Rig Veda 8.21.8: Mandala 8, Sukta 21, Mantra 8
Sukta 8.21
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Shanta (peace)
विद्मा सखित्वमुत शूर भोज्यमा ते ता वज्रिन्नीमहे । उतो समस्मिन्ना शिशीहि नो वसो वाजे सुशिप्र गोमति ॥
vidmā́ sakhitvám uta śūra bhojyàm ā́ te tā́ vajrinn īmahe | utó samasmínnā́ śiśīhi no vaso vā́je suśipra gómatī ||
ہم تیری دوستی اور تیری بہادری کی سخاوت جانتے ہیں؛ اس لیے، اے بجلی رکھنے والے، ہم انہیں حاصل کرنے کے لیے قریب آتے ہیں۔ اور اسی یکجہتی میں، اے واسو، ہمیں تیز کر، اے خوبصورت لبوں والے، قوت کی فراوانی میں جو علم کی کرنوں سے بھرپور ہے۔
Word by Word
- विद्मा
- we knowVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; वैदिक प्रयोग: ‘we know’Role (क्रिया)Root √विद् (विदँ ज्ञाने)
- सखित्वम्
- friendshipNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सखि (प्रातिपदिक) → सखि-त्व (भाववाचक)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे अव्ययRole (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root उत
- शूर
- O heroNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
- भोज्यम्
- enjoyment; boon to be enjoyedAdjective/Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot भोज्य (√भुज्/√भुज्-सेवने/भोगे; ‘to enjoy/partake’)
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (आ-)Role (क्रियाविशेषक)Root आ
- ते
- for you / yourPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic) अथवा चतुर्थी एकवचन; अत्र: ‘thy/for thee’Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
- ताः
- those (things)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot तद्
- वज्रिन्
- O wielder of the thunderboltNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root वज्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- ईमहे
- we seek / we requestVerbलट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √यम् (यमँ उपरमे/प्रयत्ने) वैदिक: √ई/√यम् ‘to seek, request’
- उतो
- and also, moreoverIndeclinableउत + उ (वैदिक संधि-रूप), ‘and further/also’Role (सम्बन्धसूचक)Root उत + उ
- सम्
- together, completelyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (सम्-)Role (क्रियाविशेषक)Root सम्
- अस्मिन्
- in thisPronounपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इदम्
- आ
- towards, fullyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्ग (आ-)Role (क्रियाविशेषक)Root आ
- शिशीहि
- strengthen; make vigorousVerbलोट्, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole (क्रिया)Root √शिश्/√शिशी (शिशीँ तीक्ष्णीकरणे/प्रेरणे) वैदिक: ‘to strengthen, sharpen’
- नः
- for usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन (enclitic); अत्र: ‘for us/our’Role SampradānaRoot अस्मद्
- वसो
- O good one; O benefactorNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वाजे
- in the prize/contest; in winningNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुशिप्र
- O fair-lipped (Indra)Adjective (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन)Root सु- + शिप्र (प्रातिपदिक; ‘jaw/lip/cheek’, epithet of Indra)
- गोमति
- in the cow-rich (gain)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; अत्र: वाजे… गोमति = ‘in the cow-rich (prize)’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गोमत् (गो + मतुप्)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (संधि-निरसन): विद्मा | सखित्वम् | उत | शूर | भोज्यम् | आ | ते | ताः | वज्रिन् | ईमहे || उतो (= उत + उ) | सम् | अस्मिन् | आ | शिशीहि | नः | वसो | वाजे | सुशिप्र | गोमति । विशेष: ‘उतो’ वैदिक-प्रयोगः (उत + उ)
- ‘ते’/‘नः’ एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनामरूपे, अर्थतः दान-प्राप्त्यर्थे चतुर्थी (Sampradāna) ग्रहणीयम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
We know your friendship and heroic bounty; therefore we approach you, O thunderbolt-bearer. In this togetherness, sharpen us in the force that is rich in cows (wealth).
Inner meaning
Friendship (sakhitvam) is the intimate alliance between the human aspiration and the illumined Mind. Heroic bounty (bhojyam) is not mere gift but empowering increase of capacity. Approaching Indra (ā… īmahe) is the yogic turning upward. ‘Sharpen us’ (ā śiśīhi) is a call for refinement of the instrument: make our will and understanding keen, precise, victorious. ‘Vāje… gomati’ indicates plenitude of effective force (vāja) filled with rays of knowledge (go): action-power must be illumined, not blind.
Universal truth
Spiritual progress depends on an active friendship with the higher intelligence: it must both give and also sharpen our faculties so that power becomes luminous and rightly directed.
Themes
divine friendship, empowerment, illumined abundance, victory-force
The seer
- Lineage
- Kāṇva (probable)
- Other hymns
- RV 8.21.1-10, RV 6.45 (Indra as friend and giver of vāja/go motifs), RV 1.33 (Indra’s decisive action—vajra symbolism)
Family tradition
Kāṇvas often stress Indra as friend and increaser of vāja (effective power) and go (illumination), linking speech (vipra) with victory over obscurity.
Significance
This verse frames the divine-human relation as collaboration: Indra not only grants but trains—sharpening the seeker’s faculties for luminous action.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Vajrin, Vasu, Suśipra, Śūra
- Related deities
- Sarasvatī (inspired speech), Bṛhaspati (word that breaks), Agni (will), Soma (bliss that sustains)
Cosmic role
Warrior of light who empowers the gods/aspirants and ensures victory of illumination in the field of action.
