Rig Veda 8.5.38: Mandala 8, Sukta 5, Mantra 38
Sukta 8.5
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
यो मे हिरण्यसंदृशो दश राज्ञो अमंहत । अधस्पदा इच्चैद्यस्य कृष्टयश्चर्मम्ना अभितो जनाः ॥
yó me híraṇyasaṃdṛśo dáśa rājño ámaṃhata | adhás-padā íc caidyásya kṛṣṭáyaś carma-mnā́ abhíto jánāḥ ||
On, który powiększył dla mnie złotozłudne moce dziesięciu królów, tak że nawet ludy Caidyi, poniżone w swych krokach, stały objęte prawem ochrony: tak boski wzrost ustanawia strzeżony porządek wokół szukającego.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / य-
- मे
- to/for me; of mePronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हिरण्य-संदृशः
- golden-looking; having the appearance of goldAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot हिरण्य (न.) + संदृश (प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् ‘to see’ with सम्)
- दश
- tenNumeralअव्यय (संख्यावाचक), ‘ten’Role KarmaRoot दशन् (संख्या)
- राज्ञः
- kingsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वैदिक रूप: राज्ञः = राजान्)Role KarmaRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमंहत
- bestowed; grantedVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role KriyāRoot √मंह्/√मह् (to grant, to bestow; Vedic)
- अधः-पदाः
- those of lower station; low-placed (ones)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अधस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक ‘below’) + पद (न.)
- इत्
- indeed; evenIndeclinableनिपातः (emphatic)Root इत् (निपात)
- चैद्यस्य
- of the Caidya (chief/lineage)Noun (proper/tribal epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot चैद्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘of Caidya/descendant of Cedi’)
- कृष्टयः
- peoples; tribesNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot कृष्टि (स्त्री. ‘people, settlements, tribes’)
- चर्मम्ना
- with hide/leather; by means of a skinNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (वैदिक: चर्मम्ना = चर्मणा)Role KaraṇaRoot चर्मन् (न. ‘skin, hide, leather’) + -म्ना (तृतीया-एकवचन वैदिक)
- अभितः
- around; on both sidesIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (परितः-अर्थे)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अभितः (अव्यय)
- जनाः
- people; menNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot जन (पुं. ‘people, men’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): यो→यः
- मे (enclitic) unchanged
- हिरण्यसंदृशो→हिरण्य-संदृशः (o = visarga-sandhi in saṃhitā)
- दश राज्ञो→दश राज्ञः (Vedic acc.pl. of राजन् appears as राज्ञः)
- अमंहत is finite verb
- अधस्पदा→अधः-पदाः (compound; saṃhitā shows loss of visarga before p-)
- इच्चैद्यस्य→इत् चैद्यस्य (t + c → cc)
- कृष्टयश्चर्मम्ना→कृष्टयः चर्मम्ना (ḥ + c → śc in saṃhitā)
- अभितो जना:→अभितः जनाः (o/ḥ alternation in saṃhitā; final visarga written as :)
The meaning
Outer meaning
One (implied benefactor/power) enlarged for me the golden-seeming wealth/powers of ten kings; even the peoples of Caidya, though lowly in step, stood encompassed by a protective covering (carmamnā) on all sides.
Inner meaning
The hymn frames ‘golden-seeming’ (hiraṇya-sandṛśa) as luminous inner riches—clarities, capacities, and harmonised forces gathered from many ‘kings’ (governing powers of the being). The Aśvins’ action establishes a protected order around the seeker: even what is ‘low-stepping’ (adhas-padāḥ)—the lower nature and habitual movements—can be brought under a safeguarding law when encompassed by the divine ‘skin/armor’ (carman) of right consciousness.
Universal truth
When illumination increases, it naturally creates protection: a guarded field where lower movements are held and educated rather than allowed to scatter the being. True wealth is luminous order, not mere acquisition.
Themes
dāna-memory, luminous increase, protective sheath, social-to-psychological mapping
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.5.37, RV 8.5.39, RV 8.6.1-2
Family tradition
Kaṇva poetry often uses social/political imagery (kings, peoples, protection) to describe inner governance and the ordering of the being under ṛta.
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is on divine increase that also creates containment—expansion without dispersion, wealth with protection.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- nāsatyā, dasrā, sugabhastī (good-handed helpers, thematic), pūrvajūtī (swift from of old, thematic)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (protection/order), Mitra (harmony), Indra (illumination)
Cosmic role
Restorers and protectors in transitional states; they bring fortunate order and healing containment.
Inner power
They harmonise the many ‘kings’ (powers) of the being and wrap the seeker in a protective field so the lower nature can be safely transformed.
