Rig Veda 8.33.1: Mandala 8, Sukta 33, Mantra 1
Sukta 8.33
- Rishi
- Kanva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Likely Jagatī
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Adbhuta (wonder)
वयं घ त्वा सुतावन्त आपो न वृक्तबर्हिषः । पवित्रस्य प्रस्रवणेषु वृत्रहन्परि स्तोतार आसते ॥
vayáṃ gha tvā sutā́vanta ā́po na vr̥ktábarhiṣaḥ | pavítrasya prasrávaṇeṣu vr̥trahan pári stotā́ra āsate ||
మేము, సోమాన్ని పిండినవారు, శుద్ధ జలాల వలె—విస్తరించిన బర్హిస్ (ఆసనం) తో—హే వృత్రహన్, పవిత్ర (వడపోత) యొక్క ప్రస్రవణస్థలాలలో నీ చుట్టూ స్తోతారులమై కూర్చున్నాము.
Word by Word
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- घ
- indeed, surelyIndeclinableनिपात (अर्थ-प्रबलक/नूनम्-इव)Root घ (निपात)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुतावन्तः
- having soma pressed; soma-possessingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषण)Root सुत + वत् (प्रातिपदिक; वत्-प्रत्यय)
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-तन्त्रम्), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole उपमान (न-उपमा)Root आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableउपमार्थक-अव्ययRoot न (उपमा-निपात)
- वृक्तबर्हिषः
- whose sacrificial grass is strewn/spreadAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (वयम्-विशेषण)Root वृक्त + बर्हिस् (समास; कृदन्त-विशेषण + नाम)
- पवित्रस्य
- of the filter/strainer (pavitra)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रस्रवणेषु
- in the outflowing streams/channelsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot प्रस्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रहन्
- O Vṛtra-slayerNoun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र-विशेषण)
- परि
- aroundIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘चारों ओर’ अर्थेRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- स्तोतारः
- praisersNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot स्तोतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु ‘to praise’)
- आसते
- sit; are seatedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRoot √आस् (आसँ उपवेशने)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: वयम् घ त्वा सुतावन्तः आपः न वृक्तबर्हिषः । पवित्रस्य प्रस्रवणेषु वृत्रहन् परि स्तोतारः आसते ॥ 1) ‘घ’ निपातः ‘वयम्’ इत्यनन्तरं पदान्तरं। 2) ‘वृत्रह॒न्परि’ = ‘वृत्रहन्’ + ‘परि’ (न् + प् संयोगः; संहितायां न्-प् संधिः)। 3) ‘स्तो॒तार॑’ + ‘आसते’ संहितायां ‘स्तोतार आसते’ (अकार-सन्धिः; दीर्घादि न भवति पदविभागे)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma-pressers with prepared sacrificial seat sit around Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, at the outflowings of the filter (pavitra).
Inner meaning
The seekers who have “pressed” the Soma (extracted delight from experience through aspiration and discipline) become like purified waters—clarified movements of consciousness. They gather around Indra (the illumined Mind-Power) at the streams of inner filtration where mixed impulses are sifted into clear currents. They await Indra’s descent: the decisive luminous force that breaks the Coverer (subconscient obstruction) and releases free flow of truth-energies.
Universal truth
When aspiration purifies the mind-life, higher illumination can enter; clarity is not produced by force alone but by a sustained inner “filtering” that prepares the channels for the light to act and dissolve resistance.
Themes
Soma purification, Indra invocation, Community of singers
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva (Kāṇva tradition; hymn-voice of the Kāṇvas)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.33 (hymn context), RV 8.2 (Kāṇva Indra strain), RV 1.62 (Indra releasing the cows/lights—theme-parallel)
Family tradition
Kāṇvas are noted for dynamic Indra-hymns emphasizing the release of light and power through inspired speech and Soma-delight.
Significance
The Kāṇva vision typically frames Indra as the decisive illuminator who responds when the inner sacrifice is prepared; their poetry stresses purification (pavitra) and the collective aspiration of the seekers.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Maghavan (bounteous), Vajrin (wielder of the thunder-force)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Breaker of obstructions, releaser of the waters and the dawn-lights; establishes wide space for the workings of ṛta.
