Rig Veda 8.34.16: Mandala 8, Sukta 34, Mantra 16
Sukta 8.34
- Rishi
- Kāṇva lineage
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- likely Gāyatrī/Anuṣṭubh-like refrain structure
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ यदिन्द्रश्च दद्वहे सहस्रं वसुरोचिषः । ओजिष्ठमश्व्यं पशुम् ॥
ā yád índraś ca dadváhe sahásraṃ vásu-rociṣaḥ | ójiṣṭham aśvyáṃ paśúm ||
ഇന്ദ്രനും ഞങ്ങളുടെ ദാന-യജ്ഞത്തിലേക്കു ആകർഷിതനായി സമീപിക്കുമ്പോൾ, വസു-രോചിഷഃ—പ്രകാശമയ ധനങ്ങൾ—ആയിരമായി ഞങ്ങളിലേക്കു വരട്ടെ; കൂടാതെ അശ്വംപോലെ വേഗമുള്ള, അത്യന്തം ശക്തമായ ഓജസ്—വശീകരിച്ചു യാത്രയിൽ വിനിയോഗിക്കാവുന്ന പശുബലം—ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് ലഭിക്കട്ടെ.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither, forth (towards)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थकः)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यत्
- when/that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (सम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्-सम्बन्धे)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्Root च (निपात)
- दद्वहे
- we have borne/bring (for ourselves)Verbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root वह् (धातु, वहँ प्रापणे/वहने) + द (रेडुप्लिकेशन/परफेक्ट-आधारः)
- सहस्रम्
- a thousandNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसुरोचिषः
- (Indra) of bright/wealthy splendorAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (वर्णनात्मक-विशेषणम्; इन्द्रस्य) अथवा बहुव्रीहिः: ‘वसु-रोचिस्’ = ‘whose splendor is wealth/bright riches’Role Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root वसु-रोचिस् (समासः: वसु + रोचिस्)
- ओजिष्ठम्
- the strongest, most mightyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (तम-प्रत्ययः)Role Karma (पशुम् विशेषयति)Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक) → ओजिष्ठ (तमप्-प्रत्ययेन अतिशय)
- अश्व्यम्
- equine; pertaining to horsesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role Karma (पशुम् विशेषयति)Root अश्व्य (अश्व-सम्बन्धि विशेषण; अश्व + यत्/य)
- पशुम्
- a beast; cattle/animal (victim)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: यदिन्द्रश्च → यत् + इन्द्रः + च (final -t of यत् becomes -d before vowel; visarga of इन्द्रः is lost before च in saṃhitā)
- Other words are already in pada-like form
- Accent marks in the saṃhitā: इन्द्र॑श्च, दद्व॑हे, वसु॑रोचिषः, ओजि॑ष्ठम्, अश्व्यं॑ indicate Vedic udātta/svarita positions but do not change morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
When Indra is drawn near to our act of giving/offerings, may a thousand shining riches come, and the strongest ‘aśvya’ beast (life-force) to be used.
Inner meaning
When the illumined Mind (Indra) is invited into the inner sacrifice (dadvahe: our giving/placing), then the being receives luminous riches (vasu-rociṣaḥ: bright treasures—ideas, discernments, right movements) and a powerful mastered life-energy (paśu) swift like a steed (aśvya): the vital force harnessed for the journey rather than wandering in desire.
Universal truth
Right exchange with the higher consciousness—offering and receptivity—brings both light (knowledge) and force (energy) in a usable, governed form.
Themes
Indra-boon, Plenitude-of-force, Inner-wealth (vasu/rayi), Victory over limitation
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.34 (context hymn)
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 8’s Kāṇva-style Indra invocations: reciprocity between offering and descent of power.
Significance
The seer articulates a key yogic law: offering draws the divine force; the vital is not rejected but transformed into a swift instrument.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavān (bounteous, implied), vasupatī (lord of riches, implied), ojīyān (strong, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni (sacrifice), Maruts (energies), Soma (delight that empowers)
Cosmic role
Giver of luminous wealth; awakener of force; harmonizer of mind and vital for victorious action.
Inner power
Illumination that converts raw vitality into mastered energy aligned with truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation during offerings (general)
आ यदिन्द्र॑श्च॒ दद्व॑हे स॒हस्रं॒ वसु॑रोचिषः । ओजि॑ष्ठ॒मश्व्यं॑ प॒शुम् ॥
आ । यत् । इन्द्रः॑ । च॒ । दद्व॑हे॒ इति॑ । स॒हस्र॑म् । वसु॑ऽरोचिषः । ओजि॑ष्ठम् । अश्व्य॑म् । प॒शुम् ॥
ā | yat | indraḥ | ca | dadvahe iti | sahasram | vasu-rociṣaḥ | ojiṣṭham | aśvyam | paśum
Likely Jagatī (12-syllable tendency in some RV 8 verses)
48
4 padas of ~12 syllables (probable)
Fuller, rolling measure suitable for ‘bringing’ riches and force.
