Rig Veda 8.2.41: Mandala 8, Sukta 2, Mantra 41
Sukta 8.2
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like brevity / mixed
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
शिक्षा विभिन्दो अस्मै चत्वार्ययुता ददत् । अष्टा परः सहस्रा ॥
śíkṣā vibhindo asmai catvā́ry ayutā́ dádat | aṣṭā́ paráḥ sahásrā ||
ఇది నేర్చుకో/తెలుసుకో: విభిందు అతనికి నాలుగు అయుతాలు (చత్వారి అయుతా) ఇచ్చెను; ఇంకా వాటికి మించి ఎనిమిది సహస్రాలు—ఇంద్రబలం సమీపంలో ఉన్నప్పుడు దానశక్తి ఇలానే విస్తరిస్తుంది.
Word by Word
- शिक्षा
- instruction; teaching (personified/abstract)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (as subject of ददत्) / or appositional subject-nameRoot √शिक्ष् (शिक्षा- ‘instruction/teaching’; also ‘to instruct’)
- विभिन्दो
- O Vibhindu (name/epithet)Noun (Proper name/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole Sambodhana (addressed)Root विभिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; likely a proper name/epithet)
- अस्मै
- to himPronounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- चत्वारि
- fourNumeral (Adjective)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनRole Karma (object of ददत्)Root चतुर्
- अयुता
- ten-thousandsNumeral (Noun/Adjective)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (agreeing with चत्वारि)Role Karma (quantifier of the object)Root अयुत (प्रातिपदिक ‘ten-thousand’; Vedic numeral)
- ददत्
- gaveVerbलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kriyā (verbal action)Root √दा (ददाति)
- अष्टा
- eightNumeral(Vedic form) प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (used as numeral ‘eight’)Role Karma (elliptic: ‘(gave) eight …’)Root अष्टन्
- परः
- further; moreoverAdjective/Indeclinable-like adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (used adverbially: ‘further/more’)Role Viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial qualifierRoot पर (प्रातिपदिक ‘further, beyond, additional’)
- सहस्राः
- thousandsNoun (numeral noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (often = ‘thousands’)Role Karma (elliptic object with अष्टा: ‘eight thousands’)Root सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक ‘thousand’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: शिक्षा | विभिन्दो | अस्मै | चत्वारि | अयुता | ददत् | अष्टा | परः | सहस्राः । 1) चत्वार्य॒युता॒ = चत्वारि + अयुता (इ + अ → य्; यण्-सन्धि). 2) सहस्रा॑ (संहिता) → सहस्राः (पदपाठ; विसर्ग restoration). 3) Accent marks are retained from the Saṃhitā text
- pada-analysis here focuses on morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Know this: Vibhindu gave him four myriads, and beyond them eight thousands.
Inner meaning
The verse points to the law of increase when Indra’s force of victory and generosity is present: the giving of ‘wealth’ signifies the multiplication of inner resources—energies, lights, capacities—bestowed upon the seeker. Vibhindu (‘wide-splitting’/‘wide-finding’) can be read as a human patron or a symbolic figure of expansive distribution: when consciousness breaks boundaries, abundance follows.
Universal truth
In the right movement of consciousness, generosity and inner wealth grow disproportionately; true giving is an expansive power that multiplies the field of progress.
Themes
patron praise (dānastuti), abundance numerals, reciprocity economy of the rite
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kaṇva (Kaṇvāḥ)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.2 (bounty/victory motifs)
Family tradition
Kaṇva poetry often includes exempla of bounty to illustrate spiritual law: Indra’s presence turns effort into overflowing gain (inner and outer).
Significance
The seer emphasizes that divine force expresses as increase—ananda and power become measurable as ‘plenty’ in the field of life and yoga.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (indirectly)
- Epithets
- maghavān (bounteous), śacīvān (effective)
- Related deities
- Bhaga (portion/distribution), Aśvins (aid and increase)
Cosmic role
Source and distributor of victorious abundance after the breaking of obstruction.
