Rig Veda 8.19.36: Mandala 8, Sukta 19, Mantra 36
Sukta 8.19
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Devata
- Trāsadasyu in dānastuti
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
अदान्मे पौरुकुत्स्यः पञ्चाशतं त्रसदस्युर्वधूनाम् । मंहिष्ठो अर्यः सत्पतिः ॥
ádān me paurukutsyáḥ pañcāśátaṃ trasádasyur vadhū́nām | maṃhíṣṭho aryáḥ sátpatiḥ ||
പൗരുകുത്സ്യ വംശത്തിലെ ത്രസദസ്യു എനിക്ക് അമ്പത് വധൂകളെ (കന്യകളെ) നൽകി—അവൻ അത്യുദാരൻ, ആര്യ (ഉന്നതൻ), സത്പതി (സത്യരുടെ അധിപൻ) ആകുന്നു.
Word by Word
- अदात्
- gaveVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया) मुख्यक्रियाRoot दा (√दा ‘देने’)
- मे
- to me / for mePronounषष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (दातुः प्राप्ता) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद्
- पौरुकुत्स्यः
- the Paurukutsya (descendant of Purukutsa)Noun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ताRoot पौरुकुत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुकुत्स-वंशीयः)
- पञ्चाशतम्
- fiftyNumeralनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (संख्यावाचकं; ‘५०’)Role कर्मRoot पञ्चाशत्
- त्रसदस्युः
- TrasadasyuNoun (proper name)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (अन्तर्भूत-उपवाक्ये) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धRoot त्रसदस्यु (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
- वधूनाम्
- of brides / of womenNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘of brides/women’Root वधू
- मंहिष्ठः
- most bountifulAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role विशेषण (कर्तुः) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot मंहिष्ठ (मंह्/मंहस् ‘दान/उदारता’ इत्यर्थे; तद्धित/तमतम-रूपः)
- अर्यः
- the noble (Arya)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (सम्बोधन/विधेय-कर्ता) अथवा विशेष्यRoot अर्य
- सत्पतिः
- lord of the good (true lord)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता / विधेयRoot सत्पति (सत् + पति)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अदात् मे पौरुकुत्स्यः पञ्चाशतम् त्रसदस्युः वधूनाम् । मंहिष्ठः अर्यः सत्पतिः ॥ 1) ‘अदा॑न्मे’ = ‘अदात् + मे’ (त् + म् → न्म्, संहितायाम्)
- 2) ‘सत्प॑तिः’ = ‘सत् + पतिः’ (समासः; संधिः: त् + प → त्प)
- 3) ‘त्र॒सद॑स्युर्व॒धूना॑म्’ = ‘त्रसदस्युः + वधूनाम्’ (विसर्गः परे वकारे यथारूपं; संहितायां ‘-उर्व-’ इव दृश्यते)
The meaning
Outer meaning
King Trāsadasyu of the Paurukutsa lineage has given the rishi fifty maidens; he is most bounteous, noble, lord of the true.
Inner meaning
In the dānastuti register, the ‘gift’ can be read inwardly as the bestowal of multiple powers of formation and service to the soul’s work. ‘Maidens’ (vadhūnām) symbolize fresh, unspoiled energies—capacities of receptivity, skill, and delight—offered to the seer’s sacrifice. Trāsadasyu, ‘the one who makes the Dasyu tremble,’ becomes an inner king-force that subdues obstructive tendencies and supports the Arya nature. ‘Satpati’ (lord of the true) indicates governance by the true being, not by desire.
Universal truth
When the inner ruler is generous to the soul’s aim, life supplies many supporting capacities; true nobility is measured by what it offers to the growth of truth.
Themes
dānastuti, patronage and reciprocity, truth-based mastery (satpati)
The seer
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.19.34, RV 8.19.35
Family tradition
Kāṇva books include dānastutis where outer patronage mirrors inner laws: right support comes to the seer aligned with truth.
Significance
Even praise of human patrons is turned toward the ideal of the Arya and sat—suggesting that true giving supports the growth of truth-consciousness.
The deity
- Devata
- Trāsadasyu (patron-king, dānastuti)
- Epithets
- paurukutsyaḥ (of Paurukutsa line), maṃhiṣṭhaḥ (most bounteous), aryaḥ (noble), satpatiḥ (lord of the true)
- Related deities
- Indra (as slayer of obstructors), Ādityas (as upholders of right order)
Cosmic role
As a human figure, he represents righteous sovereignty that sustains the yajña and the seer’s work.
Inner power
The ‘king’ in us: organizing will that funds and empowers the spiritual endeavor, subduing the dasyu-like resistances.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dānastuti recitation appended to hymns; acknowledgment of patron’s gifts in soma/yajña contexts.