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin praise within Soma liturgy; also suitable as protective invocation
यो मे॒ हिर॑ण्यसंदृशो॒ दश॒ राज्ञो॒ अमं॑हत । अ॒ध॒स्प॒दा इच्चै॒द्यस्य॑ कृ॒ष्टय॑श्चर्म॒म्ना अ॒भितो॒ जना॑: ॥
यः । मे॒ । हिर॑ण्यऽसन्दृशः । दश॑ । राज्ञः॒ । अमं॑हत । अ॒धः॒ऽप॒दाः । इत् । चै॒द्यस्य॑ । कृ॒ष्टयः॑ । च॒र्म॒ऽम्नाः । अ॒भितः॑ । जनाः॑ ॥
yaḥ | me | hiraṇya-sandṛśaḥ | daśa | rājñaḥ | amaṃhata | adhaḥ-padāḥ | it | caidyasya | kṛṣṭayaḥ | carma-mnāḥ | abhitaḥ | janāḥ
48
4×12 syllables (probable)
Measured, descriptive, with a ‘circling’ feel matching abhito (encompassing).
Builds a sense of enclosure and stability while still expansive—like widening within a safe boundary.
- hiraṇya-sandṛśaḥ
- Literal: golden-seeming. Symbolic: luminous, sattvic wealth of consciousness; radiance of knowledge and harmony
- daśa rājñaḥ
- Literal: ten kings. Symbolic: multiple governing powers/centers in the nature brought into alliance; completeness of organised forces
- amaṃhata
- Literal: enlarged/expanded. Symbolic: widening of capacity; increase of inner riches and force
- adhas-padāḥ
- Literal: low-footed/with steps below. Symbolic: lower nature, mechanical habits, tamasic tendencies that move ‘beneath’ the higher will
- carman
- Literal: skin, hide, covering. Symbolic: protective envelope of right consciousness; a psychic ‘shield’ that holds the being in order
- abhito janāḥ
- Literal: people on all sides. Symbolic: all movements and subpersonalities surrounding the seeker brought under a single protective law
Commemorative dāna-stanza within praise; supports the invocation by recalling established increase and protection
Dawn or early rite segments; protective and prosperity intent
Recitation to invoke increase (ṛddhi) and protection (gopa)
Use as a ‘psychic protection’ mantra before meditation: call for luminous increase and a guarded inner space.
híraṇya-sandṛśaḥ: hiraṇya ‘gold’ + sandṛś ‘appearance’ → ‘golden in look’, often a sign of luminous power. amaṃhata: aorist/augment formation from √mah ‘to enlarge, magnify’. adhás-padāḥ: adhas ‘below’ + padá ‘step/footing’ → ‘low-footed’, socially ‘subordinate’; inwardly the lower movements. carma-mnā́: carman ‘skin, hide’ + mnā (possessive/derivative) ‘provided with’ → protected/covered; psychologically a protective envelope of order around the being.
protection as enclosure of ṛta (carman as sheath), hierarchy of higher/lower movements (adhás-padāḥ)
Protection is not fear-based; it is the natural boundary formed by ṛta—right arrangement of forces.
Golden-seeming wealth aligns with satya as clarity and transparency in the being.
Ordering of the many powers into a coherent protected field—cosmic governance reflected in the individual.
Yoga-psychological reading: ‘kings/peoples’ as parts of the being; protection as conscious boundary.
dawn (hymn continuity)
Golden light as awakened intelligence; ‘covering’ as subtle shield of collected awareness that prevents leakage of force.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘magnification’ mythologem: a remembered act that ‘made great’ (amaṃhata) the shining wealth/power. The surrounding peoples ‘covered with skin’ suggests the establishment of a protective order—mythically patronal security; psychologically the higher increase creates a guarding boundary for the growth of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √mah ‘great’ continues PIE *megʰ- (cf. Greek megas, Latin magnus). rājñáḥ from rājan ‘king’ relates to PIE *h₃reǵ- ‘to rule’ (cf. Latin rēx). The imagery of ‘enclosure/covering’ (carman) resonates with Indo-European poetic metaphors of protection as a covering or skin.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi grounds his request in precedent: the gods’ boon is invoked through remembered enlargements of power and the resulting protection of the collective life—suggesting that divine help is not arbitrary but repeats a known law of increase when rightly called.
Widening of luminous capacity while establishing a protective boundary against distraction and lower pulls.
maṇipūra (inner governance) and ājñā (luminous order)
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) for containment, then release into natural breath for widening.
Collected, protected wideness; steady luminous poise.
Visualise a golden field expanding around you; then a subtle ‘carman’—a thin, calm boundary that keeps the field intact. Offer the lower movements (adhas-padāḥ) into that field without struggle.
Rigvedic three-tone accents; keep clear udātta on hiraṇya- and major nouns; avoid flattening compound accents.
Maintain caesura after the first pāda; let abhito be slightly lengthened to paint ‘encompassing’.
hiraṇya: clear ṇ (retroflex nasal), sandṛśaḥ: cluster -dṛ- with vocalic ṛ, adhas-padāḥ: pronounce dh as aspirated; keep compound crisp, carmanmnā: articulate rm + mn transition slowly
Steady, protective, slightly deeper tone than purely celebratory verses.
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