Rig Veda 8.45.31: Mandala 8, Sukta 45, Mantra 31
Sukta 8.45
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion) and Shanta (peace)
यद्दधिषे मनस्यसि मन्दानः प्रेदियक्षसि । मा तत्करिन्द्र मृळय ॥
yád dadhíṣe manasyási mandānáḥ prá id iyákṣasi | mā tát kar indra mṛḷáya ||
สิ่งใดก็ตามที่ท่านวางไว้ในใจของท่าน โอ้ อินทระ เมื่อปลาบปลื้มเมามัน ท่านก็เร่งรุดไปเพื่อให้สำเร็จ; ขออย่าให้สิ่งนั้นเป็นเหตุทำร้ายพวกเรา—โปรดเมตตา ปลอบประโลมและเยียวยาเถิด.
Word by Word
- यत्
- when / that whichIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/यद्-तद्-सम्बन्धे अव्यय (नपुंसकलिङ्ग एकवचन रूपं ‘यत्’ इव) — ‘यदा/यत्’ = ‘when/that which’Role Adhikaraṇa (काल/सम्बन्ध-निर्देश) / सम्बन्धसूचकRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) अथवा यद्-सम्बन्धी अव्यय
- दधिषे
- you place / you setVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — ‘(त्वं) दधिषे’ = ‘you place/put (for yourself)’Role Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया) — कर्ता: त्वम् (इन्द्र)Root धा (धातु) — (वेद. ‘दधि-’ पुनरुक्त/अभ्यास-रूप)
- मनसि
- in (your) mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (आधार/अधिकरण) — ‘in the mind’Root मनस् (नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
- असि
- you areVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole Kriyā (सहायक क्रिया) — कर्ता: त्वम्Root अस् (धातु) ‘to be’
- मदानः
- rejoicing / exhilaratedAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शानच् — ‘rejoicing/intoxicated’Role Kartā-विशेषण (कर्तृविशेषण) — इन्द्रस्यRoot मद् (धातु) → ‘मद’ (उन्माद/हर्ष) + शानच् (वेद. -आन) कृदन्त
- प्र
- forth / forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole Kriyā-विशेषक (प्रवृत्ति/प्रागर्थ) — ‘forth’Root प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- इयक्षसि
- you worship / you perform sacrificeVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — वेद. रूप ‘इयक्षसि’ = ‘you worship/you sacrifice’Role Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया) — कर्ता: त्वम् (इन्द्र)Root यज् (धातु) ‘to worship/sacrifice’ (वेद. इ-आगम/इयक्ष- रूप)
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय; सामान्यतः लोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगेषु ‘do not’Role Kriyā-निषेधकRoot मा (निषेध-अव्यय)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (कर्म) — ‘that (deed/act)’Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- करि
- do (not do)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — वेद. संक्षिप्त/आर्ष रूप ‘करि’ = ‘do!’; निषेध ‘मा’ सह = ‘do not do’Role Kriyā (आज्ञा/निषेध) — कर्ता: त्वम् (इन्द्र)Root कृ (धातु) ‘to do/make’
- इन्द्र
- O IndraNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- मृळय
- be gracious / show mercyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘be gracious/forgive’Role Kriyā (आज्ञा/प्रार्थना) — कर्ता: त्वम् (इन्द्र)Root मृळ्/मृड् (धातु) ‘to be gracious, to show mercy’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: यत् | दधिषे | मनसि | असि | मदानः | प्र | इयक्षसि | मा | तत् | करि | इन्द्र | मृळय । (1) ‘यद्दधिषे’ = ‘यत् + दधिषे’ (त् + द → द्द)
- (2) ‘मनस्यसि’ = ‘मनसि + असि’ (इ + अ → य्-अगमः: -स्य-)
- (3) ‘प्रेदियक्षसि’ = ‘प्र + इयक्षसि’ (अव्यय ‘प्र’ + स्वरादि ‘इ-’ → ‘प्रे-’)
- (4) ‘तत्करि’ = ‘तत् + करि’ (त् + क → त्क)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Whatever intention Indra sets in his mind, exhilarated he moves forward to accomplish it; may that not harm us—be gracious and healing.
Inner meaning
When the illumined Power (Indra) is ‘intoxicated’ with Soma—i.e., filled with divine Ananda-force—it acts swiftly and irresistibly. The human being prays that this force operate as grace, not as a crushing corrective: let the transforming light heal our nature rather than strike it down.
Universal truth
Spiritual power is immense; we ask that it work in us as compassionate transformation—strength that heals, not violence that breaks the instrument.
Themes
protection-prayer, right-direction-of-force, Indra-psychological
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.45.30, Rig Veda 8.45.32, Rig Veda 8.45.33, Rig Veda 8.45.34
Significance
The seer speaks from humility before the descending Force: aspiration for protection and right measure during inner change.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan, Vṛtrahan, Śūra, Soma-pā (Soma-drinker)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts
Cosmic role
Executes the divine intention in the manifested worlds; leads the battle for light.
