Rig Veda 8.53.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 53, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.53
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
यस्ते साधिष्ठोऽवसे ते स्याम भरेषु ते । वयं होत्राभिरुत देवहूतिभिः ससवांसो मनामहे ॥
yás te sādhiṣṭhó’vase té syāma bháreṣu te | vayáṃ hotrā́bhir utá devá-hūtibhiḥ sasa-vā́ṃso manāmahe ||
Que sejamos teus por esse teu auxílio, o mais eficaz, em todas as batalhas que travas. Nós, avançando com os hotra (enunciações rituais) e com as devahūti, os chamados que trazem os deuses, a ti aspiramos e, na mente, a ti consentimos.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (सम्बन्धवाचकः—यः … सः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- your / of youPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम् (enclitic) — ‘of you/your’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- साधिष्ठः
- most effective, bestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (यः … साधिष्ठः) / विशेषणम्Root साधु (प्रातिपदिक) → साधिष्ठ (superlative)
- अवसे
- for help, for aidNounचतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (purpose/for help)Root अवस् (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √अव् ‘to help/protect’ (भाव/उद्देश्य-रूप)
- ते
- he/that (one)Pronounप्रथमा, एकवचनम् (correlative ‘he/that’)Role Kartā (ते स्याम) / सम्बन्ध-समुच्चयः (यः…ते)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स्याम
- may we beVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (वयं implied)Root √अस् (भू/अस्) — optative base स्या-
- भरेषु
- in battles, in contestsNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role Adhikaraṇa (locative: in battles/contests)Root भर (प्रातिपदिक) < √भृ ‘to bear, carry; battle’
- ते
- your / of youPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम् (enclitic) — ‘of you/your’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- होत्राभिः
- with invocations (priestly offerings)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karaṇa (instrument: by invocations/offerings)Root होत्रा (प्रातिपदिक) < होतृ/√हु ‘to sacrifice, invoke’
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Role समुच्चय/अन्वय (and/also)Root उत (निपात/अव्यय)
- देवहूतिभिः
- with god-invocationsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role Karaṇa (instrument: with calls/invocations to the gods)Root देवहूति (प्रातिपदिक) = देव + हूति (< √ह्वा/√हू ‘to call, invoke’)
- ससवांसः
- having pressed (Soma), having producedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (वयम् … ससवांसः) / विशेषणम्Root √सू ‘to press out (Soma), to beget’ → परिपूर्ण/परस्मैपदी क्त्वत्/परिप्रत्यय-रूप ‘ससवांस्’ (perfect active participle)
- मनामहे
- we think, we deem (for ourselves)Verbलट् (present indicative), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role KartāRoot √मन् ‘to think, deem’ (आत्मनेपदम्)
Sandhi Notes
- साधिष्ठोऽवसे = साधिष्ठः + अवसे (विसर्गस्य ‘ओऽ’ रूपेण संधिः)
- अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः: यः ते साधिष्ठः अवसे | ते स्याम | भरेषु ते | वयम् होत्राभिः उत देवहूतिभिः ससवांसः मनामहे ।
The meaning
Outer meaning
May we belong to you for your most effective help in your battles. We, with offerings (hotrā) and god-invocations (devahūti), pressing forward, consent/aspire to you in mind.
Inner meaning
The seeker asks to be aligned with Indra’s ‘sādhiṣṭha’ aid—his most perfectly accomplishing support—especially in the inner battles where forces clash. ‘Hotrābhiḥ’ is not only ritual offering but the offering of the word and will; ‘devahūti’ is the call that brings down higher powers into the field of practice. ‘Sasavāṃsaḥ’ indicates pressing forward/impelling oneself—persistent aspiration. ‘Manāmahe’ signals inner consent: the mind chooses Indra (illumined truth-force) as its ally and leader.
Universal truth
Effective spiritual help comes when we actively align with it through offering, invocation, and inner consent; grace and effort become one movement.
Themes
Seeking divine aid, Inner consecration and assent, Mantra as invocation (devahūti), Victory-support
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.53 (hymn context)
Family tradition
Kāṇva style often stresses the cooperation of human aspiration (hotrā/devahūti) with Indra’s decisive aid in the inner battle.
Significance
The rishi-voice models ‘adhikāra’ (fitness): becoming Indra’s own by consent and offering, so that help becomes ‘sādhiṣṭha’—most effective.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Sādhiṣṭha-sahāya (most effective helper, implied), Yoddhā (battle-lord, implied)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Protects and leads the Aryan (seeker) forces; wins the contest for light and wideness.
Inner power
Power of illumined decision and victorious encouragement; turns aspiration into effective progress.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation within offerings; can function as a ‘saṃkalpa’ of allegiance in Soma/Indra rites.
