Rig Veda 2.18.6: Mandala 2, Sukta 18, Mantra 6
Sukta 2.18
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
आशीत्या नवत्या याह्यर्वाङा शतेन हरिभिरुह्यमानः । अयं हि ते शुनहोत्रेषु सोम इन्द्र त्वाया परिषिक्तो मदाय ॥
ā́ aśītyā́ navatyā́ yāhy arvā́ṅ ā́ śaténa háribhir uhyámānaḥ | ayáṃ hí te śunáhotreṣu sóma índra tvāyā́ páriṣikto mádāya ||
ఎనభైతో, తొంభైతో మా వైపు రా; వంద హరులతో మోసుకొనివచ్చినవాడై రా. ఎందుకంటే ఈ సోమము, ఓ ఇంద్రా, శునహోత్ర అర్పణాలలో నీకోసమే—నీ మదార్థం చుట్టూ పరిషిక్తమై పోసబడింది; వచ్చి అందులో ప్రవేశించి, మా లోపల ఆనందాన్ని విజయం పొందించు.
Word by Word
- आशी॒त्या
- with eightyAdjective (numeral)स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (आशी॒त्या = ‘आशीत्या’)Role करण (संख्या-विशेषणम्; ‘with 80’)Root आशीति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) < अष्टा (8)
- न॑व॒त्या
- with ninetyAdjective (numeral)स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role करण (संख्या-विशेषणम्; ‘with 90’)Root नवति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) < नव (9)
- या॑हि
- come / go (hither)!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) मध्यमपुरुषः एकवचनम् परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया) —Root या (धातु) ‘to go’
- अ॒र्वाङ्
- hither, towards usIndeclinable (directional)अव्ययम्Role अधिकारण/दिशा-निर्देश (hitherward)Root अर्वाङ् (अव्यय/दिशावाचक) < अव्/अर्व् (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- hither, toIndeclinableनिपातः (उपसर्गः) — ‘towards’Role (क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्ग)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- श॒तेन
- with a hundredNoun (numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम्Role करणRoot शत (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
- हरि॑भिः
- with bay steedsNounपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot हरि (प्रातिपदिक) ‘bay horse’
- उ॒ह्यमा॑नः
- being carried / borneParticipleवर्तमानकाले कर्मणि (passive) शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्: ‘being borne’)Root वह् (धातु) ‘to carry’ (Vedic: उह्य- as passive stem)
- अ॒यम्
- thisPronounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विषय (वाक्यस्य विषयः)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम)
- हि
- indeed, forIndeclinableनिपातः (emphatic/causal)Role (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root हि (निपात)
- ते
- your / of youPronounषष्ठी-एकवचनम् (enclitic) ‘of you/your’Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- शु॒नहो॑त्रेषु
- among the Shunahotras (ritual officiants/hosts)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचनम्Role अधिकारणRoot शुनहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘having good/strong hotar’ / ‘with the Hotar’—Vedic compound)
- सोमः
- SomaNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विषयRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा॒या
- by you / with youPronounतृतीया-एकवचनम् (Vedic instr. form)Role करणRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम)
- परि॑षिक्तः
- poured around, sprinkledParticipleभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्Role कर्मणि-विशेषण (सोमस्य)Root सिच् (धातु) ‘to pour, sprinkle’ + परि- (उपसर्ग)
- मदा॑य
- for exhilaration / for raptureNounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदान (purpose: ‘for exhilaration’)Root मद (प्रातिपदिक) ‘intoxication, exhilaration’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (sandhi-resolved): आशी॒त्या | न॑व॒त्या | या॑हि | अ॒र्वाङ् | आ | श॒तेन | हरि॑भिः | उ॒ह्यमा॑नः || अ॒यम् | हि | ते | शु॒नहो॑त्रेषु | सोमः | इन्द्र | त्वा॒या | परि॑षिक्तः | मदा॑य || 1) ‘अर्वाङा’ इति संहितापाठे दीर्घ-आगमः/प्रगृह्य-प्रभावः
- पदपाठे ‘अर्वाङ् | आ’ (दिशावाचक-अव्यय + निपात ‘आ’). 2) ‘हरिभिरुह्यमानः’ = ‘हरिभिः | उह्यमानः’ (विसर्ग/रुत्वादि संधि). 3) ‘सोम इन्द्र’ = ‘सोमः | इन्द्र’ (विसर्गलोपः संहितायाम्). 4) ‘त्वाय परिषिक्तो’ = ‘त्वाया | परिषिक्तः’ (स्वर/विसर्ग-संधि)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Come toward us with eighty, with ninety; come borne with a hundred tawny steeds. For this Soma is for you in the Śunahotra offerings, O Indra—poured all around for your exhilaration.
