Rig Veda 8.3.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 3, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.3
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
इमा उ त्वा पुरूवसो गिरो वर्धन्तु या मम । पावकवर्णाः शुचयो विपश्चितोऽभि स्तोमैरनूषत ॥
imā́ u tvā purū́vaso gíro vardhantu yā́ máma | pāvaká-varṇāḥ śúcayo vipaścíto ’bhí stómair anūṣata ||
ຄໍາເວົ້າເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຂອງຂ້ານ້ອຍ, ຜູ້ສ່ອງແສງກວ້າງ, ຈົ່ງເພີ່ມພະລັງໃຫ້ທ່ານ; ບໍລິສຸດ ແລະ ມີສີຊັດບໍລິສຸດ, ບັນດາຮູບທີ່ມີປັນຍາທັດສະນະໄດ້ຮ້ອງຮຽນຕໍ່ທ່ານດ້ວຍບົດສະຫລອງ.
Word by Word
- इमाः
- thesePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वर्धन्तु इत्यस्य) / विषयRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed, now (emphatic particle)Indeclinableनिपात (सम्बोधन/अनुनय/बलार्थक)Root उ (निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (वर्धन्तु इत्यस्य) / लक्ष्यRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पुरूवसो
- O rich-in-goods (abounding in wealth)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरूवस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुवसु/बहुधन)
- गिरः
- songs, hymnsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वर्धन्तु) / साधन-रूपेण स्तुतयःRoot गिर् (स्त्री; ‘स्तुति/वाक्’)
- वर्धन्तु
- may (they) increase, strengthenVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, ३ पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot वृध् (धातु)
- याः
- whichPronoun (relative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (गिरः इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण) / कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मम
- myPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (गिरः इत्यस्य) / स्वामित्वRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पावकवर्णाः
- of purifying color; bright/pure-huedAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अनूषत) / गिरः इत्यस्य विशेषणRoot पावक-वर्ण (समास; पावक ‘शुद्ध/अग्नि-संबद्ध’ + वर्ण ‘रङ्ग/वर्ण’)
- शुचयः
- pure, shiningAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (अनूषत) / गिरः इत्यस्य विशेषणRoot शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
- विपश्चितः
- wise, inspiredAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (RV प्रयोगः; गिरः इत्यस्य विशेषण)Role कर्तृ (अनूषत) / गिरः इत्यस्य विशेषणRoot विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विशेषेण पश्यति’ = प्रज्ञावान्)
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (अभिमुख्ये/प्रति)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्तोमैः
- with praises, with hymnsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करण (अनूषत इत्यस्य) / साधनRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनूषत
- they praised, they sang after (in accompaniment)Verbलुङ् (आorist/इञ्जङ्-प्रयोगः), परस्मैपद, ३ पुरुष, बहुवचनRoot नु/नव् (धातु; स्तुति/नवते; उपसर्ग ‘अनु-’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इमाः उ त्वा पुरूवसो गिरः वर्धन्तु याः मम । पावकवर्णाः शुचयः विपश्चितः अभि स्तोमैः अनूषत । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) इमा + उ → इमाः उ (विसर्ग/दीर्घ-रूपः; संहितायां इ॒मा उ॑) (2) विपश्चितः + अभि → विपश्चितोऽभि (अः + अ → ओऽ) (3) स्तोमैः + अनूषत → स्तोमै॑रनूषत (विसर्ग-रुत्व: ः → र्, ‘र’ संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet says: these my utterances increase you, O wide-shining one; pure, cleansing-hued, discerning seers have praised you with hymns.
Inner meaning
Mantra (giraḥ) is a force that ‘increases’ Indra in us—i.e., it enlarges the capacity of the illumined mind to act. The utterances are described as pāvaka-varṇāḥ (of purifying color): speech that cleanses the mental field. The vipashcit (discerning seers) are the awakened faculties that can chant (anūṣata) in harmony with truth; such speech strengthens the inner Indra so illumination becomes more operative in thought and life.
Universal truth
What we repeatedly affirm with clarity and sincerity becomes a power in us. Pure speech and true thought amplify discernment and strengthen the higher intelligence that governs action.
Themes
Praise, Mantric efficacy, Purification, Illumination
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.3 (Indra praise sequence)
Significance
Represents the rishi-function itself: speech as a means to intensify the divine power in consciousness—an explicit statement of mantra-yoga in Vedic form.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- purūvasu/purūvaso (wide-shining), receiver of stoma, increasable by mantra (in the human channel)
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspiration/speech), Bṛhaspati (mantric power), Agni (will that carries the hymn)
Cosmic role
Receives and responds to the rhythm of truth-speech, empowering the victory of light.
Inner power
The awakened intelligence that grows by right affirmation, becoming more capable of decisive illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Stotra to Indra in Soma-invocation sequences; also used as praise preceding requests.
