Rig Veda 8.72.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 72, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.72
- Devata
- Hotṛ/Invocatory function
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
नि तिग्ममभ्यंशुं सीदद्धोता मनावधि । जुषाणो अस्य सख्यम् ॥
ní tigmám abhy àṃśúṃ sīdad dhótā manā́v ádhi | juṣāṇó asya sakhyám ||
Пусть Хотар (Hotṛ) сядет близ острого, сияющего луча, в обители ума; принимая дружбу этой Силы, он входит в верную близость обряда.
Word by Word
- नि
- down; in; into (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root नि (upasarga) प्रत्यय/निपात
- ति॒ग्मम्
- sharp; keenAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- अ॒भि
- towards; upon (as preverb)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (अव्यय)Root अभि (upasarga) प्रत्यय/निपात
- अं१॒॑शुम्
- ray; Soma-stalk/juice (here: Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
- सीदत्
- let (him) sit down; may he take his seatVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot √सद् (सीदति)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot होतृ (प्रातिपदिक) < √हु (यज्-क्रिया)
- मनावधि
- upon/among the Manus; in the human (Manu) sphereIndeclinableसमासवत् अव्ययीभाव/निपात-योग: ‘मनौ/मनुषु’ + ‘अधि’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot मनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- जु॒षा॒णः
- enjoying; taking pleasure in; acceptingParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्यय (आत्मनेपदीय भाव)Role KartāRoot √जुष् (सेवने/प्रीतौ) → जु॒षा॒ण (शानच्)
- अस्य
- of this; hisPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (पुं/नपुं)Role SambandhaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- स॒ख्यम्
- friendship; companionshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक) < सखि
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): नि | तिग्मम् | अभि | अंशुम् | सीदत् | होता | मनावधि | जुषाणः | अस्य | सख्यम् । 1) ‘मनावधि’ = मनौ/मनुषु (मनु-सम्बन्धे लोके) + अधि
- RV में यह योग प्रायः ‘मनुष्यों/मनु-वंशजों के बीच/ऊपर’ अर्थ देता है। 2) ‘जुषाणः’ शानच्-कृदन्त (middle/ātmanepada sense) है—‘स्वीकुर्वन्/प्रीणन्’। 3) ‘नि … अभि’ उपसर्ग-योग से √सद् के अर्थ में ‘नीचे/निकट बैठना, आसन ग्रहण करना’ का बल।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let the Hotṛ sit close to the sharp bright ray (aṃśu), upon/within the mind; accepting this power’s friendship, he enters intimacy with the work.
Inner meaning
The Hotṛ is the invoking soul-power in us—the faculty that calls the gods through mantra. The ‘sharp ray’ (tigma aṃśu) is a concentrated beam of illumination (often Soma-ray/Agni-light) that must be brought near and seated on the mind (manas) as a stable focus. When the invoker accepts friendship (sakhyam) with this luminous power—cooperating rather than struggling—then the right intimacy (yoga of closeness) with the inner work arises: mantra becomes direct contact, not mere recitation.
Universal truth
Illumination must be seated in the mind through repeated inward turning; when we befriend the light (instead of fearing its demand for change), practice becomes intimate and transformative.
Themes
alignment of speech and mind, luminous concentration, priestly function internalized
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.72.1, Rig Veda 8.72.3, Rig Veda 8.72.4, Rig Veda 8.72.5
Family tradition
Kāṇva tendency toward practical yogic-ritual symbolism: mantra (Hotṛ) + illumination (aṃśu) seated in mind.
Significance
The seer maps the mechanics of inner practice: invocation becomes effective when mind is made a seat for a concentrated ray of light.
The deity
- Devata
- Hotṛ-function with implicit Soma-ray / Agni-light (Aṃśu)
- Epithets
- tigma-aṃśu (keen-rayed), sakhā (friend, implied), manas-ādhiṣṭhātā (mind-seated power, implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Sarasvatī, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
The luminous current that enables true invocation and right articulation—linking mind to higher planes.
Inner power
Mantric illumination: the capacity of speech-thought to become a channel for direct light and bliss.
In ritual
Where it is used
Hotṛ’s role in recitation during śrauta rites; proximity to the ‘ray’ can allude to Soma pressing/Agni presence.
