Rig Veda 8.46.3: Mandala 8, Sukta 46, Mantra 3
Sukta 8.46
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism) and Adbhuta (wonder)
आ यस्य ते महिमानं शतमूते शतक्रतो । गीर्भिर्गृणन्ति कारवः ॥
ā́ yásya te mahimā́naṃ śatám-ūte śatákrato | gī́rbhir gṛṇánti kā́ravaḥ ||
اے سو راستوں کے مددگار، اے سو ارادوں والے، تیری عظمت کی طرف گلوکار اپنے الفاظ کے ساتھ اٹھتے ہیں؛ الہامی کلمات سے رشی تجھ کی تعریف کرتے ہیں۔
Word by Word
- आ
- towards, hitherIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपात (गत्यर्थकः) — अव्ययम्Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)
- यस्य
- whosePronounपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (gen. sg.)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- to you, for youPronounचतुर्थी एकवचनम् (dat. sg.) — ‘to/for you’Role SampradānaRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- महिमानम्
- greatness, majestyNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)Role KarmaRoot महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक; from मह् ‘to be great’)
- शतमूते
- O hundred-bountied (rich in gifts)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (voc. sg.)Role सम्बोधनRoot शतमूति (प्रातिपदिक; शत- ‘hundred’ + मूति/मूति ‘bounty, gift’)
- शतक्रतो
- O hundred-powered / of a hundred powersAdjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (voc. sg.)Role सम्बोधनRoot शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक; शत- ‘hundred’ + क्रतु ‘power, resolve, might’)
- गीर्भिः
- with hymns, by songsNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (instr. pl.)Role KaraṇaRoot गीर् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘song, hymn, praise’)
- गृणन्ति
- they praise, they singVerbलट् (वर्तमान) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्Root गृ (धातु; ‘to sing/praise’), वर्गः भ्वादिः
- कारवः
- the poets/singersNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (nom. pl.)Role KartāRoot कारु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘singer, poet, praiser’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: आ | यस्य | ते | महिमानम् | शतमूते | शतक्रतो | गीर्भिः | गृणन्ति | कारवः । सन्धि: गीर्भिः + गृणन्ति → गीर्भिर्गृणन्ति (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः, परे घोषव्यञ्जने ‘ग्’)। अन्यत्र विशेष-सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The poets and singers rise up with hymns to Indra’s greatness, praising him as the one with “a hundred helps” and “a hundred powers of action/will.”
Inner meaning
The soul’s inspired faculties (kāravaḥ) ascend toward the Divine Mind (Indra) by mantric speech (gīḥ). “Hundred helps” and “hundred wills” indicate the many-sided assistances and effective intentions of the illumined consciousness that can act in every part of the being—mind, life-force, and body—when Indra is affirmed within.
Universal truth
When aspiration becomes articulate and sincere, a higher Intelligence answers with manifold supports and decisive powers of will; inner progress is accelerated by repeated, luminous affirmation.
Themes
Praise and ascent, Indra’s greatness, Power of the Word (gīr), Many-sided divine will
The seer
Significance
The anonymity itself suits a universal voice of aspiration: the mantra reads as a generic but potent call of inspired speech toward Indra’s vastness, emphasizing that illumination responds to sincere praise (inner affirmation) rather than personal pedigree.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra
- Epithets
- Śatamūti (hundred-helping), Śatakratu (hundred-willed/ hundred-powered), Maghavan (bounteous) (implied by praise context)
- Related deities
- Maruts (dynamic thought-forces), Soma (bliss that intoxicates the higher mind), Adityas (guardians of cosmic law)
Cosmic role
Lord of luminous mind who breaks the coverings and releases the waters/cows (streams and rays of truth).
Inner power
The decisive, conquering intelligence that turns aspiration into effective inner action; the will-to-light that organizes the being around Truth.
In ritual
Where it is used
Indra-Soma praise in Soma-yajña milieu (general)
आ यस्य॑ ते महि॒मानं॒ शत॑मूते॒ शत॑क्रतो । गी॒र्भिर्गृ॒णन्ति॑ का॒रव॑: ॥
आ । यस्य॑ । ते॒ । म॒हि॒मान॑म् । शत॑म्ऽऊते । शत॑क्रतो॒ इति॒ शत॑ऽक्रतो । गीः॒ऽभिः । गृ॒णन्ति॑ । का॒रवः॑ ॥
ā | yasya | te | mahimānam | śatam-ūte | śatakrato itiśata-krato | gīḥ-bhiḥ | gṛṇanti | kāravaḥ
Triṣṭubh (probable for RV 8.46 style; exact pada scan not fully confirmable from provided text alone)
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4 pādas of ~11 syllables
Forward-driving, declarative, suited to proclamation and invocation.
