Rig Veda 8.76.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 76, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.76
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
मरुत्वाँ इन्द्र मीढ्वः पिबा सोमं शतक्रतो । अस्मिन्यज्ञे पुरुष्टुत ॥
marutvā́m̐ indra mīḍhvàḥ píbā sómaṃ śatakrato | asmín yajñé puruṣṭuta ||
Wahai Indra bersama para Marut, pemberi anugerah yang melimpah, minumlah Soma, wahai yang berdaya seratus; dalam yajña ini—wahai yang dipuji luas—agar persembahan kami menjadi ladang pertumbuhan yang menang.
Word by Word
- मरुत्वान्
- O Marut-possessing (accompanied by the Maruts)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आमन्त्रण; कारक-रूपेण न निर्दिष्टः)Root मरुत्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; मरुत् + वत्) अथवा मरुत्वान् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (प्रथमा-रूपेण)Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मीढ्वः
- O bountiful one / giverAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (RV-प्रयोगे -ः)Role सम्बोधनRoot मीढ्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मीढ्वस्’ = दाता/वर्षक/उदार)
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया)Root पा (धातु) ‘पिब’ (आदेश-रूप)
- सोमम्
- Soma (the pressed ritual drink)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- शतक्रतो
- O of a hundred powers/stratagemsNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक; शत + क्रतु)
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मिन्
- यज्ञे
- sacrifice, ritualNounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरुष्टुत
- O much-praised (praised by many)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरुष्टुत् (प्रातिपदिक; पुरु + स्तुत्) अथवा पुरु-स्तुत (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासाधारित विशेषण)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठ: म॒रुत्वाँ॑ इन्द्र मीढ्व॒: पिबा॒ सोमं॑ शतक्रतो । अ॒स्मिन्य॒ज्ञे पु॑रुष्टुत ॥ पद-विभाग (सन्धि-निरसन): मरुत्वान् | इन्द्र | मीढ्वः | पिब | सोमम् | शतक्रतो | अस्मिन् | यज्ञे | पुरुष्टुत | विशेष: ‘अस्मिन्यज्ञे’ = अस्मिन् + यज्ञे (नकारस्य यकारादेशः/यण्-सन्धि: न् + य → न्य). ‘पिबा’ संहितायां लोट् ‘पिब’ इत्यस्य दीर्घस्वर-प्रयोग/पदपूरण-प्रवृत्ति (छन्दोऽनुरोधः) इति
- पदपाठे सामान्यतः ‘पिब’ अपेक्षितम्। ‘मीढ्वः’ RV-प्रयोगे सम्बोधन-एकवचनरूपेण -ः अन्तः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indra with the Maruts, bountiful one, drink the Soma, O hundred-powered, in this sacrifice, O widely praised.
Inner meaning
The yogic offering (yajña) invites the illumined Mind with its allied energies to take the Soma-delight so that the inner work becomes victorious increase. ‘Śatakratu’ is the many-skilled power of consciousness—able to act in countless ways against resistance. ‘Puruṣṭuta’ indicates the manifold affirmations (praises) by which the being supports the descent of power.
Universal truth
When delight is consciously offered within disciplined practice, higher intelligence becomes multi-effective and turns the field of effort into a field of growth.
Themes
imperative invitation, Soma-drinking, hundred powers (śatakratu), gift/outpouring
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.76.1-12, Rig Veda 3.32 (Indra as śatakratu, thematic), Rig Veda 1.51 (Indra’s many powers)
Family tradition
Indra-Soma invocation style typical of Kāṇva hymns: direct imperative ‘pibā’ with epithets that map to inner capacities.
Significance
The seer speaks from the stance of the sacrificer-meditator: a confident summons to the higher power to partake and act here-and-now.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with Maruts)
- Epithets
- marutvān, mīḍhvaḥ, śatakratu, puruṣṭuta
- Related deities
- Maruts, Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Receives Soma, increases power, wins the luminous worlds, protects the sacrifice.
Inner power
A generous, multi-skilled illumination that can execute transformation across mind, life, and body when fed by Ananda.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña: invitation to Indra to drink at the offering.
