Rig Veda 8.13.31: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 31
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वृषायमिन्द्र ते रथ उतो ते वृषणा हरी । वृषा त्वं शतक्रतो वृषा हवः ॥
vṛ́ṣāyám indra te rátha utó te vṛ́ṣaṇā hárī | vṛ́ṣā tváṃ śatakrato vṛ́ṣā hávaḥ ||
រថរបស់អ្នកមានលក្ខណៈដូចគោឈ្មោល ហើយកម្លាំងពីរដែលមានពណ៌លឿងក៏មានលក្ខណៈដូចគោឈ្មោលដែរ។ អ្នកមានលក្ខណៈដូចគោឈ្មោល ដែលមានអំណាចរយព ហើយការហៅដែលអញ្ជើញអ្នកក៏មានលក្ខណៈដូចគោឈ្មោល ពេញដោយកម្លាំងដែលនាំឲ្យមានផល។
Word by Word
- वृषायामि
- I invigorate / I strengthenVerbलट् (present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kartā (implicit ‘अहम्’)Root वृष् (वर्षणे/वृष् ‘to rain, to make strong; to invigorate’) → वृषाय (denom.)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sambodhana (addressed deity)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनRole Sambandha (possessor)Root युष्मद् (त्वद्-शब्द)
- रथः
- chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘वृषायामि’ in sense ‘I invigorate X’)Root रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
- उतो
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे निपातःRoot उत (निपात) + उ (enclitic) → उतो
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनRole Sambandha (possessor)Root युष्मद् (त्वद्-शब्द)
- वृषणा
- the two strong ones / the two bullsAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole Karma (object of ‘वृषायामि’)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bull, strong one’)
- हरी
- the two Haris (bay horses)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole Karma (apposition to वृषणा; object)Root हरि (प्रातिपदिक; Indra’s bay steeds)
- वृषा
- a bull / the strong oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (predicate nominative of ‘त्वम्’)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्-शब्द)
- शतक्रतो
- O hundred-powered (Indra)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot शत-क्रतु (बहुव्रीहि; ‘having a hundred powers/stratagems’)
- वृषा
- a bull / strongNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (predicate nominative; ‘is a bull/strong’)Root वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- हवः
- invocation / callNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (subject: ‘the call is strong’ / ‘invocation is potent’)Root हव (प्रातिपदिक; ‘invocation, call’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वृषायामि इन्द्र ते रथः । उतो ते वृषणा हरी । वृषा त्वं शतक्रतो वृषा हवः ॥ 1) उ॒तो = उत + उ (निपात-समुच्चयः). 2) ते॒ वृष॑णा॒ हरी॑: ‘वृषणा’ (द्वि.द्वि. of वृषन्) + ‘हरी’ (द्वि.द्वि. of हरि) in apposition
- no further sandhi change. 3) शतक्रतो = शतक्रतो (सम्बोधन-एकवचन; -o voc. ending). Accents as in Saṃhitā: वृषा॒यमि॑न्द्र (इन्द्र is enclitic to verb in recitation), ते॒, रथ॑, उ॒तो, वृष॑णा॒, हरी॑, वृषा॒, श॑तक्रतो॒, हव॑:
The meaning
Outer meaning
Bull-like is your chariot, O Indra, and bull-like your two tawny horses; bull-like are you, O hundred-powered, and bull-like is the call.
Inner meaning
Vṛṣā is not mere ‘male animal’ praise; it signals overflowing potency—creative, victorious force that fertilizes and fulfills. Indra’s ratha (chariot) is the organized movement of illumined mind in action; his harī (tawny steeds) are the dynamic energies (often read as prāṇa-forces or swift mental-vital powers) that carry the ascent. Indra himself is the concentrated power of illumination (śatakratu: many-effective). Even the havah (invocation/call) becomes vṛṣā: when aspiration is sincere and forceful, it carries a generative potency that compels response from the higher Power.
Universal truth
When aspiration, instrument, and guiding intelligence are all charged with a single fruitful force, progress becomes rapid and effective: the call itself gains power to bring the higher help.
Themes
Indra potency (vṛṣan), Mantric invocation, Dynamic vehicle (ratha), Empowerment
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (probable); specific rishi not securely identified from the verse alone
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.13.31-32 (paired vṛṣā-refrain verses)
Family tradition
Kāṇva Indra hymns often use emphatic repetition and power-epithets to build a mantric force-field.
Significance
The seer intensifies the mantra through repetition of vṛṣā, creating a psychological charge: the whole inner instrumentation is to be filled with a single victorious potency.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śatakratu, Vṛṣan (the potent one; implied by vṛṣā)
- Related deities
- Maruts (often Indra’s allies), Soma (source of mada/ecstasy, next verse)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods, wielder of the thunderbolt, opener of the luminous worlds and giver of forceful victory.
