Rig Veda 8.3.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 3, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.3
भूयाम ते सुमतौ वाजिनो वयं मा नः स्तरभिमातये । अस्माञ्चित्राभिरवतादभिष्टिभिरा नः सुम्नेषु यामय ॥
bhūyā́ma te su-matáu vā́jino vayáṃ mā naḥ staḥ abhí-mātaye | asmā́n citrā́bhir avatād abhíṣṭibhir ā́ naḥ sumnéṣu yāmaya ||
សូមឲ្យយើងខ្ញុំស្ថិតនៅក្នុងសេចក្តីសប្បាយចិត្តរបស់ព្រះអង្គកាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើង យើងដែលស្វែងរកភាពពេញលេញនៃកម្លាំង សូមកុំបណ្តើរយើងទៅរកការវាយប្រហាររបស់អ្នកគិតអាក្រក់ ដោយជំនួយដ៏ច្រើនពណ៌របស់ព្រះអង្គ សូមការពារយើង និងនាំយើងទៅកាន់សេចក្តីសុខចំរុង។
Protective prayer within Soma laud; can function as an anuvākyā-style request for safeguarding the sacrificer from hostile forces.
Su-mati (right harmony of thought), Conflict of true vs hostile thought (mati vs abhi-mati), Sumná (felicity/grace)
Seeking Indra’s guidance into ‘sumna’ implies entry into right-ordered movement protected from distortions.
Protection from abhimāti safeguards the mind’s fidelity to truth-perception.
The many-colored helps suggest a plural deployment of divine powers to uphold evolution toward luminous harmony.
Proto-Vedāntic/Vedantic-psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap style): deities as powers of consciousness.
Variegated ‘lights’ in consciousness (citra) become differentiated aids—discernment, courage, clarity—leading the being into settled felicity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of divine protection against the ‘enemy’: not merely human foes but abhi-māti—hostile thought/intent. Indra’s many-formed aids (citrābhiḥ abhiṣṭibhiḥ) are invoked to escort the seeker into sumná (felicity), echoing the larger Vedic combat of Light against obstructing powers.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mati ‘thought’ is from √man, tied to PIE *men- ‘to think’ (cf. Greek menos ‘spirit’, Latin mens ‘mind’). √yam ‘to guide/restrain’ reflects PIE *yem- ‘to hold, restrain’ (cf. Sanskrit yama-). The verse foregrounds mind-terms (mati) as primary battleground, a common IE poetic trope of ‘counsel/intent’ as power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker seeks sustained alignment with Indra’s su-mati (good intention) and asks not to be ‘left’ to hostile mental forces. The deity is not only giver of outer victory but inner guide (yāmaya) into sumná—grace as a stable state of consciousness.
Align the mind with a higher, benevolent clarity; observe and reject hostile thought-forms (abhimāti).
ājñā (brow)
Nadi-śodhana for 6–12 rounds, then slow recitation on exhale.
From scattered vigilance to protected, luminous steadiness.
Before chanting, name the ‘hostile thinker’ in yourself (doubt, cynicism, resentment). On each ‘sumatau/sumneṣu’ feel consent to a higher guidance; on ‘mā naḥ staḥ’ practice firm inner refusal of the negation.
Notated svaras not provided; chant in a steady Vedic recitation style with natural udātta emphasis on accented syllables as per śākhā tradition.
Keep clear stress on key invocatory words: sumatau, mā naḥ, abhimātaye, citrābhiḥ, sumneṣu.
(bhūyāma): long ū, (vājino): ‘vā’ long ā; soft ‘j’, (abhimātaye): ‘bh’ aspirated; ‘taye’ clear, (citrābhiḥ): ‘tr’ cluster clean; ‘bhiḥ’ with visarga
Clear, steady, protective firmness; avoid rushing the prohibitive phrase ‘mā naḥ’.
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