Rig Veda 8.94.12: Mandala 8, Sukta 94, Mantra 12
Sukta 8.94
- Devata
- Maruts
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
त्यं नु मारुतं गणं गिरिष्ठां वृषणं हुवे । अस्य सोमस्य पीतये ॥
tyáṃ nu mārútaṃ gaṇáṃ giriṣṭhā́ṃ vṛ́ṣaṇaṃ huvè | asyá sómasya pītáye ||
บัดนี้ข้าพเจ้าขออัญเชิญหมู่มารุต (Marut-gaṇa) ผู้สถิตบนภูผา ผู้แข็งแกร่งดุจพฤษภ; ขอพวกท่านจงมาดื่มโสมะ (Soma) นี้—เหล่าพลังอันกราดเกรี้ยวที่ยืนอยู่บนยอดแห่งภาวะ และหลั่งพลังอันองอาจลงสู่การไต่สูงของวิญญาณ.
Word by Word
- त्यम्
- that (him/it)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → त्य (enclitic/poetic acc.)
- नु
- now; indeedIndeclinableनिपात (अव्यय)Root नु (निपात)
- मारुतम्
- Marut(-like); belonging to the MarutsAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot मारुत (प्रातिपदिक; मरुत्-सम्बन्धी) अथवा ‘मरुत्’ से विशेषण
- गणम्
- troop; hostNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गण (प्रातिपदिक)
- गिरिष्ठाम्
- mountain-dwellingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गिरि + स्था (समास; ‘गिरि-स्थ’ = पर्वत-स्थित) → गिरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृषणम्
- mighty; vigorousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘बलवान्/वीर्यवान्’)
- हुवे
- I invoke; I callVerbलट् (वेदे प्रायः वर्तमान/नित्य), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRoot √हू (ह्वे) ‘आह्वाने’
- अस्य
- of thisPronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमस्य
- of SomaNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- पीतये
- for drinkingNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot पीति (प्रातिपदिक; √पा ‘पाने’ से भाव/कृदन्त-निर्मित संज्ञा)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): त्यम् | नु | मारुतम् | गणम् | गिरिष्ठाम् | वृषणम् | हुवे | अस्य | सोमस्य | पीतये ।
- ‘गिरिष्ठाम्’ = गिरि-स्थाम् (समास/आन्तरिक संधि). ‘हुवे’ वैदिक आत्मनेपद 1sg (√हू/ह्वे)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poet calls the Marut host, dwelling on the mountains and strong, to drink the Soma.
Inner meaning
The Maruts are invoked as forces stationed on the ‘mountains’—the high places of consciousness (giriṣṭhāḥ). From those heights they pour strength (vṛṣaṇa) into the ascent. The vital energies, when uplifted, become allies of climbing toward the summit-mind and can receive Soma as sustaining ecstasy.
Universal truth
Our energies must be raised to a higher poise; then strength becomes a support to ascent, and joy becomes stable nourishment rather than excitement.
Themes
Marut-host, inner ascent, Soma-ritual, strength/potency
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.94.10, RV 8.94.11
Family tradition
Maṇḍala 8 invocation tradition; emphasis on energetic godheads supporting victory and ascent.
Significance
Focuses on ‘height’ symbolism: the same life-force that storms below can, when uplifted, stand on the peaks and serve the soul’s climb.
The deity
- Devata
- Maruts
- Epithets
- gaṇa (host), giriṣṭhā (mountain-seated), vṛṣaṇa (strong/virile)
- Related deities
- Indra, Rudra, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Forces of the heights and winds; companions of Indra who break resistances and widen the paths.
Inner power
Uplifted prāṇa: bravery, upward drive, and coordinated dynamism that protects the ascent.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma offering to Maruts
त्यं नु मारु॑तं ग॒णं गि॑रि॒ष्ठां वृष॑णं हुवे । अ॒स्य सोम॑स्य पी॒तये॑ ॥
त्यम् । नु । मारु॑तम् । ग॒णम् । गि॒रि॒ऽस्थाम् । वृष॑णम् । हु॒वे॒ । अ॒स्य । सोम॑स्य । पी॒तये॑ ॥
tyam | nu | mārutam | gaṇam | giri-sthām | vṛṣaṇam | huve | asya | somasya | pītaye
24
3 × 8 syllables (approx.)
