Rig Veda 8.64.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 64, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.64
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
कस्य स्वित्सवनं वृषा जुजुष्वाँ अव गच्छति । इन्द्रं क उ स्विदा चके ॥
kásya svit sávanam vṛ́ṣā jujuṣvā́ṁ áva gacchati | índraṁ ká u svíd ā́ cake ||
A que prensagem, dize, desce e vem o Touro — o que acolhe a oferenda? Quem, pois, dize, alcançou Indra — quem o fez chegar perto, à proximidade interior?
Word by Word
- कस्य
- of whom/whosePronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (gen.), एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)Root किम् (प्रातिपदिक) → क-
- स्वित्
- indeed? / pray?Indeclinableनिपात (प्रश्न/संशय/विस्मयार्थ)Root स्वित् (निपात)
- सवनम्
- Soma-pressing; libationNounनपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (with जुजुष्वान्) / or विषय (nominative in question)Root सवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सु ‘to press (Soma)’)
- वृषा
- the bull; the mighty oneNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक) → वृषा (nom. sg.)
- जुजुष्वान्
- accepting; taking pleasure (in)Participle (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि), ‘being pleased/accepting’Role कर्तृ (apposition to वृषा)Root √जुष् (to enjoy, accept, be pleased) ; reduplicated perfect/participial stem जुजुष्व-
- अव
- down; forth (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (गच्छति-क्रियायाम्)Root अव (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- गच्छति
- goes; comesVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √गम् (to go) → गच्छ-
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (with आचके)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- कः
- who?Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot किम् (प्रातिपदिक) → क-
- उ
- indeed; then; prayIndeclinableनिपात (प्रश्न/अनुनय/उद्गारार्थ)Root उ (निपात)
- स्वित्
- indeed? / pray?Indeclinableनिपात (प्रश्न/संशयार्थ)Root स्वित् (निपात)
- आ
- towards; untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-चके)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चके
- has desired; has taken pleasure in; has chosenVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √कन्/कॄ? (Vedic: √कन् ‘to be pleased, desire’; perfect middle चके)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (Vedic): कस्य | स्वित् | सवनम् | वृषा | जुजुष्वान् | अव | गच्छति || इन्द्रम् | कः | उ | स्वित् | आ | चके || 1) स्वित् is an enclitic interrogative particle
- no phonetic sandhi change here. 2) जुजुष्वाँ in saṃhitā represents जुजुष्वान् (final -न् → nasalization before pause/phonetic conditions). 3) स्विदा in saṃhitā = स्वित् + आ (t + ā → dā by external sandhi: त् + आ → दा). 4) आचके = आ + चके (preverb + verb)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet asks: to whose Soma-pressing does the Bull (Indra), who delights in the offering, descend? Who has truly brought Indra near?
Inner meaning
A searching self-inquiry: in which part of our nature is the true ‘pressing’ happening so that the illuminating Mind (Indra) actually descends into the embodied field? The mantra tests sincerity and readiness—only where aspiration is real and the offering is accepted (jujuṣvān) does the Power of illumination come down (ava gacchati).
Universal truth
Higher consciousness responds to authentic preparation: when the inner offering is rightly formed, the descending light naturally comes near and becomes intimate.
Themes
Soma-pressing, attainment of Indra, descent, interrogative hymn-style
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.64.1-13 (Indra-Soma context), Rig Veda 8.48 (Soma as inner joy and healing), Rig Veda 1.32 (Indra slays Vṛtra—release of the waters/light)
Family tradition
Likely Kāṇva (Book 8 often preserves Kāṇva hymn-cycles), emphasizing experiential invocation of Indra-Soma rather than mere formal rite.
Significance
The anonymity of the rishi here fits the mantra’s thrust: the real ‘seer’ is the awakened part in us that can call down illumination by a true inner offering.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣā (Bull), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (bountiful)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of the hidden waters/lights; establishes the free flow of truth-force in the worlds.
