Rig Veda 8.92.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 92, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.92
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्र इन्नो महानां दाता वाजानां नृतुः । महाँ अभिज्ञ्वा यमत् ॥
índra ín no mahā́nāṃ dātā́ vājā́nāṃ nṛtúḥ | mahā́m abhí-jñvā́ ā́ yamat ||
Indra sungguh bagi kami adalah pemberi anugerah-agung; ia pemimpin kelimpahan daya. Semoga Yang Mahakuat, mengetahui kebutuhan kami, mendekat dan merangkul kami dalam genggamannya.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root इत् (निपात)
- नः
- of us, ourPronounषष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = अस्माकम्)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महानाम्
- of the great (ones/things)Adjective (used substantively)(पुं/नपुं) षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- दाता
- giverNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्द्रः … दाता)Root दा (धातु) → दातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजानाम्
- of prizes/strengths (vājas)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- नृतुः
- leader of men; manly guideNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण-भाव (इन्द्रः … नृतुः)Root नृतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभिज्ञ्वा
- all-knowing, discerningAdjective/Participle (kṛdanta)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (वेदिक रूप ‘ज्ञ्वा’)Role विशेषण (इन्द्रस्य)Root अभि-ज्ञा (धातु) → अभिज्ञु/अभिज्ञ्वन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘knowing, discerning’)
- यमत्
- may he restrain/guide; may he directVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य वेदिक injunctive/aorist-form; 3rd person; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (इन्द्रः … यमत्)Root यम् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्रः इत् नः महानाम् दाता वाजानाम् नृतुः । महान् अभिज्ञ्वा यमत् ॥ 1) ‘इन्द्र॒ इन्नो॑’ = ‘इन्द्रः’ + ‘इत्’ + ‘नः’ (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि-सरलीकरण; ‘इत्’ निपातः, ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक). 2) ‘म॒हाँ अ॑भि॒ज्ञ्वा’ = ‘महान्’ + ‘अभिज्ञ्वा’ (न् + अ → न् अ, संधि में परिवर्तन नहीं; पदान्त ‘न्’ बना रहता है). 3) उच्चारण-चिह्न (॒/॑) वैदिक स्वर (अनुदात्त/उदात्त-स्वरित) सूचित करते हैं
- यहाँ पद-रूप सामान्यीकृत देवनागरी में दिए गए हैं।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is our giver of great things, leader of the prizes/plenitudes; may the mighty one, knowing, come near and take hold.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as the bestower of ‘mahānām’—great widenesses and higher fulfillments—and as nṛtuḥ of vājāḥ: the leader/impeller of dynamic powers and victories. The prayer is for a near approach (ā yamat) of the mighty illumined mind that already knows our inner requirement (abhijñu), so it can seize and uplift our nature into right movement.
Universal truth
A higher intelligence not only gives gifts; it leads our energies. When we invite it sincerely, it comes close and reorganizes life-force toward larger aims.
Themes
Boon of force (vāja), Divine guidance, Indra as giver
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.92.1, Rig Veda 8.92.2, Rig Veda 8.92.4, Rig Veda 8.92.5
Family tradition
Maṇḍala VIII performance hymns; voice of a group seeking Indra’s leadership in the inner and outer struggle.
Significance
Highlights Indra not merely as fighter but as guide of energies—central to Aurobindonian reading of Vedic yoga as inner battle and ascent.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Mahān (mighty), Dātā mahānām (giver of the great), Vājānāṃ nṛtuḥ (leader of powers), Abhijñu (knower)
- Related deities
- Maruts (energies that follow Indra), Bṛhaspati (word/vision that opens), Agni (will)
Cosmic role
Giver of wideness and victorious force; commander who leads the hosts of energies toward the Light.
Inner power
Executive illumination—discernment plus force that can take charge of the life-mind and turn it toward truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma context; request for gifts/victory
इन्द्र॒ इन्नो॑ म॒हानां॑ दा॒ता वाजा॑नां नृ॒तुः । म॒हाँ अ॑भि॒ज्ञ्वा य॑मत् ॥
इन्द्रः॑ । इत् । नः॒ । म॒हाना॑म् । द॒ता । वाजा॑नाम् । नृ॒तुः । म॒हान् । अ॒भि॒ऽज्ञु । आ । य॒म॒त् ॥
indraḥ | it | naḥ | mahānām | datā | vājānām | nṛtuḥ | mahān | abhi-jñu | ā | yamat
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3×8 (probable)
Compact and directive; ends with a strong approaching cadence.
