Rig Veda 8.97.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 97, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.97
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
या इन्द्र भुज आभरः स्वर्वाँ असुरेभ्यः । स्तोतारमिन्मघवन्नस्य वर्धय ये च त्वे वृक्तबर्हिषः ॥
yā́ indra bhúja ā́bharaḥ svárvāṃ ásurebhyaḥ | stotā́ram ín maghavann asya vardhaya yé ca tvé vṛktá-barhiṣaḥ ||
या इन्द्र भुज आभरः स्वर्वाँ असुरेभ्यः। स्तोतारमिन्मघवन्नस्य वर्धय ये च त्वे वृक्तबर्हिषः॥
Word by Word
- याः
- which (fem. pl.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole विशेषण (सम्बन्ध) / कर्तृ-सम्बन्धः (याः … आभरः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / या- (स्त्री.)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- भुजः
- (thy) two armsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वेदे ‘भुज्/भुजा’), प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (आभरः इत्यस्य) / साधन-भावः (arms as bringers)Root भुज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भुज्’ = भुजा/भुज् ‘arm, forearm’)
- आभरः
- thou hast brought / didst bringVerbलिट् (परोक्स/परफेक्ट), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भृ (भृञ् धारणे) उपसर्गः आ-
- स्वर्वान्
- heavenly, sun-bright (one)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (आभरः इत्यस्य)Root स्वर् + वत् (स्वर्वत्) (प्रातिपदिक)
- असुरेभ्यः
- from the AsurasNounपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचनRole अपादानRoot असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्तोतारम्
- the praiserNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (वर्धय इत्यस्य)Root स्तोतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु ‘to praise’)
- इन्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (एव/हि-भावे, बलार्थकः)Role सम्बन्ध-निपात (emphasis)Root इन् (निपात; वेदिक-एन्क्लिटिक)
- मघवन्
- O bountiful oneNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot मघवन् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)
- अस्य
- of him / hisPronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्धय
- increase, strengthenVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √वृध् (वृधँ वर्धने)
- ये
- who (masc. pl.)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वृक्तबर्हिषः इत्यस्य) / सम्बन्धःRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- च
- andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययRole समुच्चयRoot च (निपात)
- त्वे
- in theePronounसप्तमी, एकवचन (वेदे ‘त्वे’ = ‘त्वयि’)Role अधिकरणRoot त्वम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृक्तबर्हिषः
- having strewn/cut sacrificial grass (ritualists)Adjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेषण (ये …) अर्थात् ‘ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Root वृक्त- + बर्हिस् (समास; √व्रज्/√वृज् ‘to cut, pluck’ → वृक्त ‘cut’; बर्हिस् ‘sacrificial grass’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेदः): याः | इन्द्र | भुजः | आभरः | स्वर्वान् | असुरेभ्यः || स्तोतारम् | इन् | मघवन् | अस्य | वर्धय | ये | च | त्वे | वृक्तबर्हिषः || विशेषम्: ‘त्वे’ वेदिक-सप्तमी (त्वयि-अर्थे)
- ‘इन्’ निपातः (एव/हि-भावे) पदान्तर-प्रयोगः
- ‘वृक्तबर्हिषः’ बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समासः, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्
The meaning
Outer meaning
O Indra, the enjoyments/powers you brought from the Asuras—rich in the sun-world—by these increase the singer and those who have prepared the sacred seat for you.
Inner meaning
Indra has recovered ‘bhujah’—capacities of enjoyment/possession in the higher light (svarvān)—from asuric usurpation (forces of egoistic power and falsehood). The prayer asks that these recovered powers increase the stotṛ (the aspiring soul-voice) and all who have made right preparation (vṛktabarhiṣaḥ): those who spread the inner seat—purified receptivity and ordered foundation for the descent.
Universal truth
The higher powers of life and joy, stolen by ego and darkness, can be reclaimed by illumination; they then nourish both the individual aspiration and the collective field that is properly prepared.
Themes
boon-seeking, light vs darkness, ritual preparation, mantra-power
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.97 (sequence)
Family tradition
In Maṇḍala 8 Indra cycles, the ‘svar’ and ‘asura’ polarity often expresses inner conflict between truth-light and egoic force.
Significance
The seer-voice stresses preparation (barhis) and the right redistribution of powers from ego to soul—central to psychological Vedic interpretation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- maghavān (implied in address), svarvān
- Related deities
- Uṣas, Sūrya, Agni, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who wins back the Sun-world goods from the Asuric powers; increases the seer and the prepared community.
Inner power
Illumined sovereignty that reclaims misused energies and places them into the hands of aspiration and right discipline.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma-related contexts; also suitable as a ‘preparation’ verse before offerings.
