Rig Veda 8.32.21: Mandala 8, Sukta 32, Mantra 21
Sukta 8.32
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī or Anuṣṭubh-like short meter
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अतीहि मन्युषाविणं सुषुवांसमुपारणे । इमं रातं सुतं पिब ॥
átīhi manyu-sāvíṇaṃ suṣuvā́ṃsam upā́raṇe | imáṃ rātáṃ sutáṃ piba ||
Przybądź ponad wszelkimi przeszkodami do tego, który wyciska z rozpaloną gorliwością, który dobrze wycisnął w miejscu ofiarowania, pij tę wyciśniętą Somę, ten dar postawiony przed tobą.
Word by Word
- अतीहि
- come over / come hitherVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया) मुख्य विधेयRoot अति-इ (धातु √इ ‘गच्छति’ उपसर्ग अति-)
- मन्युषा
- with (your) ardor / wrathNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा मन्यु- (भाव) ‘क्रोध/उत्साह’
- अविणम्
- the ram (sheep)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अवि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘भेड़/ram’
- सुषुवांसम्
- having pressed (Soma) / the Soma-presserParticiple (Adjectival)परस्मैपदी भूतकृत् (परफेक्ट/लिट्-आधारित) क्त्वंस्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘-वांस्’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (अविणम् का विशेषण)Root √सु (सवति/सुनोति ‘प्रसव/निष्पादन’; यहाँ सोम-प्रसव/पेषण) → कृत्: सुषुवांस्
- उपारणे
- at the approach / in the vicinityNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot उप-आरण (प्रातिपदिक) ‘निकट-स्थान/समीप-आगमन/आश्रय’ (उपसर्ग उप + √ऋ/√अर्-सम्बद्ध नाम)
- इमम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (पिब क्रिया का)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- रातम्
- given / grantedParticiple (Adjectival)भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (सुतम् का विशेषण)Root √रा (ददाति ‘देना’) → कृत्: रात (PPP ‘दत्त’)
- सुतम्
- the pressed SomaNoun (substantivized participle)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot √सु (सुनोति ‘प्रसव/निष्पादन; सोम-प्रसव’) → कृत्: सुत (PPP)
- पिब
- drinkVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया) मुख्य विधेयRoot √पा (पिबति ‘पीना’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-विग्रह): अतीहि | मन्युषा | अविणम् | सुषुवांसम् | उपारणे | इमम् | रातम् | सुतम् | पिब । 1) अतीहि = अति + इहि (√इ, लोट् 2sg) — उपसर्ग-संयोग। 2) मन्युषाविणम्: संहिता-पाठ में मन्युषा + अविणम् (आ + अ → आ; दीर्घ-सन्धि) ।
- संहिता में केवल संयोग।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A call to Indra: “Come over/beyond” the obstacles to the Soma-presser who, with kindled ardour, has well pressed the Soma at the offering-place; drink this prepared Soma-gift.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the illumined Power (Indra) to cross beyond inner resistances and arrive at the psyche’s offering-ground where aspiration (manyu) has pressed out the nectar of bliss (Soma). Indra’s ‘drinking’ is the descent and assimilation of that Ananda into the mind-force, empowering it to break coverings and act victoriously.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes intense and well-prepared, a higher Intelligence responds; it ‘drinks’ the offered essence and transforms the seeker’s consciousness by turning effort into luminous force.
Themes
Overcoming, Invitation to Indra, Soma offering, Fervour as tapas-like force
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.32 (context hymn), RV 8.1, RV 8.48
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often emphasize Indra-Soma dynamism and the psychological ‘victory’ motif of breaking coverings.
Significance
The seer’s stance is that of the inner sacrificer: aspiration prepares the Soma of delight and calls the illumined Mind to descend and drink—i.e., to take up and transform the human instrumentation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Soma-pā (Soma-drinker, implied), Vṛtra-han (Vritra-slayer, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Sūrya, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Bringer of luminous power; releases the waters/rays and establishes the right movement (ṛta) in the worlds.
Inner power
The divine Mind-force that receives Ananda and turns it into victorious illumination and effective will in the mental-vital being.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra (Indra-Soma context)
अती॑हि मन्युषा॒विणं॑ सुषु॒वांस॑मु॒पार॑णे । इ॒मं रा॒तं सु॒तं पि॑ब ॥
अति॑ । इ॒हि॒ । म॒न्यु॒ऽसा॒विन॑म् । सु॒सु॒ऽवांस॑म् । उ॒प॒ऽअर॑णे । इ॒मम् । रा॒तम् । सु॒तम् । पि॒ब॒ ॥
ati | ihi | manyu-sāvinam | susu-vāṃsam | upa-araṇe | imam | rātam | sutam | piba
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4 pādas × ~8 syllables (probable)
Compact, imperative-driven cadence; quick summons and offering.