Inner power
Capacity to expand the being—wideness, courage, and a practical increase of means for the journey.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dāna-stuti element (praise of patron’s gift) within Indra hymn context; supports reciprocity of offering and reward
शिक्षा॑ विभिन्दो अस्मै च॒त्वार्य॒युता॒ दद॑त् । अ॒ष्टा प॒रः स॒हस्रा॑ ॥
शिक्ष॑ । वि॒भि॒न्दो॒ इति॑ विऽभिन्दो । अ॒स्मै॒ । च॒त्वारि॑ । अ॒युता॑ । दद॑त् । अ॒ष्ट । प॒रः । स॒हस्रा॑ ॥
śikṣa | vibhindo itivi-bhindo | asmai | catvāri | ayutā | dadat | aṣṭa | paraḥ | sahasrā
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Compressed 4-part feel; brief pādas (approx. 8 syllables each)
Mnemonic, declarative, almost proverbial.
Implants a ‘law-statement’ in the mind—good for recollection during effort and giving.
- शिक्ष (śikṣa)
- Literal: learn, take note. Symbolic: directive to fix the truth in consciousness; deliberate receptivity
- विभिन्दु (vibhindu)
- Literal: name; ‘wide-splitting’ (possible etymic). Symbolic: power that breaks limits and releases abundance
- अयुत (ayuta)
- Literal: ten thousand. Symbolic: vastness; large measure of force/resources
- सहस्र (sahasra)
- Literal: thousand. Symbolic: multiplicity of energies; plenitude
Dāna-stuti element (praise of patron’s gift) within Indra hymn context; supports reciprocity of offering and reward
Use as a remembrance-mantra for cultivating generosity and trust in increase—especially when resources (time/energy/clarity) feel scarce.
√śikṣ ‘learn’ (training/discipline) frames the verse as exemplary instruction. ayuta ‘ten thousand’ and sahasra ‘thousand’ are conventional abundance numerals; in inner reading they encode magnitudes of force/means rather than literal cattle/coins. vibhindu is a proper name; also analyzable as vi- + √bhid ‘split’ in other contexts, but here best treated as patronymic name in dāna narrative.
dāna (giving) as increase of inner wealth (rayi/vasu), śikṣā as discipline/learning in the path
Increase is not random; it follows r̥ta—alignment brings multiplication.
A factual ‘teaching’ (śikṣa) about how divine force manifests in life.
Plenitude emerging from expansion—wideness as a creative principle.
Integral-psychological: abundance as a sign of widened consciousness, not mere material gain.
Numbers symbolize magnitude of force and capacity; ‘beyond’ indicates overflow beyond expectation.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The dāna-stuti mythologem: exemplary largesse that mirrors divine bounty. Inner sense: the ‘numbers’ signify graded expansions of capacity and resources granted when the consciousness enters the Indric economy of exchange (offering ↔ plenitude).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The giving verb √dā is a core PIE inheritance (*deh₃- ‘give’). The formulaic numeral-abundance style is characteristic of Indo-European praise traditions, where quantified bounty encodes social and sacral legitimacy.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi teaches through an example: human generosity (patron’s dāna) is presented as an earthly channel of Indra’s magha. The devatā’s presence is implied as the power that enlarges giving into enduring inner wealth.
Contemplate increase through widening: let the being expand beyond self-limits; practice inner giving (offering thoughts, impulses).
anāhata (generosity/widening)
Slow exhale with the sense of ‘offering out’; brief pause feeling ‘return as increase’.
From contraction to wideness and trust.
After recitation, sit and notice where you withhold; offer that knot to the inner Fire/Indra-force; observe the release and added energy.
Short, didactic verse—keep clear udātta peaks; avoid over-ornamentation; maintain crisp segmenting.
Pause after śikṣa; articulate numerals distinctly (catvāry ayutā… aṣṭā… sahasrā).
śikṣā: kṣ cluster clean (not ‘khsha’), vibhindo: bh voiced aspirate; keep ‘vi’ light, catvāry: conjunct tv; final -ry glide, ayutā: long ā at end, aṣṭā: retroflex ṣṭ; long ā
Clear, teaching tone; steady and unhurried.
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