Rig Veda 3.40.1: Mandala 3, Sukta 40, Mantra 1
Sukta 3.40
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Shanta (peace)
इन्द्र त्वा वृषभं वयं सुते सोमे हवामहे । स पाहि मध्वो अन्धसः ॥
índra tvā vṛṣabháṁ vayáṁ suté sóme havāmahe | sá pāhi mádhvo ándhasaḥ ||
ఇంద్రా, వృషభ-శక్తిమంతుడా! సుత సోమంలో మేము నిన్ను ఆహ్వానిస్తున్నాము. నీవు మధురసమైన అంధస్ (సోమరసం) యొక్క మాధుర్యాన్ని కాపాడి పోషించు।
Word by Word
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (आह्वान)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (हवामहे इति)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषभम्
- the bull (mighty one)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (त्वा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (हवामहे इति)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुते
- Noun (locative of kṛdanta used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Root सु (धातु) → सुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमे
- in the pressed SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरण (यत्र/यस्मिन्)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- हवामहे
- we invoke / callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot ह्वे (धातु; वैदिक रूप: हव्/ह्वा)
- सः
- he (that one = Indra)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (पाहि इति)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पाहि
- protectVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot पा (धातु; ‘to protect’)
- मध्वः
- of sweetness / of honeyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (अन्धसः इत्यस्य)Root मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धसः
- of the Soma-juice (pressed draught)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole अपादान/हेतु (यतः रक्षणम्—‘from’ implied) / सम्बन्धRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: इन्द्र | त्वा | वृषभम् | वयम् | सुते | सोमे | हवामहे । सः | पाहि | मध्वः | अन्धसः ॥ 1) इन्द्र॑ = इन्द्र (सम्बोधन-एकवचन; वैदिक उदात्तचिह्न). 2) सु॒ते सोमे॑: द्वयोः सप्तमी-एकवचनयोः समास/सामानाधिकरण्य-प्रयोगः ‘सुते (सोमे)’ = ‘pressed Soma’ (सप्तमी-अधिकरण). 3) स पा॑हि = सः पाहि: विसर्गस्य लोपः पदान्ते (वैदिक संहितायाम्) तथा ‘सः’ इत्यस्य रूपं ‘स’ इति। 4) मध्वो॒ अन्ध॑सः = मध्वः अन्धसः: षष्ठी-एकवचन ‘मधु’ (मध्वः) + षष्ठी-एकवचन ‘अन्धस्’
- संहितायां ‘मध्वः’ इत्यस्य ओ-प्रयोगः (वैदिक/पदपाठ-भेदानुसारं) तथा स्वरचिह्नाः।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, the bull-power, we call in the pressed Soma; do thou guard and foster the sweetness of the Soma essence.
Inner meaning
Indra is invoked as vṛṣabha—potent, fecund power of the illumined mind that can pour force into the being. The Soma is ‘pressed’ (sute): the delight distilled by inner discipline and offering. The prayer is not only to drink but to protect and increase madhū (sweetness)—the subtle joy and sap (andhas) that sustains transformation in life and body. Indra is asked to guard this inner nectar so it is not lost to lower desire or depression.
Universal truth
Spiritual strength grows when delight is safeguarded. The higher intelligence must protect the sweetness of inner experience so it can nourish the whole nature.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Indra as bull, protection, madhu
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika (traditional)
- Other hymns
- RV 3.40.1-8 (Indra-Gāyatrī set), RV 3.39
Family tradition
Short Gāyatrī invocations emphasizing immediate inner call and protection of Soma-delight; practical mantras for daily use.
Significance
The seer teaches that delight is a sacred substance: once prepared, it must be guarded by the higher power to become stable nourishment.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛṣabha (bull-power)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni
Cosmic role
Strengthener of the gods; receiver of Soma; awakener of victorious force in the worlds.
