Rig Veda 8.70.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 70, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.70
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
इन्द्रं तं शुम्भ पुरुहन्मन्नवसे यस्य द्विता विधर्तरि । हस्ताय वज्रः प्रति धायि दर्शतो महो दिवे न सूर्यः ॥
índraṁ táṁ śumbha puru-hanmann ávase yásya dvitā́ vi-dhártarī | hástāya vájraḥ práti dhāyi darśató mahó divé ná sū́ryaḥ ||
จงประดับอินทระ (Indra) องค์นั้นเถิด โอ้ผู้พิฆาตศัตรูมาก เพื่อคุ้มครองเรา—ในสองหัตถ์ผู้ทรงค้ำจุนของพระองค์ วัชระ (vajra) แห่งอสนีบาตถูกวางไว้แล้ว. พระองค์ปรากฏแก่ตา ยิ่งใหญ่ดุจสุริยะในสวรรค์ เป็นเดชานุภาพแห่งรัศมีที่แจ่มชัด.
Word by Word
- इन्द्रम्
- Indra (as object of praise/invocation)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- him (that one)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (इन्द्रम्-विशेषण/अन्वय)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शुम्भ
- adorn / praise / make splendid!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (क्रिया) —Root शुभ् (धातु) ‘शोभने/अलङ्कारे’
- पुरुहन्मन्
- many-slayer (slayer of many)Noun (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (इन्द्रम्-विशेषण)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root पुरु-हन्मन् (बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास; प्रातिपदिक) < पुरु ‘बहु’ + हन्मन् ‘हन्तृ/वधक-स्वभाव’
- अवसे
- for help / for protectionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अवस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘रक्षा/सहायता’
- यस्य
- whoseRelative pronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्विता
- in two ways / doubly / on both sidesIndeclinableअव्ययRole अधिकारण (काल/प्रकार-अर्थे)Root द्विता (अव्यय) < द्वि ‘two’
- विधर्तरि
- in/with the supporter, the upholderNoun (agent)पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot वि-धर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) < धृ (धातु) ‘धारणे’
- हस्ताय
- to/for (his) handNounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
- वज्रः
- the thunderboltNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रति
- towards / in return / againstIndeclinableअव्ययRole (क्रियाविशेषण)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- धायि
- was placed / was setVerbलुङ् (अorist; injunctive-like Vedic usage), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि-प्रयोग (contextual: ‘was placed/was set’)Role (क्रिया) —Root धा (धातु) ‘धारणे/स्थापने’
- दर्शतः
- of the splendid/visible oneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य/वज्रस्य—सम्बन्धे)Role सम्बन्धRoot दर्शत (प्रातिपदिक) < दृश् ‘दर्शने’ (कृदन्त-विशेषण)
- महो
- great (one)/greatnessAdjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-प्रयोग; ‘great (thing)/greatness’)Role (उपमान/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध; अन्वयेन)Root महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवे
- for heaven / to the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableअव्ययRole (उपमान-सूचक)Root न (अव्यय)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/उपमान (उपमेय-तुलना)Root सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (यथासम्भवम्): इन्द्रम् | तम् | शुम्भ | पुरुहन्मन् | अवसे | यस्य | द्विता | विधर्तरि | हस्ताय | वज्रः | प्रति | धायि | दर्शतः | महो | दिवे | न | सूर्यः । विशेष: ‘वज्र॒:’ = वज्रः (विसर्ग-लेखन)
- ‘धायि’ वैदिक-लुङ्/इञ्जङ्क्टिव-सदृश प्रयोगः (धा-धातोः) — अर्थे ‘न्यधायि/अधायि’ इव ‘स्थापितः/निहितः’
- ‘दर्शतः’ षष्ठी एकवचन (दर्शत-विशेषण) सम्बन्धे ‘इन्द्रस्य’ (या ‘वज्रस्य’) इति।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Adorn/praise Indra, the slayer of many foes, for protection; in his two upholding hands the thunderbolt is set. He is visible and great like the Sun in heaven.
Inner meaning
The seeker is urged to ‘adorn’ Indra—i.e., to strengthen the illumined mind by conscious affirmation and aspiration. The ‘two hands’ are the dual powers of discernment and effective force (knowledge and will) that uphold the instrument. The vajra is the concentrated lightning of truth that cleaves falsehood. Indra becomes ‘visible’ when illumination is no longer abstract but a manifest governing presence, like an inner sun.
Universal truth
When higher intelligence is consciously cultivated, its decisive power becomes tangible in life: truth gains the force to act, not merely to be known.
Themes
Indra’s vajra, Protection (avase), Solar comparison (inner illumination)
The seer
Significance
The seer’s emphasis is experiential: Indra must become ‘darśata’—seen within. This aligns with the Aurobindonian reading of Veda as a record of inner realizations rather than external petition alone.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Puruhanman (slayer of many), Vajrin (bearer of the vajra), Darśata (visible), Mahān (great)
- Related deities
- Sūrya, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī
Cosmic role
Bearer of the lightning of truth; makes the luminous order effective in the worlds.
