Rig Veda 8.33.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 33, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.33
- Rishi
- Kanva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shringara (love)
स्वरन्ति त्वा सुते नरो वसो निरेक उक्थिनः । कदा सुतं तृषाण ओक आ गम इन्द्र स्वब्दीव वंसगः ॥
sváranti tvā suté náro váso nireké ukthínaḥ | kadā sutáṃ tr̥ṣāṇá óka ā́ gamá índra svabdī́va váṃsagaḥ ||
Dalam Soma yang diperah, para lelaki pemuji bergema kepada-Mu, wahai pemberi kekayaan, di hamparan terbuka. Bilakah, dahaga akan Soma yang diperah itu, Engkau akan pulang ke rumah, wahai Indra—seperti penyanyi bersuara pantas menuju tempat duduknya sendiri—agar ruang batin dipenuhi oleh kuasa-Mu?
Word by Word
- स्वरन्ति
- they sing/raise a soundVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root √स्वर् (स्वरति)
- त्वा
- you (thee)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्)
- सुते
- at the pressed (soma)Nounसप्तमी, एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सोमः)Role अधिकरणRoot सुत (ppp. of √सु ‘to press’)
- नरः
- menNounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृRoot नर
- वसो
- O good one / O wealthy oneNoun (vocative epithet)सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot वसु
- निरेकः
- singular, unique, peerlessAdjectiveप्रथमा, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole (विशेषणम्—सम्बोधितस्य)Root निरेक (निर्-एक)
- उक्थिनः
- hymn-singers, reciters of praiseNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (नरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root उक्थिन् (उक्थ + इन्)
- कदा
- when?Indeclinableप्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम्Role (काल-प्रश्नः)Root कदा
- सुतम्
- the pressed somaNounद्वितीया, एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सोमः)Role कर्मRoot सुत (ppp. of √सु)
- तृषाणः
- thirsting, eager (for drink)Participle (adjectival)वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकारः), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole कर्तृ (गम-क्रियायाः)Root तृषाण (from √तृष् ‘to thirst’)
- ओके
- in the house/dwellingNounसप्तमी, एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गRole अधिकरणRoot ओक (ओकस्)
- आ
- hither, towardsPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्गः (गम् इत्यस्य)Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root आ
- गमः
- come!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, 2 पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; (आ + गम्)Role (क्रिया)Root √गम्
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper, vocative)सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र
- स्वब्दीव
- like one with good/pleasant call (or good-sounding)Adjective (with particle)सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘इव’ उपमानार्थक-अव्ययम्Role सम्बोधन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root स्वब्दीव (स्वब्दि + इव)
- वंसगः
- (as) a companion/associate; one who comes along (epithet)Noun/Adjectiveसम्बोधन/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्गRole सम्बोधन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root वंसग
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स्वरन्ति त्वा सुते नरः वसो निरे॒कः उक्थिनः । कदा सुतम् तृषाणः ओके आ गमः इन्द्र स्वब्दीव इव वंसगः ॥ 1) नरो वसो = नरः + वसो (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते, सम्बोधन-सम्बन्धः)
- 2) निरे॒क उ॒क्थिनः = निरे॒कः + उक्थिनः (विसर्गः + उ- आरम्भे ‘उ’ इत्यत्र विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धिः)
- 3) ओक॒ आ = ओके + आ (स्वर-सन्धिः; ए + आ → एऽआ/ए आ, संहितायां दीर्घ-प्रवृत्तिः)
- 4) स्व॒ब्दीव॒ वंस॑गः = स्वब्दीव + इव + वंसगः (इव पृथक् अव्ययम्; संहितायां ‘स्वब्दीव’ इति रूपं)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The hymn-men resound to Indra in the pressed Soma; they ask when he will come home, thirsting for Soma, like a swift-voiced singer to his seat.
Inner meaning
The inner faculties (naraḥ: active powers in us) make the being resound with mantra in the openness (nireka: wide space) created by aspiration. They call Indra to ‘come home’—to take his seat in the heart-mind. The thirst is the soul’s longing for the pressed delight (Soma) that can attract illumination. Indra’s arrival fills the inner house (okaḥ) with a potent, swift, harmonizing force—like inspired song returning to its source.
Universal truth
Illumination is drawn by sincere longing and resonant practice; when consciousness becomes spacious and receptive, the higher power naturally ‘comes home’ and organizes the inner life.
Themes
Indra’s arrival, Soma thirst, Resounding hymn
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (Kāṇva tradition; RV 8.33 milieu)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.33 (hymn context), RV 8.6 (Kāṇva Indra praises—theme of calling)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often foreground the ‘call’ and ‘arrival’ of Indra into the human seat through Soma and uktha (inspired utterance).
Significance
The seer-voice emphasizes that mantra is not mere praise but a vibratory bridge; the ‘homecoming’ of Indra marks the turning point where illumination becomes an indwelling governance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vasu (giver of riches), Maghavan (bounteous)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Sarasvatī (inspired speech)
Cosmic role
Brings wideness (uru) and victorious force; responds to Soma and hymn to establish luminous order.
