Rig Veda 8.38.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 38, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.38
- Rishi
- Śyāvāśva Ātreya
- Devata
- Indrāgnī
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
जुषेथां यज्ञमिष्टये सुतं सोमं सधस्तुती । इन्द्राग्नी आ गतं नरा ॥
juṣéthāṃ yajñám iṣṭáye sutáṃ sómaṃ sadhastutī́ | indrā́gnī ā́ gatam narā ||
Znajdźcie upodobanie w jaźni dla pożądanego spełnienia; przyjmijcie wyciśniętą Somę we wspólnym hymnie zgromadzenia. O Indro i Agni, przybyńcie tu, wy dwie heroiczne moce.
Word by Word
- जुषेथाम्
- (you two) enjoy/favourVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √जुष् (सेवने/तोषणे)
- यज्ञम्
- the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिकम्; √यज्)
- इष्टये
- for the oblation / for the desired riteNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot इष्टि (प्रातिपदिकम्; √यज् > इष्टि ‘sacrificial offering’)
- सुतम्
- pressed (Soma)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot सुत (ppp; √सु ‘to press/express (Soma)’)
- सोमम्
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (सुतम् इति विशेष्यः)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिकम्)
- सधस्तुती
- the praise at the common seat/assemblyNoun (compound)स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्ता (स्तुतिः)Root सधस् + स्तुति (समासः; ‘seat/assembly’ + ‘praise’)
- इन्द्राग्नी
- O Indra and AgniNoun (dual deity name)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र + अग्नि (द्वन्द्व-समासः)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableRole (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- गतम्
- come (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root √गम् (गत्यर्थे)
- नरा
- O two men/heroic onesNounपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, द्विवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot नर (प्रातिपदिकम्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: जुषेथाम् | यज्ञम् | इष्टये | सुतम् | सोमम् | सधस्तुती | इन्द्राग्नी | आ | गतम् | नरा । 1) इन्द्रा॑ग्नी = इन्द्र + अग्नी (द्वन्द्व; संयुक्त-सम्बोधन-द्विवचन)
- 2) आ गतम्: उपसर्ग ‘आ’ पृथक्, लोट्-द्विवचन ‘गतम्’ (Vedic imperative)
- 3) सधस्तुती: समासरूपम् (सधस्- + स्तुति-), एकपदम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
A joint invitation to Indra and Agni to delight in the sacrifice, accept the pressed Soma offered with the common hymn of the sacrificial session, and come to the place of offering for the sought fulfilment.
Inner meaning
The seeker calls the twin powers—Agni as the awakened divine Will and Indra as the illumined divine Mind—to take joy in the inner yajña (self-offering). The ‘pressed Soma’ is the distilled delight/Ananda extracted from experience by aspiration and discipline. ‘Sadhastutī’ suggests a shared ground of consciousness where aspiration (Agni) and illumination (Indra) meet; their descent makes fulfilment (iṣṭi) possible.
Universal truth
Fulfilment is stabilized when will and wisdom act together, and when joy (Soma/Ananda) is consciously offered to the higher powers; inner progress depends on inviting and hosting these forces repeatedly in a shared, harmonized field of practice.
Themes
invitation (ā gatam), acceptance (juṣethām), Soma-drinking, shared hymn
The seer
- Rishi
- Śyāvāśva Ātreya
- Lineage
- Ātreya (Atri lineage)
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.38.1, Rig Veda 8.38.2, Rig Veda 8.38.3, Rig Veda 8.38.5, Rig Veda 8.38.6, Rig Veda 8.38.7, Rig Veda 8.38.8
Family tradition
Atri family tradition noted for hymns of invocation and effective ‘calling down’ of deva-powers into the sacrifice; emphasis on luminous action and right enjoyment of Soma.
Significance
Śyāvāśva’s voice is that of a practical seer: he repeatedly invokes the twin power needed for transformation—Agni to kindle aspiration and Indra to break coverings—so the Soma-delight can be rightly received and used.
The deity
- Devata
- Indrāgnī (dual deity)
- Epithets
- narā (heroic pair), jenyāvasū (noble bringers of good, in the hymn context), somapītau (Soma-drinkers, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Uṣas, Maruts, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Indra and Agni together uphold the sacrificial ascent and the answering descent: Agni carries the offering upward; Indra brings down light, force, and victory over obstruction.
Inner power
Agni—psychic fire and executive will that consecrates life; Indra—luminous intelligence and victorious force that breaks the ‘coverer’ and releases the rays (go). Their union integrates aspiration with illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña (pressing and offering of Soma) with Indrāgnī invitation
जु॒षेथां॑ य॒ज्ञमि॒ष्टये॑ सु॒तं सोमं॑ सधस्तुती । इन्द्रा॑ग्नी॒ आ ग॑तं नरा ॥
जु॒षेथा॑म् । य॒ज्ञम् । इ॒ष्टये॑ । सु॒तम् । सोम॑म् । स॒ध॒स्तु॒ती॒ इति॑ सधऽस्तुती । इन्द्रा॑ग्नी॒ इति॑ । आ । ग॒त॒म् । न॒रा॒ ॥
juṣethām | yajñam | iṣṭaye | sutam | somam | sadhastutī itisadha-stutī | indrāgnī iti | ā | gatam | narā
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3 pādas of 8 syllables (8|8|8)
Compact, forward-driving, mantra-like cadence suitable for invocation and quick descent of force.
