Rig Veda 8.2.34: Mandala 8, Sukta 2, Mantra 34
Sukta 8.2
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
एष एतानि चकारेन्द्रो विश्वा योऽति शृण्वे । वाजदावा मघोनाम् ॥
eṣá etā́ni cakāréndro víśvā yo áti śṛṇvé | vā́ja-dāvā maghónām ||
Этот Индра совершил все эти деяния — он, что слышит сверх обычного слуха; он — даритель ваджи (vāja), раздаятель щедрых изобилий магхаванов.
Word by Word
- एषः
- this (one)Pronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एष-
- एतानि
- these (things)Pronoun (demonstrative)नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चकार
- has done / didVerbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- इन्द्रः
- IndraNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (एषः इन्द्रः—समनाधिकरणम्)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वा
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoRelative pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Kartā (शृण्वे इत्यस्य)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अति
- over, beyond, exceedinglyIndeclinable (preverb/adverb)अव्ययम्Role (क्रियाविशेषणम्)Root अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- शृण्वे
- he hears / listensVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role (क्रिया)Root श्रु (धातु)
- वाजदावाः
- giver of prizes/strengthNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (समनाधिकरणम्—इन्द्रः)Root वाज-दावन् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; वाज ‘prize/strength’ + दावन् ‘giver’)
- मघोनाम्
- of the bountiful (patrons)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role Sambandha (genitive relation)Root मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: एषः | एतानि | चकार | इन्द्रः | विश्वा | यः | अति | शृण्वे | वाजदावाः | मघोनाम् || 1) चकारेन्द्रः = चकार + इन्द्रः (अ + इ → ए). 2) योऽति = यः + अति (विसर्गस्य लोपः, अवग्रहः). 3) शृण्वे । वाजदावा = विरामे सन्धिः न
- वाजदावाः इति प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra has accomplished all these deeds; he hears beyond ordinary hearing and gives vāja (victorious force) and the plenitudes of the bountiful.
Inner meaning
Indra, the illumined Divine Mind in us, has already effected the decisive inner works: he can “hear beyond hearing,” i.e., receive supramental intimations beyond the surface mind’s capacity. From that higher audition he distributes vāja—victory-power, effective energy of accomplishment—and magha—rich inner plenitudes (light, joy, force) to the seeker.
Universal truth
When consciousness opens to a higher faculty of listening (inner revelation), the illumined intelligence can complete the needed works and pour into life the powers of victory and abundance.
Themes
praise of Indra’s works, boon of vāja, divine responsiveness
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (Kaṇvāḥ)
- Other hymns
- RV 1.3, RV 1.47, RV 8.2 (Kaṇva cycle)
Family tradition
Kaṇva hymns frequently praise Indra as the giver of victorious force and as the opener of higher hearing/vision; their tone blends heroic aspiration with inward illumination.
Significance
Kaṇva represents the seer-line where inspired speech (vipra) is yoked to inner conquest: the mind becomes a channel for Indra’s over-hearing and over-seeing, enabling transformation rather than mere petition.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vājadāvā (giver of vāja), maghavān (bounteous), śravasyu/śravaḥ-kāma (desirer of higher fame/hearing—implicit in the hymn context)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of the cover (Vṛtra), releaser of the Waters and the Cows (rays), establisher of luminous order for the worlds.
Inner power
Illumined discernment and decisive will in the mind that receives higher truth and distributes it as power, courage, and effective action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-stotra in Soma-related praise sequences (general Indra śastra/stotra usage)
ए॒ष ए॒तानि॑ चका॒रेन्द्रो॒ विश्वा॒ योऽति॑ शृ॒ण्वे । वा॒ज॒दावा॑ म॒घोना॑म् ॥
ए॒षः । ए॒तानि॑ । च॒का॒र॒ । इन्द्रः॑ । विश्वा॑ । यः । अति॑ । शृ॒ण्वे । वा॒ज॒ऽदावा॑ । म॒घोना॑म् ॥
eṣaḥ | etāni | cakāra | indraḥ | viśvā | yaḥ | ati | śṛṇve | vāja-dāvā | maghonām
48
4 pādas of ~12 syllables each (jagatī cadence)
Expansive, forward-driving, with room for declarative emphasis on Indra’s accomplished works.
