Rig Veda 8.4.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 4, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.4
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
प्र चक्रे सहसा सहो बभञ्ज मन्युमोजसा । विश्वे त इन्द्र पृतनायवो यहो नि वृक्षा इव येमिरे ॥
prá cakre sáhasā sáho babháñja manyúm ójasā | víśve te indra pṛtanā́yavo yáho ní vṛkṣā́ iva yemire ||
நீ ஸஹஸ் மூலம் ஸஹஸை இயக்கினாய்; ஓஜஸால் கலங்கச் செய்யும் உக்கிர மன்யு (கோபம்/வெறி)யை உடைத்தாய். ஓ இந்திரா! உன் வெற்றிவேகத்தின் முன், உன்னை எதிர்கொள்ளும் எல்லா ப்ருதனாயவ (போர்நாடும்) பகைவரும் வெட்டப்பட்ட மரங்களைப் போலக் கீழே சாய்கின்றனர்.
Word by Word
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root प्र (upasarga)
- चक्रे
- he has done/madeVerbPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person singular, ĀtmanepadaRoot कृ (धातु)
- सहसा
- with might, by forceNounneuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहः
- might, strengthNounneuter, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot सहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- बभञ्ज
- he broke, shatteredVerbPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person singular, ParasmaipadaRoot भञ्ज् (धातु)
- मन्युम्
- wrath, furyNounmasculine, accusative singularRole KarmaRoot मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
- ओजसा
- with vigor, by strengthNounneuter, instrumental singularRole KaraṇaRoot ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वे
- all (of them)Adjective (substantive use)masculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you, yourPronoungenitive singular (enclitic)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)masculine, vocative singularRole SambodhanaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- पृतनायवः
- battle-seekers, fightersNoun/Adjectivemasculine, nominative pluralRole KartāRoot पृतना-यु (प्रातिपदिक; from पृतना + यु ‘going/engaged’)
- यहो
- indeed/lo! (emphatic particle)Indeclinableparticle (Vedic exclamation/intoner)Root यहो (particle/interjection; Vedic)
- नि
- down, intoIndeclinableupasarga (preverb)Root नि (upasarga)
- वृक्षाः
- treesNounmasculine, nominative pluralRole Kartā (of the simile-clause)Root वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asIndeclinablecomparative particleRoot इव (particle)
- येमिरे
- they have restrained/held back; they have been checkedVerbPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person plural, Ātmanepada (Vedic)Root यम् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolved as: प्र चक्रे (no change)
- सहसा सहो (sahasā + sahaḥ → sahasā sahो by visarga before voiced vowel/o)
- बभञ्ज मन्युमोजसा (manyum + ojasā → manyum ojasā; in saṃhitā written as मन्युमोजसा)
- विश्वे त (te enclitic after viśve)
- इन्द्र पृतनायवो (pṛtanāyavaḥ → pṛtanāyavo before voiced y- with visarga loss)
- यहो नि (no change)
- नि वृक्षा इव (ni + vṛkṣāḥ; vṛkṣāḥ + iva → vṛkṣā iva with visarga loss before vowel)
- येमिरे unchanged
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra set his might in motion by might; by strength he broke the wrath. All battle-seekers against you sink down like felled trees.
Inner meaning
Indra’s force is self-multiplying: the illumined mind sets spiritual power into motion, and that very motion increases power (sahasā sahaḥ). The ‘wrath’ (manyu) is the turbulent, blind insistence in the vital nature that distorts perception and action. When illumination advances, hostile formations—impulses and thoughts that crave conflict (pṛtanāyavaḥ)—collapse like trees cut at the root. This is the psychology of victory: not suppression by moral strain, but a superior force breaking the very basis of disturbance.
Universal truth
A higher consciousness does not negotiate with chaos; it dislodges it by a greater law and energy. When inner light moves forward, destructive drives lose their standing and fall away.
Themes
victory, overcoming wrath, strength imagery, subduing adversaries
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.4.1-2, RV 8.4.3-7
Family tradition
Kaṇvāḥ: hymns often portray inner battle as the passage from obstruction to luminous force under Indra’s leadership.
Significance
The Kaṇva voice here is distinctly ‘heroic yoga’: the inner war is won by the descent and forward movement of a greater power, not by anxious self-effort.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- victorious advance (implicit), strong one (ojasā), lord of battles (pṛtanāyava context)
- Related deities
- Maruts (battle-force/energies), Bṛhaspati (word of truth that breaks obstruction)
Cosmic role
Champion of the gods who breaks hostile powers and clears the way for the rivers of truth and the rays of knowledge.