Inner meaning
The culmination reaches ‘a hundred’—symbol of fullness and totality. The seeker calls for a complete descent of Indra’s illumined power supported by a total mobilization of energies. Soma is ‘poured all around’—a surround of delight, a field-saturation of ānanda so the illumined mind can act in ecstasy (mada) rather than strain. ‘Śunahotra’ (a specific Soma offering context) becomes, inwardly, the ‘strong/impelling invocation’—the ardent, well-timed offering that makes the bliss available. The aim is victory of joy: illumination not dry, but energized by delight, pervading the whole being.
Universal truth
When the being is sufficiently widened and prepared, higher consciousness can descend in completeness and suffuse life with a stable joy that empowers action and clarity together.
Themes
soma ecstasy, ritual specificity (Śunahotra), complete descent, inner rapture
The seer
- Rishi
- Gṛtsamada (Bhārgava)
- Lineage
- Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
- Other hymns
- RV 2.18
Family tradition
Bhārgava mastery of Soma-psychology: delight as a conscious force that must be prepared and offered rightly to sustain illumination.
Significance
He culminates the graded invocation in fullness (100), indicating the integral descent: illumination borne by total energies and suffused by pervasive ānanda.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Soma-drinker (somapā, implied), borne by harī
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Receives Soma, becomes mighty, and establishes victory of light; brings the divine exhilaration that overcomes resistance.
Inner power
Full descent of illumined mind energized by bliss—clarity with victorious joy.
In ritual
Where it is used
Śunahotra-related Soma offerings to Indra (as per hymn’s ritual milieu)
आशी॒त्या न॑व॒त्या या॑ह्य॒र्वाङा श॒तेन॒ हरि॑भिरु॒ह्यमा॑नः । अ॒यं हि ते॑ शु॒नहो॑त्रेषु॒ सोम॒ इन्द्र॑ त्वा॒या परि॑षिक्तो॒ मदा॑य ॥
आ । अ॒शी॒त्या । न॒व॒त्या । या॒हि॒ । अ॒र्वाङ् । आ । श॒तेन॑ । हरि॑ऽभिः । उ॒ह्यमा॑नः । अ॒यम् । हि । ते॒ । शु॒नऽहो॑त्रेषु । सोमः॑ । इन्द्र॑ । त्वा॒ऽया । परि॑ऽसिक्तः । मदा॑य ॥
ā | aśītyā | navatyā | yāhi | arvāṅ | ā | śatena | hari-bhiḥ | uhyamānaḥ | ayam | h i | te | śuna-hotreṣu | somaḥ | indra | tvāyā | pari-siktaḥ | madāya
44
4 × ~11
Grand summoning with a culminating fullness; final pāda feels like a ‘pouring’ cadence.
Induces a sense of total arrival and saturation—mind feels surrounded by luminous joy.
