Rig Veda 8.21.15: Mandala 8, Sukta 21, Mantra 15
Sukta 8.21
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
मा ते अमाजुरो यथा मूरास इन्द्र सख्ये त्वावतः । नि षदाम सचा सुते ॥
mā́ te amājúro yáthā mūrā́sa indra sakhyé tvā́vataḥ | ní ṣadāma sacā́ suté ||
ఓ ఇంద్రా, నీవు ఆధరించే సఖ్యములో పక్వం లేని, మోహగ్రస్తమైన (వేగాలు) మూర్ఖ బలాలవలె నీ మీదికి రాకూడదు. నీవు పక్కనుండగా, ‘సుత’—పిండిన—సోమమునందు మేము కలిసి కూర్చుందుము; సత్య సఖ్యములో స్థిరమై.
Word by Word
- मा
- do not / lestIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध) / mā́
- ते
- of you / yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)Role सम्बन्ध (possessor/relational)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) / tvad
- अमाजुरः
- the unskilled/inept (persons)Noun/Adjectiveप्रथमा बहुवचन (nominative plural); लिङ्ग: पुं (contextual)Role कर्तृ (intended subject: ‘the unwise/inept ones’)Root अमाजुर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अ-’ + माजुर) / amājura
- यथा
- as, likeIndeclinableउपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्ययRoot यथा / yathā
- मूरासः
- fools, dullardsNoun/Adjectiveप्रथमा बहुवचन (nominative plural); लिङ्ग: पुं (contextual)Role कर्तृ (comparand: ‘fools’)Root मूर (प्रातिपदिक) / mūra
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNoun (proper)सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative singular); लिङ्ग: पुंRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) / indra
- सख्ये
- in (your) friendshipNounसप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular); नपुंसकRole अधिकरण (sphere: ‘in friendship’)Root सख्य (प्रातिपदिक) / sakhya
- त्वावतः
- of you / belonging to youAdjectiveषष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular); पुं/नपुंसक (agreeing with implied ‘सख्य’)Role सम्बन्धRoot त्वावत् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘त्वा’ + वत्) / tvāvat
- नि
- down, inPreverb/Indeclinableउपसर्ग (directional: down, in)Root नि / ni
- षदाम
- let us sit / may we sitVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ) उत्तमपुरुष बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ (we)Root सद् (धातु) / sad
- सचा
- together with, in companyIndeclinableसह/समं-वाचक अव्ययRoot सचा / sacā
- सुते
- at the pressed Soma (libation)Noun (kṛdanta used substantively)सप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular); पुं/नपुंसक (Soma)Role अधिकरण (at/with the pressed Soma)Root सुत (कृदन्त; √सु ‘to press (Soma)’) / suta
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: (1) ते॑ अमा॒जुरो॑ → ते अमाजुरः (visarga per pada)
- (2) त्वाव॑तः → त्वावतः (no further split; adjective ‘tvāvat-’)
- (3) नि ष॑दाम॒ → नि + षदाम (upasarga + loṭ form of √sad)
- (4) सचा॑ सु॒ते → सचा + सुते (avyaya + locative of suta-)
- Accent marks in the Saṃhitā text are retained in citation but not required for morphological segmentation
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra, let not the unripe, foolish ones approach you in friendship with one supported by you. May we sit together beside the pressed Soma.
Inner meaning
Do not let immature, undigested impulses (amājuraḥ) and bewildered dull forces (mūrāsaḥ) take over our relationship with the higher Mind (Indra). In the state of being upheld by you (tvāvataḥ), may we ‘sit down’ (ni ṣadāma)—be settled and steady—in the pressed Soma: the distilled delight/immortal essence of consciousness that supports right companionship and quiet mastery.
Universal truth
Spiritual friendship with the higher requires maturity: refuse dullness and confusion; settle into the distilled joy that stabilizes the mind and guides action.
Themes
Soma-ritual, Friendship with the god (sakhya), Protection from delusion
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.21.14, RV 8.21.12
Family tradition
Kāṇva practicality: guard the sakhya with Indra from immature/tamasic intrusions; sit in Soma—delight as stabilizer.
Significance
A safeguard verse: inner hygiene for the path—exclude immaturity and dullness, establish steady delight and companionship with the illumined mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Sakhā (friend, implied), Avat (supporter, implied by tvāvataḥ), Soma-pā (Soma-drinker, contextual)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Aśvins (helpers in transitions)
Cosmic role
Supports the sacrificer; strengthens through Soma; protects the right alliance from hostile or crude forces.
Inner power
Protective discernment and uplifting strength; ability to refuse tamas and stabilize in delight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing context (sute) with Indra invoked as companion
मा ते॑ अमा॒जुरो॑ यथा मू॒रास॑ इन्द्र स॒ख्ये त्वाव॑तः । नि ष॑दाम॒ सचा॑ सु॒ते ॥
मा । ते॒ । अ॒मा॒ऽजुरः॑ । य॒था॒ । मू॒रासः॑ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । स॒ख्ये । त्वाऽव॑तः । नि । स॒दा॒म॒ । सचा॑ । सु॒ते ॥
mā | te | amājuraḥ | yathā | mūrāsaḥ | indra | sakhye | tvāvataḥ | ni | sadāma | sacā | sute
Likely Anuṣṭubh (approx.; two shorter lines suggest an 8-syllable cadence)
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4 pādas × ~8 syllables (compact, prayer-like)
Short, intimate, admonitory; suited to protective resolve and settling.
