Rig Veda 8.70.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 70, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.70
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
उदू षु णो वसो महे मृशस्व शूर राधसे । उदू षु मह्यै मघवन्मघत्तय उदिन्द्र श्रवसे महे ॥
udū́ ṣú ṇo vaso mahé mṛśásva śūra rā́dhase | udū́ ṣú mahyái maghavan magháttaya úd índra śrávase mahé ||
Powstań dla nas, o Vasu, do wielkiego wypełnienia; dotknij i pomnóż, o bohaterze, naszą pełnię. Powstań do większego stawania się, o Szczodry, dla szczodrości; powstań, o Indro, dla wielkiej sławy duszy.
Word by Word
- उदू
- up, forth indeedIndeclinableनिपात (उद् ‘ऊर्ध्वं/उत्’ + ऊ ‘एव/खलु’), पदारम्भे उद्गारार्थम्Root उद् (उपसर्ग) + ऊ (निपात/अव्यय) → उदू
- षु
- now, indeedIndeclinableनिपात; प्रार्थना/उत्साह/आशु-भावेRoot षु (निपात) (≈ सु)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? (एन्क्लिटिक) बहुवचन; यहाँ सामान्यतः षष्ठी ‘हमारा/हमारे लिये’ (gen./dat. clitic)Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- वसो
- O bounteous one (Vasu)Noun (vocative) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक) / वसुः ‘धनवान्/वसु’
- महे
- for the great (one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुं, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (महत्-शब्द) ‘महते’ का वैदिक रूप ‘महे’Role SampradānaRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक) / महे (दत्तिव)
- मृशस्व
- be gracious; show favorVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kriyā (प्रार्थना) / Karma impliedRoot मृश् (धातु) ‘स्पृश्/अनुगृह्णाति/प्रसादयति’
- शूर
- O heroNoun (vocative) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- राधसे
- for bounty / for giftNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot राधस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘दान/समृद्धि’
- उदू
- up, forth indeedIndeclinableपूर्ववत्Root उद् + ऊ (निपात)
- षु
- now, indeedIndeclinableपूर्ववत्Root षु (निपात)
- मह्यै
- for the great (goddess/one), for greatnessNoun (f.)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (मही → मह्यै वैदिक दत्तिव)Role SampradānaRoot मही (प्रातिपदिक) ‘महती/महिमा’
- मघवन्
- O bountiful one (Maghavan)Noun (vocative) / epithetपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र-विशेषण) ‘दानवान्/मघयुक्त’
- मघत्तये
- for generosity / for the act of givingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot मघत्ति (प्रातिपदिक, भाव/कर्म-नाम) < मघ ‘दान’
- उद्
- up, forthIndeclinableउत्थान/उद्गमनार्थक उपसर्ग-निपातRoot उद् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रवसे
- for fame / for gloryNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot श्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘यशस्/कीर्ति/श्रवणीय-यश’
- महे
- for the great (one/thing)Adjective (used substantively)पुं/नपुं, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (वैदिक ‘महे’)Role SampradānaRoot महत्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): उदू षु नः वसो महे मृशस्व शूर राधसे । उदू षु मह्यै मघवन् मघत्तये उद् इन्द्र श्रवसे महे ॥ 1) ‘उदू’ = ‘उद्’ + निपात ‘ऊ’ (वैदिक उद्गार/प्रवर्तन)
- 2) ‘उदि॑न्द्र’ का सन्धि-विच्छेद ‘उद् इन्द्र’ (द् + इ → दि)
- 3) ‘महे’ वैदिक दत्तिव एकवचन (महत्-शब्द) ‘महते’ के स्थान पर
- 4) ‘मह्यै’ = मही-शब्द का वैदिक दत्तिव एकवचन
- 5) ‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम (gen./dat. प्रयोग; यहाँ प्रार्थना-प्रसङ्गे ‘हमारे लिये’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Rise up for us, O rich giver, for great fulfillment; touch and increase our wealth. Rise up for greater greatness and bounty; rise up, Indra, for great fame.
Inner meaning
A repeated upward call (ud ū ṣu) summons Indra to awaken and elevate the seeker’s state: to raise the being toward ‘mahat’ (the great fulfillment), to ‘touch’ (mṛś) and augment the inner riches (rādhas: plenitude of soul-force). Indra is invoked to intensify the becoming (mahyai) and the capacity for giving (maghattaya). Finally, he is asked to raise ‘śravas’—the soul’s true fame: the luminous hearing/renown of the inner truth, the vibration of realized consciousness.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress is an ascent that needs repeated invocation: awaken the higher power, increase inner riches, and establish a luminous ‘name’—a stable truth-vibration that guides life.
Themes
invocation, awakening of force, increase and fulfillment, Indra as uplifter
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.70.8, Rig Veda 8.70.10
Family tradition
A pragātha-like insistence on repeated uplift is typical of hymns meant to raise energy in the sacrifice and in the practitioner.
Significance
The seer uses iterative invocation as a method: repetition itself becomes a ladder of ascent—calling the higher power to ‘rise’ in the human.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vasu (rich giver), śūra (hero), maghavan (bounteous)
- Related deities
- Maruts (uplifting energies), Sarasvatī (inspiration/śravas), Agni (aspiration)
Cosmic role
Raises the forces of life toward victory and plenitude; grants fame/śravas as a sign of established power.
