Rig Veda 8.46.32: Mandala 8, Sukta 46, Mantra 32
Sukta 8.46
- Devata
- Vāyu explicitly invoked
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
शतं दासे बल्बूथे विप्रस्तरुक्ष आ ददे । ते ते वायविमे जना मदन्तीन्द्रगोपा मदन्ति देवगोपाः ॥
śatám dāsé balbūthé vípras tárukṣa ā́ dade | té té vāyav imé jánā madántī́ndragopā madánti devágopāḥ ||
Isang daan, sa lingkod na si Balbutha, ibinigay ng inspiradong si Taruksha. Ang mga taong ito, O Vayu, ay nagagalak, na binabantayan ni Indra sila ay nagagalak, na binabantayan ng mga Diyos sila ay nagagalak, kapag ang hininga ng buhay at ang mga maliwanag na kapangyarihan ay nakakaseguro ng panloob na komunidad.
Word by Word
- शतम्
- a hundredNoun/Adjective (numeral)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनRole Karma (परिमाण/संख्या—‘a hundred’)Root शत (प्रातिपदिक)
- दासे
- to the Dāsa (servant/tribesman)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole Sampradāna (दत्तव्य-प्राप्ता)Root दास (प्रातिपदिक)
- बल्बूथे
- to BalbūthaProper Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole Sampradāna (दत्तव्य-प्राप्ता)Root बल्बूथ (प्रातिपदिक; व्यक्तिनाम)
- विप्रः
- the inspired poet/seerNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- तरुक्षः
- Tarukṣa (name of the seer/poet)Proper Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole Kartā (विप्रः तरुक्षः—सम्बन्ध/विशेषणभाव)Root तरुक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; व्यक्तिनाम)
- आ
- towards, forth; (prefix intensifying ‘gave’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (आ-)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- ददे
- gaveVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole KriyāRoot दा (दाने)
- ते
- theyPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- ते
- youPronounद्वितीया; एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘thee’)Role KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- वायविमे
- O Vāyu, (my/for me)Vocative + Pronoun (enclitic)वायवि: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन; मे: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी; एकवचन (मद्)Role Sambodhana; (मे = सम्बन्ध/सम्प्रदान-भाव ‘my/for me’)Root वायवि + मे
- जनाः
- peopleNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (ते जना:)Root जन (प्रातिपदिक)
- मदन्ति
- rejoice, are exhilaratedVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot मद् (हर्षे/प्रमादे)
- इन्द्रगोपाः
- Indra-protected (having Indra as guardian)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (मदन्ति—कर्ता)Root इन्द्र + गोप (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष समास)
- मदन्ति
- rejoiceVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole KriyāRoot मद् (हर्षे/प्रमादे)
- देवगोपाः
- god-protected (having the gods as guardians)Noun (compound)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole Kartā (मदन्ति—कर्ता)Root देव + गोप (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष समास)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolution): शतम् | दासे | बल्बूथे | विप्रः तरुक्षः | आ | ददे | ते | ते | वायवि मे | जनाः | मदन्ति | इन्द्रगोपाः | मदन्ति | देवगोपाः । 1) ‘वायवि॒मे’ = ‘वायवि’ (सम्बोधन) + ‘मे’ (एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम)
- 2) ‘इन्द्रगोपाः/देवगोपाः’ तत्पुरुष-समास (इन्द्र/देव + गोप ‘guardian’)
- 3) ‘ददे’ = √दा लिट् 3sg (perfect) ‘he gave’
The meaning
Outer meaning
A hundred (gifts) the inspired Tarukṣa gave to the servant Balbūtha. These people, O Vāyu, rejoice; guarded by Indra they rejoice, guarded by the Gods they rejoice.
Inner meaning
On the surface it is donor-praise with proper names; inwardly it encodes a psychology of inner community. ‘Dāsa’ here can be read as the servant-as-seeker, the part of nature that offers itself to the work. ‘Vipra’ is the inspired mind. Tarukṣa (as giver) symbolizes a force that grants ‘hundreds’—multiplicity of supports, capacities, or rays—once the being becomes a conscious servant of the inner sacrifice. The community (janāḥ) rejoices when prāṇa (Vāyu) is harmonized and illumination (Indra) stands guard; then the gods (higher powers) protect the field, preventing relapse into scattering. Joy (madanti) is the sign of right alignment: a soma-like gladness without intoxication of ego.
Universal truth
True prosperity is protected joy: when breath is purified and mind is illumined, higher powers guard the collective life within, and the soul’s service becomes a source of glad increase.
Themes
Dāna (gift) as inner empowerment, Divine protection, Collective joy (mada)
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.46.28-31 (same unit)
Family tradition
Dānastuti tradition within Mandala 8 where historical patrons are praised; in inner reading, patrons become symbolic givers of force.
Significance
The mantra gives a diagnostic: when Vāyu is bright and Indra guards, the inner ‘people’ rejoice—joy becomes a sign of protected progress rather than mere emotion.
The deity
- Devata
- Vāyu (primary), with Indra and the Gods as protectors
- Epithets
- indragopāḥ (Indra-guarded), devagopāḥ (God-guarded)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Maruts, Aśvins
Cosmic role
Vāyu circulates life and carries offerings; Indra establishes victorious illumination; the Gods maintain the cosmic order and protection.
Inner power
Vāyu: regulated prāṇa enabling harmony; Indra: luminous discernment that prevents the return of covering forces; Devas: integrated higher functions stabilizing transformation.
In ritual
Where it is used
Dānastuti segment within a hymn; may be recited in assemblies to commemorate generosity and invoke protection.
