Rig Veda 8.37.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 37, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.37
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
सस्थावाना यवयसि त्वमेक इच्छचीपत इन्द्र विश्वाभिरूतिभिः । माध्यंदिनस्य सवनस्य वृत्रहन्ननेद्य पिबा सोमस्य वज्रिवः ॥
sa-sthāvānā yavayasi tvám éka íc chācī-pate índra víśvābhir ū́tibhiḥ | mādhyáṃdinasya sávanasya vṛtra-hann anédya píbā sómasya vajrivaḥ ||
Ty sam, o Indro, panie pełni, odpędzasz stojące i oblegające moce ze wszystkimi twymi ratunkami. Przy południowym tłoczeniu, o zabójco Vṛtry, bez skazy, pij Somę, o nosicielu pioruna.
Word by Word
- सस्थावानः
- steadfast / firmly stationedAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (इन्द्रः—विशेष्य)Root स्था (धातु) → स-स्थावन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) अथवा स्था-धातोः परिपूर्ण/स्थित-भाववाचक
- यवयसि
- you repel / you drive awayVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम? (न), उत्तम? (न) → द्वितीय-पुरुष? (न) ; प्रथमतः: मध्यमपुरुष-एकवचन ‘यवयसि’ = त्वम् … यवयसिRole Kriyā (कर्तृ-क्रिया; कर्ता = त्वम्/इन्द्रः)Root यवय् (धातु) ‘हटयति/निवारयति/दूरं करोति’
- त्वम्
- youPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- alone / singleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (त्वम्/इन्द्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- इच्छाचीपत
- controller according to (his) will / willful lordNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेषण)Root इच्छा-चीपत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘इच्छा’ + ‘चीपत्’ = इच्छानुसारं प्रेरयिता/नियन्ता इत्यर्थे स्तुतिपद)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)Root इन्द्र (देवनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वाभिः
- with allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (ऊतिभिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Karaṇa (सह/उपाय-भावे)Root विश्व (सर्व/समस्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊतिभिः
- with (your) helps / protectionsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot ऊति (स्त्री; ‘सहायता/रक्षा’)
- माध्यंदिनस्य
- of the middayAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुं? (सवनस्य इत्यस्य विशेषणम्), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)Root माध्यंदिन (मध्यंदिन-सम्बन्धी) (प्रातिपदिक)
- सवनस्य
- of the pressing / libationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)Root सवन (नपुंसक; ‘सोम-याग-प्रसव/प्रेसिंग’)
- वृत्रहन्
- O Vr̥tra-slayerNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role SambodhanaRoot वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्र + हन् ‘वृत्र-हन्तृ’)
- अनद्य
- not today / on another dayIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (काल-निर्देश)Root अन् + अद्य (अव्यय/विशेषण; ‘आज नहीं’ अथवा ‘अनद्य’ = ‘अद्य-रहित/अनद्य’ ‘not today’)
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (आज्ञा)Root पा (धातु) ‘पिबति’
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Karma (पान-क्रियायाः विषयः; षष्ठी-निर्देशेन)Root सोम (पुं; सोम-रस)
- वज्रिवः
- O wielder of the thunderboltNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (वज्रिन्-शब्दस्य सम्बोधन-रूपम्)Role SambodhanaRoot वज्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘वज्र-धारिन्’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धि-विग्रह): सस्थावानाḥ | यवयसि | त्वम् | एकः | इच्छाचीपत् | इन्द्र | विश्वाभिः | ऊतिभिः | माध्यंदिनस्य | सवनस्य | वृत्रहन् | अनद्य | पिब | सोमस्य | वज्रिवः । (१) विश्वा-भिः + ऊतिभिः → विश्वाभिरूतिभिः (र्-आगमः/संधि). (२) माध्यं॑दिनस्य = माध्यंदिनस्य (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-लेखनभेद). (३) वृत्रहन्ननेद्य: पाठे ‘वृत्रहन् अनद्य’ इति पदविभागः
- न् + अ → न्न् (संधि-लेखन)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra alone drives away the standing and besieging powers with all his succours; at the midday pressing he is asked to drink Soma as Vṛtra-slayer, blameless thunderbolt-bearer.
Inner meaning
The ‘standing’ (sasthāvānā) and ‘besieging’ forces symbolize entrenched habits and persistent pressures that surround the aspirant—static inertia and repetitive siege of old patterns. Indra alone—central illumination—can ‘drive them away’ (yavayasi) when supported by the many helps of higher consciousness. Soma at midday gives the joy that prevents fatigue in long sieges, enabling a clean, faultless breakthrough.
Universal truth
Some obstacles are not dramatic but chronic: they stand in place or lay siege by repetition. Persistent illumination, nourished by inner delight, is the power that disperses them.
Themes
Removal of obstruction/inertia, Soma-ritual
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.37.1, RV 8.37.2, RV 8.37.3, RV 8.37.5
Family tradition
Kāṇva battle-imagery frequently includes siege/cave motifs: light must be rescued from persistent concealment.
