Rig Veda 8.96.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 96, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.96
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Trishtubh
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Vira (heroism)
त्रिः षष्टिस्त्वा मरुतो वावृधाना उस्रा इव राशयो यज्ञियासः । उप त्वेमः कृधि नो भागधेयं शुष्मं त एना हविषा विधेम ॥
tríḥ ṣaṣṭís tvā marúto vāvṛdhānā usrā́ iva rāśáyo yajñíyāsaḥ | úpa tv émāḥ kṛdhí no bhā́ga-dhéyaṃ śúṣmaṃ ta enā́ havíṣā vidhema ||
มารุต (Maruts) สามคูณหกสิบ ผู้ทวีแรงกำลัง ย่อมเพิ่มพูนท่าน—ดุจฝูงโคอันสว่างไสว ดุจทรัพย์ที่กองสุม เป็นผู้ควรแก่ยัญพิธี. ขอจงเข้ามาใกล้เรา; ขอทรงกระทำส่วนอันชอบธรรมของเรา (bhāgadheya) ให้สำเร็จ. ด้วยเครื่องบูชา (havis) นี้ เราทั้งหลายจักเสริมพลังอันเร่าร้อนของท่าน (śuṣma).
Word by Word
- त्रिः
- thriceIndeclinableअव्यय (संख्यावाचक, ‘thrice’)Role Adhikaraṇa (परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक)Root त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) / त्रिस्
- षष्टिः
- sixtyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (संख्या)Role Kartā (संख्यावाचक-कर्ता/विधेय) अथवा परिमाणनिर्देशकRoot षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
- त्वा
- you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मरुतः
- the MarutsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वावृधानाः
- growing strong / having strengthenedParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; परिपूर्ण/वृद्धि-भाव (रेडुप्लिकेटेड परफेक्ट-आधारित कृदन्त: ‘having grown/being strengthened’)Role Kartā (मरुतः का विशेषण)Root वृध् (धातु) → वावृधान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, परस्मैपदी/आत्मनेपदी परम्परा)
- उस्राः
- dawns / bright ones (cows of light)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (उपमान-वाक्य में)Root उसर / उस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- likeIndeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRole (उपमान-सूचक)Root इव
- राशयः
- heaps / massesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (उपमान-वाक्य में)Root राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
- यज्ञियासः
- worthy of sacrifice / fit for worshipAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole Kartā (मरुतः का विशेषण)Root यज्ञिय (प्रातिपदिक)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (निकटता/अभिमुखता)Role (क्रियाविशेषण)Root उप
- त्वे
- in/at youPronounसप्तमी एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: त्वे = त्वयि)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इमः
- thesePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कृधि
- make / doVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यम पुरुष, एकवचनRole (मुख्य क्रिया)Root कृ (धातु)
- नः
- for us / ourPronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role Sampradāna/स्वत्व (हित/अधिकार-सूचक)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- भागधेयम्
- share, allotted portionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भागधेय (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुष्मम्
- might, vigorNounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वैदिक प्रयोग), द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शुष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (स्वत्व)Root त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- एना
- with thisPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (वैदिक)Role KaraṇaRoot एना (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक; ‘by this/with this’)
- हविषा
- with oblationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विधेम
- may we offer / may we perform (worship)Verbविधिलिङ्/लिङ् (इच्छा/विधि), परस्मैपद, उत्तम पुरुष, बहुवचनRole (मुख्य क्रिया)Root धा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक संधि-विच्छेद): त्रिः षष्टिः त्वा मरुतः वावृधानाः उस्राः इव राशयः यज्ञियासः । उप त्वे इमः कृधि नः भागधेयम् । शुष्मम् ते एना हविषा विधेम ॥ 1) ‘ष॒ष्टिस्त्वा॑’ = षष्टिः + त्वा (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि)
- 2) ‘उ॒स्रा इ॑व’ = उस्राः + इव (विसर्ग-लोप)
- 3) ‘उप॒ त्वेम॑:’ = उप + त्वे + इमः (ए/इ संधि: त्वे इमः → त्वेमः)
- 4) ‘भाग॒धेयं॒ शुष्मं॑’ = भागधेयम् + शुष्मम् (अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण-लेखन)
- 5) ‘त ए॒ना’ = ते + एना (स्वर-संधि नहीं, पद-सीमा)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Thrice sixty Maruts, growing strong, increase you like bright herds and piled riches, worthy of sacrifice. Come near; grant us our share; with this offering we strengthen your ardour.
Inner meaning
The many dynamic powers (Maruts)—often counted as 60/180 to indicate multiplicity—amplify Indra’s illumined force. They are ‘bright cows’ (usrāḥ) and ‘heaped riches’ (rāśayaḥ): energies and knowledges accumulating for the sacrifice. The seeker asks Indra to come close (upa) and allot the rightful share (bhāgadheya)—the portion of light and strength needed now. By offering (haviṣā) we build śuṣma: ardent, victorious energy in the being.
Universal truth
Spiritual power grows by coordinated energies and right exchange: we offer attention, aspiration, and discipline; in return we receive our needed portion of strength and clarity.
Themes
Marut-host, petition, increase-of-force
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 1.85 (Marut host imagery), RV 2.11 (Indra’s śuṣma and victory), RV 5.52 (Maruts as wealth and light)
Family tradition
Indra-Marut hymns in the Eighth Maṇḍala commonly treat the Maruts as multipliers of Indra’s power and distributors of ‘shares’ of force to the sacrificer.
Significance
Shows the yogic economy of the sacrifice: gather the many energies, offer them, and receive the precise portion of transforming force.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (increased by Maruts)
- Epithets
- Maghavan (giver of portions), Vṛṣan (strong), Śatakratu
- Related deities
- Maruts, Agni, Soma
Cosmic role
Receiver and distributor of power in the sacrifice; leader whose strength is augmented by the storm-host.
