Rig Veda 8.3.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 3, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.3
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अभि त्वा पूर्वपीतय इन्द्र स्तोमेभिरायवः । समीचीनास ऋभवः समस्वरन्रुद्रा गृणन्त पूर्व्यम् ॥
abhí tvā pūrvá-pītaya índra stómebhir ā́yavaḥ | samīcīnā́sa ṛbhávaḥ sám asvaran rudrā́ gṛṇanta pū́rvyam ||
К тебе, о Индра, к первому питанию (питию) идут с гимнами ищущие. В согласии, единым звучанием, Рибху возгласили; Рудры воспевают твою древнюю мощь.
Word by Word
- अभि
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- त्वा
- you (acc. sg.)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पूर्वपीतयः
- those who have drunk before; earlier drinkersAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पूर्व-पीत (कृदन्त/समास; √पा ‘पिबति’ + क्त)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोमेभिः
- with praises, with hymnsNounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- आयवः
- the Āyus (a people/clan); the descendants of ĀyuNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot आयु (प्रातिपदिक; RV ‘आयु’ → ‘आय’ stem)
- समीचीनासः
- the well-directed/right-going onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot समीचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋभवः
- the Rbhus (divine artisans)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot ऋभु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinableउपसर्गRole AdhikaraṇaRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अस्वरन्
- they sounded/raised (their voice), sangVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot √स्वर् (स्वरति ‘ध्वनति/गायति’)
- रुद्राः
- the RudrasNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गृणन्त
- praising, singingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot √गॄ/गृ (गृणाति ‘स्तौति’)
- पूर्व्यम्
- the ancient/primeval one (i.e., Indra)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): अभि | त्वा | पूर्वपीतयः | इन्द्र | स्तोमेभिः | आयवः | समीचीनासः | ऋभवः | सम् | अस्वरन् | रुद्राः | गृणन्त | पूर्व्यम् । मुख्य सन्धि/संहिता-रूप: (1) स्तोमेभिः + आयवः → स्तोमेभिरायवः (विसर्ग-लोप/रेफ-सन्धि: -भिः + अ- → -भिर-)
- (2) सम् + अस्वरन् → समस्वरन् (अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि: सम् + अ- → सम-)
- (3) अस्वरन् + रुद्राः → अस्वरन्रुद्राः (नकार-परसवर्ण/संहिता-लेखन: -न् + र- → -न्र-)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The seekers approach Indra for the first Soma-drinking with hymns. The Rbhus, in right accord, raise a unified chant; the Rudras sing Indra’s ancient power.
Inner meaning
The aspiring powers in the being (āyavaḥ) turn inward toward the illumined Mind (Indra) at the “first drinking”—the initial conscious intake of Soma, i.e., the first tasted delight/rapture that makes the inner sacrifice effective. The Rbhus (powers of luminous skill and right formation) harmonize the parts of the nature into one tone (sam asvaran), while the Rudras (forces of intense purification and dynamic uplift) affirm the ancient, perennial might of the indriya-illumination that has led past seekers.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress begins when aspiration gathers and offers a unified inner speech; then the formative intelligence and the purifying energies collaborate, and the timeless power of awakened consciousness becomes active again in the individual.
Themes
Collective invocation, Initiatory drinking, Harmony of powers, Purification and formation
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva lineage (Book 8 general attribution; specific rishi uncertain for 8.3.7)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.3 (entire sūkta), RV 8.2 (Kāṇva Indra hymns, thematic parallels), RV 1.51 (Indra releasing light/waters motif)
Family tradition
Book 8 is predominantly Kāṇva; hymns often voice a communal aspiration toward Indra and Soma.
Significance
The seer-voice here is collective and functional: it models the inner yajña where aspiration, right formation (Rbhus), and purification (Rudras) converge to invoke illumination (Indra).
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (with supportive praising powers: Rbhus and Rudras)
- Epithets
- pūrvyá (ancient, primeval), vṛṣan (implicit bull-force, later in the sūkta), maghavan (beneficent giver; common Indra epithet, implied by approach for boons)
- Related deities
- Soma, Rbhus, Rudras, Vishnu (appears next mantra as all-pervading support)
Cosmic role
Breaker of the Coverer; lord of luminous mind who releases the waters/rays and establishes victorious order in the worlds.
Inner power
Clarity, courage, and decisive illumination that coordinates the faculties and turns ecstasy into effective action.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra; opening/early libation context suggested by pūrvapītaye.
अ॒भि त्वा॑ पू॒र्वपी॑तय॒ इन्द्र॒ स्तोमे॑भिरा॒यव॑: । स॒मी॒ची॒नास॑ ऋ॒भव॒: सम॑स्वरन्रु॒द्रा गृ॑णन्त॒ पूर्व्य॑म् ॥
अ॒भि । त्वा॒ । पू॒र्वऽपी॑तये । इन्द्र॑ । स्तोमे॑भिः । आ॒यवः॑ । स॒म्ऽई॒ची॒नासः॑ । ऋ॒भवः॑ । सम् । अ॒स्व॒र॒न् । रु॒द्राः । गृ॒ण॒न्त॒ । पूर्व्य॑म् ॥
abhi | tvā | pūrva-pītaye | indra | stomebhiḥ | āyavaḥ | sam-īcīnāsaḥ | ṛbhavaḥ | sam | asvaran | rudrāḥ | gṛṇanta | pūrvyam
44
4 padas × ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, declarative cadence suited to invocation and collective affirmation.
