Rig Veda 3.36.3: Mandala 3, Sukta 36, Mantra 3
Sukta 3.36
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
पिबा वर्धस्व तव घा सुतास इन्द्र सोमासः प्रथमा उतेमे । यथापिबः पूर्व्याँ इन्द्र सोमाँ एवा पाहि पन्यो अद्या नवीयान् ॥
pibā́ vardhasva táva ghā sutā́sa índra sómāsaḥ prathamā́ utéme | yáthā́pibaḥ pūrvyā́m̐ indra sómām̐ evā́ pāhi pányo adyā́ navī́yān ||
పానము చేసి నీ తేజస్సులో వృద్ధి పొందు; హే ఇంద్రా, నీకై ఈ సుతసోమాలు—మొదటి అర్పణలు—ఇవీ. నీవు పూర్వకాలంలో ప్రాచీన సోమాలను పానము చేసినట్లే, ఈనాడు కూడా, హే పూజ్యుడా, ఈ నిత్య-నూతన ఆనందధారలను పానము చేయి।
Word by Word
- पिब
- drink!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root पा (पिबति) धातु
- वर्धस्व
- grow, become strong!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्Root वृध् धातु
- तव
- of you, yourPronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- घ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपातः (प्रबलार्थ/खल्वर्थे) अव्ययम्Root घ (निपात)
- सुतासः
- pressed (juices)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (वाक्ये ‘सोमासः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण) / विषयःRoot सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमासः
- Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ/विषयः (येषां विषये वाक्यम्) / (अर्थतः ‘पिब’ इत्यस्य कर्म)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रथमाः
- firstAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘सोमासः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषणम्Root प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
- उत
- and, alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्Root उत (निपात)
- इमे
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘सोमासः’ इत्यस्य अन्वयःRole विशेषणम्/निर्देशकःRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, just asIndeclinableउपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम्Root यथा (अव्यय)
- अपिबः
- you drankVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root पा धातु
- पूर्व्यान्
- former, earlierAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘सोमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषणम्Root पूर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पूर्व’ से)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमान्
- Soma-juicesNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्म (अपिबः) तथा (पा हि) इत्यस्यRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- एव
- just so, in the same wayIndeclinableनिश्चय/तुल्यत्वार्थक-अव्ययम्Root एव (निपात)
- पाहि
- drink!Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्Root पा धातु
- पण्यः
- worthy of praise, admirableAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्; इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्Role सम्बोधन-विशेषणम्Root पण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- अद्य
- today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (काल)Root अद्य (अव्यय)
- नवीयान्
- newer, freshAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘सोमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role विशेषणम्Root नवीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘नव’ का तुलनात्मक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (Vedic sandhi resolved): पिब | वर्धस्व | तव | घ | सुतासः | इन्द्र | सोमासः | प्रथमाः | उत | इमे । यथा | अपिबः | पूर्व्यान् | इन्द्र | सोमान् | एव | पाहि | पण्यः | अद्य | नवीयान् ॥ Notes: (1) ‘तव घ’ = तव + घ (निपात-संयोगः). (2) ‘सुतास इन्द्र’ = सुतासः + इन्द्र (विसर्गलोपः/संहितायां). (3) ‘उतेमे’ = उत + इमे (स्वर-सन्धिः: अ + इ → ए). (4) ‘यथापिबः’ = यथा + अपिबः (अ + अ → आ). (5) ‘सोमाँ एवा’ = सोमान् + एव (नकारस्य परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रयोगः पदपाठे ‘सोमान् एव’). (6) ‘पन्यो अद्या’ = पण्यः + अद्य (विसर्गलोपः/संहितायां). Accents as in saṃhitā are retained in the given text
- pada analysis here is lexical/grammatical
The meaning
Outer meaning
Drink and grow in strength; for you, O Indra, these Soma pressings are the first offerings. As you drank the ancient Somās before, so drink even now, O adorable one, these ever-newer streams.
