Rig Veda 8.65.2: Mandala 8, Sukta 65, Mantra 2
Sukta 8.65
- Devata
- Indra
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (peace)
यद्वा प्रस्रवणे दिवो मादयासे स्वर्णरे । यद्वा समुद्रे अन्धसः ॥
yád vā́ pra-srávaṇe divó mā́dayāse svàrṇare | yád vā́ samudré ándhasaḥ ||
چاہے آسمان کے بہاؤ پر تو روشن بلندیوں کے رہنما، مست ہو، یا دبے ہوئے خوشی کے سمندر کی گہرائی میں، وہاں بھی تو وہ طاقت ہے جو ہم میں خوشی لیتی ہے اور قوت بڑھاتی ہے۔
Word by Word
- यद्वा
- whether/if … orIndeclinableसमुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक अव्यय-समूह (यद्-प्रत्ययेन ‘यदा’ अर्थे) — ‘या… वा’ = ‘चेत्… अथवा’Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वा (अव्यय)
- प्रस्रवणे
- in the outflow/at the stream (place of flowing)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot प्रस्रवण (प्रातिपदिक; प्र-√स्रु ‘to flow’ से निष्पन्न)
- दिवः
- of heaven, of the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके ‘दिव्’), षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धःRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक ‘दिव्/द्यौ’)
- मादयासे
- you rejoice/are exhilaratedVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole कर्तृ (त्वम्) — क्रियाRoot √मद् (मद्/माद्) ‘to be exhilarated, to intoxicate (oneself)’
- स्वर्णरे
- O golden/sky-going man (epithet, vocative)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (हे …)Role सम्बोधनRoot स्वर्णर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘स्वर्’/‘स्वर्ग’ + ‘नर’/‘नृ’ तद्धित/समास-निर्माण; वैदिक विशेषण)
- यद्वा
- or whetherIndeclinableविकल्पार्थक अव्यय-समूहRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वा (अव्यय)
- समुद्रे
- in the oceanNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकारणRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्धसः
- of the soma-juice, of the draughtNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) / विशेषण-सम्बन्धःRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सोमरस/रस’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (वैदिक-पदपाठानुसार): यद् वा | प्रस्रवणे | दिवः | मादयासे | स्वर्णरे | यद् वा | समुद्रे | अन्धसः || 1) ‘यद्वा’ = ‘यद् + वा’ (निग्रह/सन्धि-लोप; व्यवहारतः एकपदवत्). 2) ‘दिवो’ (संहितापाठ) → ‘दिवः’ (पदपाठ; विसर्ग-प्रत्यावर्तन). 3) ‘स्वर्णरे’ सम्बोधन-एकवचन
- संहितायां उच्चारण-दीर्घ/स्वरचिह्न (॑) वैदिक-स्वरनिर्देशः, पदच्छेदं न परिवर्तयति. 4) ‘समुद्रे’ सप्तमी-एकवचन
- ‘अन्धसः’ षष्ठी-एकवचन — ‘समुद्रे अन्धसः’ = ‘अन्धसः समुद्रे’ (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Indra is said to rejoice or become intoxicated either at the outflowing stream of heaven or in the ocean of Soma-juice; wherever he is, he is the joyous power.
Inner meaning
Indra’s illumination draws strength from two inner sources: (1) the ‘heavenly outflow’—streams of higher inspiration and truth descending into mind; (2) the ‘ocean of andhas’—deep, concentrated bliss-substance (Soma) in the inner being. The mantra affirms that whether the contact is through descending light or through depths of delight, the same divine Mind-Power awakens joy, increases force, and enlarges capacity in us.
Universal truth
True power is nourished by both clarity (light from above) and delight (depth from within); when either is present, consciousness becomes strong and glad.
Themes
Indra-Soma, invocation, inner intensification, waters-as-consciousness
The seer
- Other hymns
- Rig Veda 8.65.1, Rig Veda 8.65.3, Rig Veda 8.65.4, Rig Veda 8.65.5
Significance
A seer-psychology of power: Indra’s strength is shown as dependent on delight (Soma) and on the descending streams of heaven—two pillars of integral transformation.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (Soma-drinker; Svah-leader)
- Epithets
- Svaḥ-nara (leader of the luminous world), Somapā (drinker of Soma), Maghavan (bountiful)
- Related deities
- Soma, Agni, Bṛhaspati, Sarasvatī (streams of inspiration)
Cosmic role
Channels heavenly energies and releases the waters/light; increases the force of the gods in the human field.
Inner power
Joyous strength—illumination that is not dry but intoxicated with Ananda, making action victorious.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma pressing and offering to Indra (Indra-Soma sequence)
यद्वा॑ प्र॒स्रव॑णे दि॒वो मा॒दया॑से॒ स्व॑र्णरे । यद्वा॑ समु॒द्रे अन्ध॑सः ॥
यत् । वा॒ । प्र॒ऽस्रव॑णे । दि॒वः । मा॒दया॑से । स्वः॑ऽनरे । यत् । वा॒ । स॒मु॒द्रे । अन्ध॑सः ॥
yat | vā | pra-sravaṇe | divaḥ | mādayāse | svaḥ-nare | yat | vā | samudre | andhasaḥ
32
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (with Vedic sandhi compressions)
Flowing yet firm; imagery alternates ‘stream’ and ‘ocean’ with balanced cadence.