Builds a sense of gathering force and unanimity—good for aligning scattered attention into one will-current.
- pūrvapītaye
- Literal: for the first drinking. Symbolic: the first conscious reception of Soma—initial stable taste of inner Ananda that empowers the sadhana
- indra
- Literal: Indra. Symbolic: divine Mind/illumination-force that breaks obstructions and releases light
- stomebhiḥ
- Literal: with hymns. Symbolic: mantric thought-forms; concentrated affirmation that aligns the being
- āyavaḥ
- Literal: seekers/impellers. Symbolic: aspirants; forward-driving will in the psyche
- ṛbhavaḥ
- Literal: Rbhus. Symbolic: luminous artisans—powers that shape, harmonize, and perfect the inner instruments
- samīcīnāsaḥ
- Literal: well-directed, in right accord. Symbolic: alignment of faculties toward one truth and one movement
- sam asvaran
- Literal: sounded together. Symbolic: unification of inner voices into a single consenting vibration
- rudrāḥ
- Literal: Rudras. Symbolic: purifying, forceful energies that remove inner disease and inertia
- pūrvyam
- Literal: ancient, primeval. Symbolic: the perennial archetypal power of awakening present in the Vedic path
Soma sequence at an early libation (‘first drinking’); also reflects a chorus-like participation of divine groups (Rbhus, Rudras).
At the first Soma offering (prātaḥ-savana / early pressing in broad sense).
Recitation to invite Indra to drink Soma and to strengthen the collective chant/śastra.
Use at the start of meditation or japa as a ‘first invocation’ to unify mind, breath, and will before deeper practice.
pūrva-pīti frames a ritual moment and an inner initiation: first reception of ecstasy. Rbhus symbolize craftsmanship—formation of the inner instruments; Rudras symbolize forceful purification. sam-asvaran emphasizes unanimity (one vibration), suggesting harmonized powers supporting Indra’s manifestation.
Harmonization (samīcīna, sam-asvaran), Formation of instruments (Rbhus), Purification through force (Rudras)
samīcīnāsaḥ (‘in right accord’) expresses Ṛta as inner coordination of powers.
The unified sound (sam asvaran) suggests truthful speech becoming one with intention.
Re-creation of the inner cosmos by harmonizing faculties—Rbhus as re-formers of the instruments.
Proto-Vedāntic / integral psychological reading (Aurobindo-Kashyap line): deities as powers of consciousness.
Dawn/early rite implied by ‘first drinking’ (beginning of the inner day).
Unspecified
The ‘first Soma’ is the first stable influx of Ananda; unified chant is coherent mantra-vibration organizing the psyche.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘first Soma-drinking’ as initiation, supported by divine cohorts: Rbhus (formative artisans) and Rudras (purifying forces) unite in sound to affirm Indra’s ancient power. Innerly, the seeker’s first stable access to delight requires harmonized formation and purification of the nature.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √svar ‘sound’ relates to PIE *swer- ‘to sound’ (cf. English ‘swear’ in older sense of uttering; more securely: various IE sound-verb families). √gṛ ‘praise’ is part of an IE poetic register of laudation formulas. The collocation of chorus-like groups praising a chief deity parallels IE tripartite divine assemblies.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks as part of the āyavaḥ (aspirant community) and situates his praise within a larger cosmic liturgy: even divine powers (Rbhus, Rudras) participate, implying that the human invocation aligns with a pre-existing supraphysical harmony.
Unify aspiration and inner speech to invite illumined mind; feel ‘one sound’ across mind-heart-vital.
ājñā (illumined mind) with support from anāhata (harmonizing devotion).
Moderate nāḍī-śodhana 6–6–6–6, then chant on a steady exhale to build inner unanimity.
Collected, uplifted, and coordinated attention (ekāgratā moving toward inspired intuition).
Begin practice by invoking Indra as clarity; then consciously ‘call in’ Rbhu-quality (skillful arrangement of habits) and Rudra-quality (courage to remove inner falsehood).
Notated svaras not provided; chant in a steady Vedic recitation style with clear udātta lifts on marked accents if available from a pada-svara source.
Maintain pada boundaries: abhi | tvā | pūrva-pītaye | indra | stomebhiḥ | āyavaḥ ||; avoid sandhi-slurring across caesura.
ṛbhavaḥ: clear vocalic ṛ (as in ‘ri’ but shorter, central), samīcīnāsaḥ: long ī, and retroflex ṇ not present—keep dental n, rudrāḥ: roll/light tap r; long āḥ visarga audible, pūrvyam: long ū and clear vy cluster
Bright, invoking, slightly martial; end each pāda with a clean release.
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.