इ॒मा उ॑ त्वा पुरूवसो॒ गिरो॑ वर्धन्तु॒ या मम॑ । पा॒व॒कव॑र्णा॒: शुच॑यो विप॒श्चितो॒ऽभि स्तोमै॑रनूषत ॥
इ॒माः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । त्वा॒ । पु॒रु॒व॒सो॒ इति॑ पुरुऽवसो । गिरः॑ । व॒र्ध॒न्तु॒ । याः । मम॑ । पा॒व॒कऽव॑र्णाः । शुच॑यः । वि॒पः॒ऽचितः॑ । अ॒भि । स्तोमैः॑ । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ ॥
imāḥ | oṃ iti | tvā | puruvaso itipuru-vaso | giraḥ | vardhantu | yāḥ | mama | pāvaka-varṇāḥ | śucayaḥ | vipaḥ-citaḥ | abhi | stomaiḥ | anūṣata
Two hemistichs; mantra flows with repeated consonant clusters supporting a ‘cleansing’ cadence.
Bright, ascending, mantra-forward; suitable for invocation through speech.
Cleanses and clarifies the mind; evokes a sense of widening and uplifting through sound.
- गिरः (giraḥ)
- Literal: utterances, songs. Symbolic: mantric speech-force; formulations of consciousness
- पुरुवसो (purūvaso)
- Literal: wide-shining/abundant in light. Symbolic: vast luminous consciousness; expansive illumination
- वर्धन्तु (vardhantu)
- Literal: may they increase. Symbolic: may the higher power grow in capacity and influence within the being
- पावकवर्णाः (pāvakavarṇāḥ)
- Literal: of purifying/cleansing hue. Symbolic: speech that purifies mind-substance and reveals truth-color
- शुचयः (śucayaḥ)
- Literal: pure, bright. Symbolic: clarified movements of mind and heart, free of mixture
- विपश्चितः (vipaścito)
- Literal: discerning, wise. Symbolic: the illumined faculties that see distinctions in truth
- स्तोमैः (stomaiḥ)
- Literal: with hymns of praise. Symbolic: rhythmic affirmations that build a stable inner formation of light
Stotra/praise segment accompanying Soma; emphasizes mantra as effective force (brahman) that ‘increases’ the deity’s presence.
During Indra praise portions; adaptable to daily recitation for purification of speech and mind.
Recitation/chanting as a strengthening hymn (vardhana) to the deity.
Use before important communication (teaching, counsel, difficult conversation) to purify intention and invoke discerning clarity.
gir- ‘song/utterance’ is the vehicle of dhī; √vṛdh ‘increase’ frames hymn as a force that augments the deity’s manifestation in the human field. purūvasu (puru ‘many’ + vasu ‘good/wealth/light’) supports inner sense of ‘abundant luminous substance’. vipáścit- (vi + paś ‘see’) marks the seer-function: discriminative vision. pāvaka (from √pū ‘to cleanse, purify’) indicates speech as purifier—mantra as transformative vibration.
Mantra as power (gir/stoma as effective speech), Purification (pāvaka, śuci), Seer-vision (vipáścit)
Pure hymns aligned with ṛta are said to ‘increase’ the god—i.e., amplify the truth-power’s operation.
Vipashcit vision implies fidelity to satya through discriminating insight.
Speech as a formative power that builds inner realities (mantra as creation in consciousness).
Mantra-psychology (Aurobindo): Vāk as effective force shaping the inner sacrifice.
‘Cleansing hue’ corresponds to a brightening of mental substance—like fire turning smoke to flame—so discernment can operate.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of ‘strengthening the god by hymn’: the deity’s power is not static; it is intensified by inspired speech. Innerly, the mantra (gir/stoma) is a purifying vibration that increases Indra’s active presence as victorious illumination in the practitioner.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh ‘grow’ corresponds to PIE *werdh- ‘to grow’ (cf. English ‘worth’ historically related via semantic development in Germanic). √paś ‘see’ relates to PIE *peḱ- ‘to see’ (cf. Latin specio). These roots support the verse’s core: growth through vision and speech.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers his gir as an augmenting force; the devatā is approached as puruvasu—abundant luminous wealth—who responds by becoming more present through the seer’s purified, discerning chant.
Mantra as inner shaping: feel each phrase brighten and widen the mind, ‘increasing Indra’—the capacity for decisive insight.
viśuddha (throat)
Slow inhale; chant each half-verse on a long exhale; brief pause in stillness after completion.
From mixed speech to purified, luminous articulation; from narrow thought to wide shining awareness.
Before chanting, set a vow of truthfulness and goodwill in speech. While chanting, feel the sound wash the throat and head with ‘pāvaka’ clarity; afterward sit silently and notice increased discrimination (vipashcit).
Notated svaras not provided; maintain clear udātta emphasis on key words (imāḥ, tvā, vardhantu, pāvakavarṇāḥ, vipaścito).
Let the cadence rise slightly on ‘vardhantu’ (increase) and settle calmly on ‘anūṣata’ (they have chanted).
(imā u): keep ‘imā’ long ā; ‘u’ distinct, (purūvaso): long ū; ‘va’ soft, (pāvakavarṇāḥ): articulate ṇ; visarga at end, (vipaścito): ‘ści’ cluster clean
Bright, clear, slightly uplifted tone; keep purity of vowel lengths.
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.
