Rig Veda 8.78.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 78, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.78
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आ नो भर व्यञ्जनं गामश्वमभ्यञ्जनम् । सचा मना हिरण्यया ॥
ā́ no bhara vyáñjanaṃ gā́m áśvam abhyáñjanam | sácā manā́ hiraṇyáyā ||
Wahai (Indra), bawalah kepada kami pengayaan yang membezakan; bawalah lembu-sinar dan kuda-prāṇa sebagai pengurapan bagi pertumbuhan kami—bersama kebijaksanaan-akal yang keemasan.
Word by Word
- आ
- hither; towards (as preverb ‘to/unto us’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात; क्रियायोगे ‘आ-’ = ‘आनय/आभर’ इत्यर्थेRoot आ (उपसर्ग) / ā (preverb)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्; वैदिके ‘नः’ = ‘अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम्’ (contextually here: dative ‘to us’)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (pronoun stem)
- भर
- bring!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root √भृ (भरणे)
- व्यञ्जनम्
- an adornment; ornamentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot व्यञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘ornament/decoration/embellishment’)
- गाम्
- a cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (वैदिक/छान्दस रूप: गाम् < गाम्/गाम् = ‘गौम्’)Role KarmaRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वम्
- a horseNounपुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभ्यञ्जनम्
- an anointing; unction; adornmentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot अभ्यञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘anointing/unction; ointment; adornment’)
- सचा
- together; along withIndeclinableअव्ययम्; सहार्थेRoot सच्/सच (अव्यय; ‘सह, समम्’)
- मना
- with (your) mind; mentallyNounनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्; वैदिक तृतीया एकवचन ‘मना’ (= ‘मनसा’)Role KaraṇaRoot मनस् (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक रूप)
- हि
- indeed; forIndeclinableअव्ययम्; हेतौ/निश्चये/प्रबोधने; here: emphatic/causal ‘indeed/for’Root हि (निपात)
- हिरण्यया
- with the golden (one/means); by a golden (ornament)Adjective (used substantively)स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्; ‘golden (one)’ / ‘with the golden (thing)’Role KaraṇaRoot हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + -या (स्त्री. तृतीया एक.)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): आ | नः | भर | व्यञ्जनम् | गाम् | अश्वम् | अभ्यञ्जनम् | सचा | मना | हि | हिरण्यया । विशेषाः: (1) ‘नः’ वैदिके षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एन्क्लिटिक
- अत्र ‘आ … भर’ इत्यनेन सह सामान्यतः चतुर्थ्यर्थे ‘अस्मभ्यम्’ (to us) ग्रहणीयम्। (2) ‘मना’ छान्दस-रूपम् = ‘मनसा’ (तृतीया एकवचन)। (3) ‘गाम्’ द्वितीया एकवचन (गो-शब्दस्य) वैदिक/छान्दस रूप।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A request to Indra to bring enriching provisions: a cow and a horse as an “anointing/unction,” along with a “golden” mind-state.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks the illumined Power (Indra) to bring (1) vyañjana—discriminative discernment that “reveals/marks out” the true from the false; (2) go—the rays of knowledge/illumination; (3) aśva—vital force and effective energy for right action; all as abhyañjana, an inner consecration that strengthens growth of the soul-nature. “Golden-mindedness” (manā hiraṇyayā) is the purified, luminous mentality fit to receive higher light.
Universal truth
True progress requires a triple gift: discernment to choose rightly, illumination to see rightly, and energized will to act rightly—held together by a luminous, purified mind.
Themes
illumined-mind, consecration, vital-force, knowledge-light
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.78.1, Rig Veda 8.78.3, Rig Veda 8.78.4, Rig Veda 8.78.5, Rig Veda 8.78.6
Significance
The anonymity foregrounds the universal yogic movement rather than a personal lineage: aspiration for discernment, illumination (go), and force (aśva) under Indra’s guidance.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śūra (hero), śakra (the mighty), vasu/vaso (lord of plenitude, wealth)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Uṣas, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Breaker of the cover (Vṛtra-slayer in the wider Indra-symbolism), opener of the luminous worlds, giver of abundance and victorious force.
