Rig Veda 8.46.18: Mandala 8, Sukta 46, Mantra 18
Sukta 8.46
- Devata
- Maruts, within the Indra-Marut frame
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
ये पातयन्ते अज्मभिर्गिरीणां स्नुभिरेषाम् । यज्ञं महिष्वणीनां सुम्नं तुविष्वणीनां प्राध्वरे ॥
yé pātáyante ájmabhir girīṇā́ṃ snúbhir eṣām | yajñáṃ mahíṣvaṇīnām súmnaṃ tuvíṣvaṇīnām prá adhvaré ||
Mereka yang memecut dengan langkah-langkah yang menggebu di sepanjang gunung-ganang, dengan kuasa-kuasa mereka yang mengalir—semoga yajña mereka maju dalam perjalanan; semoga sumna, kebahagiaan para yang bersuara agung, yang bersuara perkasa, bertambah dalam upacara suci.
Word by Word
- ये
- who (those who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- पातयन्ते
- cause to fly / make speed / driveVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot पत् (धातु) → caus. पातय्
- अज्मभिः
- with paths / courses (tracks)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot अज्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरीणाम्
- of the mountainsNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्नुभिः
- with straps / thongs / sinewsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot स्नु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sinew/strap/cord’)
- एषाम्
- of these (of them)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot एतद् (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
- यज्ञम्
- sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- महिष्वणीनााम्
- of the mighty-sounding onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot महिष्वणिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘mighty-sounding’)
- सुम्नम्
- favor / graceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सुम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- तुविष्वणीनााम्
- of the powerfully-sounding onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot तुविष्वणिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strong/loud-sounding’)
- प्र
- forth / forwardIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- अध्वरे
- in the rite / in the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठः (संहिता) ‘अज्मभिर्गिरीणां’ = अज्मभिः + गिरीणाम् (विसर्ग-लोपः, र्-आदेशः)
- ‘स्नुभि॑रेषाम्’ = स्नुभिः + एषाम् (विसर्ग-लोपः, र्-आदेशः)
- ‘प्राध्वरे’ = प्र + अध्वरे (उपसर्ग-संयोगः; दीर्घत्वं संहितायाम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A praise of the Maruts: they rush with swift strides over the mountains with streaming forces; may their sacrifice advance on the path, and may the favor/bliss of the great-voiced, mighty-voiced ones increase in the rite.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are the dynamic life-powers (prāṇic and nervous energies) purified to become allies of Indra’s illumination. “Mountains” are the fixed knots of consciousness (inertia, old formations). Their “impetuous strides” are the surge of awakened energies breaking through inner heights; their “streams” are outflowing currents of force. The prayer is that this inner yajña—self-offering and aspiration—may move forward steadily on the adhvan (the soul’s journey), and that the higher harmonized life-energies (the ‘great-sounding’ powers of inspired vibration) may increase their supporting grace (sumna) in the work.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires not only light (insight) but also transformed force: awakened energies must be yoked to the inner sacrifice so the journey advances and the supportive ‘joy-force’ grows.
Themes
Marut-speed and sound, Forward movement of sacrifice, Grace (sumnam)
The seer
Significance
The anonymity highlights a common Vedic feature: the mantra is treated as an impersonal ‘seen’ vibration. In Aurobindonian terms, the emphasis is on the universal yogic process—life-forces becoming divine helpers—rather than personal authorship.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts (within an Indra–Marut frame)
- Epithets
- mahiṣvaṇīnāṃ (great-voiced), tuviṣvaṇīnām (mighty-voiced)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Vāyu
Cosmic role
Storm-powers that accompany Indra: they purify the atmosphere, break stagnation, and drive the movement of the sacrifice.
Inner power
Transformed prāṇa: dynamic energies that, once harmonized, amplify aspiration and carry the inner yajña forward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut praise in sacrificial procession: to propel the adhvara (straight rite/journey) forward with their dynamic, resounding energies.
ये पा॒तय॑न्ते॒ अज्म॑भिर्गिरी॒णां स्नुभि॑रेषाम् । य॒ज्ञं म॑हि॒ष्वणी॑नां सु॒म्नं तु॑वि॒ष्वणी॑नां॒ प्राध्व॒रे ॥
ये । पा॒तय॑न्ते । अज्म॑ऽभिः । गि॒री॒णाम् । स्नुऽभिः॑ । ए॒षा॒म् । य॒ज्ञम् । म॒हि॒ऽस्वणी॑नाम् । सु॒म्नम् । तु॒वि॒ऽस्वणी॑नाम् । प्र । अ॒ध्व॒रे ॥
ye | pātayante | ajma-bhiḥ | girīṇām | snu-bhiḥ | eṣām | yajñam | mahi-svaṇīnām | sumnam | tuvi-svaṇīnām | pra | adhvare
Appears as two half-lines with internal cadence rather than a standard 4-pāda anuṣṭubh.