- अशीत्या/नवत्या/शतेन
- Literal: 80/90/100. Symbolic: near-completion → fullness; total mobilization of supporting energies
- हरिभिः उह्यमानः (haribhir uhyamānaḥ)
- Literal: borne/carried by tawny steeds. Symbolic: illumination carried into embodiment by disciplined, abundant life-forces
- शुनहोत्रेषु (śunahotreṣu)
- Literal: in the Śunahotra offerings. Symbolic: in strong/ardent invocations; the moment of potent offering in practice
- परिषिक्तः (pariṣiktaḥ)
- Literal: sprinkled/poured around. Symbolic: pervasive saturation of consciousness by bliss (Soma)
- मदाय (madāya)
- Literal: for exhilaration/ecstasy. Symbolic: divine rapture that strengthens and clarifies rather than intoxicates
Śunahotra context explicitly mentioned; Soma libation ‘pariṣikta’ for Indra’s mada in that rite
At moments emphasizing Soma’s availability to Indra and the strengthening exhilaration it provides.
Recitation accompanying Soma libation/sprinkling; reinforcing Indra’s ‘drinking’ and empowerment.
A ‘completion’ mantra after practice: visualize the whole system suffused with calm joy; dedicate the energy to clear action.
pari-√sic ‘pour around’ indicates completeness and enclosure—psychologically, the being is fully suffused with delight. mada ‘rapture’ is not mere intoxication but the uplifting ecstasy that breaks limitation and enables victory. uhyamāna from √vah/√uh ‘to carry/bear’ underscores that the powers themselves carry Indra’s descent.
plenitude (100 as symbolic completion), suffusion (pariṣikta) of consciousness, mada as transformative delight-force
Pervasive Soma supports stable right action (Ṛta) rather than sporadic effort.
Illumined mind drinks bliss to act from truth, not from nervous drive.
Pervasion: the essence poured around becomes the field of manifestation.
Ananda-centric integral reading (Soma as bliss-substance of consciousness).
Soma poured around = bliss permeating the nerves/mind; hundred steeds = total available energies aligned to the descent.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘hundredfold descent to ecstatic Soma’ mythologem: Indra comes with a complete host (100) to drink Soma poured all around for rapture. Innerly, the being is asked to become fully suffused with the delight-force (mada) so that divine power can act without remainder, turning joy into victorious transformation.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sic ‘pour’ is ancient IE (liquid/libation verbs are central to IE ritual language). The numeric ‘hundred’ as completeness is a widespread IE symbolic total. The participial construction (uhyamānaḥ) plus deictic ‘ayam’ is classic hymnic immediacy: ‘this here’ offering is present and efficacious.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers a fully surrounding libation (pariṣikta) and calls Indra with maximal fullness of carriers. The Devatā’s response is to enter the rite/being for mada—ecstatic force—so the sacrificer’s consciousness can be uplifted and made capable of decisive victory over limitation.
Completion and pervasion: let illumined clarity be carried by abundant energy and suffused by calm delight.
sahasrāra/ājñā (descent of light) with anāhata (pervasive sweetness)
On inhale feel ‘arrival’ (ā… arvāṅ); on exhale feel ‘pariṣikta’—a gentle spreading through the body. Keep breath soft and continuous.
Pervasive ānanda with clear, steady intelligence (prasāda + prakāśa).
After chanting, sit 2–5 minutes in stillness. Do not chase ecstasy; allow a quiet, surrounding gladness to stabilize, then end with a simple intention for truthful action.
Let invocatory ‘ā’ openings carry a gentle udātta lift; keep ‘pariṣikto madāya’ as a smooth, flowing fall to mirror ‘poured around’.
Do not punch the large numbers; keep them even and expansive. Slightly lengthen vowels in ‘śatena’ and ‘pariṣiktaḥ’.
(aśītyā): long ī; palatal ś, (navatyā): keep ‘tyā’ clear, (śatena): palatal ś; short e, (uhyamānaḥ): ‘hy’ cluster clean; long ā, (śunahotreṣu): retroflex ṣ at end; keep ‘ho’ longish but not overdrawn, (pariṣikto): retroflex ṣ; ‘kt’ cluster crisp, (madāya): long ā
Full, warm, enveloping—like a gentle descent rather than a sharp command.
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