Rig Veda 8.50.4: Mandala 8, Sukta 50, Mantra 4
Sukta 8.50
- Rishi
- Kanva tradition
- Devata
- Soma, with epithets of wealth/plenitude
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अनेहसं वो हवमानमूतये मध्वः क्षरन्ति धीतयः । आ त्वा वसो हवमानास इन्दव उप स्तोत्रेषु दधिरे ॥
anéháṃsaṃ vo hávamānam ūtáye mádhvaḥ kṣaranti dhītáyaḥ | ā́ tvā vaso hávamānāsa índava úpa stótreṣu dadhire ||
O Bogaty, gdy wzywamy cię o pomoc, nasze oświecone myśli wylewają słodycz jak miód-wino. Te tłoczone krople, wzywając cię, umieszczają cię tutaj, blisko, w naszych hymnach, aby twoja moc działała w świadomości.
Word by Word
- अनेहसम्
- unfailing, not sluggishAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (हवमानम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अनेहस् (प्रातिपदिक; a-नेहस्) अथवा नेहस्
- वः
- of you (your)Pronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (सम्बोधन-सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद्
- हवमानम्
- being invoked, called uponVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (आ-गमनस्य/दधिरे इत्यस्य लक्ष्यः)Root √ह्वे (ह्वा) + शानच् → हवमान
- ऊतये
- for help, for protectionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदान (for aid)Root ऊति (प्रातिपदिक)
- मध्वः
- of sweetness / of honey (mead)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (क्षरन्ति—कस्य?)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षरन्ति
- they flow, streamVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √क्षर्
- धीतयः
- thoughts, hymnic inspirationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धीति (प्रातिपदिक; from √धी ‘to think/meditate’)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषण (आ-गमन/आ-सम्प्राप्ति)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (दधिरे—whom?)Root युष्मद्
- वसो
- O good one / O wealthy oneNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- हवमानासः
- invoking (you), callingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (दधिरे इत्यस्य)Root √ह्वे (ह्वा) + शानच् → हवमान
- इन्दवः
- drops (of Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (हवमानासः इत्यस्य अपि)Root इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषण (निकटता/उपसर्पण)Root उप (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- स्तोत्रेषु
- in the praises, among the hymnsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (where/among)Root स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधिरे
- they have placed / have set (themselves)Verbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √धा
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution (pada-wise): अनेहसं + वः (no change)
- हवमानम् + ऊतये → हवमानमू॒तये (m + ū by external sandhi)
- मध्वः (gen. sg. of मधु; visarga before kṣ- retained in Saṃhitā)
- आ + त्वा (no change)
- हवमानासः + इन्दवः (no change)
- इन्दवः + उप (no change)
- उप + स्तोत्रेषु (no change). Accent marks in the Saṃhitā are not repeated in the pada forms here
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Vasu, when we call you for help, our thoughts pour sweetness like honey. The Soma drops, invoking you, place you here near—within the hymns.
Inner meaning
When the seeker calls the plenitude-power for aid, illumined thoughts (dhītayaḥ) begin to stream sweetness (madhu)—a sign that consciousness is being suffused by Soma’s delight. The Soma-currents themselves, as living forces, ‘install’ the Presence within the mantra-forms (stotreṣu): the Divine Delight becomes seated in speech and thought, so that help is no longer external but operative inside the mind’s very formation.
Universal truth
Help becomes effective when consciousness itself turns sweet and luminous; then the sought power is ‘set’ within one’s own thought and speech as an abiding influence.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Invocation, Inner nectar/delight, Mantric establishment
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (specific seer within Kaṇva line uncertain for RV 8.50 in this excerpt)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.48 (Soma as inner delight), RV 9.61 (Soma and dhī), RV 1.87 (inspiration and help motifs)
Family tradition
Kāṇvas specialize in Soma mysticism: dhī (inspired thought) and madhu (sweetness) are experiential markers of inner opening; hymns often describe the deity ‘placed’ in the word.
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is on mantra as a seat (āsana) for the deity—speech becoming a vessel for presence.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Indu), invoked with the epithet Vasu (rich/plentiful)
- Epithets
- Indu (bright drop), Vasu (rich one)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Aśvins, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Bearer of immortality; purifier and exhilarator; link between earth-offering and heavenly delight.
Inner power
Ananda that sweetens dhī (inspiration) and establishes the divine presence within mantra and thought-forms.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma praise during pressing; invitatory to seat Soma/aid in the stotra
अ॒ने॒हसं॑ वो॒ हव॑मानमू॒तये॒ मध्व॑: क्षरन्ति धी॒तय॑: । आ त्वा॑ वसो॒ हव॑मानास॒ इन्द॑व॒ उप॑ स्तो॒त्रेषु॑ दधिरे ॥
अ॒ने॒हस॑म् । वः॒ । हव॑मानम् । ऊ॒तये॑ । मध्वः॑ । क्ष॒र॒न्ति॒ । धी॒तयः॑ । आ । त्वा॒ । व॒सो॒ इति॑ । हव॑मानासः । इन्द॑वः । उप॑ । स्तो॒त्रेषु॑ । द॒धि॒रे॒ ॥
anehasam | vaḥ | havamānam | ūtaye | madhvaḥ | kṣaranti | dhītayaḥ | ā | tvā | vaso iti | havamānāsaḥ | indavaḥ | upa | stotreṣu | dadhire
48
4×12 (approx.)