Inner meaning
The mantra affirms a law of inner life: illumination grows by consciously taking in delight (Soma). The ‘first’ offerings indicate primacy—before complex techniques, the essential act is to offer and receive the purified essence of experience. The remembrance of ‘ancient Somās’ points to a perennial rhythm: the same divine process that worked in the forefathers and earlier stages of one’s path must be renewed now. ‘Navīyān’ (ever-newer) teaches that true ānanda is not stale repetition; each descent of bliss is fresh, revealing new degrees of consciousness. Indra ‘grows’ in us when we repeatedly allow this delight to feed the illumined mind rather than the restless vital.
Universal truth
Spiritual power increases through the steady intake of purified delight; the eternal process renews itself in ever-fresh forms when we keep offering and receiving with sincerity.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Indra-invocation, Inner growth of power, Renewal of inspiration, Continuity with ancestral realization
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.36.2 (descending Soma streams), RV 3.35.10 (channels of offering), RV 3.62.10 (illumination mantra)
Family tradition
Transmission of a living, renewable spiritual process—ancient in principle, ever-new in experience.
Significance
Viśvāmitra insists on continuity with the eternal Vedic process while emphasizing experiential freshness—key to a living yoga rather than mere ritual repetition.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Panya (adorable), (implicit) Vardhamāna (growing)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Receives Soma and increases in might; by that increase he conquers and widens the worlds.
Inner power
Growth of luminous intelligence through ānanda; ability to renew spiritual force continually.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Indra; emphasis on repeated pressings and continuity with tradition
पिबा॒ वर्ध॑स्व॒ तव॑ घा सु॒तास॒ इन्द्र॒ सोमा॑सः प्रथ॒मा उ॒तेमे । यथापि॑बः पू॒र्व्याँ इ॑न्द्र॒ सोमाँ॑ ए॒वा पा॑हि॒ पन्यो॑ अ॒द्या नवी॑यान् ॥
पिब॑ । वर्ध॑स्व । तव॑ । घ॒ । सु॒तासः॑ । इन्द्र॑ । सोमा॑सः । प्र॒थ॒माः । उ॒त । इ॒मे । यथा॑ । अपि॑बः । पू॒र्व्यान् । इ॒न्द्र॒ । सोमा॑न् । ए॒व । पा॒हि॒ । पन्यः॑ । अ॒द्य । नवी॑यान् ॥
piba | vardhasva | tava | gha | sutāsaḥ | indra | somāsaḥ | prathamāḥ | uta | ime | yathā | apibaḥ | pūrvyān | indra | somān | eva | pāhi | panyaḥ | adya | navīyān
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4 x ~11 syllables
Exhortative and uplifting; repeated imperatives create a reinforcing spiral of energy.
Instills confidence and renewal; supports the feeling of ‘fresh influx’ each repetition.
- पिब (piba)
- Literal: drink. Symbolic: Consciously receive and assimilate the delight-force
- वर्धस्व (vardhasva)
- Literal: grow, increase. Symbolic: Expansion of illumined strength and capacity in the being
- सोमासः (somāsaḥ)
- Literal: Soma streams/pressings. Symbolic: Currents of ānanda extracted from life and offered upward
- प्रथमाः (prathamāḥ)
- Literal: first. Symbolic: Primary means/principle; foundational practice
- पूर्व्यान् (pūrviyān)
- Literal: ancient, former. Symbolic: Perennial tradition and earlier realized states in the sādhaka
- पन्यः (panyaḥ)
- Literal: adorable, worthy of praise. Symbolic: The luminous power in us that deserves reverence and obedience
- नवीयान् (navīyān)
- Literal: newer, ever-new. Symbolic: Ever-fresh revelation of delight; progressive renewal of consciousness
Soma offering context (Soma-yajña): recitation suited to Soma pressings and Indra-invocation at the Savana; psychologically, it marks the moment of 'offering the delight' to strengthen the warrior-power for the inner battle.
