Rig Veda 8.6.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 6, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.6
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
कण्वा इन्द्रं यदक्रत स्तोमैर्यज्ञस्य साधनम् । जामि ब्रुवत आयुधम् ॥
kaṇvā́ índraṃ yád ákrata stómair yajñásya sā́dhanam | jā́mi brúvata ā́yudham ||
ಕಣ್ವರು ಸ್ತೋಮಗಳಿಂದ ಇಂದ್ರನನ್ನು ಯಜ್ಞದ ಸಾಧನ—ಕಾರ್ಯಕಾರಿ ಶಕ್ತಿ—ಎಂದು ರೂಪಿಸಿದಾಗ, ಅವರು ಬಂಧುಗಳಂತೆ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರು, ವಾಣಿಯ ಆಯುಧವನ್ನು ಗಢಿಸುತ್ತ; ಬೆಳಕಿನ ಯುದ್ಧಕ್ಕೆ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣವಾದ ಮಂತ್ರ.
Word by Word
- कण्वाः
- the Kaṇvas (seers)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot कण्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which/that (as/when)Pronoun/Relativeनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्-सम्बन्धे)Role कर्म (अक्रत इत्यस्य) / सम्बन्धसूचकRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अक्रत
- they made / fashionedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- स्तोमैः
- with hymns of praiseNounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञस्य
- of the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- साधनम्
- the accomplisher / means of accomplishmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (इन्द्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण-भावः) अथवा कर्म (अक्रत इत्यस्य)Root साधन (प्रातिपदिक) < साध् (धातु) + ल्युट्
- जामि
- intimately / familiarly (as kin)Indeclinable (usage) / Adverbialअव्ययम्Role क्रियाविशेषण (ब्रुवत) / प्रकारRoot जामि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक; ‘निकट/सहज/समान’)
- ब्रुवत
- speaking / utteringVerb (participle)वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययः; प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गे (कर्तरि), ‘कण्वाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषण (कण्वाः) / सहक्रियाRoot ब्रू (धातु)
- आयुधम्
- weaponNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (ब्रुवत इत्यस्य) / उक्त-वस्तुRoot आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: कण्वाः | इन्द्रम् | यत् | अक्रत | स्तोमैः | यज्ञस्य | साधनम् | जामि | ब्रुवत | आयुधम् । 1) कण्वा॒ इन्द्रं॒ → कण्वाः + इन्द्रम् (विसर्ग-लोपः/सन्धिः)
- 2) यदक्र॑त → यत् + अक्रत (त् + अ → द् (जश्त्व) इति संहितायाम्)
- 3) स्तोमै॑र्य॒ज्ञस्य॒ → स्तोमैः + यज्ञस्य (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः: ः + य → र्य)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Kaṇvas, by their hymns, fashioned (made effective) Indra as the accomplisher of the sacrifice; speaking as kin, they made a weapon.
Inner meaning
The seer-lineage awakens and “builds” the Indra-power (illumined mind and victorious force) through concentrated stoma (inspired praise). Mantra is not ornament but śastra: a sharpened instrument of consciousness that cuts through inner resistance. “Speaking as kin” indicates a unified inner fraternity—faculties of the being consenting together—so the Word becomes effective for the yajña, the inner offering of works and energies.
Universal truth
A higher power becomes operative in life when consciousness deliberately shapes it through inspired speech, intention, and unity of inner parts; the right word, born of vision, becomes an instrument of transformation.
Themes
mantra-weapon, Indra-empowerment, seer-lineage, victory-over-obstruction
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (Kaṇvayana)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.1, RV 8.2, RV 8.3, RV 8.4, RV 8.5, RV 8.6
Family tradition
Kaṇvas are renowned for Indra-hymns emphasizing victorious illumination and the efficacy of inspired speech (stoma) in the inner yajña.
Significance
Kaṇva-vision often treats mantra as a living power (śakti) that forms the god within—invocation as inner construction of consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛṣan (bull of power), vajrin (wielder of the thunderbolt), maghavan (bountiful), śatakratu (of a hundred powers/acts)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions; releaser of the waters/rays; establisher of wide heaven (svarga) through victory over the Coverer.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence allied with courageous force—decisive will that opens the sealed subconscient and brings down truth-light into action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra within Soma-yajña sequences (praise to strengthen the Indra-power for overcoming obstacles).
