Rig Veda 8.48.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 48, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.48
- Devata
- Soma in relation to Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
अन्तश्च प्रागा अदितिर्भवास्यवयाता हरसो दैव्यस्य । इन्दविन्द्रस्य सख्यं जुषाणः श्रौष्टीव धुरमनु राय ऋध्याः ॥
antáś ca prā́gā áditiḥ bhavāsy ava-yātā háraso daívyasya | índav índrasya sákhyaṃ juṣāṇáḥ śrauṣṭī́-iva dhúram ánu rāyé ṛdhyāḥ ||
Entra por dentro e avança; torna-te Aditi, a Ilimitada, que afasta o excesso do ardor divino. Ó gota de Soma, fruindo a amizade de Indra, prospera nas riquezas — como uma égua bem jungida seguindo a vara do jugo.
Word by Word
- अन्तः
- within, insideIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक अव्ययRoot च (निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अगाः
- you went / you have goneVerbलुङ् (अोरिस्ट), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot गम् (धातु)
- अदितिः
- Aditi (the goddess)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
- भव
- become; beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot भू (धातु)
- अस्य
- of this, hisPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (नपुंसक/पुं. संदर्भे)Role Sambandha (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अवयाता
- having driven away (evil); warding offAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अवयात’ = ‘अपगता/दूरं नीत’Role Kartā (अदितेः विशेषण)Root अव-या (धातु) / अवयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- हरसः
- of the glow/heat (radiance)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root हरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दैव्यस्य
- of the divineAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (हरसः विशेषण)Role Sambandha (genitive)Root दैव्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव-सम्बन्धि)
- इन्दु
- O Indu (Soma-drop)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रस्य
- of IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सख्यम्
- friendship, companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- जुषाणः
- enjoying; accepting; taking delight inParticipleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपद, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (अन्तर्निहित ‘त्वम्’/इन्दोः)Root जुष् (धातु) → जुषाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- श्रौष्टीव
- like a chariot/vehicle (as if ‘on the car’)Indeclinableउपमानवाचक: ‘श्रौष्टी’ (रथ/वाहन-सम्बद्ध) + ‘इव’Root श्रौष्टी (प्रातिपदिक) + इव (निपात)
- धुरम्
- the yoke-pole; the yoke/shaftNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot धुर्/धुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- along, afterIndeclinableउपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- रायः
- of wealth, of bountyNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋध्याः
- prosper; succeed; thriveVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot ऋध् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (सन्धि-निरसन): अन्तश्च → अन्तः + च
- प्रागा → प्र + अगाः (उपसर्ग ‘प्र’ + लुङ् ‘अगाः’)
- भवास्यवयाता → भव + अस्य + अवयाता
- हरसो दैव्यस्य → हरसः + दैव्यस्य (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि)
- इन्दविन्द्रस्य → इन्दु + इन्द्रस्य
- श्रौष्टीव → श्रौष्टी + इव. शेषपदानि प्रायः असन्धितरूपेण।
The meaning
Outer meaning
An exhortation to the Soma-drop: enter within, move forward, become Aditi (boundless protection), ward off the excess of divine ardor/heat; delighting in Indra’s friendship, prosper in riches like a well-yoked mare following the chariot-pole.
Inner meaning
The seeker is urged to turn inward (“enter within”) and advance in consciousness. Becoming “Aditi” is assuming the inner wideness that cannot be bound by fear, guilt, or limiting formations. The “divine heat” (tapas/haras) is the intensity of spiritual force; it must be harmonized so it does not scorch the nervous-vital nature. Soma (Ananda) is asked to join with Indra (illumined mind) so bliss and light act together; then the being moves straight on the “pole” (axis of aspiration) and abundance (rāyaḥ = inner riches: powers, clarity, joy) grows steadily.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress requires inwardness plus forward movement: wideness of being (freedom from inner bondage) and a regulated intensity of practice. When joy (Soma) allies with illumination (Indra), life-energy becomes well-yoked and prosperity manifests as integrated strength, clarity, and meaningful action.