Significance
Psychologically precise: distinguishes between static inertia and active assault—two common modes of inner obstruction.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- śacīpati, tvam ekaḥ (you alone—functional epithet), vṛtrahan, anedya, vajrivaḥ
- Related deities
- Agni (purifying will that also repels), Maruts (allied forces that disperse), Soma
Cosmic role
Protector who repels hostile powers and secures space for the gods’ work.
Inner power
Force of illumination that performs ‘rejection’ (apohana) and creates inner space for higher action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Midday Soma pressing; Indra invoked for protection and clearing of obstacles.
स॒स्थावा॑ना यवयसि॒ त्वमेक॒ इच्छ॑चीपत॒ इन्द्र॒ विश्वा॑भिरू॒तिभि॑: । माध्यं॑दिनस्य॒ सव॑नस्य वृत्रहन्ननेद्य॒ पिबा॒ सोम॑स्य वज्रिवः ॥
स॒ऽस्थावा॑ना । य॒व॒य॒सि॒ । त्वम् । एकः॑ । इत् । श॒ची॒ऽप॒ते॒ । इन्द्र॑ । विश्वा॑भिः । ऊ॒तिऽभिः॑ । माध्य॑न्दिनस्य । सव॑नस्य । वृ॒त्र॒ऽह॒न् । अ॒ने॒द्य॒ । पिब॑ । सोम॑स्य । व॒ज्रि॒ऽवः॒ ॥
sa-sthāvānā | yavayasi | tvam | ekaḥ | it | śacī-pate | indra | viśvābhiḥ | ūti-bh iḥ | mādhyandinasya | savanasya | vṛtra-han | anedya | piba | somasya | vajri-vaḥ
48
4×12; the first line has a defensive/repelling semantic rhythm; refrain repeats.
Firm, expulsive; the cadence supports the sense of pushing away pressure.
Helps practitioners feel boundary, clarity, and energetic ‘space-making’; refrain re-centers in joy and victory.
- sasthāvānā
- Literal: standing, stationary (forces). Symbolic: inertia, fixed habits, tamasic formations
- yavayasi
- Literal: you drive away, keep off. Symbolic: active rejection and clearing by discernment-force
- tvam ekaḥ
- Literal: you alone. Symbolic: the necessity of a single luminous center to overcome chronic patterns
- ūtibhiḥ
- Literal: helps. Symbolic: supports: insights, protections, right energies
- soma
- Literal: Soma. Symbolic: renewing delight that sustains endurance
Midday Soma pressing; prayer for removal of inertial obstruction
During Soma offerings when warding off impediments to the rite’s success.
Recitation as apotropaic reinforcement; invitation to Soma-drinking to empower the clearing.
Chant when stuck in repetitive habits or when feeling ‘surrounded’ by stressors; use as a clearing mantra before meditation.
(yavaya): causative/intensive from √yu/√yav? used in RV as ‘ward off, repel’; functionally ‘remove obstructors’. - (sa-sthāvān): from √sthā ‘stand’ (PIE *steh₂-), indicating fixed/stationary resistances; psychologically inertia and hardened patterns.
tapas/effort against inertia, Rita maintained by repelling stagnation
Driving away besieging forces is restoring free movement of energies aligned to ṛta.
Faultless clarity (anedya) ensures rejection is not reactive but true.
Space-creation: the gods’ world is made by clearing obstruction and establishing free domains.
Yoga of transformation: rejection + aspiration + reception (Indra drinks Soma).
Midday
Standing forces = stagnant air; besieging = encircling clouds; Indra’s storm clears; midday sun reappears as clarity; Soma is the freshening nectar after clearing.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- A variant of obstruction-removal: Indra as the sole power who drives away the ‘standing’ resistances. This is the inner myth of breaking inertia and fixed darkness so that the movement of truth can proceed.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The obstruction is encoded by √sthā (PIE *steh₂- ‘stand’), a basic IE root; the god’s action is to ‘repel’ these standing forces. The formula ‘tvam ekaḥ’ reinforces the IE heroic singularity motif of the champion.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi recognizes that only Indra can remove entrenched resistances; the Soma offering is the means to call that force into operation. The exchange is: offering → presence; presence → clearing of inertia and restoration of right movement.
Practice ‘rejection’: identify one entrenched habit and one recurring pressure; invoke Indra to expel both from the inner space.
Maṇipūra (repelling force and boundary) supported by Ājñā (clarity).
Exhale-emphasis practice: slightly longer exhale while chanting yavayasi; then normal breathing on refrain.
Clear, spacious, resilient.
Chant 3–9 times; after each, pause and feel a widening space around the navel and brow; mentally affirm: ‘I drive away the siege; I stand in the one light.’
Keep yavayasi articulated and slightly forceful; refrain steady. Without svara marks, maintain consistent pitch contour and avoid sing-song variability across repetitions.
Emphasize sasthāvānā (long ā) and yavayasi; in refrain, emphasize vṛtrahann and pibā.
sasthāvānā: conjunct ‘sth’ clear; long ā vowels, yavayasi: ‘ya-va-ya-si’ even, no swallowing of middle syllable, tvam eka ic: separate tvam / ekaḥ / it, visarga in ekaḥ and vajrivaḥ lightly released
Firm, expulsive on first line; warm and resonant on refrain.
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