या इ॑न्द्र॒ भुज॒ आभ॑र॒: स्व॑र्वाँ॒ असु॑रेभ्यः । स्तो॒तार॒मिन्म॑घवन्नस्य वर्धय॒ ये च॒ त्वे वृ॒क्तब॑र्हिषः ॥
याः । इ॒न्द्र॒ । भुजः॑ । आ । अभ॑रः । स्वः॑ऽवान् । असु॑रेभ्यः । स्तो॒तार॑म् । इत् । म॒घ॒ऽव॒न् । अ॒स्य॒ । व॒र्ध॒य॒ । ये । च॒ । त्वे इति॑ । वृ॒क्तऽब॑र्हिषः ॥
yāḥ | indra | bhujaḥ | ā | abharaḥ | svaḥ-vān | asurebhyaḥ | stotāram | it | magha-van | asya | vardhaya | ye | ca | tve iti | vṛkta-barhiṣaḥ
44
4 x ~11 (probable)
Invocatory and expansive; emphasizes ‘bringing’ and ‘increasing’.
Creates a sense of retrieval and enlargement—recovering scattered energies into a brighter order.
- भुजः (bhujáḥ)
- Literal: enjoyments, possessions. Symbolic: right capacities of life-force and joy under the soul’s governance
- स्वर्वान् (svarvān)
- Literal: possessing the sun-world. Symbolic: full of higher light-consciousness
- असुरेभ्यः (asurebhyaḥ)
- Literal: from the Asuras. Symbolic: from egoic/titanic powers that pervert force and knowledge
- स्तोतारम् (stotāram)
- Literal: the singer/praiser. Symbolic: the aspiring consciousness that calls and articulates truth
- वृक्तबर्हिषः (vṛktabarhiṣaḥ)
- Literal: those who have spread/trimmed the sacred grass. Symbolic: those who have prepared a pure receptive base—disciplined mind and ordered life for the inner sacrifice
Indra-stotra in Soma rite; request for increase of stotṛ and yajamāna-party who prepare barhis.
At the start of an Indra hymn cycle; whenever invoking Indra to increase the sacrificer and the officiants.
Recitation while establishing the barhis/seat and offering praise.
Use as a group-opening mantra: set intention that reclaimed energies nourish both the individual practitioner and the shared practice-space.
bhujáḥ: from √bhuj ‘to enjoy, partake, possess’ → enjoyments/capacities of possession. ā-bharaḥ: √bhṛ ‘to bear, bring’ with preverb ā ‘towards’ → ‘bring here’. svar-vān: svar ‘sunlight, luminous world’ + -vān ‘possessing’. asura: in RV can mean ‘lordly’ but often in conflict hymns denotes opposing powers; here ablative plural ‘from the asuras’. stotṛ: from √stu ‘praise’. maghavan: from maghá ‘gift, bounty’ (giver). vardhaya: causative of √vṛdh ‘grow, increase’. barhis: sacrificial grass/seat; vṛkta ‘cut/trimmed/spread’ (from √vṛj/√vṛkṣ?; RV usage: prepared barhis).
svar (luminous consciousness), increase (vṛddhi) of the soul-force through mantra, right preparation/receptivity (barhis as inner foundation)
Right order requires that powers belong to the gods (truth) and not to asuric distortion; Indra restores this order.
Increase of the stotṛ implies growth of truth-speaking consciousness.
Recovery of lost light-energies and their redistribution into prepared vessels.
Vedic psychological symbolism: Asura as egoic force; Svar as higher consciousness.
dawn-to-morning (implied by svar and increase)
Sun = illumined consciousness; barhis = purified receptive foundation; Asuras = shadow-powers that hoard energy.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s winning of solar riches from hostile powers: the recovery of svar (light-world) goods from the Asuric obstruction. Interiorly, this is the reclamation of luminous capacities of enjoyment/possession (bhuj) from forces that pervert or withhold them.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhṛ ‘bear/bring’ (PIE *bʰer-), √stu ‘praise’ (PIE *steu-), √vṛdh ‘grow’ (PIE *werdʰ-), and svar (Indo-Iranian solar term; Avestan hvar ‘sun’ parallels in the solar lexicon though svar is ‘sunlight/sky’ in Vedic). The causative vardhaya is a productive Indo-Iranian derivational strategy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The singer requests ‘increase’ as the return-gift for praise and preparation: the stotṛ’s mantra and the group’s barhis-making establish receptivity; Indra’s response is to enlarge their inner capacity (vardhaya) with the very solar boons he has conquered.
Reclaim energies from egoic habits; dedicate them to aspiration and to the prepared inner altar.
ājñā (right seeing) and mūlādhāra (foundation/seat as barhis)
4-pāda breathing: inhale briefly before each pāda, exhale chanting; after the verse, sit 3 breaths sensing ‘increase’.
Expansive clarity with grounded receptivity.
Name one ‘asuric capture’ (e.g., craving, pride); offer it to Indra; then affirm one concrete preparation (discipline) as your barhis.
If untrained, keep even tone; gently rise on vocative ‘indra’ and on ‘vardhaya’.
Clear caesura after ‘asurebhyaḥ’; emphasize ‘stotāram’ and ‘vṛktabarhiṣaḥ’.
svarvām̐: nasalization on ‘ām̐’, asurebhyaḥ: aspirate ‘bh’, vṛktabarhiṣaḥ: cluster ‘kṭa’ and ‘rhi’ cleanly
Open, expansive, with a steady ending to convey establishment.
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.
