Rig Veda 8.52.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 52, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.52
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
अस्तावि मन्म पूर्व्यं ब्रह्मेन्द्राय वोचत । पूर्वीॠतस्य बृहतीरनूषत स्तोतुर्मेधा असृक्षत ॥
ástāvi mánma pū́rvyaṃ bráhmendrāya vocata | pū́rvīr ṛtásya br̥hatī́r anūṣata stotúr medhā́ asr̥kṣata ||
പുരാതന പ്രചോദിത മനനം ഗാനംപോലെ പാടപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; ഇന്ദ്രനോടു പവിത്രമായ ബ്രഹ്മ-വചനം ഉച്ചരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. ഋതത്തിന്റെ വിശാല ഉച്ചാരണങ്ങൾ മുഴങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; സ്തോതാവിന്റെ മേധാ—ബുദ്ധിശക്തികൾ—തങ്ങളുടെ പ്രവാഹത്തിലേക്ക് മോചിതമായി ഒഴുകുന്നു.
Word by Word
- अस्तावि
- was praised / has been sungVerbAorist (passive/ātmanepada usage), 3rd person singular; ‘was praised/has been praised’Root √स्तु (स्तवते/स्तौति)
- मन्म
- hymn, inspired thought/utteranceNounNeuter, nominative singular (Vedic form without final -न्)Role Kartā (with passive verb: the hymn/utterance as subject)Root मन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) < √मन् ‘to think’
- पूर्व्यम्
- ancient, primevalAdjectiveNeuter, nominative singular; agreeing with मन्मRole Kartā (qualifier of subject)Root पूर्व्य (adj. from पूर्व)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred formulation, prayerNounNeuter, accusative singular (Vedic: often identical in form to nominative)Role Karma (object of ‘spoke/uttered’)Root ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्राय
- to/for IndraNounMasculine, dative singularRole SampradānaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वोचत
- spoke / utteredVerbAorist, 3rd person singular, parasmaipadaRoot √वच् ‘to speak’
- पूर्वीः
- former, ancient (fem. pl.)AdjectiveFeminine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot पूर्वी (f. adj./noun from पूर्व)
- ऋतस्य
- of ṛta (cosmic order/truth)NounNeuter, genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitival relation)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
- बृहतीः
- great ones; also ‘Bṛhatī’ (a great/lofty chant/metre)Noun/AdjectiveFeminine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (in apposition to पूर्वीः)Root बृहती (प्रातिपदिक) < बृहत् ‘great’
- अनूषत
- they sang/uttered (in succession)VerbImperfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipadaRoot √वच्/√उच् (Vedic: anu-√वच्/anu-√उच् ‘to utter after, to sing’)
- स्तोतुः
- of the praiser/singerNounMasculine, genitive singularRole Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandhaRoot स्तोतृ (agent noun from √स्तु)
- मेधा
- wisdom, inspired intelligenceNounFeminine, nominative singularRole KartāRoot मेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
- असृक्षत
- they released/sent forthVerbAorist, 3rd person plural, ātmanepadaRoot √सृज् ‘to let go, send forth’
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal in this pada-text style
- Key resolutions/notes: (1) मन्म॑ is Vedic nominative sg. of मन्मन् with loss of final -न्
- (2) ब्रह्मेन्द्रा॑य = ब्रह्म + इन्द्राय (vowel coalescence: a + i → e)
- (3) पू॒र्वीॠ॒तस्य॑ = पूर्वीः + ऋतस्य (visarga before vowel; in saṃhitā the junction shows lengthening/ṛ-vowel onset; underlying form is पूर्वीः ऋतस्य)
- (4) बृह॒तीर॑नूषत = बृहतीः + अनूषत (final -ः before vowel becomes -र् in saṃhitā: -īḥ + a- → -īr a-)
- (5) स्तो॒तुर्मे॒धा = स्तोतुः + मेधा (visarga before voiced consonant m → r: -uḥ + m- → -ur m-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The ancient inspired thought is sung; the sacred utterance is spoken to Indra. The great utterances of ṛta resound, and the poet’s intelligence-powers are released.
Inner meaning
Manma (inspired mind) awakens its primordial memory (pūrvyam): the soul’s ancient capacity to receive revelation. Brahman here is not ritual formula but the formative Word that opens Indra’s illumined force. When speech aligns with ṛta, the medhāḥ—powers of discernment and intuition—are ‘loosened’ into a flowing current of right seeing.
Universal truth
When thought becomes inspired and speech becomes true, intelligence is liberated from knots of confusion and begins to flow in a larger order.
Themes
power of mantra, ṛta-utterance, release of intelligence, ancient revelation
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.52.8 (hearing the call), RV 8.52.10 (harmonizing earth-sun; Soma exhilaration), RV 1.62 (Bṛhaspati, release of cows/knowledge—conceptual kinship)
Family tradition
Kāṇvas emphasize brahman as inspired utterance that compels illumination (Indra) and right order (ṛta).
Significance
The seer is portrayed as one whose medhā becomes free-flowing when aligned with ṛta—an archetype for yogic revelation through mantra.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Receiver of brahman, Lord of illumination
- Related deities
- Bṛhaspati (brahman power), Sarasvatī (inspired speech/flow), Agni (inner priest who kindles manma)
Cosmic role
He empowers the true Word and releases the wide movements of truth-order.
