Rig Veda 8.13.11: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 11
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
तूतुजानो महेमतेऽश्वेभिः प्रुषितप्सुभिः । आ याहि यज्ञमाशुभिः शमिद्धि ते ॥
tūtujānó mahematé’śvébhíḥ pruṣitápsubhiḥ | ā́ yāhi yajñám āśúbhiḥ śám íd dhí te ||
Ó impetuoso, pela grande medida, com cavalos que resplandecem de calor e faiscam com gotas de orvalho— vem depressa ao yajña; em verdade, é para tua paz e consumação.
Word by Word
- तूतुजानः
- impelling, rushing (one)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि वर्तमानकृदन्त; ‘वेगयन्/प्रेरयन्’)Role KartāRoot √तूज् (तूजति ‘वेगयति/प्रेरयति’) → कृत्-प्रातिपदिक ‘तूतुजान’
- महेमते
- to the great-minded / to the great oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot महेमत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘महिमन्/महत्त्व’ से ‘महिमावान्’)
- अश्वेभिः
- with horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रुषितप्सुभिः
- with dew-wet / water-sprinkled (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (अश्वेभिः का विशेषण)Role KaraṇaRoot प्रुषितप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प्रुषित’ + ‘अप्सु’/‘अप्’ से, ‘ओस/जल से सिक्त’)
- आ
- hither, towardsIndeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- याहि
- come! / go (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √या (गत्यर्थ)
- यज्ञम्
- the sacrificeNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
- आशुभिः
- with swift (ones)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (अश्वेभिः/रथादि-करण का विशेषण; ‘शीघ्रैः’)Role KaraṇaRoot आशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्
- auspiciously, wellIndeclinableअव्ययRoot शम् (निपात; ‘कल्याणम्/शान्तिम्’)
- इद्धि
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot इद्धि (निपात; ‘एव/खलु/हि’ बलार्थक)
- ते
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: तूतुजानः | महेमते | अश्वेभिः | प्रुषितप्सुभिः | आ | याहि | यज्ञम् | आशुभिः | शम् | इद्धि | ते || 1) महेमतेऽश्वेभिः = महेमते + अश्वेभिः (अ + अ → ’अवग्रह’)
- 2) यज्ञमा॒शुभिः = यज्ञम् + आशुभिः (म् + आ → म् आ; संधि-लेखन में संयुक्त)
- 3) शमिद्धि = शम् + इद्धि (म् + इ → मि; ‘शमिद्धि’)
The meaning
Outer meaning
O impetuous one, for the great measure, with horses heat-bright with dew-sparks, come swiftly to the yajña; surely it is for your peace.
Inner meaning
Indra as tūtujāna (impelling, rushing force) is invoked for the ‘great measure’ (mahe-mate): the widening of consciousness beyond small mental limits. His aśvas are prāṇic-vital energies made radiant by tapas (heat) yet cooled and brightened by truth-dew (pruṣita): disciplined force with a refreshing clarity. He is asked to come quickly to the inner yajña—our consecrated practice—because the establishment of harmony (śam) is his true satisfaction: illumination brings peace by putting powers in right order.
Universal truth
True peace is not inertia; it is the harmony that comes when swift energies are purified and guided by a higher light toward a greater wideness.
Themes
Swift advent of power, Energizing the sacrifice, Harmony after force, Indra as dynamic will
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.13.12 (request for rayi, śravas, amṛta vasutvanam)
Significance
The mantra encodes a yogic psychology: speed must be yoked to purity (dew) and heat (tapas) to reach wideness (mahat) and peace (śam).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- tūtujāna (impetuous one), mahemate (of great measure/wisdom)
- Related deities
- Maruts (storm-speed allied to Indra), Agni (yajña-leader preparing the path), Soma (delight that sustains the rush without agitation)
Cosmic role
Drives the chariot of illumination; hastens the descent of power into the rite and the seeker.
Inner power
Rapid executive force of the illumined mind—breaks hesitation, organizes energies, establishes harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra’s swift-coming invocation during Soma rite
तू॒तु॒जा॒नो म॑हेम॒तेऽश्वे॑भिः प्रुषि॒तप्सु॑भिः । आ या॑हि य॒ज्ञमा॒शुभि॒: शमिद्धि ते॑ ॥
तू॒तु॒जा॒नः । म॒हे॒ऽम॒ते । अश्वे॑भिः । प्रु॒षि॒तप्सु॑ऽभिः । आ । या॒हि॒ । य॒ज्ञम् । आ॒शुऽभिः॑ । शम् । इत् । हि । ते॒ ॥
tūtujānaḥ | mahe--mate | aśvebhiḥ | pruṣitapsu-bhiḥ | ā | yāhi | yajñam | āśu-bhiḥ | śam | it | hi | te
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Quickened, urging; repeated long vowels and clusters convey impetus.