Themes
Soma-Indra alliance, boundlessness (Aditi), discipline of force, prosperity as inner plenitude
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.48.3, Rig Veda 8.48.5, Rig Veda 8.48.6, Rig Veda 8.48.7
Significance
The voice is that of an initiated practitioner speaking from lived inner experience of Soma: widening (Aditi), regulated tapas, and the Indra–Soma alliance that converts ecstasy into effective progress.
The deity
- Devata
- Soma (Indu) in synergy with Indra; Aditi as the power/state of wideness
- Epithets
- Indu (the bright drop), Soma (kingly delight), Aditi (the unbound), Indra-sakha (friend of Indra, implied)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni (implicit as tapas/heat regulator in the inner sacrifice), Aditi, Surya (implicit in forward movement and right path)
Cosmic role
Soma is the immortalizing essence that nourishes the gods/powers; Indra is the force of luminous victory; Aditi is the infinite matrix that upholds the right order and protects from constriction.
Inner power
Soma awakens Ananda and cohesion; Indra provides discerning illumination and conquers obscurity; Aditi establishes vastness and safe passage for the rising force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering (Soma-yajña context; Soma praised as the inner and outer oblation)
अ॒न्तश्च॒ प्रागा॒ अदि॑तिर्भवास्यवया॒ता हर॑सो॒ दैव्य॑स्य । इन्द॒विन्द्र॑स्य स॒ख्यं जु॑षा॒णः श्रौष्टी॑व॒ धुर॒मनु॑ रा॒य ऋ॑ध्याः ॥
अ॒न्तरिति॑ । च॒ । प्र । अगाः॑ । अदि॑तिः । भ॒वा॒सि॒ । अ॒व॒ऽया॒ता । हर॑सः । दैव्य॑स्य । इन्दो॒ इति॑ । इन्द्र॑स्य । स॒ख्यम् । जु॒षा॒णः । श्रौष्टी॑ऽइव । धुर॑म् । अनु॑ । रा॒ये । ऋ॒ध्याः॒ ॥
antariti | ca | pra | agāḥ | aditiḥ | bhavāsi | ava-yātā | harasaḥ | daivyasya | indo iti | indrasya | sakhyam | juṣāṇaḥ | śrauṣṭī-iva | dhuram | anu | rāye | ṛdhyāḥ
44
4 padas (approx. 11 syllables each, Trishtubh-like)
Driving, forward-leaning cadence suited to exhortation and onward motion.
Energizes aspiration while stabilizing intensity; supports a felt sense of ‘entering inward’ and then ‘moving straight ahead’ in a single breath-wave.
- अन्तः (antaḥ)
- Literal: within. Symbolic: inward turn to the psychic/interior consciousness
- प्र (pra)
- Literal: forth, forward. Symbolic: progressive ascent/advance of the being
- अदिति (aditi)
- Literal: the unbound, infinity; mother of the gods. Symbolic: limitless wideness, protective freedom-consciousness
- अवयाता (avayātā)
- Literal: warding off, keeping away. Symbolic: inner discernment that moderates excess and repels imbalance
- हरसः दैव्यस्य (haraso daivyasya)
- Literal: of the divine heat/ardor. Symbolic: tapas/fiery intensity of spiritual force needing right measure
- इन्दु (indu)
- Literal: Soma-drop. Symbolic: distilled Ananda, nectar of consciousness
- इन्द्रस्य सख्यम् (indrasya sakhyam)
- Literal: friendship of Indra. Symbolic: alliance with illumined mind and victorious discernment
- धुरम् (dhuram)
- Literal: pole/yoke-beam. Symbolic: axis of aspiration; the central line of disciplined movement
- रायः (rāyaḥ)
- Literal: riches. Symbolic: inner wealth: luminous powers, harmony, delight, capacity
- श्रौष्टीव (śrauṣṭīva)
- Literal: like a well-yoked mare. Symbolic: rightly harnessed life-force obedient to the guiding will
Soma rite: aligning Soma’s ecstasy with Indra’s force; also a meditative instruction—turn inward (antar), move forward (pra), widen into Aditi while regulating intensity (haras).
