Rig Veda 8.48.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 48, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.48
- Devata
- Soma
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
अपाम सोमममृता अभूमागन्म ज्योतिरविदाम देवान् । किं नूनमस्मान्कृणवदरातिः किमु धूर्तिरमृत मर्त्यस्य ॥
ápāma sómam amṛ́tā abhūmā́ganma jyótir ávidāma devā́n | kíṃ nūnám asmā́n kṛṇavad arā́tiḥ kím u dhūrtír amṛta mártyasya ||
Kami telah meminum Soma; kami telah menjadi amerta (tidak-mati). Kami telah pergi menuju Cahaya; kami telah menemukan para dewa. Apakah yang dapat dilakukan permusuhan terhadap kami sekarang? Apakah pula helah si penipu, wahai Yang Amerta, terhadap insan fana yang telah memasuki keadaan ini?
Word by Word
- अपाम्
- of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) / अधिकरण-सम्बन्धRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृताः
- immortal (ones)Adjective (substantivized)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (with अभूम) / विधेय-विशेषणRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभूम
- we becameVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- अगन्म
- we went / we reachedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot गम् (धातु)
- ज्योतिः
- lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा=द्वितीया)Role कर्मRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अविदाम
- we found / we obtainedVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot विद् (धातु)
- देवान्
- the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (with कृणवत्) / प्रश्नRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नूनम्
- now; indeedIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध (काल/निश्चय-निर्देश)Root नूनम् (अव्यय)
- अस्मान्
- usPronounत्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणवत्
- may (it/he) do / makeVerbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य (वेदिक), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- अरातिः
- harm; hostility; ill-willNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अराति (प्रातिपदिक)
- किम्
- what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (elliptic) / प्रश्नRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उ
- indeed; thenIndeclinableअव्ययRole सम्बन्ध (उत्साह/अन्वर्थ-बल)Root उ (अव्यय/निपात)
- धूर्तिः
- deceit; trickery; guileNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot धूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमृत
- O Immortal (Soma)Noun (vocative) / Adjective used vocativelyनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
- मर्त्यस्य
- of the mortalNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic sandhi resolved): अपाम् | सोमम् | अमृताः | अभूम | अगन्म | ज्योतिः | अविदाम | देवान् || किम् | नूनम् | अस्मान् | कृणवत् | अरातिः || किम् | उ | धूर्तिः | अमृत | मर्त्यस्य । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) अपाम् + सोमम् → अपाम् सोमम् (अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि नहीं; पदविराम)
- (2) अभूम + अगन्म → अभूमागन्म (स्वर-सन्धि: ऊ + अ → ऊआ, लेखन में संधि-समास)
- (3) अगन्म + ज्योतिः → अगन्म ज्योतिः (पदविराम)
- (4) अविदाम + देवान् → अविदाम देवान् (पदविराम)
- (5) अस्मान् + कृणवत् → अस्मान्कृणवत् (न् + क् → ङ्क्/न्क् लेखन)
- (6) कृणवत् + अरातिः → कृणवदरातिः (त् + अ → द् + अ, जश्त्व)
- (7) किम् + उ → किमु (म् + उ → मु)
- (8) अमृत + मर्त्यस्य → अमृत मर्त्यस्य (पदविराम; अमृत here vocative संबोधन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
After drinking Soma, the singers declare immortality, arrival at Light, and discovery of the gods; they challenge hostility and deception as powerless against one who has entered this immortal state.
Inner meaning
A classic proclamation of realized experience: Soma is not mere drink but the descent of Ananda that changes the poise of consciousness. ‘We have gone to the Light’ indicates a shift into illumined awareness where the inner gods (powers of truth, harmony, strength) become directly found/active. From that station, ‘arāti’ (hostile division, negation) and ‘dhūrti’ (deceiver’s craft—ego’s crooked intelligence, subconscious trickery) lose authority over the mortal nature because it is held in the immortal delight-consciousness.
Universal truth
When consciousness is established in luminous joy, hostility and deceit cannot ultimately govern the mind; the person gains an inner immunity born of clarity and delight.
Themes
Soma-immortality, light-attainment, invulnerability, knowledge of the gods
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.48.2, Rig Veda 8.48.5, Rig Veda 8.48.6, Rig Veda 8.48.7
Significance
This verse is a paradigmatic ‘realization-mantra’: direct testimony of ascent to light and the consequent fearlessness before inner and outer negations.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (as Amṛta and Jyotiḥ-leading power)
- Epithets
- Amṛta (immortal essence), Indu (bright drop), Soma (kingly delight, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra (often paired with Soma as illumination), Agni (as the priestly will that prepares the offering), Surya (as jyotiḥ, the light-world)
Cosmic role
Soma mediates immortality to mortals, opening the path to light and to the company of the gods/powers.
