Rig Veda 8.13.25: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 25
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
वर्धस्वा सु पुरुष्टुत ऋषिष्टुताभिरूतिभिः । धुक्षस्व पिप्युषीमिषमवा च नः ॥
várdhasvā sú puruṣṭuta ṛ́ṣiṣṭutābhir ū́tibhiḥ | dhúkṣasva pipyúṣīm íṣam ávā ca naḥ ||
हे पुरुष्टुत! ऋषींनी स्तुत केलेल्या ऊतींनी (सहाय्यांनी) तू वाढ; आणि आमच्यासाठी पिप्युषी (उफाळणारी) इषम् (पोषक अन्न/रस) दुह, आणि आमचे रक्षणही कर.
Word by Word
- वर्धस्व
- grow; increase (yourself)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot वृध् (धातु)
- सु
- well; greatlyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सु- (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- पुरुष्टुत
- O much-praised oneNoun (vocative epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot पुरु- + स्तुत (स्तु ‘to praise’ से कृत)
- ऋषिष्टुताभिः
- with praises (hymns) of seersNoun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग (स्तुति-सम्बद्धा), तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऋषि- + स्तुत (स्तु) → ऋषिष्टुत (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतिभिः
- with helps; with aidsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot ऊति- (प्रातिपदिक)
- धुक्षस्व
- yield forth; milk out (for yourself/us)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot धुक्ष्/दुह् (धातु; ‘to milk, to yield’—RV में धुक्ष्-रूप)
- पिप्युषीम्
- abundant; swelling (f.)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण-रूपेण)Root पिप्युषी- (प्याय्/पि ‘to swell, be full’ से कृत; ‘full, abundant’)
- इषम्
- refreshment; nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इष्/इषा- (प्रातिपदिक)
- अव
- down; forth; (as particle) also/intensifierIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अव (निपात/उपसर्ग)
- च
- andIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- नः
- for us; of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)Role सम्प्रदान (हितार्थे) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): वर्धस्व | सु | पुरु-स्तुत | ऋषि-स्तुताभिः | ऊतिभिः | धुक्षस्व | पिप्युषीम् | इषम् | अव | च | नः । 1) पुरुष्टुत = पुरु + स्तुत (समास/संयोग)
- 2) ऋषिष्टुताभिरूतिभिः: ऋषिष्टुताभिः + ऊतिभिः (अः/इः + ऊ- संधि में दीर्घ ‘ऊ’ बना रहता; पदपाठ में पृथक्)
- 3) पिप्युषीमिषम् = पिप्युषीम् + इषम् (म् + इ → मि; संहिता में ‘...षीमिष...’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Grow, O much-praised one, by the aids praised by seers; milk out for us the swelling nourishment and protect us too.
Inner meaning
Indra’s power in us increases (‘vardhasva’) when supported by the seer-approved helps—true thought, mantra, right aspiration. The ‘milking’ is the extraction of inner abundance (iṣa) from the higher planes into our life: energized clarity, strength, and delight that ‘swells’ (pipyuṣīm). Protection is the guarding of the gained light from relapse into old habits and obscurity.
Universal truth
Spiritual power grows through sustained right supports and yields practical nourishment—strength, clarity, and resilience—when consciously drawn down and safeguarded.
Themes
plenitude request, increase and outpouring, protection
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.13.23-27
Family tradition
Emphasis on practical results of the inner sacrifice—growth of power, drawing of nourishment, and protection—typical of Mandala 8’s dynamic spirituality.
Significance
The seer frames a complete yogic movement: increase the higher power, draw its substance into life, and secure it by protection—an integral transformation sequence.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- puruṣṭuta, ṛṣiṣṭuta, protector (av)
- Related deities
- Soma (source of swelling delight), Pūṣan (nourishment motif), Agni (carrier of offerings; preparer of force)
Cosmic role
Giver of strength and victorious increase; distributor of the ‘iṣa’ that sustains gods and humans.
Inner power
Growth-force of illumination; capacity to ‘milk’ abundance from higher consciousness into the vital and physical.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise seeking iṣa (refreshment/strength) and protection; common in Soma-yajña petitions
वर्ध॑स्वा॒ सु पु॑रुष्टुत॒ ऋषि॑ष्टुताभिरू॒तिभि॑: । धु॒क्षस्व॑ पि॒प्युषी॒मिष॒मवा॑ च नः ॥
वर्ध॑स्व । सु । पु॒रु॒ऽस्तु॒त॒ । ऋषि॑ऽस्तुताभिः । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । धु॒क्षस्व॑ । पि॒प्युषी॑म् । इष॑म् । अव॑ । च॒ । नः॒ ॥
vardhasva | su | puru-stuta | ṛṣi-stutābhiḥ | ūti-bhiḥ | dhukṣasva | pipyuṣīm | iṣam | ava | ca | naḥ
Probable Jagatī/Triṣṭubh-family; confirm by scansion
44
4 pādas (likely 11 each)
Ascending imperative rhythm (‘vardhasva… dhukṣasva…’) that feels like a stepped increase.