Quiets and centers; creates a boundary against dullness; encourages seated steadiness.
- अमा॒जुरः (amājuraḥ)
- Literal: unripe, not fully grown. Symbolic: immature impulses; unassimilated reactions
- मू॒रासः (mūrāsaḥ)
- Literal: dull, foolish, bewildered. Symbolic: tamasic movements—confusion, inertia, crude desire
- सख्ये (sakhye)
- Literal: in friendship. Symbolic: yoga of companionship with Indra—constant alliance with higher mind
- त्वावतः (tvāvataḥ)
- Literal: of one supported by you. Symbolic: the aspirant upheld by higher force; reliance on divine aid
- नि षदाम (ni ṣadāma)
- Literal: may we sit down. Symbolic: inner settling; establishing the seat of consciousness
- सचा (sacā)
- Literal: together with, alongside. Symbolic: constant presence/companionship—Indra beside the seeker
- सुते (sute)
- Literal: in the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: in the distilled bliss-essence; refined delight supporting clarity
Likely Soma-pressing context (Soma-stotra/invocation); inwardly, establishment of Indra-force in the clarified Soma-consciousness.
At Soma offering/after pressing; also as a personal protective recitation before meditation
Prayer to keep the rite/inner friendship free from unripe disturbances; to sit with Soma
Before meditation or important conversation: set a boundary against confusion; settle into calm delight (soma) and clarity.
Key roots: √sad ‘to sit, settle’ → ni-√sad implies inward settling/establishment; √su ‘to press (Soma)’ → suta ‘pressed essence’, symbolically the extracted delight/clarity. sakhyá- ‘companionship’ from sakhā ‘friend’ indicates a reciprocal yogic alliance with the deity-power. mūrā́saḥ (cf. mūḍha sense) conveys obscuration/delusion rather than mere ‘fools’.
Rita (right order as right companionship and right seating), inner purification (pressed Soma as clarified essence)
To ‘sit’ in Soma is to establish a stable ṛta within—ordered energies around delight and truth.
Rejecting mūrāsaḥ is rejecting falsehood/confusion; choosing clarity in companionship.
Refinement (pressing) of Soma as symbol of consciousness distilled from raw experience into bliss and strength.
Yoga of purification and integration: transform tamas and immaturity by settling in refined delight and higher guidance.
Pressed Soma = distilled bliss/essence; sitting = establishing inner seat; friendship = sustained alignment with higher mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The mythic pattern is Indra’s alliance with the sacrificer (sakhyá) whereby the god’s force excludes dullness/obscuration (mūrā́saḥ) and enables a settled participation in Soma. It is the ‘friendship-with-Indra’ motif: the hero-power must not be approached by unripe impulses; rather, the worshipper establishes a stable seat in the clarified essence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sad ‘sit’ continues PIE *sed- (cf. Lat. sedēre, Eng. sit via Germanic *sitjan is distinct but semantically parallel; *sed- widely attested). The prohibitive mā́ is Indo-Iranian. The companionship term sakhyá relates to social reciprocity formulas common in early Indo-European poetics (guest-friend alliance).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- A reciprocal alliance is requested: because the sacrificer is ‘tvā́vat’ (possessing Indra), Indra is asked not to be met by immature/deluded movements; in return the rishi-community ‘sits’ with him in Soma—i.e., offers the clarified delight/attention that sustains Indra’s working within the human vessel.
Guard the inner alliance with clarity; settle into refined delight as the basis for stable practice.
svādhiṣṭhāna (refined rasa) purified and uplifted to hṛdaya (quiet joy)
Soft nāḍī-śodhana (alternate nostril) 5–7 rounds, then sit still repeating ‘ni ṣadāma sacā sute’.
Quiet, protected, inwardly sweet steadiness.
Before sitting, note any ‘unripe’ impulses (restlessness, craving, irritability). Offer them away; invoke Indra’s support; then feel the ‘pressed Soma’ as a subtle sweetness in the chest and let the mind settle there.
Rigvedic accenting per saṃhitā; short meter encourages clean udātta peaks and quick resolution.
Gentle but firm negation on ‘mā te’; keep ‘indra’ clear; soften and lengthen slightly on ‘ni ṣadāma sacā sute’.
mā: long ā, amājuro: long ā; j as soft ‘j’; roll r lightly, mūrāsaḥ: long ū; final ḥ light, sakhye: khy cluster clean, tvāvataḥ: long ā; dental t; final ḥ, ni ṣadāma: retroflex ṣ; long ā, sacā: palatal c; long ā, sute: dental t, short e
Low, steady, soothing; like establishing a protective inner seat.
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