Produces a sense of gathering power; supports energizing yet controlled breath.
- ā yat
- Literal: when/inasmuch as hither. Symbolic: condition of inward turning and invitation
- indraḥ
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: illumined mind-power; victorious intelligence
- dadvahe
- Literal: we give/offer, we place. Symbolic: inner sacrifice: offering of ego-motions into the fire of aspiration
- sahasram
- Literal: a thousand. Symbolic: large plenitude of gains—many rays of understanding
- vasurociṣaḥ
- Literal: wealths that shine / luminous riches. Symbolic: clarities, right perceptions, true values that illumine life
- ojiṣṭham
- Literal: most strong. Symbolic: concentrated force of effective action
- aśvyam
- Literal: equine, of the horse. Symbolic: swift vital energy disciplined for right action
- paśum
- Literal: beast, cattle/animal. Symbolic: life-force in its raw power, to be mastered and made serviceable
General Soma-yajña atmosphere: invocation for Indra’s empowering descent and increase of vasu (inner wealth); applicable to Indra-focused Soma pressings (savana) in a broad sense.
At moments of offering/oblation, especially in Soma contexts where Indra is invited to partake and grant boons.
Recitation accompanying giving (dadvahe) to seal reciprocity.
Before work or disciplined practice: offer intention, then invoke clear light and harnessed energy for action.
indraḥ: from √ind/√id ‘to be strong, to kindle/impel’ (traditional), signifying the impelling luminous force in mind. dadvahe: connected with √dā ‘to give’ (and its desiderative/derivative formations), indicating reciprocal bestowal in sacrifice (inner offering). vasu: from √vas ‘to dwell, to abide’ → ‘that which is a stable substance/possession’; rociṣ: from √ruc ‘to shine’. ojas: from √vaj/√uj associations of vigor; here ojiṣṭha = superlative ‘most forceful’. aśvya: from aśva ‘horse’ (PIE *h₁éḱwos). paśu: from √paś ‘to see’ (folk/semantic overlap) but in Vedic usage ‘creature/possession’; psychologically, the vital energies that can be ‘held’ and directed.
ṛta as right increase through right offering (reciprocity of giving), sahasra as plenitude (bṛhat)
Offerings aligned with ṛta invite right distributions of light and force.
True wealth is luminous (rociṣ), not merely material.
Transformation of paśu (raw life) into aśvya (swift disciplined force): evolution of vital under mind-light.
Integral psychological reading: yajña as inner process of transformation.
Horse = dynamic life-energy; luminous wealth = rays of understanding; paśu = vital substance to be governed.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘descent of Indra for the offering’ leading to the release/increase of luminous plenitudes (vasu-rociṣ). It is a compressed form of the Indra-myth: when the power is rightly invoked, abundance of light and force becomes available to the human journey.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- aśvya- ‘equine’ continues the Indo-European horse word (Skt aśva ~ Lat equus ~ OIr ech), pointing to inherited poetic symbolism of speed and force. rociṣ (√ruc ‘shine’) aligns with widespread IE light/shine lexemes, supporting a pan-IE poetics of radiance as knowledge.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal economy: the human offers (dadvahe, ‘in the giving’), and Indra’s presence answers by enlarging being—luminous substance (vasu-rociṣ) and intensified power (ojiṣṭham). The ‘gift’ is inward: energies and illuminations for mastery and progress.
Consciously ‘offer’ a restless desire-wave; invite Indra to convert it into ojas—clean, swift, serviceable energy.
Maṇipūra (ojas/force) guided by Ājñā (illumination)
4-4-6 breathing: inhale (receive light), hold (gather ojas), exhale (direct into action).
Bright, firm, ready-to-act composure.
After recitation, choose one concrete action aligned with truth; feel the ‘aśvya paśu’ as harnessed drive, not compulsion.
Not fully determinable here; keep marked accents (॑) as udātta rises (e.g., índraś, ojiṣṭhám).
Let the phrase ‘sahasraṃ vasurociṣaḥ’ flow as one luminous unit; slight emphasis on ‘ojiṣṭham’.
‘vasurociṣaḥ’—keep ṣ as retroflex; end with clear visarga ḥ, ‘aśvyam’—śv cluster: aś-vyam (not aśy-am), ‘paśum’—short u, nasalized m lightly
Firm, victorious, but controlled (no shouting).
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