Creates a decisive inward call; supports a crisp ‘invocation → reception’ movement in meditation.
- ati (अति)
- Literal: beyond, over. Symbolic: crossing beyond hindrances/limitations; transcendence of resistance
- ihi (इहि)
- Literal: come!. Symbolic: invocation of the higher Power into the field of practice
- manyu (मन्यु)
- Literal: ardour, spirited impulse, wrath. Symbolic: kindled aspiration/force of tapas that presses out the inner offering
- sāvin / suṣuvāṃs (साविन् / सुषुवांसम्)
- Literal: presser; one who has well-pressed. Symbolic: the inner worker who extracts essence from experience through discipline
- upāraṇa (उपारणे)
- Literal: at the offering-place/near the altar. Symbolic: the inner altar—heart-mind locus of consecration
- soma / sutam (सोम / सुतम्)
- Literal: Soma; pressed juice. Symbolic: divine delight/immortal Ananda distilled by practice
- rātam (रातम्)
- Literal: gift, granted. Symbolic: grace: the offering becomes a received boon when rightly prepared
Direct āvāhana to Indra to come to the pressing-place and drink the offered Soma
During Soma-yajña sequences invoking Indra to the pressing-place
Pressing (savana), offering, and invitatory call for Indra to drink
Use as a short invocation before meditation: offer one’s gathered joy/energy to the higher Mind for transformation.
manyu ‘fervour, wrath, ardent will’ (a driving psychic force); sāvin ‘impelling/producing’ from √sū/√su? here compound suggests ‘one who produces (pressing) by manyu’. √su ‘press’. √i ‘go/come’ (PIE *h₁ei- ‘go’). rāta ‘given’ from √rā ‘to give, grant’ (distinct from √dā; rā emphasizes bestowal).
Manyu (ardent will as power to overcome), Yajña as inner altar (upāraṇa), Grace/gift (rāta)
Indra’s coming ‘beyond’ restores right movement by overcoming obstruction in the being.
Truth-power responds when the offering is ‘well-pressed’—sincere and purified.
Extraction of essence (Soma) from the mixed material; descent of higher power to activate evolution.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral-Vedic (Aurobindonian psychological reading)
unspecified
unspecified
Soma = distilled delight; offering-place = inner heart-altar; pressing = disciplined extraction of truth-joy from life.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘coming of Indra’ to the fervent presser: Indra is drawn by manyu-powered pressing and arrives at the offering-place. Psychologically: intense will (manyu) rightly turned becomes a dynamic tapas that calls down the higher force to drink the offered delight and act.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √i ‘go/come’ is PIE *h₁ei-. √su ‘press’ is Indo-Iranian shared (Soma/Haoma complex). √pā ‘drink’ is PIE *peh₃-. The compounding manyu-sāvin shows archaic poetic compaction typical of IE hymn diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi presents the sacrificer as qualified—one who presses with awakened manyu—and offers Soma as rāta ‘a gift’. Indra is asked to cross obstacles (ati-ihi) and accept; the relationship is fueled by fervent aspiration and completed by offering.
Invite the illumined Mind (Indra) to receive the distilled joy of practice and convert it into clear, victorious action.
Ājñā (brow) with support from Anāhata (heart-altar)
Gentle inhale on “atīhi…”, soft hold as offering, exhale on “sutam piba” imagining descent and assimilation.
Collected aspiration moving into receptive illumination.
Before sitting, gather a felt ‘Soma’ (gratitude/joy). Offer it inwardly; then remain receptive for a quiet, bright directive intelligence.
Use Vedic-style three-tone contour; preserve marked accents where available (udātta on accented syllables; svarita as fall). Exact śākhā svara requires a pada-svara source.
Lean slightly on imperative verbs (ihi, piba) and on Soma-words (sutam, somam implied) while keeping flow unbroken.
atīhi: long ī, with clear hiatus a-tī-hi, manyuṣāviṇam: articulate ṣ (retroflex) and long ā; avoid collapsing clusters, suṣuvāṃsam: keep ṣu-ṣu; nasalize vāṃ, upāraṇe: long ā; light retroflex ṇe
Bright, invitatory, steady—more call than lament.
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