Rig Veda 8.6.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 6, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.6
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
प्र तमिन्द्र नशीमहि रयिं गोमन्तमश्विनम् । प्र ब्रह्म पूर्वचित्तये ॥
prá tám índra naśīmahi rayím gómantam aśvínam | prá bráhma pū́rva-cíttaye ||
Ku temu Indrze dążymy naprzód: ku pełni bogatej w promienie Światła i moce szybkiej siły; niech słowo-mantra idzie naprzód dla przebudzenia starożytnej świadomości.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- तम्
- him/thatPronounmasc./neut. acc. sg.Role KarmaRoot तद् (sarvanāman)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounmasc. voc. sg.Role SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (prātipadika)
- नशीमहि
- we attain / we obtainVerbpresent (Vedic), 1st person plural, ātmanepadaRoot नश् (धातु; ‘to attain, obtain’)
- रयिम्
- wealthNounmasc. acc. sg.Role KarmaRoot रयि (prātipadika)
- गोमन्तम्
- rich in cowsAdjectivemasc. acc. sg. (agreeing with रयिम्)Role KarmaRoot गोमन्त् (adj. stem from गो + -मन्त्)
- अश्विनम्
- rich in horsesAdjectivemasc. acc. sg. (agreeing with रयिम्)Role KarmaRoot अश्विन् (adj. stem from अश्व + -इन्)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- ब्रह्म
- sacred hymn / prayerNounneut. nom./acc. sg. (here: acc. sg. as object of an implied verb like ‘we utter/bring forth’)Role KarmaRoot ब्रह्मन् (prātipadika; Vedic ‘sacred formulation, hymn/prayer’)
- पूर्वचित्तये
- for (the sake of) forethought / ancient inspirationNounfem. dat. sg.Role SampradānaRoot पूर्वचित्ति (prātipadika; ‘forethought, ancient insight’)
Sandhi Notes
- External sandhi is minimal in this mantra. Segmenting as: प्र | तम् | इन्द्र | नशीमहि | रयिम् | गोमन्तम् | अश्विनम् || प्र | ब्रह्म | पूर्वचित्तये. The form पूर्वचित्तये is dative singular of the feminine abstract noun पूर्वचित्ति
- the -ये ending is the regular dat. sg. of -i stems in Vedic/Sanskrit. ब्रह्म is neuter sg. (brahman-), used as the ‘hymn/prayer’ (object of an implied verb such as ‘we set forth/utter’ with प्र)
The meaning
Outer meaning
We would reach that Indra: a wealth (rayi) rich in cows and horses; forward let the sacred word go for the awakening of ancient consciousness.
Inner meaning
Indra is the illumined Mind-Power that opens the way to plenitude. Rayi here is not material cattle/horse alone but a fullness of go (rays of knowledge) and aśva (swift vital energies for right action). ‘Pra brahma’ indicates the mantra-word pressing forward—speech aligned with ṛta—to awaken pūrva-citti, the ancient/supramental memory in us: the original luminous consciousness obscured by habitual mind.
Universal truth
True prosperity is the integrated increase of knowledge-light and effective force, gained by turning toward the highest illumination and by right utterance that awakens deeper memory of truth.
Themes
Aspiration for plenitude, Mantra-power, Indra as giver of light and force
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (Āṅgirasa-associated)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.6.1-13, RV 8.2 (Indra themes, Kaṇva cluster), RV 1.125 (Kaṇva: prayer and plenitude themes, general)
Family tradition
Kaṇva hymns frequently pair Indra’s victory with gains of ‘cows/horses’ as inner light and force, obtained through potent brahman (mantra).
Significance
The seer’s method is forward movement (pra): aspiration + mantra + Indra’s illumination → recovery of ancient consciousness (pūrva-citti).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of Vṛtra), Maghavan (bountiful), Śatakratu (of a hundred powers), Purandara (breaker of strongholds)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Releases light and waters; establishes wide space for life and thought; giver of plenitude.