Driving, kinetic, with repeated ‘-svaṇī-’ sonority creating a rolling thunder effect.
Energizes the vital being; supports a sense of forward motion and collective force in meditation.
- पातयन्ते (pātayante)
- Literal: they make fly/speed. Symbolic: surging upward movement of awakened energies, rapid inner advance
- अज्मभिः (ajmabhiḥ)
- Literal: with impetuous strides. Symbolic: forceful steps of will and prāṇa overcoming resistance
- गिरीणाम् (girīṇām)
- Literal: of the mountains. Symbolic: fixed inner formations; heights/knots of consciousness
- स्नुभिः (snubhiḥ)
- Literal: with streams/flowing channels. Symbolic: currents of force, outpouring energies (vital streams)
- यज्ञम् (yajñam)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner offering: aspiration, self-giving, consecrated action
- अध्वर (adhvara)
- Literal: rite; also ‘unharmed/straight’ sacrifice. Symbolic: rightly ordered inner work aligned to ṛta
- सुम्नम् (sumnam)
- Literal: favor, grace, bliss. Symbolic: supporting delight and harmony that sustains sādhanā
- महि-स्वणी (mahi-svaṇī) / तुवि-स्वणी (tuvi-svaṇī)
- Literal: great-sounding / mighty-sounding. Symbolic: powers of inspired vibration/mantric force in the life-energy
Marut praise in sacrificial procession: to propel the adhvara (straight rite/journey) forward with their dynamic, resounding energies.
Marut/Indra invocations in soma and allied offerings; also recited as a stotra-like energizing verse in praise-sequences.
Praise and invitation; strengthening the ‘going forward’ of the rite (prādhvare).
Use before disciplined work/meditation to invoke regulated energy and momentum (especially when inertia is strong).
: causative/intensive from √pat ‘to fly, fall’ → 'make fly, speed'. : 'course, path, stride' (movement-energy). : mountain; symbolically the 'heights' or firm levels of consciousness. : 'to ooze/flow'—energies streaming. : from √swan ‘to sound’—Maruts as resounding life-forces; their 'sound' is the vibration of dynamic energies. : favor/bliss; a key RV boon meaning well-being as divine grace. : sacrifice as 'journey' (a-dhvar = not crooked; straight movement) often linked to Rita as right course.
Adhvara as straight journey aligned with Rita, Dynamic life-energies aiding ascent (movement along 'mountains')
The adhvara as ‘uninjured/straight’ indicates alignment to ṛta—rightly ordered inner action.
Truth manifests as effective movement: the sacrifice advances when energies are truthful to the soul’s intention.
Emergence of ordered force from turbulent energies—storm becomes a divine instrument.
Proto-yogic/Vedāntic reading (Aurobindo–Kashyap): forces of nature as powers of consciousness.
Winds/Maruts = life-force currents; mountains = fixed subconscious/conscient formations; streams = flowing prāṇic channels; thunder-sound = mantric vibration that awakens.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Maruts rushing over the mountains with resounding power—mythically the storm-host in rapid motion; psychologically the surge of dynamic energies that propel the straight sacrificial journey (adhvara) and intensify divine bliss (sumnam).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pat ‘fly’ is an Indo-European motion root (cf. Latin petō ‘seek/aim at’ with semantic shift; PIE *pet- ‘to fly/fall/seek’). √swan ‘sound’ aligns with PIE *swen-/*swon- sound/vibration roots. The plural descriptive compounds (mahi-svaṇī, tuvi-svaṇī) are typical archaic Indo-European epithet-building.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi seeks not external meteorological favor but the Maruts’ inner dynamism: their rushing, sounding energies should carry the rite forward and install sumnam (grace/bliss) in the adhvara—so the human journey remains straight and victorious.
Consecrate the life-energies to the inner yajña; feel the ‘forward movement’ of sādhanā despite inner rigidity.
Manipura (will/force) with support to Anahata (harmonizing collective energy).
Moderate, rhythmic ujjāyī-like breathing; on exhale feel ‘streams’ moving downward to steady the force; on inhale feel upward surge over ‘mountains’.
Dynamic concentration (tapasya) without agitation.
When restlessness or inertia appears, recall the Maruts as disciplined power: offer the energy to Agni/Indra inwardly, then act from a quiet center.
Use standard Rigvedic accenting as per śākhā tradition; without a verified pada-svara map here, keep a conservative three-tone rendering (udātta high, anudātta low, svarita falling) guided by a trained recording.
Maintain clear stress on compounds mahiṣvaṇīnāṃ / tuviṣvaṇīnām; keep ‘prādhvare’ as a forward-driving cadence close.
Keep retroflex ṇ in girīṇām and svāṇī compounds., in : aspirated ‘dhva’ cluster, not ‘dvara’., Lengthen ā in,; keep short a in.
Bright, resonant, slightly percussive to evoke thunder; avoid shouting—aim for controlled force.
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