नि ति॒ग्मम॒भ्यं१॒॑शुं सीद॒द्धोता॑ म॒नावधि॑ । जु॒षा॒णो अ॑स्य स॒ख्यम् ॥
नि । ति॒ग्मम् । अ॒भि । अं॒शुम् । सीद॑त् । होता॑ । म॒नौ । अधि॑ । जु॒षा॒णः । अ॒स्य॒ । स॒ख्यम् ॥
ni | tigmam | abhi | aṃśum | sīdat | hotā | manau | adhi | juṣāṇaḥ | asya | sakhyam
32
4 × 8 (approximate)
Quick, incisive; mirrors the ‘tigma’ quality—keen and focusing.
Narrows attention; helps ‘seat’ a bright concentration in the mind.
- तिग्मम् (tigmam)
- Literal: sharp, keen. Symbolic: penetrating discernment; power that cuts through confusion
- अंशुम् (aṃśum)
- Literal: ray, beam; also Soma-stalk/beam. Symbolic: ray of consciousness; Soma-illumination/bliss-stream
- होता (hotā)
- Literal: invoking priest. Symbolic: the inner voice of aspiration and mantra-consciousness
- मनौ अधि (manau adhi)
- Literal: upon the mind. Symbolic: establish illumination as a seated presence in mind-stuff
- जुषाणः (juṣāṇaḥ)
- Literal: enjoying, accepting, consenting. Symbolic: willing receptivity; consent of the nature to the higher power
- सख्यम् (sakhyam)
- Literal: friendship. Symbolic: harmonious alliance with the divine force; bhakti-like intimacy
Hotṛ’s seating/engagement near the aṃśu (ray/Soma-beam) and establishment on manas; suggests a soma-rite ambience where speech aligns with luminous essence.
During invocation phases—when establishing the mental and vocal focus of the rite.
Hotṛ sits/assumes posture; recites with consenting receptivity; aligns with the luminous power of the rite.
Use as a meditation cue: sit, bring attention close to a ‘bright point’ (breath/light in forehead or heart), and chant as friendship with that light.
tigmá ‘sharp’ (intensity). aṃśú ‘ray’ (also Soma-stalk/beam in RV usage). √sad ‘sit, settle’ gives sīdat. hotṛ from √hu ‘invoke’. manas from √man ‘think’ (loc. manau). √juṣ ‘enjoy, be pleased, accept’ gives juṣāṇa. sakhya ‘friendship’ from sakh-.
Manas as altar (manau adhi), Friendship (sakhya) as yoga-like union of faculties
Right invocation is a movement of ṛta in speech—truth-order expressed as mantra.
Speech becomes satya when it carries direct light, not opinion.
Light seated in mind gives rise to ordered speech and effective action—manifestation through illumination.
Mantra-yoga / Aurobindonian psychology of Veda: speech as a power of consciousness.
dawn-to-morning (suggested by ‘ray’ though not explicit)
Ray = focused illumination; sitting = stabilizing mind; friendship = harmonizing vital/emotional nature with higher light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is the enthronement of the invoking Word (Hotṛ) upon the mind, close to the luminous ray (aṃśu). This is the archetype of mantra taking its seat in consciousness so the divine powers can be effectively called.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- manas (√man) and √sad are core IE roots (cf. English mind, sit). The priest-title hotṛ derives from √hu, a central Indo-Iranian ritual root (Ved hu-, Av zaotar- is different title but shared ritual system).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer directs the operative faculty of invocation to establish itself in the mind and to ‘accept friendship’—a reciprocal intimacy where the invoked power and the invoker become aligned, enabling the rite’s inner efficacy.
Seat a keen ray of awareness in the mind; chant from that brightness; cultivate ‘friendship’ with the transforming light.
Ājñā (illumined mind)
Gentle kumbhaka after inhale while visualizing a thin bright ray; exhale with mantra letting sound ride the ray.
Collected, luminous, receptive; mantra becomes contact.
Sit upright. Imagine a fine, sharp beam descending into the brow/mind. On each repetition, allow the mind to ‘sit’ closer to it. Replace strain with consent (juṣāṇaḥ): let the light do the work.
Maintain Vedic udātta lifts on accented syllables; keep ‘tigmam’ and ‘aṃśum’ clearly articulated (exact svara depends on recension).
Slight emphasis on ‘tigmam’ and ‘aṃśum’; soften into ‘juṣāṇo asya sakhyam’ as a consenting close.
tigmam: hard ‘gma’ cluster, no vowel insertion, aṃśum: anusvāra before ś; ś palatal, sīdat: long ī; dental d, juṣāṇaḥ: retroflex ṣ; long ā
Bright, focused, yet gentle in the second half.
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