Rig Veda 3.8.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 8, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.8
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Vanaspati
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
समिद्धस्य श्रयमाणः पुरस्ताद्ब्रह्म वन्वानो अजरं सुवीरम् । आरे अस्मदमतिं बाधमान उच्छ्रयस्व महते सौभगाय ॥
sam-iddhásya śráyamāṇaḥ purástād bráhma vanvā́nó ajáraṃ su-vī́ram | āré asmád amátiṃ bā́dhamāna ucchrā́yasva mahaté saúbhagāya ||
ಸಮಿದ್ಧ ಅಗ್ನಿಯ ಮುಂಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಲಿಕೊಂಡು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸುವವನು, ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ (ಮಂತ್ರ-ವಾಣಿ)ಯಿಂದ ಅಜರವಾದ ಸು-ವೀರ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಜಯಿಸುವವನು—ನಮ್ಮಿಂದ ದೂರಮತಿಯನ್ನು (ವಕ್ರ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ದುರ್ಭಾವನೆ) ದೂರ ತಳ್ಳಿ; ಮಹತ್ ಸೌಭಾಗ್ಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಎತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ಏಳು, ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸು.
Word by Word
- समिद्धस्य
- of the kindled (one), of the kindled fireAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) / समिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रयमाणः
- taking refuge/leaning, resortingVerb (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक शानच्Role कर्तृ (of the main action)Root श्रि (धातु) → श्रयमाण (शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- पुरस्तात्
- in front, from the foreIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (स्थान/दिशा)Root पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तात् (अव्ययीभाव)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred utterance, prayer (brahman)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (वेदे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समरूपता सम्भव)Role कर्मRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वन्वानः
- seeking, pursuingVerb (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक शानच्Role कर्तृ (श्रयमाणः के साथ समन्वय)Root वन्/वन्व् (धातु; ‘to seek, strive for’) → वन्वान (शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अजरम्
- unaging, undecayingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (सुवीरम् के साथ विशेषण)Root अ-जर (प्रातिपदिक; न-जर ‘not aging’)
- सुवीरम्
- having good heroes/strong offspring; very manlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सु-वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
- आरे
- far awayIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकरण (दूरी/स्थान)Root आरे (अव्यय)
- अस्मत्
- from usPronounपञ्चमी बहुवचन (वेदे ‘अस्मत्’ रूप)Role अपादानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमतिम्
- lack of thought, folly, harmful intentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अ-मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- बाधमानः
- driving away, repelling, afflictingVerb (participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक शानच्Role कर्तृ (श्रयमाणः/वन्वानः के साथ)Root बाध् (धातु) → बाधमान (शानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- उच्छ्रयस्व
- rise up, be exaltedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य विधेय)Root उद्-श्रि (धातु) / उच्छ्रि (वेद. रूप) → उच्छ्रयस्व
- महते
- for the great (purpose/one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सौभगाय
- for good fortune, for prosperityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सौभग (प्रातिपदिक; from सु-भग) / सौभग्य (semantic)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): समिद्धस्य | श्रयमाणः | पुरस्तात् | ब्रह्म | वन्वानः | अजरम् | सुवीरम् || आरे | अस्मत् | अमतिम् | बाधमानः | उच्छ्रयस्व | महते | सौभगाय || विशेष: ‘पुरस्ताद् ब्रह्म’ में द् + ब् संयोग
- ‘अस्मदम्’ (संहिता-पाठ) = अस्मत् + अम् (अमतिम् के कारण) → पदपाठ में ‘अस्मत् अमतिम्’।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Leaning forward before the kindled flame, conquering by the sacred word an undecaying heroic power, drive far away from us wrong-mindedness; rise up for great good fortune.
Inner meaning
The supporter (Vanaspati) is envisioned close to the kindled Agni—leaning into the flame of aspiration. By brahman (the mantric Word, inspired truth-speech), the seeker conquers an ‘ajara suvīra’—a deathless heroic force: enduring spiritual strength. The prayer asks that amatí (crookedness/false movement of mind) be driven far, and that the inner support rise upward—establishing a larger destiny of good fortune (saubhāgya) as right participation in the divine working.
Universal truth
When the will is kindled and the word becomes true, an enduring strength is born; wrong thought is expelled, and the being rises into a larger, happier law of life.
Themes
upliftment, banishing wrong mind, power of the Word, stable heroic force
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Gāthin lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.8.1, RV 3.8.3, RV 3.8.4
Family tradition
Mantra as power of conquest; the Word (brahma) is a weapon of illumination that defeats inner crookedness.
Significance
The rishi’s stress on brahman highlights that inner victory is not by force alone but by truth-speech and right vision shaping the being.
The deity
- Devata
- Vanaspati (in front of kindled Agni)
- Epithets
- Purastāt-sthita (standing in front, implied), Ucchrita (uplifted, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Bṛhaspati (lord of brahman/word)
Cosmic role
The erected support of the rite that stands before Agni, enabling offerings to rise and order to be maintained.
Inner power
Upward-aspiring structure in the being; capacity to reject wrong mental movements and to hold heroic endurance.