Raises energy and readiness; then resolves into a feeling of ordered calm (śam).
- तूतुजानः (tūtujānaḥ)
- Literal: impetuous, rushing. Symbolic: the dynamic onset of illumined force that breaks delay and tamas
- महेमते (mahe-mate)
- Literal: for the great measure/wise greatness. Symbolic: widening (mahattva) of consciousness; the large seeing that surpasses narrow mind
- अश्वेभिः (aśvebhiḥ)
- Literal: with horses. Symbolic: vital energies and action-forces yoked to divine purpose
- प्रुषितप्सुभिः (pruṣitapsu-bhiḥ)
- Literal: heat-bright with dew-sparks. Symbolic: tapas refined by clarity and freshness; ardor that is illumined, not feverish
- यज्ञम् (yajñam)
- Literal: sacrifice. Symbolic: inner consecration: offering of energies to the Divine for transformation
- आशुभिः (āśubhiḥ)
- Literal: swift. Symbolic: prompt responsiveness of purified energies
- शम् (śam)
- Literal: peace, happiness. Symbolic: harmonious settling of the being after victory of light
Soma-yajña invitation: Indra is urged to come quickly with his swift powers to partake and to establish śam (harmonious victory) for the rite.
At moments of calling Indra to the offering; also suitable before meditation when lethargy or procrastination dominates.
Āvāhana-style call; energizing the rite and aligning it to harmony.
Use as an ‘activation mantra’ before practice: kindle ardor without restlessness, aiming at calm effectiveness.
tūtujāna is an RV intensive emphasizing repeated thrust of force. yajña from √yaj ‘to worship, sacrifice’ is the act of self-offering and right ordering. śam is not mere quiet but harmonized integration—Indra’s arrival establishes a settled victorious poise.
mahat-mati (great intention/vision), yajña as inner discipline, śam as harmonized being
Swift horses become auspicious only when moving in ṛta—speed under law.
Dew-sparks hint at clarity/truth cooling and illumining tapas.
Transformation through yajña: energies are refined (tapas + dew) and widened (mahat).
Aurobindonian yoga of transformation: dynamic force integrated with peace.
early morning (dew imagery suggests dawn-adjacent freshness, though not explicit)
Dew = refreshing truth/clarity; heat = tapas; horses = prāṇic energies; swift coming = rapid descent of higher force into practice.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The rushing advent of Indra with his steeds to the yajña: mythically the god’s swift approach to drink soma; psychologically the descent of dynamic will into the disciplined offering, producing śam (integrated harmony).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yaj (yajña) belongs to Indo-Iranian sacrificial lexicon (Avestan yaz-). √yā ‘go/come’ (yāhi) reflects PIE *h₁ey-. The intensive formation tūtujāna is an archaic Indo-Aryan expressive morphology for repeated impetus.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the rite as ‘mahat-mati’, a great intentional formation, inviting Indra to collaborate. Indra’s coming is not for external display but to consummate the inner harmony (śam) of the offering—divine force serving conscious integration.
Invoke swift but purified force: ‘Let my energies run toward the inner offering under light.’
Maṇipūra (dynamic drive) harmonized by Anāhata (śam as inner concord)
Kapalabhāti (30–60 strokes) if suitable, then slow exhale chanting to settle into śam.
From tamasic delay to sattvic dynamism culminating in quiet power.
Chant 3 times before practice; immediately begin the chosen discipline (japa, sitting, work) to ‘receive Indra’ in action.
Rigvedic accents: keep the imperative ‘ā yāhi’ clear; preserve svarita falls on marked syllables.
Emphasize: tūtujānáḥ / mahematé / aśvébhiḥ / pruṣitápsubhiḥ / ā́ yāhi / yajñám / āśúbhiḥ / śám id dhi te.
tūtujānaḥ: long ū; j is soft ‘j’ not ‘zh’, pruṣitapsubhiḥ: keep ṛ/ṣ retroflex quality; break as pru-ṣi-ta-psu-bhiḥ, ā yāhi: long ā then yā; avoid clipping, śam: ś is palatal; short a, nasal resonance minimal
Invoking, energetic at first; soften and round the tone on ‘śam’.
3
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.
