Rig Veda 8.68.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 68, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.68
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यस्य ते महिना महः परि ज्मायन्तमीयतुः । हस्ता वज्रं हिरण्ययम् ॥
yásya te mahinā́ máhaḥ pári jmāyántam īyátuḥ | hástā vájraṁ hiraṇyáyam ||
ಯಾರ ಮಹಿಮೆಯಿಂದ ನಿನ್ನ ಮಹಾನ್ ತೇಜಸ್ಸು ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಚಲಿಸಿ ಮುಂದುವರಿಯುತ್ತದೋ—ಅಂಥ ನಿನ್ನ ಕೈಗಳು ಸುವರ್ಣ ವಜ್ರವನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿ ಹೊರಡುತ್ತವೆ; ಅದು ವಿಜಯೀ ಬಲದ ತೇಜೋಮಯ ಉಪಕರಣ.
Word by Word
- यस्य
- whosePronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you / thyPronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महिना
- by (your) greatness, mightNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole करण (Instrumental: by/through)Root महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- महि
- greatly, mightilyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot महि (अव्यय/निपात; intensifier)
- महत्
- the great (deed/force)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (subject of the verb)Root महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableअव्ययRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- ज्मायन्तम्
- moving/going about, roamingParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root ज्मायन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; present participle)
- ईयतुः
- they two went / have goneVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष; द्विवचनRole क्रियाRoot इ (धातु) + य (विकरण) → ईयतुः
- हस्ता
- (two) handsNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (subject: the two hands)Root हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रम्
- the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object)Root वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- हिरण्ययम्
- goldenAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (वज्रम् इति विशेष्यस्य)Role कर्म (qualifier of the object)Root हिरण्यय (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यस्य | ते | महिना | महि | महत् | परि | ज्मायन्तम् | ईयतुः || हस्ता | वज्रम् | हिरण्ययम् || Sandhi/phonetics: (1) महः → महत् (RV pada reading commonly restores final -t before pause; written महः is saṃhitā form). (2) ज्मायन्तम् + ईयतुः: no external sandhi change beyond vowel contact
- accent marks are Vedic and do not alter segmentation. (3) हस्ता वज्रम्: no sandhi (visarga not involved)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra’s vast glory moves on every side by his greatness; his hands advance holding the golden vajra (thunderbolt).
Inner meaning
The illumined Mind-Power (Indra) acts through an all-pervading greatness (mahinā) that sets the seeker’s consciousness in victorious motion. The “hands” are the executive powers of the soul-nature carrying the golden vajra—an instrument of luminous discernment-force that breaks inner obstruction and establishes clarity.
Universal truth
When consciousness aligns with a higher greatness, power becomes luminous rather than violent: true victory is the radiant force of discernment that clears resistance and advances the whole being.
Themes
vajra, victory, luminous-power
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.68 (Indra hymn, Priyamedha tradition in adjacent verses)
Significance
Even where the named seer is not preserved, the mantra bears the Priyamedha-like emphasis on Indra’s luminous force and victorious advance—typical of seers who frame battle imagery as inner conquest.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- mahaḥ (the Vast/Great glory), vajrabhṛt (bearer of the thunderbolt), hiraṇyayavajra (golden-vajra wielder, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (leader of inner sacrifice), Soma (delight that feeds Indra), Uṣas (dawn-illumination), Bṛhaspati (word-power that opens the cave)
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of the waters/lights, establisher of wide luminous order in the worlds.
Inner power
Divine Mind and illumined will: the power that pierces confusion, energizes progress, and secures inner victory.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stuti within Soma-yajña sequences (general Indra invocation)
यस्य॑ ते महि॒ना म॒हः परि॑ ज्मा॒यन्त॑मी॒यतु॑: । हस्ता॒ वज्रं॑ हिर॒ण्यय॑म् ॥
यस्य॑ । ते॒ । म॒हि॒ना । म॒हः । परि॑ । ज्मा॒यन्त॑म् । ई॒यतुः॑ । हस्ता॑ । वज्र॑म् । हि॒र॒ण्यय॑म् ॥
yasya | te | mahinā | mahaḥ | pari | jmāyantam | īyatuḥ | hastā | vajram | hiraṇyayam
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4 pādas of ~8 syllables (approximate; Vedic sandhi and resolution may vary)
Compact, driving cadence with forward-thrusting verbs; suitable for invoking force.