यस्ते॒ साधि॒ष्ठोऽव॑से॒ ते स्या॑म॒ भरे॑षु ते । व॒यं होत्रा॑भिरु॒त दे॒वहू॑तिभिः सस॒वांसो॑ मनामहे ॥
यः । ते॒ । साधि॑ष्ठः । अव॑से । ते । स्या॒म॒ । भरे॑षु । ते॒ । व॒यम् । होत्रा॑भिः । उ॒त । दे॒वहू॑तिऽभिः । स॒स॒ऽवांसः॑ । म॒ना॒म॒हे॒ ॥
yaḥ | te | sādhiṣṭhaḥ | avase | te | syāma | bhareṣu | te | vayam | hotrābhiḥ | uta | devahūti-bhiḥ | sasa-vāṃsaḥ | manāmahe
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4 x ~11 syllables
Compact and resolute; a pledge-like cadence.
Creates a sense of commitment and alliance; steadies the mind into consent.
- sādhiṣṭhaḥ avasaḥ
- Literal: most accomplishing help. Symbolic: the precise, effective intervention of higher illumination in difficulty
- bhareṣu
- Literal: in battles/contests. Symbolic: inner struggles with ignorance, desire, inertia
- hotrābhiḥ
- Literal: with offerings of the Hotṛ. Symbolic: offering of speech, aspiration, and attention
- devahūtibhiḥ
- Literal: with calls that bring the gods. Symbolic: invocations that summon higher powers into consciousness
- sasavāṃsaḥ
- Literal: impelling/pressing forward. Symbolic: persistent aspiration; the push of sadhana
- manāmahe
- Literal: we think/consent/resolve. Symbolic: inner assent; mental alignment with the divine force
Invocation of Indra’s aid during contests; used as a formula of alignment between sacrificer and deity through hotṛ-utterance and devahūti.
Before or during stotra/śastra sequences seeking Indra’s aid in contest (āji/bhara).
Offering and calling the gods; affirming the sacrificer’s alignment with Indra.
Use as a daily alignment mantra: ‘May my mind consent to the higher help in today’s struggles.’
(sādhiṣṭha) superlative from sādhu/sādh- ‘to accomplish, succeed’ (√sādh ‘to set straight, accomplish’). (ava) in (avase) from ava ‘help/protection’ (semantic: ‘favour, aid’). (bhareṣu) from bhara ‘bearing; battle/struggle’ (√bhṛ ‘to bear, carry’). (manāmahe) middle from √man ‘to think, intend’—often ‘to be minded toward’ (inner assent). (deva-hūti) ‘god-calling’ from √hū ‘to call, invoke’.
Reciprocity of sacrifice (call/response), Right alignment (becoming 'yours' for help), Manas as instrument of consent (manāmahe)
To ‘belong’ to Indra is to side with R̥ta against the powers of disorder.
Manāmahe as choosing truth in mind—truth as allegiance.
Descent of higher powers through invocation; co-creation via consent.
Bhakti-aspect within Vedic yoga: surrender/consent (inner) plus works (offering) to the illumined Power.
Sound-offering = vibration that opens the field; battle = friction of transformation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem of alliance with the champion: the community becomes ‘Indra’s’ in order to receive his most accomplishing help in the battles. Innerly, it is the consecration of the mental being to the victorious power so that aid becomes effective.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man ‘think’ reflects PIE *men- (mind, thought; cf. Latin mens, English mind). √bhṛ ‘bear’ reflects PIE *bʰer- (carry; cf. Greek phérō, English bear). √hū ‘call’ is part of an inherited ritual speech-act vocabulary (invocation/calling) paralleled in Indo-Iranian liturgical diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers two instruments—hotrā (the formulated offering-word) and devahūti (the summoning call)—and asks in return the sādhiṣṭha avas (most effective help). The bond is one of conscious belonging: ‘may we be yours’ so the divine force can act without obstruction.
Inner consent (manāmahe): choose the higher help over reactive impulse; renew dedication in difficulty.
Anāhata (devotional consent) with Maṇipūra (courage)
On inhale mentally ‘devahūti’ (call upward); on exhale offer (hotrā) the day’s struggle to Indra.
Aligned devotion + strength; ‘supported effort’.
When conflict arises, pause and repeat once; feel the mind turn toward the higher ally; then act from that alignment.
Maintain clear udātta on ‘sādhiṣṭho’ and ‘devahūtibhiḥ’ as per accent marks; let enclitics fall naturally.
Slight caesura after ‘avase’; keep ‘bhareṣu te’ as one rhythmic unit.
sādhiṣṭho: retroflex ṣṭh cluster; aspirate th, devahūtibhiḥ: long ū; bh pronounced voiced aspirate, sasavāṃso: nasalization on āṃ, manāmahe: long ā; soft h at end
Steady, vow-like; medium volume with clear diction.
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