Builds confidence and wideness; supports a contemplative yet powerful affirmation of higher receptivity and resulting abundance.
- इन्द्र (indra)
- Literal: Indra, Vedic god of power and victory. Symbolic: Divine Mind/illumined intelligence that breaks limitations and leads to inner victory
- अति शृण्वे (ati śṛṇve)
- Literal: he hears beyond/over and above. Symbolic: supraphysical audition; receptivity beyond sense-mind to intuition/revelation
- वाज (vāja)
- Literal: prize, strength, victorious gain. Symbolic: victory-force; effective energy of realization and right action
- मघोनाम् (maghonām)
- Literal: of the bountiful/possessors of gifts. Symbolic: states or beings of plenitude; the soul-nature made capable of receiving abundance
Indra-stotra in Soma context; praising Indra’s deeds to secure vāja (victorious plenitude)
During Soma pressing and laud (stotra) segments; also in general Indra invocations for strength and success.
Recitation/chanting to invoke Indra’s power and his bestowal of vāja and magha.
Use as an affirmation-mantra before demanding work or sādhanā: cultivate ‘higher hearing’ (inner guidance) and invite victorious force for right accomplishment.
cakāra: reduplicated perfect of √kṛ ‘do, make’. śṛṇve: middle/present of √śru ‘hear’; ati śṛṇve suggests ‘he hears beyond’—not just acoustic but supramental receptivity. vāja: from √vaj/√vāj (strength, drive, prize, food) → ‘plenitude of force’; dāvā from √dā ‘give’ (agentive). maghonām: from maghá ‘gift, bounty’; semantic shift from outer wealth to fullness of being.
transcendent hearing (ati śṛṇve) as higher receptivity, vāja as fullness of force, magha as plenitude
Indra’s ‘accomplished deeds’ signify the restoring of ṛta by breaking subconscious resistance and re-establishing luminous order in the being.
‘Beyond hearing’ implies access to satya-level intuition; truth received becomes power distributed as vāja.
From higher receptivity arises effective formation: truth heard above becomes force and plenitude below.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: ascent to higher mind and descent of force into life.
Sound/hearing corresponds to inner revelation and mantra-śruti; ‘gifts’ correspond to descending powers—strength, clarity, joy—received by the prepared nature.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the accomplisher of ‘all these deeds’—a compressed allusion to the Indric cycle (victory, release, winning of light and waters). The distinctive mythic trait here is Indra’s supra-normal hearing: the god who responds to the call from beyond ordinary limits.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √śru ‘hear’ corresponds to PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear, be famed’ (cf. Greek klúō, Latin cluēre). The semantic bridge between ‘hearing’ and ‘fame’ underlies Vedic śrávas; Indra’s ‘over-hearing’ supports the archaic poetics of invocation-and-response.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi asserts Indra’s proven efficacy (cakāra) to establish trust (śraddhā). Indra’s ‘ati-śravaṇa’ indicates he receives even subtle inner calls; thus the hymn positions the poet’s aspiration as surely heard and answered with vāja.
Develop ‘inner hearing’: sit as witness, listen for the quiet directive intuition behind thought; then offer action to that guidance.
ājñā (brow)
nāḍī-śodhana 6–12 rounds, then natural breath with listening attention
Receptive, widened, quietly confident (higher mind/intuition opening).
Repeat the mantra slowly; on ‘ati śṛṇve’ pause and listen inwardly; on ‘vājadāvā’ feel force descend into the arms/chest for right execution; end with gratitude for magha (plenitude).
Follow Śākala-style Vedic accents as preserved for RV; key lift on udatta syllables of indráḥ/viśvā and careful handling of enclitic yo 'ti.
Keep a clear rise on udatta; avoid flattening ‘índraḥ’. Maintain sandhi: yo ’ti (not yo ati).
eṣa (ṣ as retroflex ‘sh’), not dental s, ati śṛṇve: ṛ is syllabic; keep it crisp (śṛṇ-), vājadāvā: long ā in vāja-, -dāvā; do not shorten, maghonām: gh is voiced aspirate; long ām at end
Bright, steady, heroic-affirmative with controlled resonance.
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