Rig Veda 8.1.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 1, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.1
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Gāyatrī or mixed
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अवक्रक्षिणं वृषभं यथाजुरं गां न चर्षणीसहम् । विद्वेषणं संवननोभयंकरं मंहिष्ठमुभयाविनम् ॥
avakrakṣíṇaṃ vṛṣabháṃ yathā́júraṃ gā́m ná carṣaṇī-sáham | vidvéṣaṇaṃ saṃvánano-bhayaṃkaráṃ maṃhíṣṭham ubhayā́vinam ||
Si Indra ang Toro na nagpapababa ng mapanghimok na presyon, na hindi napapagod sa kanyang paglundag, na nakapipigil tulad ng isang malakas na hayop sa mga tao. Siya ay naglulunsag ng mga pagkakaaway, siya ay nagtutulak ng pagkakaisa, siya ay maaaring magdala ng takot sa magkabilang panig, gayon paman siya ang pinakamapagkaloob, na humahawak at tinutupad ang kapuwa kapangyarihan sa atin kapag tayo ay lumilingon sa kanya.
Word by Word
- अवक्रक्षिणम्
- croaking/roaring (loud-voiced)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (स्तुत्य-देवता/इन्द्रम् प्रति विशेषण)Root अव-क्रक्षि (√क्रक्ष्/क्रक्ष् ‘to croak/cry out’, with preverb अव-) / प्रातिपदिक: अवक्रक्षिन्
- वृषभम्
- bull (strong one)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथाजुरम्
- as (one) unaging/unyieldingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root यथा (अव्यय) + अजुर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘unaging/unyielding’)
- गाम्
- cowNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like/asIndeclinableनिपातRoot न (अव्यय)
- चर्षणीसहम्
- overpowering men/peoplesAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root चर्षणी (प्रातिपदिक ‘men/peoples’) + सह (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त ‘able to overcome/endure’) → समास: चर्षणी-सह
- विद्वेषणम्
- hostile; hate-causing/foe-fightingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root वि-√द्विष् (द्वेष ‘to hate’) → कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक: विद्वेषण
- संवनन-उभयंकऱम्
- uniting, making both sides (favourable)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root सम्-√वन्/√वन् (to win/bring together) → संवणन/संवनन (प्रातिपदिक ‘uniting/bringing together’) + उभयंकऱ (प्रातिपदिक ‘making both (sides)’)
- मंहिष्ठम्
- most bountifulAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root मंह (प्रातिपदिक ‘bounty/abundance’) + इष्ठ (तमप्-प्रत्यय; superlative)
- उभयाविनम्
- helping both (sides); favourable to bothAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (विशेषण)Root उभय (प्रातिपदिक ‘both’) + आविन् (प्रातिपदिक ‘helping/favouring’, from √अव् ‘to help/protect’) → उभय-आविन्
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संधि-विग्रह): अवक्रक्षिणम् | वृषभम् | यथा + अजुरम् → यथाजुरम् | गाम् | न | चर्षणी + सहम् → चर्षणीसहम् | वि + द्वेषणम् → विद्वेषणम् | संवनन + उभयंकऱम् → संवननोभयंकऱम् | मंहिष्ठम् | उभया + आविनम् → उभयाविनम् । (स्वरचिह्न/उदात्तादि पाठे यथास्थानं; यहाँ पदरूपे संधि-विग्रह मात्र प्रदर्शित।)
The meaning
Outer meaning
A descriptive praise of Indra: a bull who drives down hostile pressure, untiring, overpowering; he dissolves enmities, compels union, can terrify both sides, and is most bountiful, helping in both ways.
Inner meaning
Indra is portrayed as the force that presses down the uprising resistance (ava-krakṣiṇa): he subdues the insistent push of hostile habits. Untiring (ajura) indicates the steady endurance of illumined will. ‘Like a strong beast among the peoples’ points to Indra’s mastery over the many impulses (carṣaṇi). He both breaks divisive currents (vidveṣaṇa) and brings a higher synthesis (saṃvanana)—uniting thought, will, and life around truth. ‘Fear to both sides’ suggests he confronts both the overt enemy (darkness) and the ego’s own mixed movements; yet he is maṃhiṣṭha, the most generous, granting force and joy, protecting both the inner and outer instruments (ubhayāvin).
Universal truth
The power that truly unifies must first subdue resistance and division. Genuine harmony is not compromise with falsehood; it is a higher integration under illumination.
Themes
Indra as integrator, Harmony and victory, Light (go) safeguarded
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva (probable, Kāṇva tradition)
- Lineage
- Kāṇva
- Other hymns
- RV 8.1.1, RV 8.2, RV 8.6
Family tradition
Kāṇva hymns often pile strong epithets to build a living psychological image of Indra as dynamic helper in conflict and integration.
Significance
The Kāṇva approach is practical and force-centric: Indra is invoked not as abstraction but as a felt power that changes the inner balance—reducing conflict and increasing unified drive.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- vṛṣabha (bull), ajura (untiring), maṃhiṣṭha (most bountiful), saṃvanana (unifier)
- Related deities
- Soma, Maruts, Agni
Cosmic role
Warrior and unifier: breaks hostile pressure, then establishes a new cohesion among forces.
Inner power
Energetic discernment that both confronts and integrates; strength that becomes harmony.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma/offerings context; descriptive stotra supporting invocation of Indra’s aid.