म॒रुत्वाँ॑ इन्द्र मीढ्व॒: पिबा॒ सोमं॑ शतक्रतो । अ॒स्मिन्य॒ज्ञे पु॑रुष्टुत ॥
म॒रुत्वा॑न् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । मी॒ढ्वः॒ । पि॒ब॒ । सोम॑म् । श॒त॒क्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । अ॒स्मिन् । य॒ज्ञे । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒त॒ ॥
marutvān | indra | mīḍhavaḥ | piba | somam | śatakrato itiśata-krato | asmin | yajñe | puru-stuta
44
4×11 (approx.)
Imperative, rallying rhythm—invitation with confident authority.
Stirs decisive participation; helps the practitioner feel the practice as a living ‘yajña’ rather than a mental exercise.
- मीढ्वः (mīḍhvaḥ)
- Literal: bountiful, giver of boons. Symbolic: the generous higher power that pours force and light into the seeker
- शतक्रतो (śatakrato)
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: the many-capacitated divine mind-force that can meet complex inner resistances
- अस्मिन् यज्ञे (asmin yajñe)
- Literal: in this sacrifice. Symbolic: in this conscious inner offering: meditation, self-giving, transformation-work
- पुरुस्तुत (puruṣṭuta)
- Literal: much-praised. Symbolic: sustained affirmation/mantric support from many parts of the being
Direct imperative invitation at Soma offering; typical of Indra-stotras in pressing ceremonies.
During the offering sequences; especially when calling Indra to partake and empower the rite.
Recite with offering; inwardly present joy/energy to the higher consciousness and ask for increase.
Before a challenging sādhanā session or life-task, chant to invoke ‘hundred-powered’ clarity and generous strength.
(mīḍhvas) from √/√? RV epithet meaning 'bounteous, rewarding', associated with raining/flowing of gifts—inner sense: outpouring of force and felicity. (kratu) from √ (kṛ, 'do/make') in sense of 'will, power of effective intention'; śata-kratu: manifold effective will-powers. from √ 'to worship/sacrifice'—inner offering and consecration.
kratu as effective will, yajña as inner consecration, praise as invocation-force (stuti)
Yajña as the human participation in Ṛta—right offering leads to right increase.
True praise (stuti) as alignment of speech and will with the divine action.
Increase (vṛddhi) through offering: the cosmos and the inner being grow by exchange between human aspiration and divine powers.
Karmayogic-Vedic: right action as sacrifice leading to inner enlargement (Aurobindo’s ‘inner yajña’).
Soma = delight; yajña = disciplined practice; Maruts = prāṇic energies; Indra = illumined executive mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s Soma-drinking in the yajña as the condition for his empowered action. Inner sense: the illumined will assimilates delight and becomes the giver of increase (mīḍhvas) in the field of consecrated effort.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- kratu (will/power) relates to √ (do/make), from PIE *kwer-/*ker- type 'make/do' family (broadly; exact mapping debated). yajña from √ has Indo-Iranian ritual cognates (Avestan yaz- 'worship').
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi commands (piba) with ritual authority grounded in praise (puru-stuta): the god is welcomed as participant in the sacrifice. The exchange is explicit—Soma and stuti offered; empowered bounty and action expected in return.
Offer delight to the higher mind-force; feel practice as yajña; invite multi-skilled help to overcome layered resistances.
Maṇipūra (executive force) integrated with Ājñā (illumination)
On ‘pibā somaṃ’ exhale fully as an offering; brief stillness after exhale to sense reception.
Dynamic devotion—energetic yet collected.
Chant 7 or 21 times; then do 5 minutes of silent offering: with each exhale, ‘give’ effort; with each inhale, ‘receive’ clarity and strength.
Chant with Vedic accents as available; imperatives (‘pibā’) should not become shouted—keep tonal discipline.
Let ‘índra’ carry the primary lift; keep epithets flowing as a single invocation chain.
mīḍhvaḥ: pronounce ī long; ḍh is retroflex voiced aspirate, śatakrato: śa-ta-kra-to, keep ‘kr’ cluster clean, puruṣṭuta: retroflex ṣ; avoid ‘purustuta’ flattening, asmin yajñe: ‘jñ’ cluster (yajñe) articulated as ‘gy’/‘jñ’ per tradition
Clear, resonant, commanding yet devotional.
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.
