Rig Veda 8.13.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स प्रथमे व्योमनि देवानां सदने वृधः । सुपारः सुश्रवस्तमः समप्सुजित् ॥
sá prathamé vyòmani devā́nāṃ sádane vṛdháḥ | supāráḥ suśrávastamaḥ sám apsujít ||
स प्रथमे व्योमनि देवानां सदने वृषः; सुपारः सुश्रवस्तमः समप्सुजित्।
Word by Word
- सः
- he (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → स
- प्रथमे
- in the firstAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे (व्योमनि इति नपुंसकस्य विशेषणम्), सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्योमनि
- in the sky / in the firmamentNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- सदने
- in the seat / dwellingNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot सदन (प्रातिपदिक; √सद्/सीद् ‘to sit’ से)
- वृधः
- the strong/growing oneAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वृध् (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण; ‘growing, strong’)
- सुपारः
- having a good passage / good crossingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-पार (समास; पार ‘crossing/ford’)
- सुश्रवस्तमः
- most glorious / most famedAdjective (superlative)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सु-श्रवस्-तम (समास; श्रवस् ‘fame, glory’ + तमप्)
- सम्
- together, completely (as preverb)Indeclinable (preverb)अव्ययम्Root सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अप्सुजित्
- conquering in the waters / victor in the watersAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root अप्सु-जित् (समास; अप्सु = अप् ‘waters’ सप्तमी बहुवचनम् + जित् < √जि ‘to conquer’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सः | प्रथमे | व्योमनि | देवानाम् | सदने | वृधः | सुपारः | सुश्रवस्तमः | सम् | अप्सुजित् । (समप्सुजित् इति संधिः: सम् + अप्सुजित् → समप्सुजित्; म् + अ → म (अनुस्वार-लोप/सवर्णदीर्घादि न, केवलं संयोगः). अन्यत्र विशेष-संधि-परिवर्तनं न दृश्यते।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
He, the increaser, is in the first wideness, in the seat of the gods; a good-farer across, most rich in true hearing and fame, a conqueror even in the waters.
Inner meaning
Indra as vṛdha (increaser) stands in the ‘first wideness’ (prathame vyoman)—the primal expanse of luminous mind. From that devānāṃ sadana (seat of the gods: the higher consciousness), he is supāraḥ, the power that carries us safely across limitations. Suśravastamaḥ indicates perfect ‘hearing’: the capacity to receive true inspiration (śravas as inner fame/word of truth). Apsu-jit—conqueror in the waters—means victory in the subconscious depths (āpas), where hidden resistances and obscurities persist.
Universal truth
True mastery is not only in bright states of mind but also in the depths: spiritual power must conquer the subconscious and make it a field of support rather than resistance.
Themes
Indra cosmic sovereignty, Crossing to the far shore, Victory in the waters, Praise epithets
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.13.1-2 (Indra’s purification and station; paired teaching)
Significance
Maps an inner geography: higher wideness (vyoman) and lower waters (āpas). Indra’s completeness is his rule over both—illumination above and conquest below.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛdha (increaser), supāra (good-crosser), suśravastama (best hearer), apsujit (conqueror in the waters)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (cosmic waters/order), Soma (waters as bliss-current), Agni (fire entering the waters to awaken them)
Cosmic role
Maintains the luminous seat of the gods and extends victory into the waters/subconscient, integrating the whole being.
Inner power
Brings vastness, safe passage across transitions, receptivity to inspiration, and power to transform subconscious formations.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma context; epithets suited to stotra/śastra sequences
स प्र॑थ॒मे व्यो॑मनि दे॒वानां॒ सद॑ने वृ॒धः । सु॒पा॒रः सु॒श्रव॑स्तम॒: सम॑प्सु॒जित् ॥
सः । प्र॒थ॒मे । विऽओ॑मनि । दे॒वाना॑म् । सद॑ने । वृ॒धः । सु॒ऽपा॒रः । सु॒श्रवः॑ऽतमः । सम् । अ॒प्सु॒ऽजित् ॥
saḥ | prathame | vi-omani | devānām | sadane | vṛdhaḥ | su-pāraḥ | suśravaḥ-tamaḥ | sam | apsu-jit
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2 padas; enumerative epithets in the second pada create a rolling cadence
Expansive first hemistich (vyoman/sadana), then swift epithets suggesting mastery and crossing.
Gives a felt sense of wideness and confidence, followed by energizing assurance of victory in depth.