Creates focused intensity and clarity; the short pādas support repeated calling (‘ā gatam’) and quickened receptivity in meditation.
- juṣethām
- Literal: may you two enjoy/accept. Symbolic: the gods’ consenting presence—inner powers actively taking up the offering of the sadhaka
- yajñam
- Literal: sacrifice/ritual. Symbolic: the inner work of self-offering—alignment of thought, will, and life to the Divine
- iṣṭaye
- Literal: for the desired fulfilment. Symbolic: siddhi—attainment of the sought inner realization or right result
- sutam somam
- Literal: pressed Soma. Symbolic: distilled Ananda/bliss drawn out by tapas and aspiration
- sadhastutī
- Literal: praise at the session/common seat. Symbolic: collective or unified plane of consciousness where forces harmonize and the offering is held steady
- indrāgnī
- Literal: Indra-and-Agni. Symbolic: illumined mind + divine will acting in union
- ā gatam
- Literal: come here. Symbolic: descent/manifestation of higher consciousness into the embodied field
- narā
- Literal: two heroes/men. Symbolic: heroic powers in the soul—courage of will and conquering light of mind
Āhvāna (invitation) to Soma-drinking; participation in sadas-stuti during Soma session
During Soma pressing/offerings and invitatory moments to Indra and Agni; especially in sessions where Soma is presented for divine enjoyment.
Recitation while offering Soma and ghee; inviting the deities to the ‘seat’ of the sacrifice and to accept the hymn and oblation.
Use as a short invocation before meditation or breath practice: invite will (Agni) and illumination (Indra) to take up one’s practice and ‘drink’ the offered attention and joy.
√juṣ ‘to enjoy, be pleased, accept’: indicates divine ‘tasting’/assimilation—psychologically, integration of offered energies into higher functioning. iṣṭi from √iṣ ‘to desire/seek’: not craving but soul-intent. sadas ‘seat’ suggests stable plane where praise is organized—inner ‘seat’ of consciousness.
fulfilment of iṣṭi (realization of right desire aligned with ṛta), collective harmony (sadas as ordered seat)
The mantra assumes that correct invocation and offering according to ṛta brings the deva-forces into effective action.
True fulfilment (iṣṭi) arises when the offering is sincere and the powers of mind and will are aligned with truth.
Descent of higher powers into the human field through yajña; transformation by the exchange between mortal and immortal.
Proto-Vedantic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo): yajña as inner discipline; Soma as Ananda; Indra-Agni as coordinated faculties of transformation.
Fire = aspiration and consecrating will; Soma = distilled delight; ‘coming’ = descent of higher consciousness into the embodied nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The arrival of the gods to the Soma-seat: the epiphany motif where divine powers enter the prepared field (sadas) to drink Soma and complete the rite—innerly, higher consciousness descends into the gathered mind.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go/come’ (gatam) is a clear PIE inheritance (*gʷem- ‘come, go’; cf. Greek baínō is different, but Latin veniō is from *gʷem-). √juṣ is Indo-Iranian specialized for ‘enjoy/accept’ in ritual register.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers a structured seat of praise (sadas-stuti) and requests the gods’ consenting enjoyment (juṣ), implying that divine presence is the decisive factor that turns aspiration (iṣṭi) into realization.
Unite aspiration (Agni) and illumination (Indra); offer the ‘Soma’ of collected joy and attention into that union.
maṇipūra (Agni/will) linked with ājñā (Indra/illumined mind)
gentle sama-vṛtti (equal inhale/exhale) while mentally repeating ‘indrāgnī ā gatam’ on the exhale as an invitation.
Collected, bright, and courageous; receptive to descent of clarity and force.
Begin with a brief inner offering: ‘May my will be pure (Agni), my mind be clear (Indra).’ Then repeat the mantra 9 or 27 times, feeling a shared inner ‘seat’ where both powers meet; end by resting in quiet Ananda.
Follow Rigvedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per śākhā; key lift typically on invocatory names (indrāgnī) and imperative (ā gatam).
Keep ‘indrāgnī’ as a clear compound; do not split the sandhi in chanting. Slight emphasis on ‘juṣethām’ and the call ‘ā gatam’.
ju-ṣe-thāṃ: retroflex ṣ, long ā, final anusvāra as nasalization, iṣṭaye: short i, retroflex ṣ, clear ṭ, sutaṃ somaṃ: dental t, nasal ṃ at ends, sadhastutī: pronounce as sadha-stu-tī; long ī, indrāgnī: long ā; gn cluster clean (ag-nī)
Clear, steady, slightly bright; let the final ‘narā’ land firmly.
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