Inner power
Illumined Mind-force that descends into prepared consciousness, striking through confusion and inertia and making the inner currents clear and effective.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering with Indra-invocation (general Soma-yajña context)
व॒यं घ॑ त्वा सु॒ताव॑न्त॒ आपो॒ न वृ॒क्तब॑र्हिषः । प॒वित्र॑स्य प्र॒स्रव॑णेषु वृत्रह॒न्परि॑ स्तो॒तार॑ आसते ॥
व॒यम् । घ॒ । त्वा॒ । सु॒तऽव॑न्तः । आपः॑ । न । वृ॒क्तऽब॑र्हिषः । प॒वित्र॑स्य । प्र॒ऽस्रव॑णेषु । वृ॒त्र॒ऽह॒न् । परि॑ । स्तो॒तारः॑ । आ॒स॒ते॒ ॥
vayam | gha | tvā | suta-vantaḥ | āpaḥ | na | vṛkta-barhiṣaḥ | pavitrasya | pra-sravaṇeṣu | vṛtra-han | pari | stotāraḥ | āsate
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables each
Long, flowing cadence suited to imagery of waters and streaming clarification.
Encourages sustained breath and an even, widening attention; supports a felt sense of ‘gathering’ and ‘descent’ around a central power.
- su-tāvantaḥ
- Literal: those who have pressed (Soma) well. Symbolic: practitioners who extract and offer the essence of experience as delight and aspiration
- āpaḥ
- Literal: waters. Symbolic: currents of consciousness, flowing movements of the being
- vṛkta-barhiṣaḥ
- Literal: with strewn grass-seat prepared. Symbolic: a prepared inner foundation/receptivity for the descent (inner altar)
- pavitra
- Literal: filter/strainer. Symbolic: discriminating purification that clarifies thoughts, emotions, impulses
- prasravaṇa
- Literal: outflowings/streams. Symbolic: released channels of clarified energy and inspiration
- vṛtrahan
- Literal: slayer of Vṛtra. Symbolic: power that breaks the inner obstruction/covering
Soma-pressing setting: singers seated around the clarified Soma outflows, inviting Indra to partake and act
During Soma libations and Indra-stotras/śastras where the filtered Soma is offered.
Pressing, filtering (pavitra), offering; seated recitation/praise around the altar.
Use as a pre-meditation invocation before ‘inner purification’ practice—mentally offer the day’s mixed movements into a ‘filter’ of discernment and aspiration, then invite decisive clarity.
pavitra- ‘filter’ from √pū ‘purify’ → the principle of clarification; psychologically the discriminating sieve that makes Soma (delight/essence) fit for the gods. prasravaṇa- ‘outflow’ from pra- + √sru ‘flow’ → streams of clarified essence. barhis (strewn grass) as a symbol of prepared foundation/receptivity. vr̥trahan repeats the core function: remover of obstruction.
purification (pū/pavitra), ṛta as clarified flow, collective aspiration (stotāraḥ pari āsate)
Indra’s vṛtra-slaying restores ṛta by reopening blocked flows of consciousness/energy.
Purified ‘waters’ symbolize movements aligned to truth rather than mixture and distortion.
Release of the waters/streams as a recurring cosmogonic act—order emerges when obstruction is broken.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) psychological cosmology: gods as powers of consciousness.
Waters = mind-life currents; filter = viveka/discernment; outflowings = inspired, clarified expression and action once resistance is removed.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘clarified Soma’ as a medium of divine descent: the singers sit by the filter-outflows awaiting Indra. Innerly, purified currents of delight are prepared so the force that slays obstruction may enter a clarified consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sru ‘flow’ is Indo-European (cf. English ‘stream’ is not cognate, but PIE *sreu- ‘flow’ appears in many branches). The ritual-physical ‘flow’ becomes a cognitive metaphor: flow of essence/awareness, typical of early Indo-European poetics.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The singers prepare Soma and the seat (receptivity) and position themselves at the ‘outflows’—a posture of readiness. Indra’s reciprocity is expected as presence and empowering action once the offering is clarified.
‘Inner filtration’: offer thoughts/impulses into a clear witnessing discernment and invite illumined decision (Indra) to break inertia.
ājñā (illumined mind)
nadi-śodhana (alternate-nostril) or slow equal breathing to ‘clarify the waters’.
Collected, clarified, receptive expectancy (descent-ready).
Begin with a brief inner offering (Soma-pressing as extracting the essence of experience). Visualize a luminous filter at the brow; let mixed movements pass through and emerge clear; then call Indra’s decisive light to act on the remaining knot of resistance.
Use standard Rigvedic three-tone contour (udātta/anudātta/svarita) as per śākhā; preserve udātta on key vocatives like ‘vṛtrahan’.
Keep clear stress on long compounds: vṛ́kta-barhiṣaḥ, pavítrasya, prasrávaṇeṣu, vṛtrahán.
vayaṃ gha: nasalize ‘-aṃ’; ‘gha’ lightly aspirated, pavitra: short ‘a’, crisp ‘v’, prasravaṇeṣu: retroflex ‘ṇ’, ‘eṣu’ with ś sound, vṛtrahan: vocalic ṛ in vṛ-; do not over-roll ‘r’
Clear, steady, slightly invoking (not dramatic); let the cadence ‘flow’ like water.
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