Inner power
Decisive illumination that cuts through reactive turbulence and uproots entrenched habits.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma rite; victory hymns accompanying offerings
प्र च॑क्रे॒ सह॑सा॒ सहो॑ ब॒भञ्ज॑ म॒न्युमोज॑सा । विश्वे॑ त इन्द्र पृतना॒यवो॑ यहो॒ नि वृ॒क्षा इ॑व येमिरे ॥
प्र । च॒क्रे॒ । सह॑सा । सहः॑ । ब॒भञ्ज॑ । म॒न्युम् । ओज॑सा । विश्वे॑ । ते॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । पृ॒त॒ना॒ऽयवः॑ । य॒हो॒ इति॑ । नि । वृ॒क्षाःऽइ॑व । ये॒मि॒रे॒ ॥
pra | cakre | sahasā | sahaḥ | babhañja | manyum | ojasā | viśve | te | indra | pṛtanāyavaḥ | yaho iti | ni | vṛkṣāḥ-iva | yemire
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4 pādas × 11 syllables (Triṣṭubh-type).
Hammering, forceful, forward-driving.
Elicits courage and a sense of cutting through resistance; good for energizing concentration.
- सहसा / सहः (sahasā / sahaḥ)
- Literal: by might / might. Symbolic: spiritual force that grows through right action and descent
- प्र चक्रे (pra cakre)
- Literal: set in motion, made go forth. Symbolic: initiated the victorious movement of illumination
- मन्युम् (manyum)
- Literal: wrath, fierce impulse. Symbolic: turbulent vital reactivity; distorted will that ‘disturbs’ the sacrifice
- ओजसा (ojasā)
- Literal: by vigor/strength. Symbolic: concentrated energy of consciousness, decisive and luminous
- पृतनायवः (pṛtanāyavaḥ)
- Literal: battle-seekers. Symbolic: hostile thought-forces and impulses that thrive on conflict and division
- नि ... येमिरे (ni ... yemire)
- Literal: sink down, are restrained/collapse. Symbolic: falling away of lower formations when their support is cut
- वृक्षाः इव (vṛkṣā iva)
- Literal: like trees. Symbolic: rooted habits/vasanas that can be felled by decisive illumination
Victory-praise in Soma setting: affirms Indra’s power to break hostile fury and subdue adversaries; strengthens the sacrificer’s confidence in overcoming inner/outer enemies.
During invocations emphasizing Indra’s conquering power; often near moments of offering meant to ‘strengthen’ Indra.
Recited to affirm Indra’s victory and to invoke the breaking of obstacles to the rite’s success.
Use as a mantra for overcoming anger, agitation, or compulsive conflict—invoking a higher force to ‘fell’ the pattern at its root.
manyú 'wrath' from √man 'think' with semantic shift to 'spirited impulse/fury'; psychologically the disturbed reactive force. ojas from √uj/√vaj semantic field 'vigor'. √bhañj 'break' is an old IE-type violent-action root (cognates debated). √yam 'restrain' from PIE *yem- 'hold' (cf. Latin emō? debated; clearer in Indo-Iranian).
subjugation of turbulent manyu into ordered power, r̥ta as right use of force (strength breaking disorder), victory of illumined mind over reactive passion
Indra’s advance restores right order by collapsing the forces that oppose it.
Breaking ‘manyu’ implies replacing reactive falsehood with clear truth-impulse.
World-maintenance through victory: the cosmos is upheld by repeated conquest of obstruction.
Psychological Vedism (inner battle: illumination vs. turbulence).
Storm-force = surge of illumined energy; felled trees = uprooted habitual formations; ‘battle’ = inner contest between clarity and reactivity.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythologem is Indra’s crushing of hostile forces—here specifically the breaking of manyu (turbulent fury) and the felling of opponents like trees. Inner sense: the illumined power converts raw force into victorious order, shattering reactive passion and making conflict-seeking impulses fall inert.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √kṛ (do/make) aligns with PIE *kwer-? (complex; but √dhā/√kṛ are central IE-type verbal notions), while √yam 'hold/restrain' reflects a holding-root found across IE branches (PIE *yem-). The tree-felling simile is a common IE poetic image of defeat as falling timber.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi praises Indra’s specific inner-ethical function: not mere violence, but the breaking of disorderly manyu. By affirming this power, the rishi seeks that Indra’s ordered might act within the human being to restrain and fell the adversarial movements.
Invoke decisive illumination to cut reactive anger and conflict-seeking impulses.
Maṇipūra (transforming manyu into ojas) and Ājñā (decisive seeing).
Kapalabhati-light (if suitable) or strong exhale emphasis: exhale as ‘babhañja manyum’; inhale as ‘pra cakre’.
Dynamic stillness: power without agitation.
When anger rises, do not argue with it—stand back, call the higher force, and feel a ‘cutting’ clarity descend; repeat the mantra mentally until the impulse loses its footing.
Rigvedic accent; emphasize the drive on ‘pra cakre’ and the breaking on ‘babhañja’.
Keep consonants crisp to convey the ‘cutting’ quality; land firmly at pāda ends.
babhañja: nasal + aspirate; avoid simplifying to ‘babanja’., manyum: clear ‘ny’ and final ‘m’., ojasā: long ā; do not shorten.
Strong, clipped, martial; finish each pāda with controlled firmness.
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