Inner power
Central illumined command that organizes many energies into one victorious ardour (śuṣma).
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Marut praise during Soma offerings; requesting bhāga (portion) is common in distribution logic of yajña.
त्रिः ष॒ष्टिस्त्वा॑ म॒रुतो॑ वावृधा॒ना उ॒स्रा इ॑व रा॒शयो॑ य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । उप॒ त्वेम॑: कृ॒धि नो॑ भाग॒धेयं॒ शुष्मं॑ त ए॒ना ह॒विषा॑ विधेम ॥
त्रिः । ष॒ष्टिः । त्वा॒ । म॒रुतः॑ । व॒वृ॒धा॒नाः । उ॒स्राःऽइ॑व । रा॒शयः॑ । य॒ज्ञिया॑सः । उप॑ । त्वा॒ । इ॒मः॒ । कृ॒धि । नः॒ । भा॒ग॒ऽधेय॑म् । शुष्म॑म् । ते॒ । ए॒ना । ह॒विषा॑ । वि॒धे॒म॒ ॥
triḥ | ṣaṣṭiḥ | tvā | marutaḥ | vavṛdhānāḥ | usrāḥ-iva | rāśayaḥ | yajñiyāsaḥ | upa | tvā | imaḥ | kṛdhi | naḥ | bhāga-dheyam | śuṣmam | te | enā | haviṣā | vidhema
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4 × ~11 syllables
Accumulative and swelling; imagery stacks like ‘heaps of riches’.
Builds momentum and fullness; good for energizing a tired or scattered system into coordinated force.
- त्रिः षष्टिः (triḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ)
- Literal: thrice sixty. Symbolic: manyfold dynamic forces; completeness of vital powers mobilized
- मरुतः (marutaḥ)
- Literal: Maruts. Symbolic: purified life-energies, dynamic impulses serving the divine
- वावृधानाः (vāvṛdhānāḥ)
- Literal: increasing, growing. Symbolic: progressive intensification of energy in yoga
- उस्राः (usrāḥ)
- Literal: bright cows. Symbolic: luminous rays/energies, dawning knowledges feeding the ascent
- राशयः (rāśayaḥ)
- Literal: heaps, piles (of wealth). Symbolic: accumulated inner riches—strength, clarity, capacities
- भागधेय (bhāgadheya)
- Literal: rightful share/portion. Symbolic: the exact needed measure of force/light for the next step
- शुष्म (śuṣma)
- Literal: fury, ardour, strength. Symbolic: tapas-charged power to overcome inertia
- हविस् (havis)
- Literal: oblation. Symbolic: offering of attention, breath, will, and aspiration into the inner fire
Indra-Marut praise with petition for bhāga (share) and increase of śuṣma; soma-offering context likely.
At moments of inviting the deity near and asking for share/boon; while presenting oblations.
Upasthāna (inviting near), offering havis, requesting bhāgadheya.
Before a challenging day: chant to gather ‘many energies’ into one direction; then decide one concrete ‘share’ you ask for (clarity, courage, patience).
śúṣma from √śvas/√śuṣ? conveys pressing energy/ardour; bhāga-dhéya ‘that which is placed as a share’ from √dhā ‘place’ indicates rightful inner portion; usrā ‘bright cow’ also ‘ray’—rooted in luminous semantics; Marut-host numeric magnification signals fullness of dynamic supports.
plenitude and rightful share (bhāga), growth of force (vavṛdh), offering as transformation of energy
Bhāgadheya implies measure and right allotment—ṛta as proportion in growth.
Usrāḥ (bright) suggests truth-light as the substance of increase.
Growth by multiplication: many powers converge to intensify the central divine force.
Integral-vedic psychology: harmonizing multiple sub-energies (Maruts) under illumined leadership (Indra).
Storm-winds = dynamic prāṇa; herds = rays of knowledge; wealth-heaps = accumulated capacities; offering = conscious self-giving.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The strengthening of the central hero-force (Indra) by the Marut host, followed by a petition for the ‘share’—the inner fruits of victory and illumination—obtained through right offering.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- bhāga ‘share’ reflects an old IE social-religious concept of allotted portion (distribution in sacrifice). The imagery of ‘heaps/wealth’ and ‘herds’ as plenitude is common IE praise diction.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi offers haviṣ as a means to ‘build’ Indra’s śuṣma: human consecration feeds divine force, and divine force returns the rightful inner portion (bhāgadheya)—a reciprocity of offering and empowerment.
Collect scattered energies and dedicate them as an inner offering; ask for the ‘right share’ of strength.
maṇipūra (śuṣma/ardour)
Kapalabhati light (30–60 strokes) then settle; chant 8 times on slow exhale to stabilize the raised energy.
Energized clarity; abundant prāṇa organized by intention.
Identify 3 ‘Maruts’ (sleep, food, movement—practical energies). Offer one improvement today; then chant, asking Indra for your bhāgadheya: the exact strength to follow through.
Keep the first pāda slightly rising to mirror increase; emphasize repeated upa/prayerful approach; accents follow śākhā tradition.
Let triḥ ṣaṣṭis… vāvṛdhānāḥ swell in volume; soften on upa tvemaḥ; firm on bhāgadheyaṃ; brighten on śuṣmaṃ te.
triḥ ṣaṣṭis : keep visarga in triḥ audible before ṣ., usrā iva : do not merge into one long vowel; keep a slight break., bhāgadheyaṃ : long ā; clear dhy cluster., śuṣmaṃ : retroflex ṣ; keep ṣm cluster crisp.
Full and resonant, building; end with a confident, contained finish.
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