Rig Veda 8.13.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 13, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.13
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
उतो पतिर्य उच्यते कृष्टीनामेक इद्वशी । नमोवृधैरवस्युभिः सुते रण ॥
utó pátir yá ucyáte kṛṣṭīnā́m éka íd vaśī́ | namo-vṛ́dhair avasyúbhiḥ suté raṇa ||
At siya na tinatawag na iisang soberanong Panginoon ng mga mamamayan, ng mga taong lumalago sa pamamagitan ng pagpipitagan at humihingi ng kanyang tulong, ay magalak dito sa pinipisong kasiyahan.
Word by Word
- उतो
- and also, moreoverIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अन्वय-अव्यय (उत + उ)Root उ (उत) अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक
- पतिः
- lord, masterNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot पति (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (संबन्ध/विशेषण-रूपेण पतिः-सम्बद्धः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- उच्यते
- is calledVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)Root वच् (धातु) → उच्यते (कर्मणि-प्रयोग)
- कृष्टीनाम्
- of the peoples, of the tribesNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root कृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
- एकः
- one, soleAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (पतिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root एक (प्रातिपदिक)
- इत्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात; अवधारण/बलार्थकRoot इद्/इत् (निपात)
- वशी
- sovereign, having controlAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (पतिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root वशिन् (प्रातिपदिक; -इन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
- नमोवृधैः
- with those who increase (our) reverence/obeisanceNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (सह/द्वारा—‘नमोवृधैः’ सह)Root नमोवृध (प्रातिपदिक; समासः: नमस्-वृध ‘नमः-वर्धक/नमः-प्रवर्धक’)
- अवस्युभिः
- with the help-seeking, the desirous of aidAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole Karaṇa (सह/द्वारा)Root अवस्यु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अवस्’ इच्छति इति)
- सुते
- in/at the pressed (Soma)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वेदे लोकेटिवः)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot सुत (ppp of √सु ‘to press’)
- रण
- rejoice!, exult!Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (वेदिक रूप)Root √रन्/√रण् (धातु; वेद. ‘to rejoice/sound/exult’)
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolution: पतिर्य → पतिः + यः (visarga before y in saṃhitā)
- नमोवृधैरवस्युभिः → नमोवृधैः + अवस्युभिः (visarga before vowel a). Accent marks in the provided saṃhitā text are not fully reproduced per pada
- analysis is morphological
The meaning
Outer meaning
And he who is called the one sovereign lord of the peoples—by those who grow through reverence and seek his aid—rejoice here in the pressed Soma.
Inner meaning
Indra is the single mastering Power (ekaḥ vaśī) for the ‘peoples’ (kṛṣṭīnām)—the many movements and parts of our nature. Those who increase by namas (reverent submission of ego) and who genuinely seek help (avasyu) create the condition for Indra to ‘rejoice’ in the pressed Soma: the distilled bliss/essence offered upward, which in turn empowers illumination to govern the whole being.
Universal truth
When the many parts of life consent to a higher guidance through humility and aspiration, a unifying sovereignty awakens; joy (Soma) becomes the fuel of mastery.
Themes
Sovereign Indra, Collective harmony, Reverence and grace, Soma-delight
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.13.8-12 (continuous Indra invocation)
Significance
The ‘seer’ here is the collective aspiration of the parts (kṛṣṭayaḥ) turning toward the One; the mantra itself teaches inner unification as the mark of true discipleship.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- ekaḥ vaśī (the one sovereign), patiḥ (lord)
- Related deities
- Soma (delight that Indra enjoys and that strengthens him), Maruts (supporting powers that help Indra’s victory), Agni (who prepares the offering and aspiration)
Cosmic role
Unifier and ruler of the luminous mind; establishes a single law of light across the multiplicity of worlds/forces.
Inner power
Integrative mastery: gathers scattered energies, aligns them to a central illumined will.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise at Soma pressing
उ॒तो पति॒र्य उ॒च्यते॑ कृष्टी॒नामेक॒ इद्व॒शी । न॒मो॒वृ॒धैर॑व॒स्युभि॑: सु॒ते र॑ण ॥
उ॒तो इति॑ । पतिः॑ । यः । उ॒च्यते॑ । कृ॒ष्टी॒नाम् । एकः॑ । इत् । व॒शी । न॒मः॒ऽवृ॒धैः । अ॒व॒स्युऽभिः॑ । सु॒ते । र॒ण॒ ॥
uto iti | patiḥ | yaḥ | ucyate | kṛṣṭīnām | ekaḥ | it | vaśī | namaḥ-vṛdhaiḥ | avasyu-bhiḥ | sute | raṇa
44
4 x ~11 syllables
Declarative and sovereign; strong caesura supports the proclamation ‘eka id vaśī’.
