Rig Veda 8.51.5: Mandala 8, Sukta 51, Mantra 5
Sukta 8.51
- Rishi
- Kanva tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Jagatī/Tr̥ṣṭubh probable
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
यो नो दाता वसूनामिन्द्रं तं हूमहे वयम् । विद्मा ह्यस्य सुमतिं नवीयसीं गमेम गोमति व्रजे ॥
yó no dātā́ vasū́nām índraṃ táṃ hū́mahe vayám | vidmā́ hy asya sumatíṃ navī́yasīṃ gaméma gómatī vrajé ||
మాకు వసువుల (ధనసంపదల) దాత అయిన ఆ ఇంద్రుని మేము ఆహ్వానిస్తున్నాము. ఎందుకంటే అతని సదా-నవీన సుమతి (సద్బుద్ధి) మాకు తెలిసినది; గో-సంపదతో నిండిన వ్రజం (గోధామం/గోశాల) మేము చేరుదుము గాక.
Word by Word
- यः
- who (he who)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- to us / for usPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दाता
- giverNoun (agent) / Epithetपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot दा (धातु) → दातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- वसूनाम्
- of goods/wealthes (treasures)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- हूमहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमाने), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root हू (धातु)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- विद्म
- we knowVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट; ‘we know’), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root विद् (धातु)
- हि
- for / indeedIndeclinableनिपातःRole (सम्बन्ध/हेतु)Root हि (निपात)
- अस्य
- of himPronounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमतिम्
- good thought/favorNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot सु- + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवीयसीम्
- newer, ever-freshAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (सुमतिम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot नव (प्रातिपदिक) → नवीयस (तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक)
- गमेम
- may we go/attainVerbविधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् (इच्छा/प्रार्थना), उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role (क्रिया)Root गम् (धातु)
- गोमति
- in/into the cattle-richAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (व्रजे इति विशेषणम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गोमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्रजे
- pen/enclosure; fold (settlement)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot व्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यः नः दाता वसूनाम् इन्द्रम् तम् हूमहे वयम् । विद्म हि अस्य सुमतिम् नवीयसीम् गमेम गोमति व्रजे ॥ Sandhi: (1) नो॑ = नः (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम) । (2) विद्मा = विद्म + आ (प्लुत/पादपूरण-आ; संहितायां दीर्घः) । (3) ह्यस्य = हि + अस्य (इ → य्) ।
- ‘गोमति व्रजे’ सप्तमी-समासार्थः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
We call Indra, our giver of riches. We know his ever-new benevolent intention; may we reach the cow-rich pen/enclosure.
Inner meaning
‘Vasūnām dātā’ is not merely material wealth but the essential riches of consciousness—clarity, force, joy, right action. Indra’s sumati (right-minded guidance) is ‘navīyasī’—ever-renewing, not a fixed doctrine. ‘Gomati vraja’ is the luminous enclosure where the ‘cows’ (go) are rays of knowledge gathered and protected—an inner state of plenitude where insights are stable and usable.
Universal truth
True prosperity is alignment with higher intelligence and its ever-fresh guidance; when we live by that guidance, we enter a stable abundance of knowledge and capacity.
Themes
invocation, boon-seeking, knowledge-light symbolism, prosperity as spiritual plenitude
The seer
- Rishi
- Kāṇva tradition (probable for RV 8.51); individual seer uncertain
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.51 (hymn context)
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often seek the ‘go’ (rays) and ‘vraja’ (luminous holding) through Indra’s action—release and consolidation of light.
Significance
This is a compact sādhanā-formula: call, trust the ever-new guidance, and move toward the stable seat of illumination.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan, Gopati (lord of the cows/lights; implied), Purūvasu (rich in riches; implied)
- Related deities
- Soma, Bṛhaspati, Agni
Cosmic role
Giver of the luminous riches; opener of the enclosure of light; protector of the rays.
