Rig Veda 8.96.13: Mandala 8, Sukta 96, Mantra 13
Sukta 8.96
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
अव द्रप्सो अंशुमतीमतिष्ठदियानः कृष्णो दशभिः सहस्रैः । आवत्तमिन्द्रः शच्या धमन्तमप स्नेहितीर्नृमणा अधत्त ॥
áva drapsó aṃśumátīm atiṣṭhad iyānáḥ kṛṣṇó daśábhiḥ sahásraiḥ | ā́vat tám índraḥ śacyā́ dhámantam ápa snéhitīr nṛmánā adhatta ||
Turunlah titisan itu pada yang bercahaya; bergerak maju, daya gelap mara dengan sepuluh ribu (kekuatan). Indra, dengan kuasa yang berkesan, mendatangi yang sedang meniup/menempa itu; dan dengan fikiran yang gagah ia menyingkirkan kegelapan yang melekat.
Word by Word
- अव
- down, awayIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot अव (उपसर्ग) अव्यय
- द्रप्सः
- the drop; (mythic) the drop/streamNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot द्रप्स (प्रातिपदिक)
- अंशुमतीम्
- the radiant/beam-bearing (one)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अंशुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अतिष्ठत्
- stood, came to a standVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा; एकवचनRoot स्था (धातु)
- इयानः
- going, movingParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (प्रायः ‘going’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (सह-विशेषणम् द्रप्सः)Root इ (धातु) → इयान (कृदन्त, परिप्रसार/वेदिक)
- कृष्णः
- black, darkAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विशेषणम्)Root कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- दशभिः
- with tenNumeral(सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे) तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्रैः
- with thousandsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, backIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अवत्तम्
- the two turned back/returnedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; मध्यम? (न), प्रथमा; द्विवचनRoot वृ (धातु) / वर्त् (धातु) — वेदिक रूप ‘अवत्तम्’ (लुङ्/आorist, द्विवचन)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शच्या
- with Śacī (Indra’s power/consort)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot शची (प्रातिपदिक)
- धमन्तम्
- blowing, blowing uponParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole Karma (यम् इन्द्रः …)Root ध्मा (धातु) → धमन्त् (कृदन्त)
- अप
- awayIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot अप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्नेहितीः
- the sticky/greasy (things), clinging impuritiesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot स्नेहिती (प्रातिपदिक; वेदिक बहुवचन)
- नृमणाः
- men/warriors; manly-minded onesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नृमण (प्रातिपदिक)
- अधत्त
- they placed, they putVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRoot धा (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- संहिता-पाठः: अव॑ द्र॒प्सो अं॑शु॒मती॑मतिष्ठदिया॒नः कृ॒ष्णो द॒शभि॑: स॒हस्रै॑: । आव॒त्तमिन्द्र॒: शच्या॒ धम॑न्त॒मप॒ स्नेहि॑तीर्नृ॒मणा॑ अधत्त ॥ पद-विच्छेद (मुख्य): अव | द्रप्सः | अंशुमतीम् | अतिष्ठत् | इयानः | कृष्णः | दशभिः | सहस्रैः || आ | अवत्तम् | इन्द्रः | शच्या | धमन्तम् | अप | स्नेहितीः | नृमणाः | अधत्त | सन्धि-निर्णय: (1) अंशुमतीम्+अतिष्ठत् → अंशुमतीमतिष्ठत् (म् + अ = म्-अ, संहिता-लोपः) (2) अतिष्ठत्+इयानः → अतिष्ठदिया॒नः (त् + इ → दि, वेदिक संधि/उच्चारण-परिवर्तन) (3) आ+अवत्तम् → आवत्तम् (आव्-) (4) अवत्तम्+इन्द्रः → अवत्तमिन्द्रः (म् + इ = मि) (5) अप+स्नेहितीः → अप स्नेहितीः (पद-सीमा पर ‘अप’ उपसर्गवत्) (6) स्नेहितीः+नृमणाः → स्नेहितीर्नृमणाः (ईः + न् → ईर् न्, विसर्ग/रुत्व-प्रकार)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A drop descended upon the radiant one; a dark force advanced with ten thousand powers. Indra came to it by his effective might, to the one that was blowing/forging, and he removed the clinging obscurations with manly mind.