At Soma pressings; when inviting Indra to drink repeatedly and increase
Offering Soma; recitation affirming Indra’s growth and the ever-new Soma
Use as a renewal mantra when practice feels dry: recall the ‘ancient’ force, then open to a fresh experience now—do not live on memory alone.
Key terms: (1) / (√ 'to drink, protect'): in Vedic, 'drinking Soma' extends to 'taking in' delight/force; the same root also yields pāti 'protects', supporting the inner sense of assimilating power that then guards and upholds the being. (2) (√ 'to grow, increase'): imperative middle; indicates self-increasing expansion of Indra’s effective force in the sacrificer. (3) (often linked with √ 'to press/impel' in ritual etymology; also associated with the expressed essence): here 'pressed' emphasizes manifestation—delight made available to consciousness. (4) (√ 'to praise, admire; to value'): 'worthy of admiration/praise', hence the psychological sense of the divine power that is intrinsically desirable and draws aspiration. (5) (comparative of from 'new'): not merely chronological novelty but progressive renewal—fresh waves of inspiration.
R̥ta (right order expressed through correct offering and right assimilation), Progressive revelation (nāvīyān: ever-renewed manifestation), Reciprocity of sacrifice (human offering ↔ divine increase and aid)
The law that divine power grows by right offering is an expression of R̥ta—reliable, repeatable, yet ever-progressive.
Truth is ancient (pūrvya) yet newly realized (navīyān) in each moment of sincere reception.
Perennial renewal: creation is not a one-time act but continuous refreshment of force through delight.
Integral Yoga: the ‘ever-new’ descent—living continuity of the eternal in progressive manifestation.
Cyclic pressing = daily practice; streams = moments of joy/peace; growth = widening of mind and strengthening of will by delight.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The recurring Indra–Soma mythologem: Indra is strengthened by Soma-drinking to perform the victory over obstruction. Here it appears in a preparatory form—'drink and grow'—linking present offerings with the archetypal 'ancient Somās' once drunk by Indra, establishing a timeless pattern of empowerment before the battle for Light.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √ 'drink/protect' (pibā/pāhi) continues PIE *peh₃- 'to drink' (cf. Latin pōtō 'I drink', Greek pínō 'I drink'). The semantic spread in Vedic toward 'protecting' aligns with the broader Indo-European tendency for core bodily acts to develop into social/ritual functions. √ 'grow' (vardhasva) reflects an inherited growth/strengthening semantic field (cf. English 'worth' via Germanic developments is not a direct cognate, but the Indo-European pattern of 'increase/strength' as virtue is comparable).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal covenant of ascent: the seer offers 'pressed Soma' (clarified delight and intention) and invokes Indra to assimilate it ('drink') and thereby 'grow'—not for the god’s sake alone, but to become an active power within the human vessel. The rishi anchors the present act in the authority of the 'pūrvyāḥ' (ancients), implying that fidelity to the ancestral r̥ta-method yields renewed, ever-fresh realization (navīyān).
Renewed receptivity to joy: allow bliss to feed clarity rather than excitement.
Ājñā supported by Anāhata (joy as pure offering)
Moderate breathing; on inhale ‘piba’ (receive), on exhale ‘vardhasva’ (expand). Keep it subtle, not forced.
Freshened quietude; luminous renewal.
If dullness arises, do a ‘new pressing’: shift attention to a simple, pure joy (breath, light, gratitude). Offer it upward; let illumination grow from it.
Keep imperatives (pibā, vardhasva, pāhi) clearly lifted per accent; maintain Triṣṭubh pacing across four pādas.
Slight emphasis on contrast pūrvyān … navīyān; let the last word ‘navīyān’ land with freshness, not heaviness.
pibā: long ā; avoid clipping, pūrviyān: keep long ū and clear rv cluster, navīyān: long ī; articulate yā smoothly
Warm, inviting, renewing; avoid harshness—this is growth by delight.
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