कण्वा॒ इन्द्रं॒ यदक्र॑त॒ स्तोमै॑र्य॒ज्ञस्य॒ साध॑नम् । जा॒मि ब्रु॑वत॒ आयु॑धम् ॥
कण्वाः॑ । इन्द्र॑म् । यत् । अक्र॑त । स्तोमैः॑ । य॒ज्ञस्य॑ । साध॑नम् । जा॒मि । ब्रु॒व॒ते॒ । आयु॑धम् ॥
kaṇvāḥ | indram | yat | akrata | stomaiḥ | yajñasya | sādhanam | jāmi | bruvate | āyudham
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Driving, martial, forward-pressing cadence suitable for invocation of force and victory.
Builds resolve and upward surge; supports “making effective” the invoked power through firm rhythmic will.
- कण्वाः (kaṇvāḥ)
- Literal: the Kaṇvas (seer-family). Symbolic: a lineage of inner hearing; harmonized powers of aspiration and discrimination
- इन्द्रम् (indram)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind-force that conquers darkness and releases truth-currents
- स्तोमैः (stomaiḥ)
- Literal: with hymns/praises. Symbolic: vibrations of inspired thought that shape and invoke higher force
- यज्ञस्य साधनम् (yajñasya sādhanam)
- Literal: the accomplisher/effective means of the sacrifice. Symbolic: the power that makes the inner offering fruitful and operative
- जामि (jāmi)
- Literal: as kin, in close relation. Symbolic: inner unity; concord of the faculties in a single aspiration
- आयुधम् (āyudham)
- Literal: weapon. Symbolic: mantra as a force of battle for light; decisive spiritual instrument
Indra-stotra framing: stoma as means (sādhana) that empowers Indra for the yajña and for victory over obstacles
During Soma pressing/offerings where Indra is invoked for strength and victory.
Recitation of stoma with offering (āhuti) to Indra; energizing the rite’s effectiveness (sādhanatā).
Use as a pre-task invocation: unify intention (“jāmi”), speak a clear sankalpa/mantra as a ‘weapon’ against inertia, fear, or confusion.
ákrata from √kṛ ‘make’ (PIE *kwer-/*ker- in making/doing field). sā́dhanam from √sādh ‘to accomplish, make effective’. ā́yudha from ā- + √yudh ‘fight’ → instrument for battle; psychologically, speech becomes weapon against obstruction. jā́mi ‘kin’ indicates a doctrine of affinity: the seer and god share a plane of consciousness when the hymn is true.
mantra as effective force (śabda-śakti), yajña as inner discipline, kinship (jāmi) between human and divine in inspired consciousness
Indra is ‘made effective’ to restore ṛta by breaking the disordering cover.
Mantra as satya-vāk: speech aligned to vision becomes effective power.
Formation of divine power through Word—invocation as a creative act.
Proto-Vedāntic/Vedantic psychology as read by Sri Aurobindo (Word-force shaping consciousness).
Natural battle imagery corresponds to inner struggle: mantra-forged will and illumination confronting obscuring habits.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘forging the god by hymn’ mythologem: Indra is ‘made’ by stoma into the effective power of yajña; speech becomes āyudha. Psychologically, inspired affirmation shapes and concentrates the Indra-force in the practitioner for inner battle.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yudh ‘fight’ is PIE *yeudh- (cf. Germanic cognates like Gothic juþan ‘fight’). √brū ‘speak’ belongs to inherited speech roots. The idea of ‘weaponised speech’ is a common IE poetic theme (word as spear/arrow).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The relationship is co-creative: the rishi’s stoma does not merely address Indra but ‘forms’ his operative presence; the god becomes the sacrifice’s sādhana, while the seer becomes kin (jāmi) through shared inspired vibration.
Invoke the Indra-force in the head/mental being as decisive illumination; feel mantra as a sharpened will of truth.
ājñā (brow)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating key phrase; exhale as ‘release of obstruction’.
Energized clarity (sattva with heroic drive).
Before action, unify inner parts (‘jāmi’): pause, align intention, speak/chant once with full attention; then act from the illumined decision rather than impulse.
Vedic tri-svara (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per Śākala tradition; maintain udātta peaks on accented syllables in indram, stomaiḥ, sādhanam, āyudham (per recensional marking).
Let udātta rise be clear but not shouted; svarita as a controlled fall-glide; avoid flattening compounds (yajñasya-sādhanam).
kaṇvāḥ: retroflex ṇ; long ā; visarga ḥ audible before pause, indraṃ: anusvāra as nasalization before consonant/pause, stomaiḥ: diphthong ai; final ḥ lightly aspirated, āyudham: long ā; ‘yu’ clean, not ‘yoo’
Firm, bright, forward-placing (as if ‘forging’).
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