Inner power
Illumined mind-force that organizes action (ratha) and commands swift energies (harī), responding to a potent aspiration (havaḥ).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma context; also suited to warrior/strength invocations in Vedic liturgy.
वृषा॒यमि॑न्द्र ते॒ रथ॑ उ॒तो ते॒ वृष॑णा॒ हरी॑ । वृषा॒ त्वं श॑तक्रतो॒ वृषा॒ हव॑: ॥
वृषा॑ । अ॒यम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । ते॒ । रथः॑ । उ॒तो इति॑ । ते॒ । वृष॑णा । हरी॒ इति॑ । वृषा॑ । त्वम् । श॒त॒ऽक्र॒तो॒ इति॑ शतऽक्रतो । वृषा॑ । हवः॑ ॥
vṛṣā | ayam | indra | te | rathaḥ | uto iti | te | vṛṣaṇā | harī iti | vṛṣā | tvam | śata-krato itiśata-krato | vṛṣā | havaḥ
Trishtubh (probable; refrain-like repetition; exact scansion needed)
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4 pādas × ~11 syllables (approx.)
Hammering and emphatic due to anaphora (vṛṣā… vṛṣā…): mantra of power.
Builds confidence and energetic uplift; stimulates will and courage.
- वृषा (vṛṣā)
- Literal: bull-like, potent. Symbolic: Overflowing, generative, victorious spiritual force
- रथ (ratha)
- Literal: chariot. Symbolic: Organized movement of consciousness; disciplined action-carrier
- हरी (harī)
- Literal: two tawny horses. Symbolic: Dual dynamic energies (mind-life powers) that draw the divine movement
- शतक्रतु (śatakratu)
- Literal: of a hundred powers/works. Symbolic: Many-effective intelligence; mastery that accomplishes repeatedly
- हवः (havaḥ)
- Literal: call, invocation. Symbolic: Aspiration that summons higher force; mantra as living power
Indra-invocation in Soma pressing; strengthening the call (havaḥ) by affirming Indra’s vṛṣan potency.
During Indra praises, especially when invoking strength and victorious force.
Recitation to intensify Indra’s presence and energize the rite.
Use before challenging tasks or during lethargy: to awaken a clean, powerful drive under higher guidance (not egoic aggression).
/: from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, to be powerful’; the bull image signifies ‘pouring’ potency—force that fertilizes consciousness. : ‘will, power of effective intelligence’ (not mere ritual); śata-kratu = inexhaustible multiple efficacies. √hū ‘to call’ (PIE *ḱlew? debated; but Indo-Iranian √hū stable) indicates invocation as a power-act, not only speech.
Kratu as effective will aligned with rita, Mantric call (havaḥ) as force, Shakti/potency as ‘rain’ of power into the being
Power is to be yoked to right order; the chariot symbolizes ṛta-guided movement.
Many-effective action implies truth-guided efficacy, not restless activity.
Dynamic manifestation: the divine power moves in ordered vehicles through energized forces.
Karmayoga archetype in Vedic terms: illumined force acting through disciplined instruments.
Bull-force is concentrated spiritual potency; horses are prāṇic/mental energies; chariot is coordinated personality-action under illumination.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as vṛṣan—the raining, fecund power—together with his chariot and Harī. Innerly, it is the concentration of potency across instrument (ratha), energies (Harī), deity (Indra), and speech-act (havaḥ): all must become ‘vṛṣā’ to produce the descent of force and victory over inertia.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The bull/rain potency image is widespread in IE poetics (fertility-force as ‘bull’). The compound śata-kratu shows archaic compounding and the old sacral notion of ‘many efficacies’ in the god. The repetitive anaphora ‘vṛṣā… vṛṣā…’ is a formulaic intensifier typical of inherited oral style.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi amplifies Indra’s presence through identifications: he makes the vehicle, the energies, the god, and the call share one quality (vṛṣā). This is a technique of effective praise that also educates the inner practitioner: make the invocation itself potent, and the god-force answers.
Invoke Indra’s potent guidance to yoke energies (harī) to an illumined course (ratha).
Manipura (power) guided by Ajna (illumined direction)
Brisk energizing breathing for 12 cycles, then settle into mantra repetition with steady exhale emphasis on ‘vṛṣā’.
Dynamic faith and empowered clarity.
Feel the ‘call’ (havaḥ) rising from the heart as aspiration; then imagine the mind as Indra’s chariot and the life-energies as the two steeds—yoked, steady, and luminous.
Rigvedic accents as per śākha; repetition suggests strong udatta lifts on each ‘vṛṣā’.
Treat each ‘vṛṣā’ as a beat; keep a firm caesura after key nouns (ratha, harī, tvam, havaḥ).
vṛṣā: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ, harī: long ī; light aspiration absent, śatakrato: keep retroflex ṭ; clear ‘kr’ cluster, havaḥ: visarga ḥ lightly aspirated at end
Full, steady, sonorous; avoid shouting—aim for charged resonance.
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