श॒तं दा॒से ब॑ल्बू॒थे विप्र॒स्तरु॑क्ष॒ आ द॑दे । ते ते॑ वायवि॒मे जना॒ मद॒न्तीन्द्र॑गोपा॒ मद॑न्ति दे॒वगो॑पाः ॥
श॒तम् । दा॒से । ब॒ल्बू॒थे । विप्रः॑ । तरु॑क्षे । आ । द॒दे॒ । ते । ते॒ । वा॒यो॒ इति॑ । इ॒मे । जनाः॑ । मद॑न्ति । इन्द्र॑ऽगोपाः । मद॑न्ति । दे॒वऽगो॑पाः ॥
śatam | dāse | balbūthe | vipraḥ | tarukṣe | ā | dade | te | te | vāyo iti | ime | janāḥ | madanti | indra-gopāḥ | madanti | deva-gopāḥ
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables (approximate)
Narrative-to-affirmative shift; repeated ‘madanti’ creates celebratory refrain.
Invokes protected joy; energizes the heart while keeping a sense of guardianship and order.
- dāsa
- Literal: servant. Symbolic: the consenting lower nature offered to the divine work; humility of the seeker
- vipra
- Literal: inspired sage. Symbolic: illumined mind capable of receiving and distributing higher truth
- śatam
- Literal: a hundred. Symbolic: abundant multiplicity of supports/energies/rays
- janāḥ
- Literal: people. Symbolic: inner community—faculties, subpersonalities, life-forces in the being
- madanti
- Literal: they rejoice, are glad. Symbolic: sattvic joy as sign of alignment; soma-delight in consciousness
- indragopāḥ
- Literal: guarded by Indra. Symbolic: protected by illumined mind; vigilance against obscurity (vṛtra-covering)
- devagopāḥ
- Literal: guarded by the gods. Symbolic: secured by higher powers—harmonized guidance from above
- vāyo
- Literal: O Vāyu. Symbolic: address to prāṇa as the condition for collective inner joy
Dānastuti-like praise within Soma ritual milieu; celebrates giving and divine protection of the community.
In soma contexts or public recitation where patrons and deities are praised; also in Vāyu/Indra invocations.
Praise + protective invocation; affirmation of rejoicing under divine guardianship.
Community well-being mantra: chant to create a ‘protected field’ before group meditation; use ‘indragopāḥ…devagopāḥ’ as a protective seal.
√dā ‘give’ (dade) frames the reciprocity of offering and grace. vipra: from √vip/√vep ‘tremble, vibrate’ → ‘inspired, stirred by vision’. Vāyu: from √vā ‘blow’ → breath/wind; psychologically prāṇa as carrier of life-energy. gopa ‘protector’ from go + √pā ‘protect’; inwardly ‘guardianship of light (go)’. Indra as force of illumined mind protects the inner community (janāḥ).
Reciprocity of gift and grace (dāna ↔ stuti), Protection under ṛta (gopāḥ as guardianship of right order)
Guardianship (gopā) indicates ṛta maintained against disordering forces.
Joy is not escapism; it is the truth-sign of right functioning under illumination.
Higher powers protect and increase the collective life of the being.
Vedic-Integral: transformation is communal within the psyche; ‘devas’ are powers of consciousness organizing nature.
Breath harmonized → inner community rejoices; Indra’s ‘guard’ = vigilant clarity; devas’ guard = stable higher influence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘gift that establishes joy under protection’: a dāna event becomes a mythic sign of divine guardianship—Indra and the Gods as gopāḥ. Inner sense: when vital force (Vāyu) and illumined power (Indra) guard the faculties (janāḥ), the being enters mada—delight born of right-flowing energy.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √dā ‘give’ continues PIE *deh₃- ‘give’ (cf. Greek didōmi via reduplication, Latin dōnum ‘gift’). Vāyu from √vā ‘blow’ parallels PIE *h₂weh₁- ‘blow’ (cf. Latin ventus ‘wind’ from *h₂weh₁-nto-). Indra is Indo-Iranian-specific theonym (Avestan Indra as demonized), illustrating shared heritage with divergent theological valuation.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The ṛṣi mediates between human giving and divine safeguarding: the social act (dāna) is read as a channel for Vāyu’s enlivening and Indra’s protective force. Praise is thus a technology of alignment—placing the community/faculties under the guardianship of the luminous powers.
Protected joy: harmonize breath, invoke illumined vigilance, rest in collective harmony.
Anāhata (joy/community) with Ājñā (Indra-guard)
Coherent breathing (5–6 breaths/min). On inhale mentally ‘vāyo’; on exhale ‘indragopāḥ…devagopāḥ’.
Sattvic gladness, secure and integrated.
If emotions surge, re-anchor in breath (Vāyu). If mind scatters, invoke Indra as guardian (clear seeing). Let joy spread through all parts (‘janāḥ’) without losing vigilance.
Exact udatta/anudatta/svarita not recoverable from this plain text; chant with clear segmentation around names and the repeated ‘madanti’.
Names: balbūthe, tarukṣe—keep them distinct. Emphasize the refrain: ‘madanti… madanti…’. Slight pause before ‘indragopāḥ’ and ‘devagopāḥ’.
balbūthe: long ‘ū’; aspirate ‘th’, tarukṣe: retroflex ‘ṣ’; ‘kṣe’ as ‘kṣe’ cluster, vāyav: sandhi form; pronounce as ‘vāyav’ with soft ‘v’, indragopāḥ/devagopāḥ: keep ‘gopāḥ’ long ā, visarga light
Warm, celebratory yet composed; clear articulation on the protective epithets.
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