Rig Veda 8.64.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 64, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.64
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Raudra (fury)
पदा पणीँरराधसो नि बाधस्व महाँ असि । नहि त्वा कश्चन प्रति ॥
padā́ paṇī́ṁr arā́dhaso ní bādhasva mahā́ṁ asi | náhi tvā́ káś caná práti ||
నీ పాదప్రహారంతో పణులను—సమృద్ధిని నిరాకరించువారిని—క్రిందకు నొక్కి అణచివేయి; ఎందుకంటే నీవు మహానివి. నీకు ప్రతిగా ఎవరూ నిలువలేరు.
Word by Word
- पदा
- with the foot/stepNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole करणRoot पद् (प्रातिपदिक: पद-)
- पणीन्
- the Paṇis (niggardly demons/hoarders)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पणि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अराधसः
- unhelpful, ungenerousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (पणीन् इति विशेषणम्)Role कर्मRoot अ-राधस् (प्रातिपदिक; नकारार्थक उपसर्ग अ- + राधस् ‘उपकार/दान/अनुग्रह’)
- नि
- down, away (intensifying)Indeclinableउपसर्गः (बाधस्व इत्यस्य)Root नि (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- बाधस्व
- drive away!, repel!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole (आज्ञा) क्रियाRoot बाध् (धातु)
- महान्
- greatAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (असि इत्यस्य कर्ता/विशेषणम्)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)
- नहि
- for/indeed not; surely notIndeclinableनिषेध/हेतौ निपातःRoot नहि (निपात)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- कश्चन
- anyone (at all)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (निपात)
- प्रति
- against, in opposition toIndeclinableअव्यय; ‘against/towards’ अर्थेRoot प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
Sandhi Notes
- प॒दा प॒णीँर॑रा॒धसो॒ → पदा + पणीन् + अराधसः (पणीन् इत्यस्य -न् + अराधसः इत्यस्य अ- संधौ ‘न्’ परे स्वरादौ ‘र्’ (नकारस्य रुत्व) इति वैदिक-संधिः; पाठे ‘पणीँर्’)
- नि बा॑धस्व → नि + बाधस्व (उपसर्गयोगः)
- म॒हाँ अ॑सि → महान् + असि (न् + अ → न् अ, संधिः न लुप्यते; पदपाठे पृथक्)
- न॒हि त्वा॒ कश्च॒न प्रति॑ → नहि + त्वा + कश्चन + प्रति (संधि-विशेषः न)
The meaning
Outer meaning
With your step drive down the Paṇis, the deniers of plenitude; for you are vast. None at all can stand against you.
Inner meaning
Indra’s ‘step’ is the decisive advance of illumined consciousness into the lower or concealed parts. The Paṇis are the hoarding, bargaining forces—inner misers of consciousness—that deny rādhah (plenitude) and keep the ‘cows’ (rays of knowledge) hidden. When Indra’s wideness (mahān) acts, these denying impulses are pressed down; no resistance can finally stand against the true luminous power.
Universal truth
When the higher consciousness advances decisively, the inner forces of denial and hoarding collapse; wideness and truth are inherently stronger than obstruction.
Themes
Paṇi conflict, repulsion of obstruction, Indra’s supremacy
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.64.1, RV 10.108 (Paṇis and Saramā dialogue; thematic link)
Family tradition
Angirasa-like mythic psychology: Paṇis as deniers/hoarders of light; Indra as breaker and recoverer.
Significance
A direct mantra for overcoming inner miserliness and denial—restoring the free flow of energy, joy, and knowledge.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Mahān (vast), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Adrivaḥ (vajra-bearer)
- Related deities
- Saramā (finder of the cows, in Paṇi myth), Bṛhaspati (breaker of the cave), Agni
Cosmic role
Expands the worlds, breaks confinements, compels the hoarders to yield the hidden riches of light and power.
Inner power
Wideness and decisive pressure of illumination; ability to subdue bargaining ego and release inner wealth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra victory/protection recitation; Paṇi-motif hymns often align with recovery of wealth in ritual symbolism
प॒दा प॒णीँर॑रा॒धसो॒ नि बा॑धस्व म॒हाँ अ॑सि । न॒हि त्वा॒ कश्च॒न प्रति॑ ॥
प॒दा । प॒णी॑न् । अ॒रा॒धसः॑ । नि । बा॒ध॒स्व॒ । म॒हान् । अ॒सि॒ । न॒हि । त्वा॒ । कः । च॒न । प्रति॑ ॥
padā | paṇīn | arādhasaḥ | ni | bādhasva | mahān | asi | nahi | tvā | kaḥ | cana | prati
44
4 pādas (approx. 11 syllables each, inferred)
Heavy, downward-driving rhythm (ni bādhasva), followed by expansive assertion (mahān asi).