Inner power
Ananda that transfigures the sense of self; it seals the being against hostile vibrations and deceptive movements.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma libation and post-drinking exultation (Soma-yajña; also communal stotra)
अपा॑म॒ सोम॑म॒मृता॑ अभू॒माग॑न्म॒ ज्योति॒रवि॑दाम दे॒वान् । किं नू॒नम॒स्मान्कृ॑णव॒दरा॑ति॒: किमु॑ धू॒र्तिर॑मृत॒ मर्त्य॑स्य ॥
अपा॑म । सोम॑म् । अ॒मृताः॑ । अ॒भू॒म॒ । अग॑न्म । ज्योतिः॑ । अवि॑दाम । दे॒वान् । किम् । नू॒नम् । अ॒स्मान् । कृ॒ण॒व॒त् । अरा॑ति । किम् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । धू॒र्तिः । अ॒मृ॒त॒ । मर्त्य॑स्य ॥
apāma | somam | amṛtāḥ | abhūma | aganma | jyotiḥ | avidāma | devān | kim | nūnam | asmān | kṛṇavat | arāti | kim | oṃ iti | dhūrtiḥ | amṛta | martyasya
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4 padas (approx. 11 syllables each)
Declarative, triumphant, mantra-like proclamation with emphatic rhetorical questions in the second half.
Produces confidence and inner immunity; the rhetorical cadence cuts through doubt and fear.
- अपाम (apāma)
- Literal: we drank. Symbolic: we received/assimilated the essence of Ananda
- सोमम् (somam)
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: divine bliss, nectar of consciousness
- अमृताः अभूम (amṛtā abhūma)
- Literal: we became immortal. Symbolic: shift from ego-mortality to deathless consciousness
- ज्योतिः अगन्म (jyotiḥ aganma)
- Literal: we went to the light. Symbolic: entry into illumined mind/gnosis
- देवान् अविदाम (devān avidāma)
- Literal: we found the gods. Symbolic: discovery of inner powers of truth (devas) as living realities
- अरातिः (arātiḥ)
- Literal: hostility, ill-will. Symbolic: division/negation that attacks progress
- धूर्तिः (dhūrtiḥ)
- Literal: deceit, cunning. Symbolic: egoic/subconscient distortion and self-deception
- मर्त्यस्य (martyasya)
- Literal: of the mortal. Symbolic: the embodied nature transformed by contact with amṛta
Soma-pressing climax verse; a declaration of attainment (light, gods, immortality) used to affirm invulnerability to hostile forces after the sacramental ascent.
After Soma intake/offerings; as a victory-affirmation in spiritual practice.
Proclamation of attainment; warding off hostile forces through truth-statement (satya-vāk).
Use as an affirmation after meditation or pranayama: ‘entered light—found inner powers’; helpful during anxiety or psychic attack/negativity.
√pā ‘drink’ is experiential and initiatory; Soma is not symbol only but a force to be assimilated. amṛta (a- ‘not’ + mṛta ‘dead’, from √mṛ ‘die’) indicates a shift of status in consciousness. jyótis is the revealing principle; √vid ‘find/know’ indicates gnosis. arāti (a-rāti ‘non-giving’, from rā- ‘to give’/rāti ‘gift’) is obstruction as refusal of flow. dhūrti suggests crookedness, the stratagem of ignorance.
amṛtatva (immortality as consciousness-state), gnosis (vidāma devān), victory over obstruction (arāti) and deception (dhūrti)
Finding the devas in jyotiḥ implies alignment with ṛta—cosmic order becomes experiential order.
The mantra speaks as satya-vāk: truth utterance that itself fortifies the realized state.
From the pressed essence (Soma) arises light and the manifestation of divine powers within consciousness.
Integral-Vedantic reading: immortality as a state of consciousness, not bodily perpetuity.
dawn-to-sunrise (implied by ‘going to the light’)
Moon-nectar = inner bliss; Sun-light = illumined awareness; shadow-forces = subconscious resistance and egoic distortion.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma as the drink that makes one ‘immortal’ and grants access to Light and the gods. The mythic pattern is initiation into the divine community through Soma; psychologically it is the crossing from mortal limitation into a luminous consciousness where hostility and deceit lose power.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- amṛta is structurally parallel to IE privative formations (a-/n- + ‘dead’). √vid ‘know’ is PIE *weyd- (cf. Latin videō, English wit). jyótis relates to PIE *dyeu- ‘shine/sky’ semantic field (though jyotis is from √dyut ‘shine’), showing inherited light vocabulary. The rhetorical questions are a common IE poetics device for asserting invulnerability after divine communion.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi claims identity with the devatā’s state: by drinking Soma he becomes participant in amṛta. The devatā is both the means (Soma) and the achieved condition (immortality/light), turning prayer into proclamation of realized protection.
Rest in the felt sense of ‘amṛta’ after inner offering; contemplate the shift from reactive mortality to luminous stability.
Ajna (jyoti/clear seeing) supported by Sahasrara (amṛta flow).
After a few rounds of gentle kumbhaka, silently repeat ‘agannma jyotiḥ’ on exhale to stabilize light-awareness.
Illumined joy with fearlessness; reduced susceptibility to negativity.
When confronted by inner doubt or hostile thoughts, recite the second half as a discerning challenge; then return to the taste of quiet Ananda.
Follow Saṃhitā accents; keep a clear rise on ‘sómaṃ’ and ‘jyótiḥ’ where marked; rhetorical questions should not become theatrical—maintain Vedic restraint.
Sustain vowel length in ‘amṛtā’ and ‘devān’; keep final visargas light.
(apāma): short a, long ā in pā, (amṛtāḥ): clear ṛ, aspirate th not present—keep t dental, (jyotiḥ): ‘jyo’ as one unit; visarga soft, (dhūrtiḥ): long ū; retroflex ṛ
Steady, luminous, confident; avoid force—let certainty come from clarity.
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