Inner power
Protective and augmenting intelligence that stabilizes ānanda in the vital and body.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma invocation at Soma pressing; also suitable as brief daily stotra
इन्द्र॑ त्वा वृष॒भं व॒यं सु॒ते सोमे॑ हवामहे । स पा॑हि॒ मध्वो॒ अन्ध॑सः ॥
इन्द्र॑ । त्वा॒ । वृ॒ष॒भम् । व॒यम् । सु॒ते । सोमे॑ । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । सः । पा॒हि॒ । मध्वः॑ । अन्ध॑सः ॥
indra | tvā | vṛṣabham | vayam | sute | some | havāmahe | saḥ | pāhi | madhvaḥ | andhasaḥ
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3 pādas of 8 syllables
Compact, bright, mantra-like; quick invocation with a sealing petition.
Centers attention rapidly; evokes a clear call and a protective sweetness in the heart-vital.
- vṛṣabhá
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: virile power; dynamic strength of illumined mind-force
- sútá soma
- Literal: pressed Soma. Symbolic: distilled delight/ānanda produced by practice and offering
- mádhu
- Literal: honey, sweetness. Symbolic: sweet rasa of spiritual joy that heals and energizes
- ándhas
- Literal: pressed juice, essence. Symbolic: vital-psychic sap; concentrated delight-substance to be guarded
Soma libation invocation (common Indra-Soma formula): calling Indra to drink the pressed Soma and to protect; fits Soma pressing sessions of Agniṣṭoma-type rites.
At the moment of offering/pressing; as a concise call before inner practice.
Invite Indra to partake; symbolically ‘press’ Soma as concentrated joy and offer it through speech/breath.
A short mantra before meditation to protect inner sweetness from agitation; useful after intense experiences to ‘seal’ the rasa.
vṛṣabha from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, be virile/strong’: the raining bull as force that pours power. √pā: ‘drink’ and ‘protect’—Vedic pun supports inner sense: Indra drinks Soma (takes delight-force) and thereby protects/fosters the seeker. andhas: pressed juice/essence; psychologically the extracted sap of experience offered upward.
reciprocity through Soma (delight strengthens divine action), protection through the power that drinks the offering, madhu as inner sweetness
To ‘guard the sweetness’ is to keep the offering within Ṛta—right measure and right use of force and joy.
Madhū as truth-rasa: joy that comes from alignment with the real.
Soma as immortal essence sustaining gods—inner nectar sustaining higher powers in us.
Vedic yoga of Soma: ānanda as a substance of consciousness to be prepared, offered, and stabilized.
Bull=surging strength; Soma juice=distilled joy; honey=sweet rasa that permeates nerves and mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the Bull who comes to the pressed Soma: the god is strengthened by delight and in turn protects the sacrificer. The mythologem is the Soma-fed empowerment of the heroic divine force.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √pā ‘protect/drink’ is Indo-European (cf. Latin pāscō ‘feed’ shares a related nourishment/protection semantic field, though exact cognacy is complex). The dual meaning in Vedic shows archaic polysemy: nourishment and guardianship are one operation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi offers Soma (pressed essence) and calls Indra as vṛṣabha (overflowing strength). Indra’s acceptance (drinking) is simultaneously his protection: divine enjoyment becomes divine guardianship, ensuring the sweetness/essence is safeguarded and made fruitful in the seeker.
Stabilize ānanda in the vital; invite higher strength to protect sweetness.
Anāhata (sweet rasa) and Svādhiṣṭhāna (vital essence)
Slow inhale imagining Soma rising; gentle exhale sealing sweetness in the chest; 6–8 rounds.
From scattered energy to collected, sweet, protected inner poise.
Chant softly; feel Indra as a luminous guardian; after chanting, sit 1–2 minutes sensing ‘madhvo andhasaḥ’ as a subtle nectar spreading through the nerves.
Gāyatrī with clear udatta peaks; keep the three pādas evenly balanced in pitch movement.
Do not rush: ‘índra tvā vṛṣabháṃ’ (call), ‘váyaṃ suté sóme’ (context), ‘havāmahe… pāhi’ (petition).
indra: initial i short; dr cluster clean, vṛṣabham: retroflex ṣ; ‘vṛ’ with vocalic ṛ, sute some: long e in sūte? here ‘sute’ short u + te; ‘some’ long o, madhvo: dh voiced aspirate; ‘madhvo’ with v glide, andhasaḥ: ndh cluster; final ḥ light
warm, clear, devotional; slight sweetness in tone.
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