Rig Veda 8.20.7: Mandala 8, Sukta 20, Mantra 7
Sukta 8.20
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Devata
- Maruts
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
स्वधामनु श्रियं नरो महि त्वेषा अमवन्तो वृषप्सवः । वहन्ते अह्रुतप्सवः ॥
svadhā́m ánu śríyaṃ nárō máhi tveṣā́ amá-vanto vṛ́ṣa-psavaḥ | váhante áhruta-psavaḥ ||
เหล่าวีรชนดำเนินตามกฎแห่งพลังของตน (svadhā) แบกไว้ซึ่งศรีอันยิ่งใหญ่ (śrī): พลุ่งพล่าน เร่าร้อน เปี่ยมกำลัง ถูกแรงขับแห่งพฤษภาเร่งเร้าให้แล่นไป. เขาทั้งหลายพามันก้าวต่อไปไม่ขาดสาย แรงผลักดันไม่สะดุด—ค้ำจุนขบวนแห่งชัยชนะภายใน.
Word by Word
- स्वधाम्
- (their) own power / स्वधाNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनु
- along, according to, followingIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अनु
- श्रियम्
- splendour, prosperityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
- नरः
- men, heroesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक)
- महि
- greatly, mightilyIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot महि
- त्वेषाः
- fierce, impetuousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (नरः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot त्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
- अमवन्तः
- strong, vigorousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (नरः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot अमवत् (प्रातिपदिक; अम + -वत्)
- वृषप्सवः
- bull-like/strong in impulse (epithet)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (नरः इति विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वृषप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; वृष + प्सु)
- वहन्ते
- they carry / they bear / they conveyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √वह् (वहति)
- अह्रुतप्सवः
- with unbroken/undiminished impulse (epithet)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (कर्तरि; वहन्ते इत्यस्य कर्तारः)Role KartāRoot अह्रुतप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; अ-ह्रुत + प्सु)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: स्वधाम् | अनु | श्रियम् | नरः | महि | त्वेषाः | अमवन्तः | वृषप्सवः | वहन्ते | अह्रुतप्सवः । Sandhi: (1) स्वधाम् + अनु → स्वधामनु (म् + अ = म्-अनु, लेखने ‘मनु’)
- (2) अन्यत्र स्पष्ट संधि-परिवर्तनं न
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Marut-heroes, moving according to their own inherent power-law, bear forward a great splendour; impetuous and strong, driven by a bull-like force, their impulsions are unbroken as they carry it onward.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are the dynamic life-powers (prāṇic-mental forces) that obey svadhā—an inner, self-born law of the soul-nature rather than external compulsion. When aligned to that law, they carry śrī (luminous fullness, victory-splendour) steadily forward. Their ‘bull-impulse’ is the irresistible surge of awakened force that does not relapse into inertia; it sustains the onward march of inner conquest against resistance.
Universal truth
When our energies follow the soul’s native law (svadhā), power becomes luminous and constructive; sustained right-impulsion carries consciousness forward without fracture or backsliding.
Themes
sustained-force, radiance, inner-law
The seer
- Rishi
- Sobharī Kāṇva
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.20.1-6, Rig Veda 8.20.8-10
Family tradition
Kāṇva seers are strongly associated with hymns of dynamic power, inner battle, and the right harnessing of life-forces for illumination.
Significance
Sobharī’s vision emphasizes disciplined dynamism: the Marut-force becomes auspicious when it follows svadhā (the soul’s rule) and carries śrī (luminous victory) forward.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- naraḥ (heroes), tveṣāḥ (impetuous), amavantaḥ (mighty), vṛṣapsavaḥ (bull-impelled)
- Related deities
- Indra, Agni, Soma, Rudra
Cosmic role
Storm-gods and companions of Indra who break stagnation, clear obstructions, and set the worlds in vigorous motion.
Inner power
Rightly-directed vital-mental energies that intensify aspiration, shatter tamas, and support the ascent toward illumination.