अ॒व॒क्र॒क्षिणं॑ वृष॒भं य॑था॒जुरं॒ गां न च॑र्षणी॒सह॑म् । वि॒द्वेष॑णं सं॒वन॑नोभयंक॒रं मंहि॑ष्ठमुभया॒विन॑म् ॥
अ॒व॒ऽक्र॒क्षिण॑म् । वृ॒ष॒भम् । य॒था॒ । अ॒जुर॑म् । गाम् । न । च॒र्ष॒णि॒ऽसह॑म् । वि॒ऽद्वेष॑णम् । स॒म्ऽवन॑ना । उ॒भ॒य॒म्ऽक॒रम् । मंहि॑ष्ठम् । उ॒भ॒या॒विन॑म् ॥
ava-krakṣiṇam | vṛṣabham | yathā | ajuram | gām | na | carṣaṇi-saham | vi-dveṣaṇam | sam-vananā | ubhayam-karam | maṃhiṣṭham | ubhayāvinam
24
If Gāyatrī: 3 × 8; however the density of compounds suggests possible metrical variation in the pada lengths.
Epithets cascade in a driving rhythm; feels like a rapid enumeration of powers.
Invokes confidence and forward motion; the mind receives a ‘catalog’ of Indra-qualities to internalize.
- ava-krakṣiṇam
- Literal: driving/pressing downward. Symbolic: subduing the upward surge of resistance, calming turbulent pressure
- vṛṣabham
- Literal: bull. Symbolic: irresistible strength of illumined mind-force
- ajuram
- Literal: not aging/tiring. Symbolic: enduring will that does not fatigue in practice
- carṣaṇīsaham
- Literal: overpowering among peoples. Symbolic: mastery over the many impulses/faculties in the being
- vidveṣaṇam
- Literal: dissolving enmity. Symbolic: ending inner conflict and division
- saṃvanana
- Literal: bringing together, uniting. Symbolic: integration of parts of nature around the soul’s aim
- ubhayamkaram
- Literal: making (it) for both; causing fear to both sides. Symbolic: a force that challenges both darkness and egoic compromise
- maṃhiṣṭham
- Literal: most bountiful. Symbolic: giver of strength, wideness, and success
- ubhayāvinam
- Literal: helping both ways/sides. Symbolic: supporting both inner realization and outer action; mind and life together
Indra-stotra: praising Indra’s dual capacity to subdue hostility and create union; used to strengthen communal and inner cohesion during soma offerings.
During Indra-focused praise; also as preparatory strengthening before demanding action.
Recitation to ‘build’ Indra’s form/presence through epithets.
Use as an affirmation for integration: when inner parts are in conflict, recite to call a unifying strength that also subdues turbulence.
ajura ‘unaging/untiring’ with privative a- + jura (from √jṛ/√jar ‘age, wear’). vi-dveṣaṇa from dveṣ ‘hate’ (√dviṣ) with vi- indicating separation/removal. sam-vananā from √van ‘to win, bring under, attract’ with sam- ‘together’: power of convergence. maṃhiṣṭha from maṃh ‘bounty, abundance’ (liberality as spiritual plenitude). go ‘cow’ is polyvalent: from √gā/√gam ‘to go’ and by Vedic symbolism ‘ray/cattle/wealth’; here best read as light/knowledge recovered and sustained by Indra-force.
integration of dualities (ubhayāvin), removal of inner hatred/division (vi-dveṣaṇa), plenitude (maṃh) as spiritual abundance
Indra’s ‘saṃvanana’ restores ṛta by bringing divided movements into right relation.
Truth is not merely seen; it must be enforced against pressure and then organized as harmony.
From conflict to synthesis: the cosmic process moves by overcoming resistance and establishing new order.
Integral-psychological interpretation: epithets map to functions in consciousness (subdue, endure, unify, bestow).
Bull = concentrated power; ‘peoples’ = multiplicity of impulses; driving downward = calming the uprising turbulence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as both divider and unifier: he breaks hostile forces (hatred, division) and compels convergence (sam-vananā). The mythic action is social-cosmic: restoring unity under a single victorious power; psychologically, reconciling inner oppositions so the ‘cow’ (light/knowledge) is not lost.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dviṣ ‘hate’ has Indo-Iranian stability and aligns with PIE *dwey- ‘to fear/avoid’ in some comparative proposals (semantic shifts debated). √jar ‘age’ relates to PIE *gerh₂- ‘to grow old’ (cf. Greek gérōn ‘old man’). The preverbs vi- and sam- show inherited spatial-to-abstract mappings (separate → remove hostility; together → unite).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The seer does not merely request gifts; he celebrates Indra as the power that makes inner and outer collectivity possible—overcoming divisive impulses and establishing a unified movement toward the goal of light (go).
Invoke Indra to subdue turbulent pressure, then gather scattered parts into one intention (saṃvanana).
Maṇipūra (force) harmonized with Anāhata (integration)
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) to ‘press down’ turbulence; then natural breathing while contemplating unity.
Strong, organized, unified dynamism.
First, feel the downward settling of agitation (ava-krakṣiṇa). Next, name two conflicting impulses; offer both to Indra’s higher unity; end by resting in gratitude (maṃhiṣṭha).
Maintain steady pitch; allow natural emphasis on compound epithets; apply Vedic accents where marked in the source tradition.
Do not rush conjunct clusters; keep each epithet distinct as a ‘bead’ in the garland.
avakrakṣiṇam: articulate ‘krakṣ’ carefully; keep retroflex ṣ, carṣaṇīsaham: long ī; retroflex ṣ; avoid ‘charsani’, saṃvanana: nasal ‘ṃ’ before v; keep v soft, ubhayāvinam: keep bh aspiration; long ā
Strong, even, declarative.
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.
