Rig Veda 3.48.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 48, Mantra 1
Sukta 3.48
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
सद्यो ह जातो वृषभः कनीनः प्रभर्तुमावदन्धसः सुतस्य । साधोः पिब प्रतिकामं यथा ते रसाशिरः प्रथमं सोम्यस्य ॥
sadyáḥ ha jātó vṛṣabháḥ kanīnáḥ prábhartum ā́vad ándhasaḥ sutásya | sādhóḥ piba pratikā́maṃ yáthā te rásāśiraḥ prathamáṃ somyásya ||
सद्यो ह जातो वृषभः कनीनः प्रभर्तुमावदन्धसः सुतस्य । साधोः पिब प्रतिकामं यथा ते रसाशिरः प्रथमं सोम्यस्य ॥
Word by Word
- सद्यः
- immediately, at onceIndeclinableअव्यय (कालवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सद्यस् (प्रातिपदिक) < सद्य (अव्ययार्थ)
- ह
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (उपपद/उद्गार)Root ह (निपात)
- जातः
- bornVerbभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वृṣभः का विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)Root √जन् (जनि) → जात (कृदन्त)
- वृषभः
- the bull (strong one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- कनीनः
- the young one, youthNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (वृषभः का विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)Root कनीन (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot प्र (उपसर्ग)
- भर्तुम्
- to bear, to carryVerbतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (इन्फिनिटिव)Role Karma (क्रियार्थक-उद्देश्य)Root √भृ (भरति) → भर्तुम्
- आवदत्
- spoke, utteredVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Kartā (वृषभः/कनीनः)Root √वद् (वदति) + आ-
- अन्धसः
- of the soma-juice, of the drinkNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (सुतस्य विशेषण) / Apādāna-अर्थे (रस/पेय-सम्बन्ध)Root अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतस्य
- of the pressed (soma)Adjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (अन्धसः)Root √सु (सुनोति) → सुत (कृदन्त) / सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
- साधोः
- of the good (one), of the excellentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (यहाँ सोम/अन्धस्-सम्बन्ध)Role SambandhaRoot साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole Karma (रस/सोम implied)Root √पा (पिबति)
- प्रतिकामम्
- according to desire, as you wishIndeclinableअव्ययीभाव (क्रियाविशेषण), अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (रीति/प्रकार) / Karma-विशेषणRoot प्रति + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, so thatIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानवाचक अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- ते
- for you / yourPronounषष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) / चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) एकवचन; यहाँ ‘तव’ अर्थेRole Sampradāna/SambandhaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- रसाशिरः
- the juice-mixture, the mixed draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मरूपे अधिक संगत)Role KarmaRoot रस + आशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमम्
- firstAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma-विशेषणRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोम्यस्य
- of soma, somicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (रसाशिरः/प्रथमम्)Root सोम्य (प्रातिपदिक) < सोम
Sandhi Notes
- सद्यः ह जातः (पदविभाग)
- कनीनः (स्वतन्त्र पद)
- प्रभर्तुमावदत् = प्र + भर्तुम् + आ + अवदत् (उपसर्ग-संयोग; ‘आ’ उपसर्ग ‘अवदत्’ से)
- अन्धसः सुतस्य (षष्ठी-षष्ठी सम्बन्ध)
- साधोः पिब (सम्बोधन/सम्बन्ध + आज्ञार्थ)
- प्रतिकामं यथा ते (अव्ययीभाव ‘प्रतिकामम्’; ‘ते’ = तव/तुभ्यम् सन्दर्भे)
- रसाशिरः (समास: रस-आशिरस्)
- सोम्यस्य (षष्ठी सम्बन्ध)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Immediately upon birth the young bull came forward to bear the pressed Soma; drink the good Soma according to your desire, so that the first draught becomes rich in essence for you.
Inner meaning
As soon as the illumined power is born in us (Indra as the newly-arisen force of awakened mind), it moves to take up the ‘pressed delight’ (suta andhas)—the prepared essence of experience offered in the inner sacrifice. The rishi asks Indra to drink according to his right will (pratikāmaṃ), so the first intake of Soma becomes ‘rasāśiraḥ’—a blending saturated with rasa (essence, delight). Psychologically: the initial contact with higher joy must be rightly received and organized by the illumined mind, so that delight becomes a stable substance for growth, not a passing excitement.
Universal truth
Beginnings matter: the first reception of a higher influence sets the tone of transformation. When consciousness drinks delight in right measure and right will, it becomes concentrated essence that can sustain the journey.
Themes
Soma-drinking, Indra’s birth/power, first draught, delight as fuel of victory
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (Viśvāmitra tradition)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.48, RV 3.47, RV 3.62
Family tradition
Vision of progressive birth of divine powers in the human being; emphasis on the ‘first draught’—initial stabilization of higher experience.
Significance
The seer frames Indra’s mythic birth as a model for inner awakening: the divine power arises and at once takes up the prepared Soma of aspiration and experience.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣabha, Kanīna, Sādhu-pā (drinker of the good—by sense)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
The awakening champion who immediately assumes the burden of the offering and makes delight effective for the worlds.