Inner power
Manifest illumination—clarity that protects, decides, and acts with irresistible precision.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma and protective invocations
इन्द्रं॒ तं शु॑म्भ पुरुहन्म॒न्नव॑से॒ यस्य॑ द्वि॒ता वि॑ध॒र्तरि॑ । हस्ता॑य॒ वज्र॒: प्रति॑ धायि दर्श॒तो म॒हो दि॒वे न सूर्य॑: ॥
इन्द्र॑म् । तम् । शु॒म्भ॒ । पु॒रु॒ऽह॒न्म॒न् । अव॑से । यस्य॑ । द्वि॒ता । वि॒ऽध॒र्तरि॑ । हस्ता॑य । वज्रः॑ । प्रति॑ । धा॒यि॒ । द॒र्श॒तः । म॒हः । दि॒वे । न । सूर्यः॑ ॥
indram | tam | śumbha | puru-hanman | avase | yasya | dvitā | vi-dhartari | hastāya | vajraḥ | prati | dhāyi | darśataḥ | mahaḥ | dive | na | sūryaḥ
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4 pādas (approx. 11 syllables)
Bright, declarative, with a ‘solar’ lift in the latter half.
Invokes a sense of protection and visibility—illumination felt as present and near.
- śumbha
- Literal: adorn, make splendid. Symbolic: strengthen and clarify the higher power by aspiration and praise
- puruhanman
- Literal: slayer of many. Symbolic: repeated conqueror of many inner resistances
- avase
- Literal: for protection/help. Symbolic: for safeguarding the sadhana and guiding the life-movement
- dvitā vidhartari
- Literal: in the two upholding (hands). Symbolic: dual support of knowledge and will; steadying powers in the being
- vajraḥ
- Literal: thunderbolt. Symbolic: penetrating truth-force that breaks coverings
- darśataḥ
- Literal: visible, to be seen. Symbolic: directly experienced presence of illumination
- sūryaḥ
- Literal: sun. Symbolic: inner sun of awakened consciousness
Praise to strengthen Indra’s presence at the Soma offering; used to invoke protective force and the decisive ‘vajra’ action against obstacles.
When seeking Indra’s aid/protection; often adjacent to vajra/Vṛtra themes.
Stotra recitation; offerings accompanying Indra call.
Chant before study/decision-making to call clear discernment and decisive truth-force; also for confidence before public speaking.
√śubh ‘shine, adorn’ (śumbha) = make resplendent through mantra/praise. vi-√dhṛ ‘uphold’ (vidhartari) evokes support of worlds/forces; here concretized as sustaining hands. √dhā (dhāyi) from PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘place’. vajra ‘hard, diamond/thunderbolt’ embodies irresistible force. sūrya from √svar/√sur ‘shine’ (solar luminosity as consciousness).
Manifestation (darśata) of divine power in the human field, Decisive will-force (vajra) aligned to ṛta, Light as consciousness (sūrya)
Indra’s vajra enforces ṛta by cutting through disorder.
Truth becomes ‘darśata’—seen, not inferred.
Solar manifestation: illumination taking form in mind and life.
midday (solar fullness, implied)
Sun = awakened consciousness; vajra = sharp discriminative power that liberates energy from obstruction.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s vajra-bearing as mythologem: the thunderbolt is set in his sustaining hands, making him the visible agent of decisive victory. Inner sense: the will-force becomes perfectly ‘placed’ in the instrument of action, shining like the sun—clear, manifest, and effective.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dhā (dhāyi) < PIE *dʰeh₁- ‘put/place’ (Gk tithēmi). dyu (dive) relates to PIE *di̯eu- ‘sky/shine’. The solar simile reflects inherited Indo-European poetics where the sun is a paradigmatic marker of visibility and truth.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi ‘adorns’ Indra through speech (śumbha), not as flattery but as a ritual-psychological intensification that invites protection (avase). The Devata reciprocates by manifesting (darśata) and wielding the vajra—transformative action within the aspirant.
Visualize a sun at the brow; feel a ‘vajra’ line of truth descending into speech and action.
ājñā
Sūrya-bhedana (gentle) 7 rounds, then normal breathing with mantra.
From doubt to luminous certainty.
Chant 12 times; after each set of 4, pause and feel ‘darśata’—a quiet, bright presence watching from within. Let decisions arise from that still brightness.
Not fully derivable here; maintain Rigvedic accentuation with clear udātta lifts on key words (índram, vájraḥ, sū́ryaḥ where applicable by tradition).
Keep a slight rise on accented syllables; avoid singing—use measured recitative.
puruhanman: ‘pu-ru-han-man’ with clear aspiration on h, vidhartari: ‘vi-dhar-ta-ri’ (dh aspirated), darśataḥ: ‘dar-śa-taḥ’ with palatal ś
Clear, bright, slightly higher placement to match ‘solar’ imagery.
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