अदा॑न्मे पौरुकु॒त्स्यः प॑ञ्चा॒शतं॑ त्र॒सद॑स्युर्व॒धूना॑म् । मंहि॑ष्ठो अ॒र्यः सत्प॑तिः ॥
अदा॑त् । मे॒ । पौ॒रु॒ऽकु॒त्स्यः । प॒ञ्चा॒शत॑म् । त्र॒सद॑स्युः । व॒धूना॑म् । मंहि॑ष्ठः । अ॒र्यः । सत्ऽप॑तिः ॥
adāt | me | pauru-kutsyaḥ | pañcāśatam | trasadasyuḥ | vadhūnām | maṃhiṣṭhaḥ | aryaḥ | sat-patiḥ
44
4 × ~11 syllables (dānastuti often keeps triṣṭubh cadence)
Narrative-declarative with a generous, affirming beat.
Conveys gratitude and confirmation; stabilizes confidence in right support.
- त्रसदस्युः (trasadasyuḥ)
- Literal: Trāsadasyu (a king; ‘terror to the Dasyu’). Symbolic: inner kingly force that subdues obstruction and supports the Arya growth
- दानम् (adāt)
- Literal: gave. Symbolic: bestowal of energies/capacities to the inner work
- वधूनाम् (vadhūnām)
- Literal: maidens/brides. Symbolic: fresh formative powers; receptive energies that can be yoked to the sacrifice
- मंहिष्ठः (maṃhiṣṭhaḥ)
- Literal: most bounteous. Symbolic: abundant support from the ruling will
- अर्यः (aryaḥ)
- Literal: noble, Arya. Symbolic: the aspiring, disciplined nature oriented to truth
- सत्पतिः (sat-patiḥ)
- Literal: lord of the true/good. Symbolic: governance by the true being; master of right order in the psyche
Dānastuti (donation-praise) concluding/embedded in ritual recitation; records patron’s gift and reinforces sacrificial reciprocity.
At conclusion of a rite/hymn cycle when honoring patronage and support of the ritual.
Public praise; formal remembrance of gifts; social-ritual reciprocity.
Reframe as gratitude practice: acknowledge inner and outer supports that enable sādhanā; dedicate resources to truth-growth.
/ from √dā ‘give’: dānastuti register. ṣṭha (maṃhiṣṭha) superlative from maṃh ‘bounty, generosity’: abundance. (arya) ‘noble, fitting’: inner sense ‘aligned with the right’. (sat-pati) sat ‘true, being’ (< √as ‘be’) + pati ‘lord’ (< √pā ‘protect’/pati ‘master’): signifies mastery grounded in truth-being. (vadhū) ‘bride/woman’: in inner-symbolic reading can indicate ‘powers of delight/formation’ offered to the sacrificer; historically, a patron’s gift.
sat (truth/being), right order/nobility (arya), bounty as plenitude
Implicit via satpati and arya: right support belongs to truth-aligned action.
Satpati emphasizes mastery rooted in truth, not mere power.
Manifestation of supportive powers (‘many maidens’) around the truth-led will.
Ethico-spiritual Vedic humanism leading toward inner kingship (Aurobindonian: outer event as symbol of inner gain).
The multiplication of supportive faculties within the being when the ruling will becomes ‘satpati’.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The patron as ‘most bounteous’ (maṃhiṣṭha) and ‘lord of sat’: a social mythologem of the generous king mirrored in cosmic terms. Innerly, it figures the giving power that supplies formative energies (vadhū-symbol) to the seeker under truth-mastery.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- sat (< √as ‘be’) reflects PIE *h₁es- ‘to be’ (English is). pati ‘lord’ is widespread IE (cf. Greek despótēs is not cognate; but ‘pati’ relates to Indo-Iranian *pati- ‘master’), showing inherited social-sacral vocabulary of mastery and being.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- In dānastuti, the relationship is explicit reciprocity: the poet receives gifts and returns praise that confers lasting fame and sacral legitimacy. In inner terms, generosity is read as influx of supporting powers when one aligns with sat (truth-being).
Gratitude and resource-consecration: offer your capacities (skills, time, energy) to the inner yajña.
Maṇipūra (organizing will) supported by Anāhata (gratitude).
4-6 breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6) while recalling supports received; on exhale, mentally ‘offer’ them back to the Divine.
Warm, steady, supported aspiration.
List the ‘fifty maidens’ as your concrete capacities; choose one to discipline today under the ‘satpati’—the truth within.
Observe marked accents (adā́n, pañcāśatáṃ, trasádasyuḥ). Keep the cadence even across the enumerative phrase.
Do not rush ‘pañcāśataṃ trasadasyur’; keep clear word boundaries despite sandhi in continuous chanting.
paurukutsyaḥ: split as pauru-kutsyaḥ; keep ‘ts’ cluster clean, pañcāśatam: pañ-ca; long ā in śā, trasadasyuḥ: dental s, clear yuḥ with visarga, satpatiḥ: crisp t; short iḥ at end
warm, grateful, narrative clarity.
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