Inner power
Illumined intelligence that breaks mental inertia and subconscient cover, converting aspiration and mantra into effective realization and energetic capacity.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra in Soma-yajña setting (general)
प्र तमि॑न्द्र नशीमहि र॒यिं गोम॑न्तम॒श्विन॑म् । प्र ब्रह्म॑ पू॒र्वचि॑त्तये ॥
प्र । तम् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । न॒शी॒म॒हि॒ । र॒यिम् । गोऽम॑न्तम् । अ॒श्विन॑म् । प्र । ब्रह्म॑ । पू॒र्वऽचि॑त्तये ॥
pra | tam | indra | naśīmahi | rayim | go--mantam | aśvinam | pra | brahma | pūrva-cittaye
44
4 × ~11 syllables
Strong ‘pra’ propulsion; suited to invocation and attainment.
Energizes aspiration; evokes a sense of forward surge toward illumination and abundance of power.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine mind/illumination; power that breaks obstruction
- रयि (rayiṃ)
- Literal: wealth, plenitude. Symbolic: fullness of inner resources: light, force, joy, capacity
- गोमन्तम् (gomantam)
- Literal: possessing cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of knowledge/illumination
- अश्विनम् (aśvinam)
- Literal: possessing horses. Symbolic: endowed with swift vital energies and powers of execution
- ब्रह्म (brahma)
- Literal: sacred utterance, prayer. Symbolic: mantric word-force that forms consciousness
- पूर्वचित्तये (pūrvacittaye)
- Literal: for ancient consciousness. Symbolic: awakening the original truth-consciousness within
Indra-invocation for the gaining of rayi in Soma rites; supports the ‘attainment’ (naś) motif—calling Indra to bestow luminous plenitude through mantra (brahman).
Invocations for Indra’s coming and for obtaining rayi during offerings
Recitation to draw Indra’s force and establish effective mantra
Use before work or study: chant to align knowledge (go) and execution-energy (aśva) under a higher clarity (Indra).
: desiderative/optative sense ‘may we attain’ from √ ‘reach, arrive, obtain’. -: ‘wealth/plenitude’ possibly linked with √/√ ‘to give’ in RV usage—boon as fullness. -: polysemous; in RV often ‘ray/light/knowledge’ (cognate field with brightness). -: ‘horse’ but symbolically ‘force of movement’, from √ ‘to reach, rush’. : from √ ‘to expand’—word that expands consciousness. : from √ ‘to perceive, be conscious’.
Rayi as plenitude of being, Brahman as formative word, Citti (consciousness/seeing), especially ‘pūrva’ (original)
‘Pra brahma’ implies word moving in right formation; the mantra is effective when it carries ṛta.
Ancient consciousness is the deeper truth-layer that can re-emerge.
Recovery of original light and force; reconstitution of integral being (knowledge + power).
Integral-Vedic: mantra as formative power; Indra as luminous mind leading evolution.
Cows = rays of insight; horses = vital dynamism; ‘forward’ = ascent of aspiration and progressive manifestation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The gaining of rayi (plenitude) from Indra—classically the winner of light and power. The ‘cows and horses’ formula encodes the mythic recovery of light (go) and release of dynamic forces (aśva) into the human field.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ ‘reach’ has Indo-European parallels in ‘attain/arrive’ roots; √ ‘perceive’ aligns with a wide IE cognition lexicon. The formulaic pairing of cattle/horse as wealth/power reflects shared IE poetic economy, here interiorized as light and force.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi advances brahman (mantric speech) as the means of approach; Indra is the responding power who grants rayi. The exchange is: inspired utterance and aspiration offered; luminous plenitude and awakened citti returned.
Invoke Indra as inner clarity; ask for rayi as integrated light + force; let mantra move ‘forward’ from heart to brow.
Maṇipūra (force/execution) harmonized with Ājñā (illumination)
Brisk-then-settle: 9 slightly stronger exhales, then normal breathing while repeating ‘pra…pra…’ mentally as forward aspiration.
Dynamic clarity—luminous resolve with energized capacity.
Chant once with emphasis on pra; then visualize rays (go) filling the mind and swift horses (aśva) aligning the life-force to act without agitation.
Vedic accents as marked in recensional text; keep ‘pra’ lightly elevated where accented.
Give crisp onset to ‘pra tam indra’; lengthen long vowels in rayiṃ, gomantam; avoid rushing ‘pūrvacittaye’.
naśīmahi: ‘na-śī-ma-hi’ (long ī), gomantam: nasal ‘-ntam’ clear, aśvinam: ‘aś-vi-nam’ (ś as palatal), brahma: ‘brah-ma’ with soft h
Bright, confident, invoking; not harsh—heroic steadiness.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