Energizes resolve and clarity; the rhythm supports a ‘breakthrough’ sensation in attention.
- महि॒ना (mahinā)
- Literal: by greatness, by vastness. Symbolic: the soul’s widening into a higher, supramental amplitude that empowers action
- म॒हः (mahaḥ)
- Literal: greatness, might, glory. Symbolic: vast luminous consciousness; the ‘great’ light-field in which action becomes true
- परि (pari)
- Literal: around, on every side. Symbolic: integral pervasion—illumination taking hold of all parts of the being
- ज्मा॒यन्तम् (jmāyantam)
- Literal: advancing/moving onward (in wide course). Symbolic: the progressive march of consciousness toward victory over limitation
- हस्ता (hastā)
- Literal: hands. Symbolic: powers of execution: will, speech, mind, life acting as instruments of the inner godhead
- वज्र (vajra)
- Literal: thunderbolt. Symbolic: decisive force of illumination that shatters the Coverer (Vṛtra) and releases the Light
- हिरण्यय (hiraṇyaya)
- Literal: golden. Symbolic: luminous, solar, sattvic—force purified into light and truth
Indra praise emphasizing vajra; commonly resonates with soma hymns recalling Indra’s victory-function (breaking obstructions).
During Indra-focused praises around Soma offerings; also adaptable to daily japa for courage/clarity
Recitation to invoke Indra’s aid for victory and release of ‘light’ (prosperity/insight)
Use before demanding work or inner disciplines: chant to call luminous decisiveness and remove inertia.
vajra- is Indra’s iconic weapon; psychologically, the focused power of discrimination-force that shatters obstruction (like Vṛtra). hiraṇya- ‘gold’ regularly symbolizes light/solar radiance. The dual ‘hands’ carrying vajra stresses embodied agency of divine force in action.
victory over obstruction (Vṛtra-pattern implicit), luminous force as instrument of ṛta
Indra’s golden vajra is the executive of Ṛta—force aligned with truth that restores order by breaking falsehood.
‘Golden’ indicates truth-illumination rather than mere power; victory is a function of right seeing.
Release of hidden light/energies by the luminous strike; progressive manifestation through overcoming resistance.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral yoga reading (Aurobindo): Indra as illumined Mind opening toward higher gnosis.
Thunderbolt = penetrating insight; gold = solar truth; storm = dynamic purification of the vital-mental atmosphere.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s vajra-bearing agency: the hands that carry the golden thunderbolt signify the decisive luminous force that advances and encircles, ready to break obstruction—an implicit echo of the Vṛtra-splitting paradigm.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go’ (in jmāyantam) reflects PIE *gʷem- ‘go, come’ (cf. Latin venīre via different but related pathways; English come from Germanic *kwemaną). hiraṇya ‘gold’ connects to Indo-Iranian lexicon for the shining metal, often used metaphorically for light.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer contemplates Indra’s operative power (hands + vajra) as the model for effective inner action: the divine force becomes an archetype for concentrated, luminous breaking-through in the aspirant.
Invoke Indra within: concentrate on the ‘golden thunderbolt’ as discerning force that cuts through confusion.
ājñā (brow)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana for 6–8 rounds, then chant on a steady exhale
Focused, luminous, decisive (sattva with dynamic tapas)
Before chanting, recall a specific inner obstruction; on ‘vajraṃ hiraṇyayam’ visualize a golden strike of clarity that releases energy and restores right direction.
Mixed udatta/anudatta/svarita as per Ṛgvedic recitation; preserve marked accents on yasya, mahina, mahaḥ, pari, jmāyantam.
Keep the accented syllables bright and slightly raised; avoid flattening ‘mahí-nā’ and ‘vājram’. Maintain a clear caesura at the danda |.
Pronounce ‘hiraṇyayam’ as hi-raṇ-ya-yam (clear ṇa retroflex), ‘vajram’ with soft ‘jra’ cluster, not ‘jaram’, ‘jmāyantam’ begins with consonant cluster j+m; articulate lightly without inserting a vowel
Bright, steady, slightly forceful (not harsh)
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