During Soma-stotra/praise sequences; also adaptable to personal recitation before meditation to invoke wideness and balanced tapas.
Praise/invocation of Soma; inner ‘yoking’ of energies; offering of delight to illumined mind (Indra).
Use as a pre-meditation sankalpa: widen the breath and awareness (Aditi), then proceed with steady practice without overheating (regulated tapas).
áditi (a- ‘un’ + √dā/√da? traditionally ‘unbound’) signifies the infinite, the unconfined. háras is ardour/heat—force that can purify or scorch; hence ‘warding off’ (ava-yātā) indicates right containment. índu is Soma as a drop—concentrated delight-force. sákhya ‘friendship’ marks functional alliance (Soma empowers Indra). √ṛdh ‘grow, prosper’ directs the increase of rāyí (plenitude). The chariot image (mare following dhúra) encodes disciplined alignment of energy with a guiding will.
Aditi (infinity/boundlessness), regulated tapas (haras under right control), increase of rāyí (plenitude of being)
The ‘well-yoked’ movement along the pole signifies alignment with ṛta—progress without deviation or inner friction.
Truth is approached through wideness (Aditi) and the Indra–Soma harmony: clear seeing plus delight.
From intensity (tapas) held in wideness arises ordered advance and abundance (rāyaḥ) in the being.
Proto-Vedantic / integral yogic reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap line): gods as powers of consciousness; sacrifice as inner transformation.
Soma = distilled bliss; heat = tapas/transforming intensity; mare/yoke = vital force disciplined by will; pole = central channel/axis of aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Soma entering the being, widening into Aditi, and joining Indra in friendship: the sacramental delight-force becomes an ally of the heroic power, but must regulate divine heat (haras). Mythically Soma empowers Indra; psychologically Soma’s ecstasy supports the will-to-conquer while remaining held in boundless calm.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam (agāḥ) is PIE *gʷem- ‘go/come’ (cf. Latin veniō, English come). √ṛdh (increase) corresponds to PIE *h₁erdʰ- ‘grow’ (cognate networks debated but growth-root is old Indo-Iranian). The chariot/yoke lexicon (dhur-) is part of the common IE poetic stock of the yoked vehicle as guided power.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi addresses Soma as an active inner movement: ‘go within and forward.’ The devatā is instructed and welcomed as a shaping force that must become Aditi (wideness) and harmonize with Indra (effective power), yielding rāyí (plenitude) rather than uncontrolled heat.
Widen into Aditi-consciousness, then advance along a single inner line (dhura) while letting bliss (Soma) harmonize intensity (tapas).
Anahata to Sahasrara axis (widening heart-space rising to luminous head-space).
Nadi-śodhana or simple 4-4-6 breathing; on inhale ‘antaḥ’, on exhale ‘pra’—inward then forward.
From collected interiority to illumined, bliss-supported dynamism.
If practice feels ‘too hot’ (agitation, strain), invoke Aditi: widen, soften, and proceed steadily; seek the Indra–Soma balance—clarity with joy.
Use Vedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as marked in the Saṃhitā; key lifts often occur on imperative/forward-moving words (e.g., prāgāḥ) and divine names (Aditi, Indu, Indra).
Keep udātta as the melodic peak; do not over-stress consonants—let the pitch carry emphasis.
(aditi): short a, dental d, clear i vowels, (harasaḥ): aspirate h; final visarga light, : maintain sandhi flow; avoid breaking ‘indav indrasya’, (dhuram): dental dh, short u
Clear, forward, slightly bright; avoid harshness to symbolize regulated tapas.
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