Inner meaning
The ‘drop’ (drapsa) is a concentrated descent—often a soma-like essence or a point of luminous consciousness—falling upon aṃśumatī, the ray-filled field of awareness. Immediately the kṛṣṇa (dark) force surges with ‘ten thousand’ formations: the massed habits of the subconscient and vital turbulence. Indra approaches ‘the blower/forger’ (dhamantam): the inner tapas that is actively forging transformation (like a smith’s bellows). With śacī (effective power) and nṛmaṇas (heroic, manly intelligence), he removes snehitīḥ—sticky clinging obscurations (attachments, dullness, viscous tamas) that smear the clarity of the rays.
Universal truth
When higher essence descends, resistance rises. Transformation requires a decisive luminous power that can meet the resistance at its forging-point and remove the sticky obscurations that cling to consciousness.
Themes
soma-drop, purification, inner battle, Indra’s effective power (śacī)
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.96.14 (continuation of drapsa vision), RV 1.32 (Indra vs Vṛtra: removal of cover), RV 9.2 (Soma as drop/essence imagery)
Family tradition
Kāṇva imagery often blends soma-drop, rays, and battle against darkness; here the seer reports an inner event-vision (drapsa descent and Indra’s clearing).
Significance
The rishi conveys a yogic phenomenology: descent of essence triggers uprising of darkness; the divine mind-force must act in the tapas-forge to remove sticky obscurations.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śacīvat (implied: possessing śacī), nṛmaṇas (heroic-minded)
- Related deities
- Soma (drapsa as essence), Agni (tapas/forge-fire), Maruts (storm-forces aiding the battle)
Cosmic role
Warrior of light who confronts massed darkness and clears the luminous field.
Inner power
Decisive illumination that acts effectively (śacī) at the point of transformation (dhamantam) to remove clinging tamas.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory/purification stotra within Soma praise cycles
अव॑ द्र॒प्सो अं॑शु॒मती॑मतिष्ठदिया॒नः कृ॒ष्णो द॒शभि॑: स॒हस्रै॑: । आव॒त्तमिन्द्र॒: शच्या॒ धम॑न्त॒मप॒ स्नेहि॑तीर्नृ॒मणा॑ अधत्त ॥
अव॑ । द्र॒प्सः । अं॒शु॒ऽमती॑म् । अ॒ति॒ष्ठ॒त् । इ॒या॒नः । कृ॒ष्णः । द॒शऽभिः॑ । स॒हस्रैः॑ । आव॑त् । तम् । इन्द्रः॑ । शच्या॑ । धम॑न्तम् । अप॑ । स्नेहि॑तीः । नृ॒ऽमनाः॑ । अ॒ध॒त्त॒ ॥
ava | drapsaḥ | aṃśu-matīm | atiṣṭhat | iyānaḥ | kṛṣṇaḥ | daśa-bhiḥ | sahasraiḥ | āvat | tam | indraḥ | śacyā | dhamantam | apa | snehitīḥ | nṛ-manāḥ | adhatta
44
4 × ~11
Dramatic descent-and-assault; strong beats suit combat with darkness.
Energizes courage; helps surface and dislodge sticky inertia; supports decisive inner clearing.
- द्रप्सः (drapsaḥ)
- Literal: drop. Symbolic: concentrated descent of soma/essence; point of awakened consciousness
- अंशुमतीम् (aṃśumatīm)
- Literal: ray-filled, radiant (f.). Symbolic: luminous field of awareness; mind lit by rays of knowledge
- कृष्णः (kṛṣṇaḥ)
- Literal: dark. Symbolic: subconscient resistance, tamasic force
- दशभिः सहस्रैः (daśabhiḥ sahasraiḥ)
- Literal: with ten thousands. Symbolic: innumerable formations of habitual resistance
- शच्या (śacyā)
- Literal: by effective power. Symbolic: executive force of illumination; capacity to make knowledge act
- धमन्तम् (dhamantam)
- Literal: blowing/forging. Symbolic: tapas-forge: inner heat shaping new nature
- स्नेहितीः (snehitīḥ)
- Literal: clinging, sticky (things). Symbolic: viscous attachments/obscurations that blur perception
- नृमणाः (nṛmaṇāḥ)
- Literal: with manly mind. Symbolic: heroic clarity and courage in consciousness
Soma imagery (drop) and Indra’s assistance in the pressing/strengthening; also suitable for martial/abhicāra-less victory invocations where Indra removes ‘clinging’ impediments.