In ritual
Where it is used
Raising/positioning the yūpa/wood support near the fire; protective and prosperity-invocation within soma contexts
समि॑द्धस्य॒ श्रय॑माणः पु॒रस्ता॒द्ब्रह्म॑ वन्वा॒नो अ॒जरं॑ सु॒वीर॑म् । आ॒रे अ॒स्मदम॑तिं॒ बाध॑मान॒ उच्छ्र॑यस्व मह॒ते सौभ॑गाय ॥
सम्ऽइ॑द्धस्य । श्रय॑माणः । पु॒रस्ता॑त् । ब्रह्म॑ । व॒न्वा॒नः । अ॒जर॑म् । सु॒ऽवीर॑म् । आ॒रे । अ॒स्मत् । अम॑तिम् । बाध॑मानः । उत् । श्र॒य॒स्व॒ । म॒ह॒ते । सौभ॑गाय ॥
sam-iddhasya | śrayamāṇaḥ | purastāt | brahma | vanvānaḥ | ajaram | su-vīram | āre | asmat | amatim | bādhamānaḥ | ut | śrayasva | mahate | saubhagāya
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Forceful and ascending; imperative-driven (āre… bādhamāna… uc chrayasva).
Elicits a feeling of rising and clearing; strengthens resolve to reject wrong thought.
- समिद्ध (samiddha)
- Literal: kindled. Symbolic: awakened aspiration; ignited inner fire
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred word; prayer; mantra. Symbolic: truth-vibration that conquers and forms consciousness
- अजर (ajara)
- Literal: undecaying. Symbolic: deathless stability of spiritual force
- सुवीर (suvīra)
- Literal: having good heroes; heroic. Symbolic: courageous power of the soul and illumined life-force
- अमति (amati)
- Literal: non-thought; perverse thought; ignorance. Symbolic: crooked mental movement, distortion, doubt, wrong direction
- उच्छ्रयस्व (uc chrayasva)
- Literal: rise up. Symbolic: ascent of consciousness; establishment of the inner pillar
- सौभगाय (saubhagāya)
- Literal: for good fortune. Symbolic: for a wide harmonious destiny under ṛta
Raising/establishing the yūpa/vanaspati and warding off defects; connected to ensuring faultless performance and auspicious outcome.
As the post/support is set and the fire is kindled; to ensure auspiciousness and remove defects.
Recitation while establishing the support; invoking expulsion of ‘fault’ and securing success.
Use before study/decision-making: chant to drive away amatí (confusion) and to ‘rise’ into clear, heroic steadiness.
sam-iddha from √idh ‘kindle’ = awakened fire. śri/śray ‘lean on, take refuge’ indicates inner dependence on the flame. brahman here as mantric formative power (√bṛh ‘to expand’ also resonates with vastness). a-mati ‘non-mind/right mind lacking’ is cognitive deviation. ucchray ‘rise’ marks elevation of the support/pillar (also yūpa context).
brahman as formative word, removal of a-mati (wrong mind), saubhaga (felicity) as inner harmony
Driving away amatí restores right order; rising up signifies alignment with the upward law of ṛta.
Brahman as truth-word creates the ‘ajara’ stability of being.
Formation of an undecaying heroic power as a created inner ‘body’ of strength around the fire.
Mantra-śakti emphasis (Vedic) with psychological reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): word as formative consciousness-force.
Fire = awakened will; wood/post = structural support of practice; rising = ascent; expelling crookedness = purification of mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rising of the consecrated support’ and the expulsion of wrong mind: mythic uplift (pillar/axis rising) mirrors inner elevation where brahman (word-power) conquers decay and drives away a-mati.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √idh ‘kindle’ relates to PIE *h₁eydʰ- (burn/kindle; cf. Latin aedēs? not direct; but Indo-Iranian *aidh- is clear). mati ‘thought’ is from √man (PIE *men- ‘think’). su-vīra ‘good-heroic’ uses vīra ‘man/hero’ from PIE *wiHro- (cf. Latin vir).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi approaches the kindled power with brahman and asks for an inner correction: the Devata’s ‘rising’ is both ritual (post) and psychological (elevation of being), granting saubhaga by removing a-mati.
Straighten the mind: identify one ‘amatí’ (distortion) and offer it into the kindled will; rise into clarity.
Maṇipūra (heroic force) and Ājñā (right thought).
Kapalabhāti light (30–60 strokes) if suitable, then slow breathing; chant to seal clarity.
Active purification leading to luminous determination.
Chant once slowly, then again with firmer intention on ‘āre asmad amatim’; sit and watch for the first clear directive that arises—act on it simply.
Tri-svara; emphasize imperative contours—slight lift on ‘uc chrayasva’.
Keep consonant clusters clean: ‘śrayamāṇaḥ’, ‘bādhamānaḥ’, ‘saubhagāya’.
samiddhasya: double ‘ddh’ articulated, not simplified, śrayamāṇaḥ: ‘śr’ cluster; long ā in māṇaḥ, brahma: aspirate ‘bh’ gently, ajaraṃ: soft ‘j’, short a-j-a, ucchrayasva: ‘cchr’ cluster; do not insert vowel between cch and r
Firm, upright, slightly louder on the third and fourth pādas.
5
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.