Ascending, martial compactness; strong consonantal clusters (giriṣṭhāṃ, vṛṣaṇam)
Builds upward pressure and steadies will; good for ‘climbing’ meditations.
- गण (gaṇa)
- Literal: troop, host. Symbolic: coordinated powers in the being acting in harmony
- गिरिष्ठाम् (giriṣṭhām)
- Literal: mountain-seated. Symbolic: poised on higher levels of consciousness; summit-stationed energies
- वृषणम् (vṛṣaṇam)
- Literal: virile/strong, bull-like. Symbolic: forceful potency—courage and effective power in sādhanā
- मरुतम् (mārutam)
- Literal: belonging to Maruts. Symbolic: the dynamic prāṇic host aligned to divine impulsion
- सोमस्य पीतये (somasya pītaye)
- Literal: for Soma’s drinking. Symbolic: for receiving bliss as strength for the climb
Soma-yajña invitation to the Marut host; likely used in sequences calling allied deities to Soma-drinking.
During Soma liturgy when calling Marut host to partake
Invocation and offering; mentally ‘raise’ the energies before reception
Before challenging practice (discipline, tapas, study): invoke uplifted strength and coordinated energies.
gaṇá- ‘group, troop’ (from √gaṇ ‘to count/assemble’) emphasizes ordered collectivity—many forces acting as one. giriṣṭhā́- (giri + √sthā ‘stand’) ‘mountain-standing’: not merely geographic but symbolic of elevated station. vṛ́ṣaṇa- from √vṛṣ ‘to rain, pour, be potent’; hence ‘virile/forceful’, also ‘showering power’—apt for Maruts and for inner energizing.
ascent to higher consciousness (giri-sthā), R̥ta as ordered host (gaṇa), Soma as ananda-force
Strength (vṛṣaṇa) becomes right-force when seated on the ‘mountain’ of higher order.
Higher poise reduces distortion; action becomes truer.
Ascent motif: evolution toward higher stations supported by divine hosts.
Yoga of ascent (Vedic) read psychologically: giri as levels of being.
Mountain = higher consciousness; storm = force; Soma = joy that sustains the climb.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Maruts as a ‘host’ stationed on mountains: mythically the storm-gods on the heights; psychologically the gathered energies established in the higher levels of being, descending as force to empower transformation and Soma-intoxication (divine ecstasy).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sthā ‘stand’ is a classic PIE root (*steh₂-) with broad cognacy (Lat. stō, Eng. stand). The image of ‘standing on the mountain’ encodes an archaic vertical cosmology (heights = divine domain), a shared Indo-European poetic mapping.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet invokes a coordinated gaṇa to partake of Soma: the human offers the essence (Soma), and the Marut-host returns an intensified, ‘vṛṣaṇa’ energy—potent force that supports ascent and makes the inner nature capable of receiving higher delight without fragmentation.
Place the vital force ‘on the heights’: feel energy rise from navel to heart to brow, becoming steady and strong.
Maṇipūra → Anāhata → Ājñā uplift
Inhale up the spine (count 6), brief hold (2), exhale (6); then chant 3–9 times.
Upward-driven, steady force (tapas with clarity)
After chanting, visualize a bright summit within; invite the Marut-host as disciplined energies stationed there; let Soma appear as a cool, luminous sweetness stabilizing the strength.
Maintain strong articulation on giriṣṭhāṃ and vṛṣaṇam; natural lift on huve and pītaye as the inviting cadence.
Keep anusvāra/visarga clean; do not over-nasalize gaṇaṃ; preserve retroflex ṣ in giriṣṭhām.
gaṇaṃ (ga-ṇam; retroflex ṇ), giriṣṭhām (gi-ri-ṣṭhām; ṣṭh cluster), vṛṣaṇam (vṛ-ṣa-ṇam; vocalic ṛ), somasya (so-ma-sya)
Firm, resonant, slightly upward-aimed
9
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.