Inner power
Dynamic intelligence-will that can rapidly reconfigure the mind and life when filled with Ananda (Soma).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise with Soma association; protective prayer within hymn sequence
यद्द॑धि॒षे म॑न॒स्यसि॑ मन्दा॒नः प्रेदिय॑क्षसि । मा तत्क॑रिन्द्र मृ॒ळय॑ ॥
यत् । द॒धि॒षे । म॒न॒स्यसि॑ । म॒न्दा॒नः । प्र । इत् । इय॑क्षसि । मा । तत् । कः॒ । इ॒न्द्र॒ । मृ॒ळय॑ ॥
yat | dadhiṣe | manasyasi | mandānaḥ | pra | it | iyakṣasi | mā | tat | kaḥ | indra | mṛḷaya
44
4×11 (approx.)
Urgent forward surge, then a softening cadence in the plea ‘mṛḻaya’.
Invokes power, then turns it into prayerful surrender—useful for balancing intensity with receptivity.
- मनस् (manas) / मनस्यसि (manasyasi)
- Literal: mind; you think/intent. Symbolic: divine intention-forming intelligence; the will of illumination
- मन्दानः (mandānaḥ)
- Literal: exhilarated, gladdened (often by Soma). Symbolic: power filled with divine delight that energizes action
- प्रेदियक्षसि (pred iyakṣasi)
- Literal: you press forward to reach/attain. Symbolic: irresistible forward movement of higher will toward realization
- मृळय (mṛḻaya)
- Literal: be gracious, soothe, heal. Symbolic: Indra’s benevolent action: pacifying, integrating, restoring the being under transformation
Soma-related praise/prayer context typical of Indra hymns; applicable to invocations for protection and right use of force in Soma offerings (general Shrauta Soma setting).
When invoking Indra’s aid and also seeking protection from excessive force (inner/outer)
Stotra plus śānti-like petition for well-being
Recite before intense practice/work: ‘Let the power that moves me be benevolent and integrative.’
dadhíṣe: √dhā 'to place, set' (2nd sg. middle/perfective sense); manasyási: locative of manas 'mind' (mental field). mandānáḥ: from √mand 'to rejoice, be glad, be exhilarated' (esp. Soma-rapture). iyákṣasi: desiderative/intentive nuance from √yaj/√yakṣ (Vedic: 'to strive/seek to reach, attempt to gain'); mṛḷáya: causative/imperative from √mṛḷ 'to be gracious, to soothe'. The prayer frames Indra’s forward-driving power as needing harmonization with the human vessel.
Ṛta (right ordering of force), inner discipline of will, healing/grace (mṛḷā)
True power must serve ṛta—right measure and right effect in the human vessel.
Divine intention is effective; the prayer aligns personal safety with truth’s action.
Descent of force into the human instrument; need for harmonization.
Integral-yogic reading: transformation requires both force and grace.
Soma = bliss-force energizing the divine mind; forward surge = evolutionary push of consciousness.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Not an outer Vṛtra-slaying scene but the mythic pattern of Indra’s irresistible forward-drive (pra…iyakṣasi) that must be aligned to Ṛta: the same conquering power that breaks obstacles can, if untempered, strike the imperfect human formation; hence the plea for mṛḷā (grace/healing).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā (dadhíṣe) continues PIE *dʰeh₁- 'to put, place' (cf. Gk. τίθημι, Lat. faciō via different root; Eng. 'do' not cognate). manas relates to PIE *men- 'to think' (cf. Lat. mens, Eng. mind). The semantic pairing of *men- (thought) with a placing/setting verb encodes 'fixing intention' as a cognitive act.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The speaker approaches Indra as an intimate power within—acknowledging Indra’s autonomous impetus (the god’s own resolve) while negotiating a reciprocal harmony: the human offers recognition and right address, and asks Indra to convert sheer force into beneficent protection and restoration (mṛḷaya).
Align personal intention with higher intention; invite force as healing grace.
Anāhata (heart) for ‘mṛḻaya’ (grace) balancing Ājñā (directive will).
Inhale: feel ‘divine intent’ gathering in brow; exhale: release into heart with the word mṛḻaya.
Surrendered strength—power held in compassion.
Before action, offer your plan inwardly: ‘If this is the divine intent, let it proceed; if not, let it dissolve—be gracious and heal what is misaligned.’
Not fully determinable from provided text alone; keep a gentle downward resolution on mṛḻaya.
Phrase the first half as one surge (yad…iyakṣasi), second half as a protective appeal (mā…mṛḻaya).
dadhiṣe: aspirate dh; short i in -ṣi, manasyasi: clear -sya- cluster, mandānaḥ: long ā; final ḥ light, iyakṣasi: kṣ as a conjunct (k+ṣ), mṛḻaya: retroflex ḻ (Vedic) approximated as ‘ḷ’; keep ṛ as syllabic
Start firm, end soft and soothing.
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