Inner power
The descending illumined intelligence that takes its seat in the heart-mind and turns aspiration into effective power.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-invocation during Soma offering with uktha recitation
स्वर॑न्ति त्वा सु॒ते नरो॒ वसो॑ निरे॒क उ॒क्थिन॑: । क॒दा सु॒तं तृ॑षा॒ण ओक॒ आ ग॑म॒ इन्द्र॑ स्व॒ब्दीव॒ वंस॑गः ॥
स्वर॑न्ति । त्वा॒ । सु॒ते । नरः॑ । वसो॒ इति॑ । नि॒रे॒के । उ॒क्थिनः॑ । क॒दा । सु॒तम् । तृ॒षा॒णः । ओकः॑ । आ । ग॒मः॒ । इन्द्र॑ । स्व॒ब्दीऽइ॑व । वंस॑गः ॥
svaranti | tvā | sute | naraḥ | vaso iti | nireke | ukthinaḥ | kadā | sutam | tṛṣāṇaḥ | okaḥ | ā | gamaḥ | indra | svabdī-iva | vaṃsagaḥ
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4 x ~12 syllables
Expansive and calling; the longer measure supports the interrogative yearning (kadā…).
Builds a ‘summoning’ vibration; encourages a sustained, ringing tone that can be felt in the chest and palate.
- svaranti
- Literal: they resound/sing. Symbolic: mantric resonance that aligns the being to higher consciousness
- sute
- Literal: in the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: in the extracted essence of experience offered upward
- nireka
- Literal: open expanse/clear space. Symbolic: widened mind free from congestion and narrowness
- tṛṣāṇaḥ
- Literal: thirsting. Symbolic: psychic longing/aspiration that magnetizes descent
- okaḥ
- Literal: home/house. Symbolic: inner dwelling: heart-mind as seat of the deity
- svabdīva
- Literal: like one with a sweet/swift voice. Symbolic: the rapid, luminous vibration of inspired speech
- vaṃsagaḥ
- Literal: singer/chanter (one who sings). Symbolic: the arriving power that establishes harmony by true vibration
Soma invitation with communal singers calling Indra to the ‘home’ (okaḥ) of the rite; supports the moment of Indra’s arrival to drink
At moments of calling the deity to the seat (āsana) and to partake of Soma.
Chanting/recitation by priests/chanters; offering of filtered Soma.
As a ‘calling mantra’ before meditation: create inner wideness, then invite the illumined mind to take its seat in the heart and guide the day.
√svar ‘sound’ underlies ‘resounding’ as both acoustic and luminous (svàr as heaven/light in related forms) suggesting the hymn as a vibration of light. √gam ‘go/come’ is Indo-European (cf. Latin venio is not cognate; PIE *gʷem- ‘come’ appears widely). ókas ‘dwelling’ becomes inner ‘home’—the settled seat of consciousness where Indra is asked to arrive.
inner dwelling (okaḥ) as stable consciousness, thirst as aspiration, mantric vibration as summons
The widening (nireka) is a sign of ṛta’s restoration—order as spacious harmony.
True speech (uktha) resonates when aligned with satya; it becomes a vehicle for descent.
From constriction to wide space; the god’s arrival establishes a new inner world-order.
Integral psychological reading: gods as functional powers entering the embodied ‘house’.
Soma = delight-essence; resonance = mantric alignment; open expanse = widened consciousness; home = heart-seat.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of the god to the home’ motif: Indra is called to arrive at the dwelling (okaḥ) to drink Soma. Innerly, aspiration (thirst) calls the luminous force to settle in the heart-seat and act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (PIE *gʷem-) is a core inherited motion-verb used in invocation formulas across Indo-European traditions (‘come!’). The performative ‘sound’ (√svar) as summoning speech reflects the shared archaic idea that voiced praise effects divine presence.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi-community ‘resounds’ to Indra with pressed Soma ready; they ask for his reciprocal movement—his coming to their inner/ritual home—so that wealth (vasu) becomes an inward plenitude rather than external gain.
Widen the mind (nireka), kindle aspiration (tṛṣṇā), then invite Indra’s illumined governance to ‘sit’ within.
anāhata (home/seat) with support from ājñā (illumination)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating ‘kadā… ā gamah’ as a call.
Yearning-receptive, widening, vibratory alignment.
First establish inner space by relaxing the forehead and widening attention around the heart. Repeat the mantra as a summons; on ‘kadā’ feel the soul’s question; on ‘ā gamah’ feel the descent and settling of a clear, decisive light.
Maintain clear udātta on vocatives and interrogatives; let ‘kadā’ be slightly lifted in pitch as a calling point (within Vedic accent rules).
Articulate clusters: ukthināḥ, tṛṣāṇaḥ, svabdīva; keep ‘indra’ crisp with short ‘i’.
svaranti: ‘sv’ conjunct cleanly, nireke: long ‘e’ in -re-, avoid diphthong, tṛṣāṇaḥ: retroflex ‘ṣ’, vocalic ṛ, svabdīva: ‘dv’ conjunct; ī long
Resonant, calling, slightly brighter tone; sustain vowels to build ‘ring’.
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