Grounding and forceful; creates a felt ‘pressing down’ of resistance and an opening into wideness.
- पदा (padā)
- Literal: by the foot/step. Symbolic: decisive advance; downward pressure of higher consciousness into the subconscient
- पणीन् (paṇīn)
- Literal: Paṇis (traders/hoarders). Symbolic: inner misers and deniers: egoistic bargaining, hoarding of energy/knowledge, refusal of sacrifice
- अराधसः (arādhasaḥ)
- Literal: without rādhah; lacking plenitude. Symbolic: forces that block fullness and joy; impoverishing tendencies
- नि बाधस्व (ni bādhasva)
- Literal: press down/drive down. Symbolic: subjugate and silence resistance; bring denial under control
- महान् (mahān)
- Literal: vast/great. Symbolic: wideness of Indra-consciousness; expansive mind-force
- नहि त्वा कश्चन प्रति (nahi tvā kaś cana prati)
- in the long run no obscurity can withstand persistent illumination
Indra invoked for repelling hostile powers (Paṇis) and removing obstruction to gifts; common in victory/protection frames in Soma ritual.
When seeking removal of obstacles to prosperity/force; in contexts of asserting Indra’s supremacy
Imperative command to Indra to subdue deniers; affirmation of his unmatched power
Use when facing scarcity-consciousness, procrastination, or self-sabotage: chant as a ‘step of wideness’ to press down the inner miser.
paṇi- in RV: miser/hoarder (mythic adversary who withholds cows/light); psychologically, the withholding tendency in the vital. arā́dhas- a- ‘not’ + rā́dhas ‘plenitude’. √bādh ‘press, repel’ (possibly related to IE *bheydh- ‘compel’). padá- ‘step/foot’ (PIE *ped-).
removal of withholding/denial, vastness of divine force (mahān)
Paṇis represent anti-ṛta tendencies (hoarding, denial); Indra restores right circulation of riches in the being.
Affirmation that no force can stand against truth-illumination when it is invoked and sustained.
Release of concealed plenitude by breaking the ‘cave’ of denial; expansion as a creative act.
Vedic integral psychology: transformation by widening and decisive force rather than repression or moralism.
Stride = descent/advance of higher consciousness; pressing down = mastery over lower impulses and subconscient habits.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Paṇi mythologem: adversaries who withhold the ‘wealth’ (rādhas), i.e., light/knowledge and plenitude. Indra’s step subdues them—symbolizing a decisive advance that breaks the psychology of denial and hoarding.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- padá- ‘foot/step’ continues PIE *ped-. The negation-plus-noun formation arā́dhas- parallels old IE privative compounding. The absolute denial construction ‘náhi … káś caná’ is a strong Vedic idiom of total negation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to Indra’s vastness as guarantee of victory: the devotee’s need is liberation from forces that refuse the soul’s increase. The devatā is invoked as the irresistible step of progress that no internal opposition can withstand.
Invoke the ‘stride’ of wideness: feel Indra-step entering the tight places of the psyche; press down bargaining/denial; open into vastness.
Muladhara/Manipura (pressure and mastery) opening into Ajna (wideness of light)
Exhale firmly on ‘ni bādhasva’; then inhale spaciously on ‘mahān asi’.
Strong, expansive, obstacle-free confidence.
Identify a Paṇi-pattern (hoarding attention, withholding goodwill, scarcity thinking). On each repetition, feel a calm, vast pressure that subdues it—then consciously give or open (release the ‘hidden wealth’).
Mixed Vedic accents (udātta/anudātta/svarita) per śākhā; not specified here.
Make ‘padā’ a firm onset; emphasize the downward command ‘ni bādhasva’; broaden tone on ‘mahān asi’; end with a confident, level cadence.
(padā): dental ‘d’, long ‘ā’, (paṇīn): retroflex ‘ṇ’, long ‘ī’, (arādhasaḥ): long ‘ā’; aspirate ‘dh’, (ni bādhasva): ‘dh’ aspirated; ‘sv’ cluster clean, (mahān): long ‘ā’, final ‘n’ lightly nasalized, (kaś cana): palatal ‘ś’, clear separation if chanted padapāṭha-wise
Firm, grounded, authoritative; expand resonance on mahān.
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