Instills confidence and inner alignment; the mind feels gathered under one command.
- कृष्टीनाम् (kṛṣṭīnām)
- Literal: peoples, tribes. Symbolic: the multiplicity of inner faculties and life-movements that must be governed and harmonized
- एकः (ekaḥ)
- Literal: one. Symbolic: the unifying consciousness-power that integrates the many
- वशी (vaśī)
- Literal: sovereign, controller. Symbolic: mastery of mind over confusion; divine governance in the being
- नमोवृधैः (namo-vṛdhaiḥ)
- Literal: by those increased by reverence. Symbolic: those who grow inwardly by surrender, humility, and right orientation to the divine
- अवस्युभिः (avasyu-bhiḥ)
- Literal: desiring help/protection. Symbolic: ardent seekers calling for the rescuing descent of light
- सुते (sute)
- Literal: in the pressed (Soma). Symbolic: in the distilled essence of bliss-consciousness extracted by discipline
- रण (raṇa)
- Literal: rejoice, take delight. Symbolic: the divine Power takes pleasure/establishes itself in the prepared consciousness
Soma pressing and invitation: the deity is asked to ‘rejoice in the suta’, i.e., accept the offered soma and energize the collective (kṛṣṭi) through sovereign force.
When Soma is offered/invoked for Indra; also suitable at the start of group practice to establish unity.
Stotra inviting Indra to take delight in Soma; affirmation of his lordship.
Recite when feeling scattered: use as a mantra of integration—offer your mixed impulses into a single aspiration.
kṛṣṭi denotes ‘settled/ordered people’ (not merely ‘men’), implying a harmonized collectivity. vaśī from √vaś ‘to control, to will’ marks inner sovereignty. avasya (help) from √av ‘protect’ grounds the psychological reading: the aspirant seeks inner safeguarding and guidance. raṇa (√ram/√raṇ) is delight—here soma as delight of consciousness rather than drink.
inner sovereignty (vaśitva), grace/protection (avas), growth by reverence (namo-vṛdh)
From many ‘peoples’ to one ruler reflects ṛta as unifying law.
True lordship is recognized by those who grow in namas (ego reduced, truth increased).
Consolidation: the One gathers the many—an early expression of unity-consciousness.
Integral Yoga reading: unification of parts under psychic/divine governance.
Pressed Soma = distilled delight extracted from experience by discipline; it becomes nourishment for the illumined mind.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra as the single sovereign over the kṛṣṭis (peoples): a kingship mythologem transposed inward—one ruling power that can unify the many movements of the human nature when approached by reverence (namas) and the seeking of help (avas).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- pati ‘lord’ reflects PIE *pótis (cf. Greek pósis ‘husband’, Latin potis ‘able’). √av ‘protect’ has Indo-Iranian parallels (Avestan av-). The collocation ‘patiḥ…kṛṣṭīnām’ echoes PIE social vocabulary of lordship and peoplehood.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi speaks for a community of aspirants (namo-vṛdhāḥ, avasyavaḥ). They offer soma-delight and reverence; Indra’s response is to take joy (raṇa) and thereby exercise his unifying sovereignty—protection and ordering of the many into one direction.
Gather the ‘many peoples’ within: name your parts (mind/vital/body) and place them under one luminous intention.
Maṇipūra (mastery/command) supported by Ājñā (clear governance)
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) for 6 rounds, then chant once per long exhale.
From dispersion to unified directive awareness.
After chanting, silently repeat ‘ekaḥ vaśī’ while feeling a central axis in the spine; offer a felt sense of delight upward (sute) without strain.
Rigvedic svara discipline: keep udātta peaks crisp on key words; avoid melodic improvisation.
Emphasize: pátiḥ / kṛṣṭīnā́m / éka id vaśī́ / namo-vṛdháiḥ / avasyúbhiḥ / suté / raṇa.
kṛṣṭīnām: retroflex ṣṭ cluster—keep it tight, not ‘sh-t’ separated, eka id: pronounce ‘id’ lightly but distinctly, vaśī: ś is palatal ‘sh’; long ī sustained, avasyubhiḥ: keep ‘yu’ clear; final ḥ soft
Firm, steady, slightly chest-supported to convey sovereignty.
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.