In ritual
Where it is used
Marut-invocation within Soma/Indra cycles (supporting the heroic advance and protection)
स्व॒धामनु॒ श्रियं॒ नरो॒ महि॑ त्वे॒षा अम॑वन्तो॒ वृष॑प्सवः । वह॑न्ते॒ अह्रु॑तप्सवः ॥
स्व॒धाम् । अनु॑ । श्रिय॑म् । नरः॑ । महि॑ । त्वे॒षाः । अम॑ऽवन्तः । वृष॑ऽप्सवः । वह॑न्ते । अह्रु॑तऽप्सवः ॥
svadhām | anu | śriyam | naraḥ | mahi | tveṣāḥ | ama-vantaḥ | vṛṣa-psavaḥ | vahante | ahruta-psavaḥ
44
4 pādas of ~11 syllables (with possible Vedic irregularities)
Driving, martial, forward-thrusting cadence
Builds momentum and steadiness of will; supports a felt ‘march’ of force in the listener.
- svadhā
- Literal: one’s own law/power, self-disposition. Symbolic: the innate soul-law that governs true growth; self-existent spiritual force
- śrī
- Literal: splendour, prosperity, beauty. Symbolic: luminous fullness of attainment; victorious radiance of consciousness
- naraḥ
- Literal: men, heroes. Symbolic: the heroic powers in us that act for the divine work
- tveṣāḥ
- Literal: impetuous, vehement. Symbolic: intensified force of tapas-driven movement
- amavantaḥ
- Literal: possessing might. Symbolic: energies filled with effective spiritual strength
- vṛṣapsavaḥ
- Literal: bull-impelled/with bull-like impulsion. Symbolic: irresistible forward-driving will-force (prāṇa under illumination)
- ahrutapsavaḥ
- Literal: with unbroken impulsions. Symbolic: continuity of effort; no fall into dispersion or doubt
Eulogy reinforcing continuity of Marut-force; used to sustain momentum in chant and inner concentration.
During offerings praising the Marut-host as allies in the winning of light and power
Calling and strengthening the Maruts to ‘carry’ the splendour of the sacrifice and its gains
Use as a mantra of sustained effort: before demanding work, sādhanā, or when rebuilding continuity after relapse.
svadhā 'one’s own power/law' (not merely 'food-offering'); śrī from √śri 'lean on, resort to; shine/prosper' → radiance/felicity. ama 'force' (cf. amavant 'mighty'). √vah 'carry' (PIE *weǵʰ- cf. Latin vehō). Psychological sense: the Marut-heroes carry śrī (radiant fullness) according to svadhā (intrinsic right power), with unbroken impulsion—ideal of sustained tapas under Rita.
Svadhā as intrinsic law of power, Śrī as radiance/fullness of being, Tapas as sustained, unbroken impulsion
svadhā functioning as an inner form of ṛta—right movement from within rather than imposed rule.
Truth is expressed as steadfast continuity of impulsion (no fracture in the movement toward the goal).
The worlds advance by sustained force carrying splendour forward—manifestation as an onward drive of light.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindonian) reading: energies become instruments of the psychic being when aligned to inner law.
Storm = awakened prāṇa; bull-force = irresistible will in life-energy; unbroken gusts = continuous aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'Marut-host as bearers of Śrī'—a procession of radiant power carried by impetuous heroes; psychologically the transport of inner splendour by sustained vital-mental energies aligned to svadhā.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √vah 'carry' continues PIE *weǵʰ- (vehō, wagon-related word-field). The heroic plural naraḥ resonates with Indo-European 'hero/men' poetic diction (cf. Greek anḗr 'man').
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- Rather than asking directly, the rishi affirms the devatā’s nature—unbroken carriers of śrī—thereby invoking that nature to manifest in the ritual/inner work as a sustained, victorious movement.
Aligning personal energy with svadhā (soul-law) so effort becomes luminous and continuous.
maṇipūra (will/drive)
ujjāyī or steady counted breathing (e.g., 4-4-6) while sensing ‘unbroken impulsion’
Dynamic concentration (tapas) with bright steadiness
Before action, inwardly ask: ‘What is my svadhā here?’ Then feel a single forward current; reject dispersion; repeat the mantra to re-establish continuity.
Vedic svara not provided; chant with a gentle udātta lift on key invocatory words (svadhām, śriyam, naraḥ) and settle on cadence at pāda ends.
Keep clear caesura after ‘naro mahi’; emphasize compound stresses in vṛṣa-psavaḥ / ahruta-psavaḥ.
svadhām: keep ‘dh’ aspirated, śriyaṃ: palatal ‘ś’, light ‘ya’ glide, vṛṣa: retroflex ‘ṣ’, psavaḥ: articulate ‘ps’ cluster cleanly, ahruta: light ‘h’, do not over-gutturalize
Bright, steady, forward-driving; avoid shouting—aim for controlled force.
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