Inner power
The illumined Mind that strikes through resistance, bringing clarity, courage, and effective will.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma pressing (Soma-yāga context; invitation and ‘coming down’ of Indra)
कस्य॑ स्वि॒त्सव॑नं॒ वृषा॑ जुजु॒ष्वाँ अव॑ गच्छति । इन्द्रं॒ क उ॑ स्वि॒दा च॑के ॥
कस्य॑ । स्वि॒त् । सव॑नम् । वृषा॑ । जु॒जु॒ष्वान् । अव॑ । ग॒च्छ॒ति॒ । इन्द्र॑म् । कः । ऊँ॒ इति॑ । स्वि॒त् । आ । च॒के॒ ॥
kasya | svit | savanam | vṛṣā | jujuṣvān | ava | gacchati | indram | kaḥ | oṃ iti | svit | ā | cake
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (compressed interrogatives typical of Anuṣṭubh)
Quick, questioning cadence; clipped urgency.
Creates an inward turning—each question lands like a mantra-beat, prompting self-examination and aspiration.
- savanam
- Literal: Soma pressing, libation. Symbolic: the inner extraction of delight/essence from experience; concentrated aspiration and offering
- vṛṣā
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: Indra’s overflowing strength—force of luminous mind and victorious power
- jujuṣvān
- Literal: accepting, enjoying the offering. Symbolic: the divine power’s consent when the offering is pure and rightly directed
- ava gacchati
- Literal: comes down, descends. Symbolic: descent of illumination into the lower/outer nature
- ā cake
- Literal: has made (him) come near / has attained. Symbolic: established intimacy with the Indric consciousness; a stable access to inner light
Interrogative praise within Soma-liturgy: emphasizes the condition for Indra’s descent—right savana and acceptance.
During Soma pressing/invocation sequences; also suitable in daily recitation when seeking clarity and descent of force.
Offering of pressed Soma with calling (āvāhana) of Indra; questioning who is fit recipient/host.
Use as a contemplative prompt before meditation: ‘Where in me is the true pressing that can host illumination?’
√juṣ ‘enjoy, accept’ (jujuṣvān) marks the deity’s consent—Soma must be ‘relished’ by the god, i.e., consciousness must be able to receive delight. ava-√gam indicates descent. cake (√kṛ) in perfect expresses accomplished attainment: who has ‘made’ Indra near (ā) by right offering and inner state.
divine consent/acceptance, attainment through right offering, descent of higher consciousness
Indra descends where the inner rite is aligned with ṛta—right rhythm and sincerity.
Truth in aspiration: the divine nearness cannot be forced by outer form alone.
Descent of higher power into the human field to re-order and build the inner world.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent-offering and descent-grace as complementary movements.
The ‘bull’ is the surging luminous force; ‘pressing’ is inner extraction of essence; ‘descent’ is the higher mind entering embodied awareness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Indra comes to the pressing’ mythologem: the god descends to the Soma only where the offering/state is fit. Inner reading: the force descends where delight is rightly expressed and can be received.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √gam ‘go’ is PIE *gʷem- (cf. Greek baínō is different root; but Indo-Iranian preserves *gʷem in forms). The perfect ‘cake’ reflects archaic Indo-European aspectual emphasis on achieved state.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi frames the relationship as conditional reciprocity: human preparation (savana, stoma) invites divine enjoyment (jujuṣvān) and descent (ava).
Locate the ‘savana’ within: the place in you where aspiration is most sincere; invite Indra (clear seeing) to descend there.
Ājñā (brow) and Anāhata (heart) as the meeting of clarity and sincerity.
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) while mentally repeating the interrogatives; feel descent on the exhale.
From scattered mind to receptive, descending illumination.
Before sitting, offer one inner movement (fear, anger, dullness) into the ‘press’; then call the Indric clarity to come near and act.
Mixed udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Rigvedic recitation; interrogatives often carry a lifted udātta focus.
Keep ‘kásya svit’ crisp; do not flatten ‘vṛ́ṣā’; mark ‘índram’ with clear dental ‘d’ and resonant ‘m’.
vṛṣā: vocalic ṛ (as in ‘ri’ but shorter, centered), jujuṣvān: keep retroflex ṣ; nasalization on ‘-vān’, ā cake: long ā; ‘c’ as ‘ch’ (palatal)
Bright, questioning, slightly upward inflection at each interrogative; end with contained resolve.
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