- वृधः (vṛdhaḥ)
- Literal: increaser. Symbolic: that which augments consciousness, strength, and light
- प्रथमे (prathame)
- Literal: in the first. Symbolic: in the primary plane/source-state
- व्योमनि (vyomani)
- Literal: in the sky, wideness. Symbolic: vast mind-space; higher mental plane of illumination
- देवानां सदने (devānāṃ sadane)
- Literal: in the seat of the gods. Symbolic: in the higher consciousness where divine powers are native
- सुपारः (supāraḥ)
- Literal: good-crosser, good-farer across. Symbolic: the power that carries beyond limitation and obstruction
- सुश्रवस्तमः (suśravastamaḥ)
- Literal: most rich in good hearing/fame. Symbolic: most receptive to true inspiration; bearer of victorious truth-word
- अप्सुजित् (apsu-jit)
- Literal: conqueror in the waters. Symbolic: mastery over subconscious depths and their resistances
Praise identifying Indra’s cosmic station; suitable as an opening characterization in Soma hymns to establish the देवता’s range (from highest vyoman to deep waters).
When affirming Indra’s supremacy and ability to carry across obstacles; also suitable in rites seeking protection and victory
Recitation to establish Indra’s presence in the ‘seat’ and to secure safe passage (supāra)
Use during life transitions, anxiety, or deep psychological work; invoke Indra to bring wideness and mastery over subconscious turbulence.
vyòman- ‘wide space’ (from √vyā ‘expand’); sadana- ‘seat’ (√sad ‘sit’); vṛdh- ‘grow/increase’ (PIE *werdʰ- ‘grow’, cf. English ‘worth’ is different, but ‘grow’ semantics in Germanic *werþ- debated); pārá ‘far shore’ (√pṛ/√pā ‘to pass’ in sense); śrávas ‘hearing, fame’ (√śru ‘hear’ PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear’, cf. Greek klúō, English ‘loud’ via *ḱleu- ‘hear/fame’); ap- ‘waters’ (PIE *h₂ep-; cf. Latin aqua is different but related debates; Hittite āp-). Inner sense: ‘waters’ often symbolize the subconscient/undifferentiated life-stuff; Indra as apsujit is the power that wins light even there.
Bṛhat/Vast (vyoman), Hierarchy of planes (first wideness, seat of gods), Conquest of the subconscient (apsu)
Devānāṃ sadana implies the r̥ta-based world of the gods; Indra establishes access to it.
Suśravas as true hearing implies receptivity to satya-vāc (truth-word).
Integration of heights and depths—bringing the waters into the order of the higher wideness.
Yoga-psychological Vedism: ascent to wideness and descent to transform the subconscient.
Sky = vast illumined mind; waters = subconscious and life-depths; crossing = transition from limitation to freedom.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the one stationed in the gods’ high seat yet victorious in the waters: a vertical totality myth—sovereignty from highest heaven to the deep. Psychologically it signifies mastery of both luminous mind and submerged vital/subconscient movements.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- śrávas (fame/hearing) reflects PIE *ḱleu- ‘hear, be renowned’ (Greek kléos ‘fame’, Vedic śrávas). ap- ‘waters’ reflects PIE *h₂ep- (widely attested). These are classic IE poetic lexemes, especially the fame-word (*ḱléwos) central to IE hero-poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi magnifies Indra’s scope to invite full intervention: not only in the ‘high’ clear consciousness but also in the ‘waters’ of the being where obscurity persists. Praise becomes a call for total transformation across all levels.
Rest awareness in vastness (vyoman) and invoke Indra to bring that wideness into the subconscious waters, pacifying and transforming them.
Ajna (wideness/clarity) with Muladhara (subconscious base)
Alternate nostril breathing (nāḍī-śodhana) 6 rounds; then chant, feeling ‘vyoman’ expand the head-space and ‘apsu-jit’ stabilize the base.
Wide, fearless, integrative.
After chanting, sit quietly and observe any ‘watery’ movements (old emotions, dreams, impulses). Offer them upward into the wideness; affirm Indra’s conquest as calm mastery, not suppression.
Three-tone Vedic contour; allow ‘vyomani’ to open in a sustained tone; quicken slightly through the epithets (supāraḥ… apsujit). Exact svara requires śākhā notation.
Broaden the vowels in ‘prathame vyomani’; keep epithets crisp and separated by micro-pauses for clarity.
व्योमनि (vyomani): ‘vyo’ as a single glide; avoid ‘vi-yo’ split, सदने (sadane): dental d; clear short vowels, सुपारः (supāraḥ): long ā; visarga lightly audible, अप्सुजित् (apsujit): keep ‘psu’ cluster tight; do not add a vowel
Expansive and resonant on the first hemistich; firm and martial on the epithets.
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