Rig Veda 3.40.5: Mandala 3, Sukta 40, Mantra 5
Sukta 3.40
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
दधिष्वा जठरे सुतं सोममिन्द्र वरेण्यम् । तव द्युक्षास इन्दवः ॥
dadhíṣvā jaṭháre sutáṃ sómam indra váreṇyam | táva dyukṣā́sa índavaḥ ||
Letakkanlah dalam perutmu, wahai Indra, Soma yang diperah ini—kenikmatan yang paling layak dipilih; kerana titisanmu yang bercahaya ialah daya-daya pemberi terang, yang menyuburkan nyala batin kecerdasan yang menang.
Word by Word
- दधिष्व
- place, put (thou)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रिया (मुख्य क्रियापद) / विधेयRoot धा (√धा) + धि (आदेश/आगम) ; धा-धातोः लोट् मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन (आत्मनेपद) रूपम्
- जठरे
- in the bellyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरण (स्थान)Root जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतम्
- pressed (Soma)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सु (√सु ‘to press’) → सुत (कृदन्त, क्त) / प्रातिपदिक ‘सुत’
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (सुतम् इति विशेषणेन सह)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरेण्यम्
- choice, excellent, most desirableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (सोमम् का विशेषण) / विशेषणRoot वरेण्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वृ ‘to choose’ से ‘वरणीय/श्रेष्ठ’ अर्थे)
- तव
- of thee, thyPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / स्वामित्वRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्युक्षासः
- the shining onesNoun/Adjective (collective epithet)पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (अगली क्रिया/अर्थ-निहित ‘भवन्ति/सन्ति’ के) / विषयRoot द्युक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘द्युत्/द्युत्-’ भावे ‘दीप्तिमान्’)
- इन्दवः
- Soma-dropsNounपुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (द्युक्षासः के साथ समनाधिकरण) / विषयRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; सोम-रस/बिन्दु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: दधिष्व | जठरे | सुतम् | सोमम् | इन्द्र | वरेण्यम् | तव | द्युक्षासः | इन्दवः । 1) दधिष्वा इति संहितापाठः = दधिष्व (लोट्) + आ (प्लुत/पादपूरण-प्रगृह्यभावः; संहितायां दीर्घः) — अर्थतः ‘दधिष्व’ एव मुख्यं, ‘आ’ उपसर्गवत्/पादपूरणम्। 2) सोममिन्द्र = सोमम् + इन्द्र (अं + इ → मि; संधि-लोप/परिवर्तन) । 3) इन्द्र वरेण्यम्: विसर्ग/अनुस्वारादि विशेष-संधि न
- पदविरामे पृथक्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is asked to place the pressed, choice Soma in his belly; the drops are shining/light-giving.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Mind to assimilate (digest) the offered delight so it becomes strength in the very substance of consciousness (jaṭhara). Soma is not merely tasted; it is made integral—turned into a luminous power that feeds the inner flame of intelligence and action.
Universal truth
Spiritual joy must be assimilated, not merely experienced; when digested into the being, it becomes steady light and capacity rather than passing ecstasy.
Themes
Soma ingestion, Choice-worthy offering, Light-increase, Inner transformation
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Viśvāmitra (Kauśika lineage)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.2, RV 3.6, RV 3.26, RV 3.59
Family tradition
Emphasis on transformation through offering: Soma becomes force for Indra’s victory and for the seer’s dhī (illumined intelligence).
Significance
Shows the practical psychology of the Veda: higher joy must enter and be ‘digested’ by the governing light, otherwise it remains a surface experience.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vareṇya-recipient (receiver of the choice Soma)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Soma-fed hero who performs the decisive acts for the gods; his ‘belly’ is the cosmic capacity to contain and wield force.
Inner power
Assimilative illumination: capacity to hold bliss without collapse and convert it into luminous energy for right action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering with invitation to Indra to drink/receive
द॒धि॒ष्वा ज॒ठरे॑ सु॒तं सोम॑मिन्द्र॒ वरे॑ण्यम् । तव॑ द्यु॒क्षास॒ इन्द॑वः ॥
द॒धि॒ष्व । ज॒ठरे॑ । सु॒तम् । सोम॑म् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । वरे॑ण्यम् । तव॑ । द्यु॒क्षासः॑ । इन्द॑वः ॥
dadhiṣva | jaṭhare | sutam | somam | indra | vareṇyam | tava | dyukṣāsaḥ | indavaḥ
44
4 pādas × ~11 syllables
Compact and imperative; a ‘placing’ rhythm—firm, grounding.