Inner power
Newly-born illumination that can receive and transform bliss into strength and right movement.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and first offering/draught invitations to Indra
स॒द्यो ह॑ जा॒तो वृ॑ष॒भः क॒नीन॒: प्रभ॑र्तुमाव॒दन्ध॑सः सु॒तस्य॑ । सा॒धोः पि॑ब प्रतिका॒मं यथा॑ ते॒ रसा॑शिरः प्रथ॒मं सो॒म्यस्य॑ ॥
स॒द्यः । ह॒ । ज॒तः । वृ॒ष॒भः । क॒नीनः॑ । प्रऽभ॑र्तुम् । आ॒व॒त् । अन्ध॑सः । सु॒तस्य॑ । सा॒धोः । पि॒ब॒ । प्र॒ति॒ऽका॒मम् । यथा॑ । ते॒ । रस॑ऽआशिरः । प्र॒थ॒मम् । सो॒म्यस्य॑ ॥
sadyaḥ | ha | jataḥ | vṛṣabhaḥ | kanīnaḥ | pra-bhartum | āvat | andhasaḥ | sutasya | sādhoḥ | piba | prati-kāmam | yathā | te | rasa-āśiraḥ | prathamam | somyasya
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables each
Quick opening (sadyo) then a measured invitation; a balanced surge followed by settling cadence.
Creates an immediate ‘arising’ feel, then guides into receptive drinking—good for leading from activation into assimilation.
- sadyaḥ
- Literal: immediately. Symbolic: the swift response of awakened power to the call of aspiration
- jātaḥ
- Literal: born. Symbolic: emergence of a new state of consciousness
- vṛṣabhaḥ kanīnaḥ
- Literal: young bull. Symbolic: fresh, strong, growing power of illumined mind
- andhasaḥ sutasya
- Literal: of the pressed soma-juice. Symbolic: prepared delight/essence extracted from experience by inner work
- sādhoḥ
- Literal: good, right. Symbolic: pure delight aligned with truth (not mixed with desire)
- pratikāmaṃ
- Literal: according to desire/will. Symbolic: according to the right will of the higher mind (not lower craving)
- rasāśiraḥ
- Literal: mixture rich in essence (rasa). Symbolic: delight consolidated into a nourishing, stable substance
- prathamaṃ
- Literal: first. Symbolic: initial descent/first contact that establishes the pattern
Soma pressing: invitation for Indra’s first draught; aligns with early rounds of Soma offering where Indra is urged to drink promptly.
At the beginning phases of Soma-drinking sequences (first reception of Soma)
Invitation to drink; ensuring the first draught is potent and rightly received
Use at the start of meditation to ‘set the first taste’: invite the higher mind to receive peace/bliss correctly before deeper practice.
sadyáḥ ‘at once’ from sadya ‘same day/instant’. ándhas ‘Soma juice’ (also ‘sap’). rasa from √ras ‘to taste, relish’ → inner delight of experience. pratikā́ma ‘in accordance with desire’ from prati + kāma (√kam ‘to desire, love’).
manifestation of power (jāta) in time, rasa as essence of consciousness, sovereign will (kāma) aligned with right action
Right reception of Soma establishes right order in the being—delight becomes lawful, stable, sustaining.
‘Sādhoḥ’ implies delight aligned with truth; the first draught should be truth-delight, not desire-delight.
Birth of power and its immediate nourishment—creation as emergence followed by assimilation of essence.
Aurobindonian: Soma as ānanda-substance; Indra as illumined mind that organizes experience.
Pressing = inner concentration extracting essence; Soma = bliss-current; young bull = newly awakened strength ready to carry the offering.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s immediate readiness upon ‘birth’ to take up the Soma: the hero-power appears suddenly in consciousness and is sustained by delight (Soma), making the first intake foundational for subsequent victories.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- rasa (taste/essence) reflects a deep IE sensory-semantic field; kāma from √kam has Indo-Iranian resonance in desire/will vocabulary. The compact compounds and formulaic epithets mirror inherited Indo-European poetic technique.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers Soma and invites Indra’s free acceptance ‘as he wills’; this frames the divine not as mechanically compelled by ritual, but as a conscious power whose consent transforms the offering into effective rasa (essence) for the work.
Receive the ‘first taste’ of stillness/bliss correctly; let the higher mind organize it into stable nourishment.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (reception of higher influence) with heart as rasa (anāhata)
Gentle inhale ‘sadyo ha jātaḥ’ (arising), exhale ‘piba…’ (receiving); keep breath smooth and unforced.
Fresh awakening moving into calm assimilation.
Begin practice with 1–2 recitations, then sit and ‘taste’ the subtle rasa in the heart; avoid grasping—let pratikāmaṃ mean right measure.
Maintain Vedic accents; opening ‘sadyó’ should feel like a quick lift; keep caesura after key phrases without breaking flow.
Highlight: sadyó → jātáḥ → vṛṣabháḥ → píbā → pratikā́maṃ → rasāśíraḥ → prathamáṃ.
kanīnaḥ: long ī; final ḥ lightly aspirated., prabhartum: ‘bh’ voiced aspirate; ‘rt’ clear., andhasaḥ: dental ‘dh’; avoid retroflexing., rasāśiraḥ: ś (palatal) clear; final ḥ light., somyasya: ‘sy’ cluster clean, not ‘so-mi-ya-sa’.
Bright at the start, then mellow and savoring on ‘piba… rasa…’.
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