When invoking Indra’s power to remove obstacles and darkness; often thematically tied to soma pressing/offerings
Recitation as a ‘battle hymn’ accompanying offerings; symbolically clearing the ritual space
Chant during phases of heaviness, compulsive habits, or mental fog; pair with a short period of disciplined breath and upright posture.
drapsa: ‘drop’ (condensed essence), often of soma or light. aṃśumat: ‘ray-bearing’ (aṃśu ‘ray/stalk’). kṛṣṇa: ‘dark’ (obscuring principle). √dham ‘blow’ (smith’s bellows): psychological forging of force; Indra supports the inner ‘forging’ of power. snéhitī: from √snih ‘to be sticky/adhere’—attachments/viscous obscurations; ‘apa’ marks removal. śacī: Indra’s power of effective accomplishment.
descent of essence into the luminous vessel, battle of light and darkness as inner conflict, removal of adhesive obscurations (snih) as purification
Indra’s act removes what distorts ṛta in the ray-filled field.
The drapsa descent is a satya-essence; darkness tries to negate it; Indra preserves it.
Descent of essence + resistance + victorious clearing = evolutionary creation of a higher nature.
Integral-yogic Veda: descent (involutionary essence) meets evolutionary resistance; divine powers act for transformation.
Drop = soma-essence; rays = knowledge; dark cloud/force = subconscious inertia; clearing = illumination’s victory.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The descent of the ‘drapsa’ (luminous/soma essence) into the ray-filled field, immediately opposed by the ‘kṛṣṇa’ host; Indra intervenes with śacī to remove the adhesive obscurations—an inner version of the light’s arrival and the dark resistance.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā ‘stand’ (atiṣṭhat) is pan-IE (cf. Eng. stand). √dhā ‘put/place’ (adhatta) is pan-IE (cf. Gk. títhēmi). The concrete verb √snih ‘stick’ provides a vivid embodied metaphor for psychological attachment, typical of early IE semantic transfer from tactile to mental domains.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi narrates an inner event where Indra’s śacī aids the forging (dhamantam) of the seeker’s force; the deity’s role is to clear the ‘sticky’ resistances so the descended essence can stabilize and work.
Visualize a luminous drop descending into the forehead/heart; observe any rising heaviness; invoke Indra to cut the ‘sticky’ obscurations and restore clear rays.
ājñā (clearing fog) and maṇipūra (heroic force/tapas)
Brisk but controlled kapalabhāti (30–60 strokes) if suitable, then steady chanting to stabilize the cleared field.
Dynamic purification leading to bright clarity.
Name the ‘snehitīḥ’ in experience (attachments, lethargy, compulsions) without guilt; chant as an act of courageous clarity; end with silent witnessing of the newly opened ray-field.
Rigvedic accent system assumed; emphasize the descent on ‘áva drápsaḥ’ with a clear fall after the rise; keep ‘kṛṣṇaḥ’ weighty but not dragged.
Make ‘áva’ distinctly downward; give sharp clarity to ‘ápa snehitīḥ’ to enact removal.
Consonant clusters: aṃśumatīm (ṃśu), sahasraiḥ (h-sr), snehitīḥ (sn)., Keep kṛṣṇa with vocalic ṛ and retroflex ṣṇ., Differentiate śacyā (ś) from ṣ in kṛṣṇa.
Bright, forceful, well-supported from the diaphragm; end each pāda cleanly to avoid muddiness.
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