Encourages embodiment of experience; stabilizes the nervous system while keeping a bright edge of power.
- dadhiṣvā
- Literal: place/put, establish (imperative). Symbolic: Integrate firmly—make the higher experience part of the substance of nature
- jaṭhare
- Literal: in the belly. Symbolic: Seat of assimilation; the vital-mental ‘digestive’ power that converts experience into strength
- sutaṃ somam
- Literal: pressed Soma. Symbolic: Purified delight extracted by discipline and aspiration
- vareṇyam
- Literal: choice-worthy, excellent. Symbolic: The delight that is fit for the gods—pure ānanda free from desire
- dyukṣāsaḥ indavaḥ
- Literal: shining/giving light drops. Symbolic: Soma-powers that illumine—delight that becomes light
Soma offering: explicit ‘ingestion’ formula; corresponds to the moment of offering/drinking in Soma ritual sequences
During Soma libations, especially when calling Indra to partake fully.
Offering formula reinforcing Indra’s reception/assimilation of Soma.
Use after a peak meditation to ‘seal’ it—ask that the gained joy be integrated into daily nature.
dadhiṣva from √dhā ‘to place’ (imperative middle/reflexive nuance: ‘place for thyself’). jaṭhara ‘belly’ denotes digestion/transformation; inner sense: power of assimilation. vareṇya from √vṛ ‘to choose’ (var ‘choice/excellent’). dyu from √div ‘to shine’; dyukṣa- suggests ‘that which makes luminous’ (semantic link to increasing dyu).
Transformation through assimilation (inner digestion of experience into power), Ananda as substance of illumination
Assimilation supports ṛta by preventing dispersion; ordered force replaces scattered impulse.
The ‘choice-worthy’ Soma implies truth-purified delight (not mixed with falsehood/desire).
Conversion of essence (Soma) into light (dyukṣa)—alchemy of consciousness.
Yoga of transformation (Aurobindo): experience must be made cellular/embedded, not only mental.
The ‘digestive fire’ of consciousness that turns subtle delight into stable luminous energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s ‘digestion’ of Soma: the god takes Soma into himself and becomes luminous and strong. Psychologically, the illumined mind must not merely contact delight but assimilate it so it becomes stable energy of light (dyu-increase).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā ‘to place’ is PIE *dʰeh₁- (Greek títhēmi, Latin faciō is different but related placement roots; more directly: English ‘do’ from *dʰeh₁- in some analyses). dyu from PIE *diw- ‘sky/daylight’ (Latin diēs, Greek Zeus < *dyēus).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers the ‘choice-worthy’ essence (vareṇya); Indra is asked to internalize it. The implied return is that Indra’s luminous drops (indavaḥ as dyukṣāsaḥ) become active within the sacrificer’s consciousness as light-producing forces.
Assimilate bliss into the body-mind; let joy become strength and clarity rather than excitement.
maṇipūra (navel)
Gentle agni-sāra or slow diaphragmatic breathing; chant with awareness at navel center.
Collected, embodied luminosity.
After chanting, sit 2–3 minutes sensing a warm, steady center at the navel; imagine Soma-light distributing through the system as calm strength.
Emphasize the imperative ‘dadhiṣvā’ with a clear lift; keep ‘jaṭhare’ grounded; brighten on ‘dyukṣāsaḥ’.
Mark the caesura after ‘somam’ lightly; do not break the imperative flow.
(dadhiṣvā): aspirated ‘dh’, retroflex ‘ṣv’ cluster, (jaṭhare): retroflex ‘ṭh’ with aspiration, (vareṇyam): ‘ṇy’ cluster clean, (dyukṣāsaḥ): ‘dyu’ as in ‘dy’ glide; ‘kṣ’ crisp
Warm, firm, nourishing tone.
3
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.