Inner power
Uplifting force that increases inner wealth and strengthens the soul’s true voice and recognition.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra stotra for increase (rādhas, maghat) in Soma rites; suitable as an ‘utthāna’ (uprising) chant.
उदू॒ षु णो॑ वसो म॒हे मृ॒शस्व॑ शूर॒ राध॑से । उदू॒ षु म॒ह्यै म॑घवन्म॒घत्त॑य॒ उदि॑न्द्र॒ श्रव॑से म॒हे ॥
उत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । नः॒ । व॒सो॒ इति॑ । म॒हे । मृ॒शस्व॑ । शू॒र॒ । राध॑से । उत् । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । सु । म॒ह्यै । म॒घ॒ऽव॒न् । म॒घत्त॑ये । उत् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । श्रव॑से । म॒हे ॥
ut | oṃ iti | su | ṇaḥ | vaso iti | mahe | mṛśasva | śūra | rādhase | ut | oṃ iti | su | mahyai | magha-van | maghattaye | ut | indra | śravase | mahe
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables with strong initial ‘ud’ impetus
Ascending pulses created by repetition; imperative rhythm.
Quickens energy, dispels inertia, evokes a felt ‘rising’ in posture and breath.
- उदू षु (ud ū ṣu)
- Literal: rise up indeed!. Symbolic: awaken, uplift, elevate consciousness
- वसो (vaso)
- Literal: wealth-giver (Vasu). Symbolic: giver of inner riches and steady resources
- मृशस्व (mṛśasva)
- Literal: touch, stroke. Symbolic: lay the divine hand on the being; quicken and increase by contact
- राधसे (rādhase)
- Literal: for wealth/boon. Symbolic: for plenitude of soul-force and right enjoyment
- मघवन् / मघत्तये (maghavan / maghattaye)
- Literal: bounteous / for bounty. Symbolic: capacity to give and to receive divine richness
- श्रवसे (śravase)
- Literal: for fame/renown. Symbolic: the soul’s hearing of truth; established luminous vibration and recognition in consciousness
Arousing call within Indra praise: imperative ‘udū ṣu’ suited to Soma-pressing exhortations inviting the deity’s active presence.
At moments requiring energizing the assembly/sacrifice; before competitive feats (vāja) or requests for increase.
Recite with upward gesture of mind; offerings accompanied by a deliberate ‘lifting’ intention.
A short energizing mantra before meditation when dullness is present, or before service/work to invoke uplift and inner abundance.
√mṛś ‘touch’ suggests a concrete energizing contact (divine force ‘laying hand’ on the being). rādhas denotes effective fulfillment (not mere ‘gift’). śravas from √śru ‘hear’ becomes ‘that which is heard of’ → fame; psychologically, the luminous affirmation of the soul’s achievement.
increase (maghatta) as growth of consciousness-force, rādhas (accomplished good) as siddhi-like fulfillment, śravas as manifestation of inner truth in outer life
Uplift is a movement toward ṛta—out of inertia into right action and harmony.
Śravas as truth-vibration: the being becomes ‘heard’ by truth, aligned with it.
Ascent and increase—growth of consciousness as a creative expansion.
Aurobindonian: ‘mahat’ as widening of consciousness; ‘śravas’ as manifested truth-force in life.
Rising = ascent of consciousness; touch = descent/contact of grace; wealth = inner resources (clarity, strength, joy).
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rising forth’ of Indra: a mythic epiphany where the god is urged to emerge into the sacrifice and into the human being, bringing rādhas (effective fulfillment), maghatta (increase), and śravas (radiant acclaim of achievement).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- ud ‘up’ is an IE particle (cf. Latin ud-/sub- contrasts; Germanic out has different development but comparable deictic system). śravas relates to √śru ‘hear’ with broad IE parallels for ‘fame’ as ‘what is heard’ (cf. Greek kléos).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi requests not objects but states of being: fulfillment, increase, and luminous recognition. The relationship is dynamic: the hymn’s imperative speech-act ‘raises’ Indra, and Indra’s touch (mṛśasva) raises the human vessel.
Invoke upward movement: feel Indra rising in the spine and widening in the head-space; ask for increase of inner resources and a stable truth-vibration (śravas).
maṇipūra (uplift of power) to sahasrāra (greatness/mahat)
Kapalabhāti light (30–60 strokes) if suitable, then slow chant to stabilize; otherwise deep diaphragmatic inhale with long exhale on ‘ud ū ṣu’.
Uplifted dynamism—energized yet centered.
Use 3 rounds: (1) rise for fulfillment, (2) rise for bounty, (3) rise for śravas—then sit silently, listening inwardly for the ‘fame’ as a subtle resonance.
Emphasize the repeated ‘ud ū ṣu’ with clear udātta lift; keep imperatives crisp (mṛśasva).
Each ‘ud ū ṣu’ begins a new wave—slightly stronger each time; final pāda resolves with dignified firmness on ‘mahe’.
mṛśasva: vocalic ṛ clear; śa not ‘sa’., maghavan: aspirate gh; avoid ‘magan’., śravase: śr cluster clear; do not insert vowel (not ‘sharavase’).
Uplifting, bright, forward; avoid heaviness.
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