Even, extended flow matching ‘kṣaranti’ (streaming) and sustained sweetness.
Encourages a smooth, continuous recitation that can induce a ‘honeyed’ calm and a sense of presence settling into the words.
- अनेहसम् (anehasam)
- Literal: unhasting, not delayed. Symbolic: immediate, unobstructed response of the divine force when the call is true
- हवमानम् (havamānam)
- Literal: being invoked. Symbolic: the awakened aspiration that calls the higher power into active relation
- ऊतये (ūtaye)
- Literal: for help. Symbolic: for protection and forward leading in the inner journey
- धीतयः (dhītayaḥ)
- Literal: thoughts, inspirations. Symbolic: illumined formations of consciousness (intuitions) rather than ordinary thinking
- मध्वः (madhvaḥ)
- Literal: of honey/sweetness. Symbolic: Soma’s Ananda-substance; sweetness of truth-experience
- क्षरन्ति (kṣaranti)
- Literal: they flow, stream. Symbolic: spontaneous outpouring of inspiration and delight
- इन्दवः (indavaḥ)
- Literal: Soma drops. Symbolic: currents of delight that carry invocation power
- स्तोत्रेषु (stotreṣu)
- Literal: in the hymns. Symbolic: in mantra-vibration; in articulated soul-speech where the deity can be seated
Soma pressing and praise in Soma-yajña context (general: Agniṣṭoma/Ukthya-type Soma liturgy); establishing Soma in stotra (praise) aligns with stotra-śastra recitation during pressing
During Soma-stotra sequences; when invoking Soma’s support and sweetness in the rite.
Chanting stotra while offering Soma; emphasizing invocation and internalization of the deity in the hymn.
Use before japa/chanting: intend that the mantra itself becomes the seat of sweetness and help; notice when thought begins to ‘flow’ rather than strain.
: a- (neg.) + ehas- ‘haste/impulse’ (cf. √īh/√īṣ ‘to strive, seek’ in extended sense); ‘not-hurrying/not-delayed’ → yogic sense: unimpeded movement of the force. -: √hū ‘to call, invoke’ (present middle participle). : from √av ‘to protect, favour’ (also yields ‘avah’ ‘help’); dative. : PIE *médʰu ‘honey, sweet drink’ (English mead); here gen.. : √kṣar ‘to flow, melt, stream’. : from √dhī ‘to think, perceive, meditate’ → ‘inspired vision-thought’. : ‘drop, Soma drop’; often from √ind ‘to kindle, be bright’ (semantic field of brightness/juice). : perfect middle of √dhā ‘to place, establish’.
Ānanda (delight) as madhu, Dhī (illumined intelligence), Descent/establishment of higher power into speech (vāc) and mind
Soma is ‘placed’ in the stotra when speech aligns to r̥ta—right tone, right intent.
Dhī becomes truth-bearing when sweetened by Soma (not by egoic excitement).
From subtle sweetness arises formed speech that can hold the divine—creation by vibration.
Mantra-śakti orientation; Aurobindo’s view of Vedic word as formative consciousness-force.
Sweet flow = Ananda moving through thought; Moon = reflective, cooling clarity that stabilizes the mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘pressing and placing of Soma’ mythologem: Soma as a luminous essence is expressed/pressed into flow (kṣar-) and then established within the stotra. In the inner sense, the inspired thoughts (dhītayaḥ) become streams of delight (madhu) and install the higher ecstasy-force (indavaḥ) into the mantric speech so it can act as help (ūti).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- madhu ‘sweet drink’ continues PIE *médʰu (cognate with Avestan madu-, Greek méthy ‘wine’, English ‘mead’), showing the inherited Indo-European poetic equation of sweetness/intoxication with inspired speech. The verb √kṣar ‘flow’ participates in a widespread IE imagery of ‘flowing’ speech/poetry as liquid; dhī as inspired thought is a specifically Indo-Aryan development but fits the IE poetics of ‘vision-thought’ as a substance that can be poured and fixed in song.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Reciprocity is enacted as: aspiration (havana) → descent/establishment (ā…dadhire) → aid (ūti). The rishi-community does not merely praise; they ‘install’ Soma in the hymn so Soma can operate as an inner wealth-bearing power (vasu), turning thought into sweetness and sustaining the seeker’s progress.
Let inspiration (dhī) become a sweet flow; feel the invoked presence settle into the mantra-sound itself.
Viśuddha (mantra/voice) with support to Ājñā (illumined thought)
Slow nasal breathing; on exhale chant smoothly, imagining ‘madhu’ streaming through the throat into the head-space.
Quietly luminous, nectar-like ease.
Chant with the intention: ‘May sweetness flow in my thoughts.’ After a few repetitions, pause and listen inwardly for the settled presence ‘within the hymn’—a subtle support and clarity.
Rigvedic accenting; maintain clarity on consonant clusters (kṣar-).
Lightly lift on ‘mádhvaḥ’ and ‘kṣáranti’; keep ‘upa stotreṣu dadhire’ as a settling cadence.
‘anehasam’ as a-ne-ha-sam (clear short a’s), ‘kṣaranti’ with distinct kṣ (not ‘shar’), ‘dhītayaḥ’ long ī; final ḥ lightly aspirated, ‘stotreṣu’ with retroflex ṣ (ṣu)
Cool, even, slightly inward; prioritize sweetness over volume.
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