Inner power
Breaker of mental knots; awakener of intuition and victorious clarity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma settings; also recited as brahman-affirmation by the hotṛ tradition.
अस्ता॑वि॒ मन्म॑ पू॒र्व्यं ब्रह्मेन्द्रा॑य वोचत । पू॒र्वीॠ॒तस्य॑ बृह॒तीर॑नूषत स्तो॒तुर्मे॒धा अ॑सृक्षत ॥
अस्ता॑वि । मन्म॑ । पू॒र्व्यम् । ब्रह्म॑ । इन्द्रा॑य । वो॒च॒त॒ । पू॒र्वीः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । बृ॒ह॒तीः । अ॒नू॒ष॒त॒ । स्तो॒तुः । मे॒धाः । अ॒सृ॒क्ष॒त॒ ॥
astāvi | manma | pūrvyam | brahma | indrāya | vocata | pūrvīḥ | ṛtasya | bṛhatīḥ | anūṣata | stotuḥ | medhāḥ | asṛkṣata
48
4 × 12 (approx.)
Expansive, declarative; suitable for ‘release’ imagery and broad truth-statements.
Creates a sense of widening and uncoiling—good for moving from concentrated effort into flowing insight.
- मन्म (manma)
- Literal: thought, inspired mind. Symbolic: the illumined movement of consciousness receiving revelation
- पू॒र्व्यम् (pūrvyam)
- Literal: ancient, first. Symbolic: the original truth-memory within consciousness
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred word, prayer. Symbolic: the mantric power that forms and channels higher force
- ऋतस्य (ṛtasya)
- Literal: of ṛta, cosmic order. Symbolic: the right rhythm/law of truth in thought and speech
- बृहतीः (bṛhatīḥ)
- Literal: vast, wide utterances. Symbolic: expansive consciousness-expressions beyond narrow ego
- मेधाः (medhāḥ)
- Literal: intelligences, mental powers. Symbolic: intuition, discrimination, and integrative understanding released by truth-vibration
- असृक्षत (asṛkṣata)
- Literal: were let loose, flowed forth. Symbolic: unblocking of inner channels; knowledge begins to stream
Brahma-styled stotra: affirmation that the effective word has been uttered; fits pre-offering or climax of praise in Soma rite
When establishing the efficacy of the hymn/word before invoking Indra’s action.
Vocalization of brahman; affirmation of ṛta-utterances.
Use before study/teaching or contemplative inquiry: chant to ‘release’ medhā into a truthful flow.
brahman in early RV primarily denotes potent formulation/utterance (not later abstract 'Absolute' exclusively). ṛta from √ar/ṛ ‘fit, order’—cosmic rightness. bṛhatīḥ links to √bṛh ‘to grow, widen’—the Vast (bṛhat). medhā: mental power of comprehension/retention (possibly linked to √medh ‘to be wise/measure’). asṛkṣata from √sṛj ‘release, send forth’—imagery of opening channels.
Ṛta (truth-order), Bṛhat (the Vast), Brahman as formative word-power, medhā as awakened intelligence
Explicit: utterances belong to ṛta; when they resound, cognition aligns with cosmic order.
Truth as effective speech: what is spoken in satya becomes force.
World and self are shaped by the Word; cognition is a river released by right vibration.
Brāhmaṇa-to-Upaniṣadic bridge: brahman as formative speech leading toward inner realization.
Like rivers unblocked, intelligence streams when the inner law (ṛta) is honored in thought and speech.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘release of inspired intelligence through ṛta-speech’: when brahman is rightly voiced, the vast utterances of ṛta resound and medhā is ‘let loose’—a myth of revelation as opening of inner streams.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vac (speech) and √stu (praise) are central to Indo-European poetics of hymn. The collocation of ‘fame/speech/hearing’ systems across IE traditions is echoed here in the performative power of voiced formulation (brahman, vocata).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi is a channel: by voicing brahman to Indra, he triggers the resonance of ṛta and the liberation of medhā. Indra is both the recipient and the power that makes the word effective—divine response is experienced as an intensification of inspired cognition.
Shift from ordinary thinking to inspired mind (manma) by listening inwardly after chanting.
Ājñā (insight) and Viśuddha (truth-speech)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 rounds, then chant once per exhale with a silent pause to sense ‘release’.
Widened, luminous, flowing cognition.
After chanting, write or contemplate one ‘ṛta-aligned’ sentence (truth you can live today). Let action follow speech.
Chant with Vedic accents as indicated; keep long vowels (ā, ī, ū) fully timed.
Mark the main udātta peaks on pūrvyam, brahma, indrāya, ṛtasya, bṛhatīḥ, medhāḥ (as per śākhā accenting).
astāvi: keep st cluster clean., bṛhatīḥ: vocalic ṛ in bṛ-, and long īḥ at end., anūṣata: long ū and retroflex ṣ., asṛkṣata: articulate kṣ clearly; vocalic ṛ in -sṛ-.
Broad, open-throated, ‘declarative’ tone; feel widening on bṛhatīḥ.
7
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