Invokes a felt ‘drawing near’—good for calling decisive help in meditation.
- महानाम् (mahānām)
- Literal: of great things. Symbolic: wideness, higher states, large realizations beyond small ego-aims
- दाता (dātā)
- Literal: giver. Symbolic: distributor of inner riches—light, strength, right joy
- वाजानाम् (vājānām)
- Literal: of vāja: prizes, strengths, vigorous powers. Symbolic: dynamic energies and victorious capacities in the being
- नृतुः (nṛtuḥ)
- Literal: leader, guide (of men/energies). Symbolic: the directing intelligence that marshals forces toward realization
- अभिज्ञु (abhi-jñu)
- Literal: knowing, cognizant. Symbolic: intuitive discernment—Indra’s knowledge of the soul’s need
- आ यमत् (ā yamat)
- Literal: may he come/approach, may he take hold. Symbolic: descent/near-contact of illumination that grasps and lifts the nature
Indra stuti emphasizing bestowal of vāja and mahān gifts; suitable in Soma sequences where ‘vāja’ (victorious force) is sought.
During Indra-stotras; also adaptable to moments of seeking strength before action
Recitation to invite Indra’s presence and boon
Use before difficult conversations/decisions: chant to invite a larger, truer intelligence to lead your energies.
: from √/√? (Vedic semantic field) commonly ‘prize, strength, vigor’; inner sense justified by recurring RV collocation with conquest and plenitude—‘force in fullness’. √ ‘to hold, restrain, guide’ (yamat) conveys taking into control/possession—psychologically, the divine will seizing and guiding the human energies. √ ‘know’ in abhi-jñu from PIE *ǵneh₃- (cf. Greek gignṓskō, Latin (g)nōscere).
divine guidance (√yam) as inner governance, bestowal of ‘mahān’ attainments as growth toward bṛhat
Indra leads energies along ṛta—right direction rather than impulsive dispersion.
Abhijñu indicates a truth-knowing intelligence that sees the real need, not surface desire.
Growth into bṛhat (the Vast) through the guidance of illumined mind.
Integral Vedic ascent: from limited mental-vital to widened luminous consciousness.
Vāja = released life-energy and effectiveness; Indra’s approach = lightning-like nearness of clarity that takes command.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The giver-and-leader Indra: the mythic role of the champion who grants ‘vāja’ and takes command of the march. The inner action is Indra’s seizure (√yam) of the human energies to lead them toward victory and largeness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ (know) is a direct continuation of PIE *ǵneh₃- with clear cognates across IE. √ ‘hold’ is comparable to PIE *yem- ‘hold, restrain’ (cf. Avestan yam-, and thematic parallels in other branches). The superlative/collective semantics of mahān/vāja belong to inherited heroic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi positions Indra as both benefactor (dātā) and governor (nṛtuḥ; √yam). The human asks not only for gifts but for Indra’s conscious guidance—divine possession that turns human effort into victorious force.
Surrender the will-to-act to a higher guiding intelligence; ask Indra to ‘take hold’ of the mind and life-force.
maṇipūra (leadership of vital force)
Inhale: ‘indraḥ’; exhale: ‘ā yamat’—feeling a descent and grasping support
Centered power with guidance
After chanting, observe where energy wants to scatter; gently offer it upward and invite a single clear directive to emerge.
Svara not supplied; keep slight rises on ‘índra’ and ‘mahā́nām’, with a firm falling cadence on ‘ā́ yamat’.
Mark the pivots: índra ín no… dā́tā… vājā́nām… mahā́n… abhíjñu… ā́ yamat.
nṛtuḥ: vocalic ṛ—‘nṛ’ (not ‘nri’), abhijñu: cluster ‘jñ’ as ‘gya/nya’ depending on tradition; keep it clean and soft, yamat: dental ‘t’, short ‘a’
Firm, assuring, slightly descending at the end to feel ‘grasped’.
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