Rig Veda 8.65.6: Mandala 8, Sukta 65, Mantra 6
Sukta 8.65
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सुतावन्तस्त्वा वयं प्रयस्वन्तो हवामहे । इदं नो बर्हिरासदे ॥
sutā́vantastvā vayáṃ práyasvanto havāmahe | idáṃ no bárhir āsáde ||
พวกเราผู้คั้นโสมะแล้ว และเตรียมพลังแห่งเครื่องบูชาไว้ เรียกเชิญท่าน: จงเสด็จมา ประทับบนบัรหิส (barhis) อันศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ของเรา
Word by Word
- सुतावन्तः
- having Soma pressed; Soma-possessingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सुत- (√सु ‘to press/express Soma’) + -वत् (possessive)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (2nd person pronoun)
- वयम्
- wePronounप्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (1st person pronoun)
- प्रयस्वन्तः
- having offerings/gifts; bringing refreshmentAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot प्रयस्- (n. ‘refreshment, gift, offering’) + -वत् (possessive)
- हवामहे
- we invoke/callVerbलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √ह्वे (ह्वयति/ह्वयते) ‘to call, invoke’
- इदम्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (demonstrative pronoun)
- नः
- of us/ourPronounषष्ठी (gen.), बहुवचन (enclitic form)Role सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (enclitic)
- बर्हिः
- the sacrificial grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot बर्हिस्- (n.) ‘sacrificial grass, barhis’
- आसदे
- sit down upon; take your seatVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot आ-√सद् ‘to sit down upon/approach’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सुतावन्तः त्वा वयम् प्रयस्वन्तः हवामहे । इदम् नः बर्हिः आसदे ॥ 1) सुतावन्तस् + त्वा → सुतावन्तस्त्वा (स् + त् संयोग)
- 2) बर्हिः + आसदे → बर्हिरासदे (विसर्गस्य रुत्व/रेफादेशः: ः + आ → र् + आ)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Soma-pressers with offerings prepared invoke Indra to come and sit on the barhis (sacred grass-seat) for the rite.
Inner meaning
The seeker who has extracted the Soma (inner delight) and readied the prayaḥ (offering-force: gathered energies, aspiration, and disciplined works) calls Indra, the illumined Mind, to take his seat within the consciousness. The “barhis” becomes the broadened, purified foundation of the being (a prepared inner altar) where the higher Light can descend and establish order in the sacrifice of self-transformation.
Universal truth
When aspiration and inner preparation are complete, the power of illumination naturally “takes its seat” in the prepared field of consciousness; spiritual realization depends not only on calling the Light but on making in oneself a stable, widened ground for it to abide.
Themes
ritual readiness, invitation to seat, Soma offering, inner receptivity
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.65.1-10 (context hymn to Indra), Rig Veda Book 8 Indra hymns (Kāṇva corpus, broadly)
Family tradition
Book 8 contains many hymns associated with the Kāṇvas; this sūkta’s style aligns with Indra-invocation typical of that tradition, though the specific seer-name is not preserved in the supplied data.
Significance
The anonymity highlights a universal yogic posture: the mantra speaks from the collective adhvaryu/inner-priest function in the seeker—preparation, invocation, and the seating of illumination in the heart-mind.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Maghavan (bountiful), Vṛtrahan (slayer of the Coverer), Purandara (breaker of obstacles/fortresses), Śatakratu (of a hundred powers/works)
- Related deities
- Agni, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Uṣas, Maruts
Cosmic role
Bearer of the luminous Mind-force that releases the waters/cows (truths, powers) by breaking the obstructing darkness; establisher of victorious order in the human ascent.
Inner power
The decisive, clarifying intelligence that organizes energies, pierces confusion, and installs a higher law (ṛta) in the mental-vital nature.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma-yajña / Indra-savana (general Indra-invocation with Soma pressed)
सु॒ताव॑न्तस्त्वा व॒यं प्रय॑स्वन्तो हवामहे । इ॒दं नो॑ ब॒र्हिरा॒सदे॑ ॥
सु॒तऽव॑न्तः । त्वा॒ । व॒यम् । प्रय॑स्वन्तः । ह॒वा॒म॒हे॒ । इ॒दम् । नः॒ । ब॒र्हिः । आ॒ऽसदे॑ ॥
suta-vantaḥ | tvā | vayam | prayasvantaḥ | havāmahe | idam | naḥ | barhi ḥ | āsade
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (common in Book 8 invocatory verses)
Compact, summoning cadence; quick turns suited to invitation and seating of the deity.