Inner power
Right discernment that becomes practical guidance (sumati) and leads to a stable abundance of insight.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra invocation in Soma context; prayer for ‘vasu’ (riches)
यो नो॑ दा॒ता वसू॑ना॒मिन्द्रं॒ तं हू॑महे व॒यम् । वि॒द्मा ह्य॑स्य सुम॒तिं नवी॑यसीं ग॒मेम॒ गोम॑ति व्र॒जे ॥
यः । नः॒ । दा॒ता । वसू॑नाम् । इन्द्र॑म् । तम् । हू॒म॒हे॒ । व॒यम् । वि॒द्म । हि । अ॒स्य॒ । सु॒ऽम॒तिम् । नवी॑यसीम् । घ॒मेम॑ । गोऽम॑ति । व्र॒जे ॥
yaḥ | naḥ | dātā | vasūnām | indram | tam | hūmahe | vayam | vidma | hi | asya | su-matim | navīyasīm | ghamema | go--mati | vraje
44
4 × ~11 (approx.)
Invocatory and confident; balanced clauses support faith in guidance.
Creates assurance and aspiration toward a clear goal-state (gomati vraja).
- वसूना॒म् (vasūnām)
- Literal: of the riches. Symbolic: essential powers of being (light, strength, joy, harmony)
- दाता (dātā)
- Literal: giver. Symbolic: bestower of inner attainments when consciousness opens
- सुमतिम् (sumatim)
- Literal: good mind/right intention. Symbolic: divine guidance, right discernment in thought and choice
- नवीयसीम् (navīyasīm)
- Literal: newer, ever-new. Symbolic: living intuition that renews the mind beyond habit
- गोमति (gomati)
- Literal: cow-possessing. Symbolic: full of rays/illumined knowledges
- व्रजे (vraje)
- Literal: in the pen/enclosure. Symbolic: secure inner field where knowledge is gathered, ordered, and fruitful
Indra-invocation in Soma pressing/praise; also general calling for prosperity and victory in yajña.
During offerings seeking increase of prosperity/strength; also in household prayer for right guidance.
Calling Indra; offering Soma/oblations; inner act is consenting to sumati.
Use as a daily intention mantra for clarity and ‘right next step’; especially before work/study.
vasú ‘good, bright; wealth’ (semantic bridge: ‘good’ → ‘valuable’). sumatí (su + matí from √man ‘think’): right thought, luminous intention. gómat ‘cow-possessing’ from gó ‘cow; ray of light’ (Vedic polyvalence: go as light/knowledge). vrajá ‘enclosure/pen’ from √vraj ‘to go, roam’ > ‘pasture/pen’: psychologically a contained field where rays/knowledges are gathered and protected.
renewing guidance (navīyasī sumati), recovery of light/knowledge (go), R̥ta-guided thought (sumati as alignment)
Sumati is the mind’s alignment with Ṛta—right movement that leads to right result.
The ‘gomati’ state is truth-filled cognition (rays of satya).
Release and gathering of light—knowledge organized into a stable order (vraja).
Yoga of illumination (Aurobindonian): Indra as higher mind guiding toward knowledge-plenitude.
dawn (suggested by rays)
The ‘pen of cows’ is the inner dawn-field where scattered insights collect into a coherent, nourishing light.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘cows in the pen’ as recovered rays of light/knowledge: the aspirants invoke Indra as giver and seek entry into the go-mat vraja, the secured store of illumination, rather than mere cattle-wealth.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √man in matí aligns with PIE *men- ‘to think’ (Lat. mens, Eng. mind). gó ‘cow’ aligns with PIE *gʷōus (Skt. go; Gk. bous; Lat. bōs). The Vedic poetic move from ‘cow’ to ‘ray/knowledge’ exemplifies inherited IE metaphorical extension.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The r̥ṣi-speaker claims experiential knowledge of Indra’s ‘ever-new’ guidance and therefore invokes him with confidence; the exchange is guidance and entry into illumination (gomat vraja) in return for the call and offering.
Receive Indra’s ‘sumati’ as a subtle rightness in thought; follow it toward a stable inner clarity.
ājñā
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale); chant on the exhale, feeling guidance descend into the brow and organize the mind.
Quiet confidence with luminous orientation.
After chanting, ask one clear question; wait for the ‘ever-new’ answer-feeling (not mental chatter). Act on the simplest truthful indication.
Ṛgvedic accents as per śākhā; notated svaras not supplied here.
Keep ‘indraṃ taṃ hūmahe’ as a clear call; slightly lengthen long vowels in ‘navīyasīm’ and ‘gomati’.
hūmahe: long ‘ū’ sustained, sumatim: dental ‘t’ (not retroflex), navīyasīm: clear long ‘ī’, gomati: pure ‘go’ (no diphthong shift), vraje: soft ‘j’ as in ‘judge’
Steady, warm, confident.
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