Builds uplift and confidence; supports a mental ‘ascent’ feeling—praise rising toward a vast power.
- महि॒मानम् (mahimānam)
- Literal: greatness, vastness. Symbolic: the wideness of higher consciousness; the immeasurable scope of the illumined Mind
- शत॑मूते (śatam-ūte)
- Literal: of a hundred helps/aids. Symbolic: multiplied inner assistances—intuitions, protections, timely forces that sustain sādhanā
- शत॑क्रतु (śatakratu)
- Literal: of a hundred kratus (powers of resolve/ritual acts). Symbolic: many effective formations of will and discernment; the capacity to execute truth in action
- गीः (gīḥ)
- Literal: songs, inspired words. Symbolic: mantric thought-speech carrying light
- का॒रवः (kāravaḥ)
- Literal: singers/poets. Symbolic: seer-powers in the practitioner—intuitive mind and inspired speech that can praise and call down light
- आ (ā)
- Literal: towards, up to. Symbolic: movement of aspiration and ascent of consciousness
Stotra-style verse: elevation of Indra through gīr (hymns), typical in Soma liturgy where praise intensifies the god’s presence and action.
During Indra invocations in Soma pressing/offerings; also as laudatory recitation in Indra-focused sequences
Stotra/śastra-style praise; calling Indra’s presence through inspired speech
Use as a short ‘invocation of inner Indra’ before study/meditation: recite to awaken clarity, courage, and effective will.
mahimānam: from mah ‘great’ (PIE *megʰ-) → mahimā ‘greatness’. śatakratu: kratu ‘will, resolve, inspired intelligence’ (not merely ‘rite’); śata- intensifies multiplicity of effective powers. gīr: ‘song, word’ linked to √gṛ ‘to sing/utter’. The preverb ā signals an upward movement: speech as ascent to the deity’s vastness.
kratu as effective will/intelligence, manifold help as divine intervention in the ascent
Indra’s ‘hundred kratus’ symbolize the many right formations by which Truth becomes executable in life.
Gīḥ as truth-bearing speech—speech that aligns mind with what is seen inwardly.
Expansion (mahimā) as the growth of consciousness toward the Vast.
Proto-Vedāntic/Integral (Aurobindo-Kashyap line): ascent to higher mind and descent of force into action.
Sound becomes a vehicle of ascent; vastness denotes the wideness of higher consciousness responding to aspiration.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘Word that raises’ (gīr as ladder): poets ascend to Indra’s mahimā. Mythically, speech summons and magnifies the god; psychologically, mantra elevates consciousness to contact the many-powered will (kratu) of the divine.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- mah- ‘great’ reflects PIE *megʰ- (cf. Greek μέγας, Latin magnus). The epithet śatakratu preserves an old Indo-European idea of ‘will/resolve’ as a divine faculty; formulaic epithets with numerals (śata-) are common in archaic poetics to express superabundance.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s craft (kavi/kāru) is instrumental: by shaping gīr, he participates in the manifestation of Indra’s power. The exchange is: inspired word for divine aid—speech becomes the human contribution to the divine action.
Invoke the ‘Indra-force’ in the head and heart: clarity, courage, and effective resolve.
ājñā (clarity/command)
Moderate inhalation on “ā yasya te”, steady exhalation through the praise phrase; brief pause after each pāda to feel ascent.
Energized stillness—alert, luminous mind.
Before action, recite once or thrice, then hold a quiet intention: ‘Let the higher mind govern my will in many ways.’
Notated svaras not provided; chant in a steady RV recitation style with udatta emphasis on marked syllables and svarita contours where applicable.
Follow the text accents: raise pitch on udātta-marked syllables; allow gentle fall after; keep pāda-end cadence stable.
śata-: clear ‘ś’ (palatal) not ‘sa’, krato: roll light ‘r’; keep ‘o’ long/rounded, gīrbhir: articulate cluster ‘rbh’ smoothly; avoid inserting extra vowel, gṛṇanti: vocalic ‘ṛ’ as brief syllabic r (gṛ-)
Bright, confident, upward-aiming; avoid heaviness.
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