Inner power
Decisive illumined intelligence that refines speech, will, and discernment; converts raw energy into effective luminous force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra praise in Soma setting; also suitable as a ‘śikṣā’ (training) verse within recitation sequences
वि॒द्मा स॑खि॒त्वमु॒त शू॑र भो॒ज्य१॒॑मा ते॒ ता व॑ज्रिन्नीमहे । उ॒तो स॑मस्मि॒न्ना शि॑शीहि नो वसो॒ वाजे॑ सुशिप्र॒ गोम॑ति ॥
वि॒द्म । स॒खि॒ऽत्वम् । उ॒त । शू॒र॒ । भो॒ज्य॑म् । आ । ते॒ । ता । व॒ज्रि॒न् । ई॒म॒हे॒ । उ॒तो इति॑ । स॒म॒स्मि॒न् । आ । शि॒शी॒हि॒ । नः॒ । व॒सो॒ इति॑ । वाजे॑ । सु॒ऽशि॒प्र॒ । गोऽम॑ति ॥
vidma | sakhi-tvam | uta | śūra | bhojyam | ā | te | tā | vajrin | īmahe | uto iti | samasmin | ā | śiśīhi | naḥ | vaso iti | vāje | su-śipra | go--mati
Jagatī (probable; longer cadence suggested by phrasing)
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4 pādas of ~12 syllables (approx.)
Broader, more flowing than triṣṭubh; suited to ‘approach’ and ‘sharpening’ movement.
Encourages expansive aspiration while carrying a precise edge—like a blade being honed through rhythm.
- sakhitvam
- Literal: friendship. Symbolic: intimate alliance with the divine Power within
- śūra
- Literal: hero. Symbolic: the courageous force of illumination confronting resistance
- bhojyam
- Literal: bounty, enjoyment-gift. Symbolic: empowering increase; capacity to hold and use force
- vajrin
- Literal: thunderbolt-bearer. Symbolic: mind-force that breaks the coverer; decisive discernment
- ā śiśīhi
- Literal: sharpen, whet. Symbolic: refine the will and intelligence into a keen instrument
- vāja
- Literal: prize, strength, plenitude. Symbolic: effective force for realization
- go-mati
- Literal: rich in cows. Symbolic: rich in rays of knowledge/illumination
- suśipra
- Literal: fair-lipped/beautiful-jawed. Symbolic: power of true utterance; inspired speech that carries force
Petition for empowerment: the sacrificer asks Indra to ‘sharpen’ faculties for vāja (victorious force) and gomati (illumined abundance), aligning with Soma-inspired striving.
When seeking empowerment and victory-force; in modern use before demanding work or sadhana requiring precision.
Stuti with an explicit request for inner refinement (śiśīhi).
Recite before study, debate, or creative work: ask for sharpened discernment and luminous effectiveness rather than mere speed.
: abstract from sakhi ‘friend’ (alliance motif). : from √bhuj ‘enjoy, partake, distribute’ → divine bounty as shareable fullness. : from √vaj ‘be strong, drive’ → not mere ‘prize’ but force-plenitude enabling victory and progress. : from √śiś/√śī ‘sharpen’ → psychological ‘keen-edging’ of will and intelligence. : ‘possessing cows’ → possessing rays/knowledges; supports the inner reading of illumination.
friendship with the divine (sakhitva) as yoga-like alliance, sharpening of faculties (tapas-like keenness), vāja as force-plenitude leading to victory in the inner battle
‘Sharpen us’ implies tapas that aligns energy with ṛta—power becomes right power.
Suśipra indicates speech that carries satya-force (truth-power).
Transformation of faculties: from raw to refined; from mixed desire to illumined force.
Yoga of works and knowledge integrated: luminous action (vāja) grounded in dhī/go.
Sharpening = disciplined refinement; cows = rays of light; heroic bounty = influx of higher force into the vital and mental.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The Indra-myth of empowerment: vajrin sharpens the seeker for vāja (victorious force) and gomati (light-wealth), echoing the broader Vṛtra-combat as an inner conquest of obstruction.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √bhuj ‘enjoy/partake’ has Indo-European parallels in distributive/participatory semantics; √vaj ‘be strong’ reflects an archaic force-vocabulary comparable to PIE strength/drive roots. The abstract formations (-tva, -ya) show inherited Indo-European nominal strategies.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi appeals to a known intimacy (vidmā sakhitvam) and asks for transformative action (śiśīhi naḥ): the god is not only praised but requested to actively refine the human instrument.
Invoke the inner Friend to refine discernment and will; align action-power with illumination.
Viśuddha (true speech) and Ājñā (discernment) supported by Maṇipūra (effective force).
Bhrāmarī 7 rounds to purify speech-mind, then silent repetition of ‘ā śiśīhi no’ with slow exhale.
Focused, sharpened, luminous readiness.
After chanting, choose one faculty to ‘hone’ today (speech, attention, decision). Make one precise vow aligned with truth; act without haste but with edge.
Svara not supplied; chant with heightened emphasis on vocatives (vajrin, vaso, suśipra) and on the imperative śiśīhi.
Give a clear lift on ‘ā śiśīhi’ (command/request) and a firm cadence on ‘vāje… gomati’.
sakhitvam: kh aspirated; keep ‘tv’ cluster clear, vajrinn: geminate n audible before īmahe, śiśīhi: palatal ś; long ī in second syllable, gomati: long o; dental t
Bright, firm, invigorating—without shouting.
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