Rig Veda 8.89.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 89, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.89
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभि प्र भर धृषता धृषन्मनः श्रवश्चित्ते असद्बृहत् । अर्षन्त्वापो जवसा वि मातरो हनो वृत्रं जया स्वः ॥
abhí prá bhara dhṛṣatā́ dhṛṣánmanaḥ śrávaś cit te asad bṛhát | árṣantv ā́po jávasā ví mātáro hánō vṛtráṃ jayā́ svàḥ ||
Bawalah ke hadapan dengan berani, wahai yang berjiwa gagah; biarlah kemasyhuranmu juga menjadi besar. Biarlah air meluru dengan laju, para Ibu berpecah—hentam Vṛtra, menangkan alam bercahaya (svar).
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, uponIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- भर
- bear, bring, carryVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √भृ (भरणे)
- धृषता
- with boldness, boldlyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्: ‘धृषता’ = धृष्टतया)Role KaraṇaRoot धृषत् (प्रातिपदिक; √धृष ‘धर्षणे/साहसे’)
- धृषन्मनः
- O bold-minded oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (सम्बोधितः)Role Kartā (सम्बोधन-आधारः)Root धृषन्मनस् (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास; धृषन् + मनस्)
- श्रवः
- fame, gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- चित्ते
- in (your) mind/awarenessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- असत्
- being, becomingVerbशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (वर्तमान कृदन्त) ‘असत्’ = ‘being, becoming’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (श्रवः इत्यस्य विशेषणवत्/समनाधिकरण)Role Kartā (श्रवः सह समनाधिकरण)Root √अस् (असत्तायाम्/भवने) → सत्/असत् (कृदन्त)
- बृहत्
- great, loftyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (श्रवः/असत् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (श्रवः सह समनाधिकरण)Root बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक; √बृह् ‘वृद्धौ’)
- अर्षन्तु
- let (them) rush/flowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √ऋष्/अर्ष् (गत्यर्थः ‘to flow, rush’)
- आपः
- the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके बहुवचन-प्रयोगः), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आप् (प्रातिपदिक ‘waters’)
- जवसा
- with speed, by swiftnessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot जवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, forth, widelyIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot वि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- मातरः
- mothersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (आपः इत्यस्य समनाधिकरण/विशेषणवत्)Role KartāRoot मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- हनः
- strike, slayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √हन् (हिंसायाम्)
- वृत्रम्
- Vṛtra (the obstructor)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- जया
- conquer, winVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √जि (जयने)
- स्वः
- heaven, the heavenly worldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मरूपेण: ‘स्वः’ = स्वर्गम्)Role KarmaRoot स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक; ‘heaven’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): अ॒भि | प्र | भर | धृष॒ता | धृ॑षन्मन॒: | श्रवः | चित्ते | असत् | बृ॒हत् | अर्षन्तु | आपः | जवसा | वि | मातरः | हनः | वृत्रम् | जया | स्वः । 1) धृषन्मनः = धृषन् + मनः (समास; विसर्गः पदान्ते)
- 2) श्रवः-चित्ते: पदक्रमे ‘श्रवः चित्ते’ (सन्ध्यभावः न्यूनः; अर्थतः ‘चित्ते’ अधिकरणम्)
- 3) अर्षन्त्वापो = अर्षन्तु + आपः (उकारस्य परे अकारे संधिः; लेखने ‘अर्षन्त्वापः’)
- 4) वि मातरः: ‘वि’ उपसर्ग/निपातः, ‘मातरः’ कर्तृपदम् (आपः इत्यस्य विशेषणवत्)
- 5) जया स्वः: ‘स्वः’ वैदिके द्वितीयैकवचनरूपेण ‘स्वर्गम्’ (कर्म)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Bring forward boldly, O daring-minded one; let your fame become vast. Let the waters rush with speed, the Mothers spread apart—strike Vṛtra, win Svah (the luminous world).
Inner meaning
The mantra addresses the Indra-force in the practitioner: bring it forward (abhi pra bhara) with courageous mind (dhṛṣanmanaḥ). Let śravas—effective hearing/renown, i.e., the power of inspired receptivity and victorious affirmation—become bṛhat, wide. The ‘waters’ are the streams of consciousness and delight (also vital and mental currents) that must rush freely; the ‘Mothers’ are the fostering powers (Aditi-forces, divine energies) that spread out, opening channels. When these currents are released, the coverer is struck and Svah is won: the luminous plane of clarified mind/upper consciousness.
Universal truth
Boldly advancing the higher will and opening the inner channels allows the free flow of consciousness; then obstruction falls and a higher luminous state becomes accessible.
Themes
Release of waters, Courageous mind, Victory over obstruction, Ascent to svah
The seer
- Rishi
- Gautama
- Other hymns
- RV 1.32, RV 1.51, RV 1.84
Family tradition
Gautama hymns frequently connect Indra’s victory with release of waters and attainment of svah—symbolizing ascent into luminous consciousness.
Significance
The seer maps the victory sequence: courageous advance → widening of receptive glory → release of inner streams → ascent to the luminous world.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (invoked as the daring force)
- Epithets
- dhṛṣanmanaḥ (daring-minded, implied), bṛhat (vast, via śravas)
- Related deities
- Āpaḥ (Waters), Aditi/Mothers, Maruts
Cosmic role
Releaser of waters and winner of svah; breaker of Vṛtra opening the cosmic rivers of life.
Inner power
Courageous, forward-driving illumination that opens blocked channels and lifts consciousness upward.