Strengthens will and confidence; supports a felt ‘drawing down’ of energy after the chant.
- वर्धस्व (vardhasva)
- Literal: grow, increase. Symbolic: intensification of illumined mind-force in the seeker
- ऋषिष्टुत (ṛṣiṣṭuta)
- Literal: praised by seers. Symbolic: validated by inner vision; aligned with realized knowledge
- ऊति (ūti)
- Literal: help, aid, succour. Symbolic: supporting forces: mantra, right will, guidance, protective energies
- धुक्षस्व (dhukṣasva)
- Literal: milk out. Symbolic: draw down and express inner abundance into life and action
- पिप्युषीम् (pipyuṣīm)
- Literal: swelling, abundant. Symbolic: increasing flow of force/joy/energy as consciousness opens
- इषम् (iṣam)
- Literal: nourishment, refreshment, strength. Symbolic: spiritual and psychological sustenance: luminous vigor, right impulse, capacity for works
- अव (ava)
- Literal: protect, guard. Symbolic: protective holding of the gained state against the coverer/resistance
Boon-request in Indra praise: increase of god’s force and outpouring of iṣ (nourishing impulsion) for the sacrificer.
After invitation, during petition for boons/strength and safeguarding
Recitation with offering; ‘milking’ imagery aligns with pressing Soma and distributing it
Chant when depleted or scattered: to invoke growth of clarity and draw nourishing force into daily work while asking for protection from relapse.
dhukṣasva from √duh 'to milk' (PIE *dʰewgʰ- 'produce, be strong' debated; but √duh is old Indo-Iranian). pipyuṣīm from √pyā 'to swell, become abundant' indicates plenitude. iṣ from √iṣ 'to impel, refresh, strengthen' → iṣa 'impulse/nourishment' bridging food-force and will-force.
increase of divine force (vṛdh), plenitude (pyā), iṣ as will-nourishment
True ‘iṣa’ comes when growth follows right order—supports praised by seers (ṛṣiṣṭuta).
Seer-praised aids indicate alignment with truth-vision rather than egoic impulse.
Extraction/emanation of higher substance into the manifest life—‘milking’ as a creation-process.
Integral yoga reading: descent of force and nourishment into life for transformation.
Milking = drawing subtle energy into embodied life; nourishment = pranic-psychic sustenance that supports right action and endurance.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'milking' of abundance from the god: a classic RV image where divine power yields plenitude. Inwardly, Indra is asked to express from his force the swelling iṣ—nourishing impulsion for growth in consciousness—and to protect the aspirant.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vṛdh (PIE *werdh-) and the imperative morphology preserve inherited verbal systems. The semantic bridge of iṣ (food/impulse) reflects an archaic IE tendency to conflate nourishment with strength/power in poetic diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer’s hymn is itself an 'ūti' (help) that increases Indra; in return Indra is to pour out the inner nourishment-force (iṣ) and provide guarding—an exchange of speech-force for divine plenitude.
Invoke growth of illumined intelligence and consciously ‘draw down’ sustaining force into the body-life.
Maṇipūra (strength/nourishment) guided by Ājñā (illumined direction)
On inhale: ‘vardhasva’ (increase); on exhale: ‘dhukṣasva’ (draw down). Keep breath smooth, slightly deeper than normal.
Energized clarity with grounded vitality.
After chanting, place attention in the navel region and feel a warm, luminous nourishment spreading; then widen to whole body and end with a protective resolve (ava) to maintain the gained state.
Observe Saṃhitā accents; emphasize the imperatives ‘vardhasva’ and ‘dhukṣasva’ with clear udātta peaks and firm articulation.
Slightly stronger stress/clarity on verb-commands; soften on ‘avā ca naḥ’ as a protective closing.
vardhasvā: keep dh + sv cluster clean; long ā at end., ṛṣiṣṭutābhir: pronounce ṛ as vocalic r; keep ṣṭ cluster distinct., pipyuṣīm: articulate pyu carefully; long īm ending., iṣam: short i, retroflex ṣ.
Firm, nourishing, confident; avoid strain.
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