distilled delight; āyu/prāṇa = life-force; ‘between gods and mortals’ = the subtle inner plane where higher light can enter embodied life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s exclusive competence to drink Soma: the mythic theme is that only the true heroic power can safely take in the divine ecstasy and convert it into victory. Inwardly, Indra is the mediating faculty that translates supramental impulsion (deva) into effective human action (martya).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ ‘drink’ is pan-Indo-European (PIE *peh₃-). The deva/martya polarity encodes an IE poetic opposition of immortal/ mortal (cf. Greek ambrotos ‘immortal’ vs thnētos ‘mortal’). antár ‘between/within’ corresponds to PIE *h₁n̥tér.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The singer establishes Indra’s authority and invites his descent by recognition: declaring Indra ‘ekaḥ’ (the unique Soma-drinker) is a verbal consecration that aligns the rite with the right power, ensuring the ecstasy is received by the force capable of uplifting the mortal being toward the gods.
Offer the ‘pressed essence’ of experience (attention, gratitude, aspiration) to the inner Indra and feel a lucid mediator arise between impulse and action.
ājñā (brow)
Nadi-śodhana or simple equal breathing; on exhale, ‘offer Soma’; on inhale, receive clarity.
From rajasic striving toward sattvic clarity and then luminous wideness.
Before decisions, repeat ‘indra’ mentally; pause in the ‘antar’ space (witness) and let the illumined mind translate desire into right will.
Follow RV accenting: marked svaritas on somapā/sutapā compounds; udatta peaks on key nouns (indra, soma). Exact pitch contour depends on śākhā tradition.
Keep ‘índra’ with clear initial stress; do not flatten compound accents (somapā, sutapā). Maintain a slight lift on udatta syllables and glide on svarita.
Keep retroflex ḍ in ‘indra’ absent—use dental ‘d’ (in-dra)., Nasalization in ‘martyām̐ś’ should be audible but not exaggerated., Split compounds mentally: soma-pāḥ, suta-pā, viśva-āyuḥ for clarity.
Steady, bright, inwardly focused; avoid harsh force—aim for luminous firmness.
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