Induces a sense of wideness and depth; supports both uplift (above) and plunge (within).
- prasravaṇa
- Literal: outflowing, stream, spring. Symbolic: descending current of inspiration/Truth from higher consciousness
- divaḥ
- Literal: of heaven. Symbolic: higher mind, luminous planes of consciousness
- mādayāse
- Literal: you become exhilarated/intoxicated. Symbolic: divine joy-power intensifies; force becomes glad and effective
- svaḥ-nara (svàrṇara)
- Literal: leader/man of Svah (luminous world). Symbolic: Indra as ruler of the illumined mind-plane
- samudra
- Literal: ocean. Symbolic: vast depth of consciousness; the infinite reservoir of being
- andhasaḥ
- Literal: of the Soma-juice/pressed extract. Symbolic: concentrated delight-essence (Soma) in the inner nature
Soma offering context: invocation of Indra to drink Soma (general Soma-yajña / pressing sessions; applicable to Agniṣṭoma-style Soma rites).
During Soma-libations when invoking Indra’s exhilaration and strength.
Offer Soma; recite to invite the deity to ‘drink’ and empower the rite.
Meditation cue: alternate attention between ‘descending light’ (crown/brow) and ‘inner ocean of delight’ (heart/solar plexus), inviting a glad strength.
Key terms: (1) prasravaṇa < pra-√sru ‘to flow forth’: suggests a ‘descent/streaming’ of divine influx from div ‘heaven, luminous mind’. (2) mādayāse: middle 2sg from √mad ‘to be exhilarated, rejoice’; in Soma hymns this marks the god-force increasing by delight (ānanda) rather than mere intoxication. (3) svaḥ-nara: compound of svaḥ ‘luminous world (svarga as consciousness)’ + nara ‘man/hero/leader’; nara from √nṛ ‘to lead/strong man’ (semantic field of heroic force). (4) samudra: sam- ‘together’ + udra/ud ‘water’ → ‘gathered waters’, often the cosmic/subconscious vastness. (5) andhas: Soma; possibly from √andh ‘to press/juice’ (traditional usage: pressed plant sap); psychologically ‘sap of delight’ sustaining Indra’s force.
descent of higher light (div/svaḥ), ānanda (delight) as force-nourisher (Soma), integration of heights (heaven) and depths (ocean/subconscient)
The heavenly stream is ṛta’s descending order; the ocean is the stable vastness supporting manifestation.
‘Heaven’ as satya-plane feeding right discernment.
Waters above and waters below—two reservoirs whose meeting generates power in the mid-world (our active consciousness).
Integral Vedism (Soma as Ananda; Indra as illumined mind).
A twofold movement: descent of inspiration (stream) and emergence of bliss from depth (ocean), both feeding luminous action.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- Indra’s Soma-exhilaration across the two cosmic loci—‘heavenly outflow’ and ‘ocean of Soma’—a mythic schema where the god’s strength is renewed by the pressed delight, enabling later victory and illumination. Innerly, it encodes the same power operating in both the supramental descent (heights) and the subconscious plenitude (depths).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √sru ‘flow’ (prasravaṇa) aligns with PIE *sreu- ‘to flow’ (cf. English ‘stream’ via Germanic developments; Greek rheîn ‘flow’). √mad ‘be exhilarated’ connects with the Indo-Iranian ‘intoxicating/exhilarating’ semantic field (Avestan mad-). div ‘sky/shine’ reflects PIE *diw- ‘bright sky, day’ (Latin diēs, deus; Greek Zeus < *diw-).
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The poet does not command but recognizes Indra’s universal availability: wherever the divine force takes delight—above in the luminous descent or below in the oceanic reserve—it can be turned toward the sacrificer’s inner growth. The reciprocity is implicit: Soma (human preparation of delight/aspiration) feeds Indra; Indra’s heightened force returns as victorious power and illumination.
Unite light and delight: receive a ‘stream’ of clarity from above while resting in an ‘ocean’ of calm joy within.
Sahasrāra/Ājñā (stream from above) and Anāhata (ocean of delight)
Inhale imagining a cool luminous stream descending; exhale settling into a vast inner ocean. 12 cycles.
Widened awareness (bṛhat) with glad force (ānanda-śakti).
When effort becomes dry, remember Indra ‘mādayāse’: let joy be the fuel of strength; when joy becomes vague, call the ‘divaḥ prasravaṇa’—clear descending discernment.
Rigvedic accents with emphasis on ‘mādayāse’ and ‘svàḥ-nare’; maintain contrast between ‘prasravaṇe’ (flow) and ‘samudre’ (depth).
Let ‘diváḥ’ lift lightly; ‘samudré’ broaden and deepen in tone; keep ‘andhásaḥ’ resonant and rounded.
prasravaṇe: articulate ‘sr’ cluster cleanly, mādayāse: long ā; ‘ya’ clear, svàrṇare/svaḥ-nare: keep visarga in svaḥ (if reciting that form) soft but present, samudre: dental d, not retroflex, andhasaḥ: ‘dh’ aspirated; final ḥ light
Flowing, spacious, with a sense of depth on ‘samudre’.
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