In ritual
Where it is used
Used in invocations for breaking obstruction and releasing the waters/light; Soma context where Indra’s victory releases the streams (outer/inner).
अ॒भि प्र भ॑र धृष॒ता धृ॑षन्मन॒: श्रव॑श्चित्ते असद्बृ॒हत् । अर्ष॒न्त्वापो॒ जव॑सा॒ वि मा॒तरो॒ हनो॑ वृ॒त्रं जया॒ स्व॑: ॥
अ॒भि । प्र । भ॒र॒ । धृ॒ष॒ता । धृ॒ष॒त्ऽम॒नः॒ । श्रवः॑ । चि॒त् । ते॒ । अ॒स॒त् । बृ॒हत् । अर्ष॑न्तु । आपः॑ । जव॑सा । वि । मा॒तरः॑ । हनः॑ । वृ॒त्रम् । जय॑ । स्वः॑ ॥
abhi | pra | bhara | dhṛṣatā | dhṛṣat-manaḥ | śravaḥ | cit | te | asat | bṛhat | arṣantu | āpaḥ | javasā | vi | mātaraḥ | hanaḥ | vṛtram | jaya | svaḥ
44
4 × ~11
Imperative, kinetic; imagery of rushing waters gives a flowing acceleration.
Elicits boldness and a sense of inner release; supports energetic ascent.
- dhṛṣatā / dhṛṣanmanaḥ
- Literal: boldly / daring-minded. Symbolic: courage to bring higher force forward against inertia
- śravas
- Literal: fame, glory, repute. Symbolic: inspired receptivity and victorious affirmation that spreads in the being
- āpaḥ
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: streams of consciousness, life-energy, and delight released after obstruction
- mātaraḥ
- Literal: mothers. Symbolic: nurturing divine powers that open and support the inner growth
- hanah vṛtram
- Literal: strike Vṛtra. Symbolic: cut down the covering resistance
- svah
- Literal: heaven, luminous world. Symbolic: plane of illumination; clarified higher mind-state
Used in invocations for breaking obstruction and releasing the waters/light; Soma context where Indra’s victory releases the streams (outer/inner).
Indra victory and water-release themes in Soma rites; also suitable in rites invoking prosperity/flow (symbolically ‘waters’).
Recitation to invoke force, open flow, and win ‘heavenly’ success.
Chant when feeling blocked emotionally/creatively; use as a ‘flow-opening’ mantra before meditation or creative work.
dhṛṣ- ‘to dare, be bold’ → inner: courage of mind needed for transformation. śrávas ‘fame/hearing’ from √śru ‘hear’ → what is ‘heard’ is what becomes effective in consciousness; thus ‘make your śravas vast’ = widen the reach of the divine vibration. ā́pas ‘waters’ as primal flow; in RV often symbolize streams of inspiration/clarity. mātṛ́ ‘mother’ as nourishing power; here linked with waters that ‘spread apart’ (ví) like releasing channels. svàr/sváḥ from √svar ‘shine’ → luminous plane of truth-consciousness.
Release of consciousness-flows (āpas) after breaking Vṛtra, Svah as plane of luminous truth, Bṛhat as expansion
Implicit: free-flowing waters indicate restoration of right order and movement.
Truth becomes experiential as unobstructed flow and ascent.
Unveiling through opening channels; the Mothers ‘spread apart’ like cosmic expansion for manifestation.
Integral yoga resonance: opening of nadis/planes leading to higher consciousness (svah).
monsoon/river-flood imagery (suggestive, not explicit)
Waters = released energies and joy; Mothers = supportive divine forces; svah = luminous mind-plane attained after breakthrough.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Vṛtra’s defeat as the condition for the release of the waters and the winning of svah. Innerly: when obstruction is struck down, the blocked streams of consciousness and nourishment (āpas/mātaraḥ) rush freely, enabling ascent into the luminous plane.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- svàr/sváḥ belongs to the IE ‘shine’ complex (PIE *s(w)el / *sāwel debated; Vedic √svar ‘shine’ is central). The ‘waters released’ motif is a pan-IE poetic theme at the level of mythic structure (release of life-giving flow after defeating a blocker).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi commands/implores Indra in imperative sequence: bring force, expand effective vibration, release the flows, strike obstruction, win svah. The devatā is treated as an executive power within the sādhanā: the mantra gives a stepwise inner procedure.
Open inner channels; invoke courageous illumined force; ascend into svah-like clarity.
svādhiṣṭhāna (waters/flow) rising toward ājñā (svah/illumination)
Wave-breath: inhale 4, exhale 6 while visualizing ‘waters’ moving upward; chant after 3–5 minutes.
From constriction to free flow and uplifted lucidity.
On ‘arṣantv āpaḥ’ sense a cleansing current through spine; on ‘vi mātaraḥ’ feel inner support widening around the heart; end by resting attention above brow as ‘svah’.
Accents per śākhā; emphasize imperatives (abhi pra bhara, arṣantu, hano, jayā).
Keep commands crisp; lengthen slightly on ‘bṛhat’ and ‘svah’ for wideness and ascent.
dhṛṣatā: retroflex ṛ, crisp ṣ, dhṛṣanmanaḥ: avoid inserting vowel between ṣn (dhṛ-ṣan-ma-naḥ), arṣantu: ṛ + ṣ cluster, keep ‘ar-ṣan-tu’, svah: final visarga light, not a hard ‘h’
Commanding, uplifting; end with a clear, open tone on ‘svah’.
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