Inner power
Illuminated Mind that releases blocked energies and brings right discernment, luminous perception, and effective will into the seeker’s nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-invocation within Soma-related praise/offerings (general Indra stotra usage)
आ नो॑ भर॒ व्यञ्ज॑नं॒ गामश्व॑म॒भ्यञ्ज॑नम् । सचा॑ म॒ना हि॑र॒ण्यया॑ ॥
आ । नः॒ । भ॒र॒ । वि॒ऽअञ्ज॑नम् । गाम् । अश्व॑म् । अ॒भि॒ऽअञ्ज॑नम् । सचा॑ । म॒ना । हि॒र॒ण्यया॑ ॥
ā | naḥ | bhara | vi-añjanam | gām | aśvam | abhi-añjanam | sacā | manā | hiraṇyayā
Likely Anuṣṭubh (Verse shows 8-syllable cadence tendencies)
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4 pādas × ~8 syllables (approx.)
Compact, directive, mantra-like petitions with quick turns (bring…bring…together with…).
Builds a focused call for inner resources; supports a clear intention-setting in meditation.
- vyañjanam (vi-añjanam)
- Literal: that which marks out, makes manifest; discerning enrichment. Symbolic: inner discrimination and revealing intelligence that differentiates truth from mixture
- gām
- Literal: cow. Symbolic: rays of light/knowledge; illumining perceptions
- aśvam
- Literal: horse. Symbolic: vital energy, dynamic force of action and progress
- abhyañjanam (abhi-añjanam)
- Literal: anointing, unction. Symbolic: inner consecration/strengthening that makes the nature fit for growth
- manā hiraṇyayā
- Literal: with golden mind/mentality. Symbolic: luminous, purified mental substance receptive to higher illumination
Invocatory request in Soma setting: asks for consecrating powers (abhy-añjana) that enhance mind and energies; precise śrauta placement not derivable here.
During Indra praises in Soma pressing sequences; also adaptable to daily recitation as a prosperity-and-strength prayer
Stuti (praise) and āhvāna (invocation) requesting gifts/strength
Use as a daily “inner consecration” mantra: invoke discernment, illumination, and vital energy before work or sādhanā.
añjana/abhy-añjana from √añj ‘to anoint, smear; also to mark/beautify’—supports a dual sense: consecration and ‘making distinct/manifest’ (vi-añjana). go/aśva are classic RV symbols: go as light/knowledge; aśva as vital speed/force. hiraṇya ‘gold’ consistently maps to solar/illumined quality rather than metal as commodity in inner reading.
discernment/manifestation (vi-añjana), consecration as inner transformation (abhy-añjana)
Indra’s gifts align the seeker’s choices and actions with Ṛta—right discrimination leading to right movement.
“Golden-mindedness” symbolizes the mind turned toward Satya—clear, bright, unwarped by desire.
Release and organization of forces: light (go) and power (aśva) are ordered by discerning intelligence.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral-yogic reading (Aurobindo/Kashyap): deities as powers of consciousness.
Cow→illumining rays; Horse→life-force for progress; Gold→supramental/luminous mind-substance; Anointing→consecration that strengthens the inner instruments.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is ‘anointing/consecration’ that empowers the seeker: the god brings the light-ray (go) and swift force (aśva) as an inner unction, culminating in golden mentality.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ < PIE *bher- again frames the transfer of power. manas is an Indo-Iranian mental term with IE connections to ‘thinking’ lexemes (PIE *men- ‘think’, cf. Latin mens). The symbolic pairing go/aśva reflects a widespread IE poetics of cattle/horse as wealth and power, but Vedic internalizes them into cognitive-vital faculties.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The Rishi seeks not mere increase but a consecrated increase: a divine ‘anointing’ that refines perception (vy-añjana) and energizes life-force (aśva) under a luminous mind (hiraṇya-manas).
Invoke Indra as the illumined intelligence: ‘Bring discernment, bring light, bring force; establish a golden mind.’
ājñā (discernment/illumination) and maṇipūra (will-force)
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana 6–6 or 6–6–6 (inhale–exhale–pause) while repeating the key petitions
Collected, bright, energized calm (clarity + power).
Before action: repeat slowly, feel light descending into the forehead (go), force gathering in the navel (aśva), and a warm golden clarity spreading through the mind (hiraṇya).
Notated svara unavailable in provided text; chant in a steady udātta-led recitation with gentle rise on invocatory verbs (bhara) and soft settling at cadence.
Emphasize: ā nó bhara | gā́m aśvám | sacā manā́ hiraṇyáyā (keep final cadence gentle).
bhara: aspirate lightly (bha-ra), vyañjanam: ‘vyan-ja-nam’ with palatal ñ, aśvam: short ‘a’, clear ‘śv’ cluster, hiraṇyayā: retroflex ṇ (hi-ra-ṇya-yā)
Clear, bright, slightly forceful (Indra-invocation) without strain.
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