Creates a firm, stable “seat” in the listener—an inward settling and readiness for descent of clarity.
- sutāvantas
- Literal: having pressed (Soma). Symbolic: those who have extracted inner delight/essence through tapas and discernment
- prayasvantaḥ
- Literal: possessing prayaḥ (offering/oblation, food, vigor). Symbolic: having gathered and organized the energies of will, work, and aspiration as an offering-force
- havāmahe
- Literal: we call/invoke. Symbolic: the deliberate inner invocation that opens the being to descent
- barhiḥ
- Literal: sacrificial grass-seat. Symbolic: the widened, purified base of consciousness; a prepared inner seat for the divine presence
- āsade (ā-sad)
- Literal: sit down, take a seat. Symbolic: establish, inhabit, and govern the inner rite from within
Invitation to the barhis (deity-seat) in Soma sacrifice; standard āvāhana + āsana formula.
At Soma pressing and offering moments; invitatory usage to welcome Indra to the barhis.
Pressing Soma; laying barhis; calling Indra to sit and receive offering.
Before meditation: brief inner preparation (breath + recollection of aspiration), then invocation for the illumined mind to ‘sit’ in the heart-mind and govern the practice.
suta-vant ‘endowed with pressed Soma’ (√su in Soma pressing sense) denotes readiness of delight. prayas ‘offering’ from pra-√yā/√yas? (Vedic prayas as ‘food/oblation’), psychologically the prepared energy of self-giving. barhis ‘sacrificial grass’ functions as a ritual ‘seat’ and symbolically as a broadened receptive base (bṛh/bṛhat semantic field of expansion is conceptually adjacent). √sad ‘sit’ with ā- indicates the deity’s establishment/presence.
preparedness (suta-vant, prayas-vant), receptive foundation (barhis), indwelling of the divine power (āsana)
Indra is invited to establish ordered action in the sacrifice; barhis symbolizes the ordered foundation where ṛta can seat itself.
The call is for a stable presence of truth-consciousness rather than a passing inspiration.
Descent of higher power into prepared field; manifestation through receptivity and ordered offering.
Proto-Vedāntic / Integral-Vedic (Aurobindonian): ascent by offering and descent by illumination.
Soma = bliss-essence; barhis = broadened receptive consciousness; pressing = inner churning that extracts delight and truth from experience.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The enthronement/installation motif: the invited god is asked to ‘sit’ on the barhis, marking presence and readiness to receive offerings. Innerly: establishing Indra’s force in the widened receptive base of consciousness.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sad ‘sit’ reflects PIE *sed- ‘sit’ (Latin sedeō, English sit). √hū ‘call’ is Indo-Iranian with functional parallels in Avestan invocation vocabulary. The -vant possessive adjective is an Indo-Aryan productive morphology for ‘endowed with’.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes qualification: ‘we have prepared Soma and offering’. The devatā is then requested to take a seat—i.e., to become operative. Reciprocity is formalized: preparation and invocation from humans; presence and power from Indra.
Invite the illumined mind (Indra) to take a stable seat in the consciousness after preparing aspiration and inner offering.
Anahata (heart-seat of receptivity) and Ajna (illumined mind)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 7 cycles; on exhale, inwardly ‘lay the barhis’ (widen the inner field).
Receptive poise with alert clarity; a settled inner altar.
Begin with remembrance of aspiration (prayaḥ), feel the mind widen (barhis), then silently invoke Indra to ‘sit’—allow thoughts to align under a single luminous intention.
Notated svaras not provided; chant in a steady Vedic recitation contour with clear udatta emphasis on invocatory verbs (havāmahe) and the seating command (āsade).
Sustain the long vowels (ā in tvā, āsade); keep consonant clusters light; avoid over-stressing particles (idam, naḥ).
sutāvantas: keep 'tā' long; dental 't', prayasvantaḥ: clear 'ya' glide; final ḥ lightly aspirated, havāmahe: 'vā' long; 'he' short, clean, barhiḥ: lightly roll/flip 'r'; final ḥ audible but soft, āsade: initial ā long; 'sa' dental s
Clear, inviting, steady; end with a gentle downward repose on āsade.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
